ARKADELPHIA -- Todd Knight and Ouachita Baptist University walked away from a loss at Harding University three weeks ago knowing it had given away a game, and thinking its season might have gone with it.
"We beat ourselves," Knight said of that loss Oct. 7, the Tigers' second of the season for a total that typically eliminates a team from Great American Conference title and NCAA Division II playoff contention.
But thanks to Knight's positivity and a conference without a clear favorite, all of the Tigers' goals are attainable after three consecutive victories, perhaps none more impressive than Saturday's 55-21 rout of the University of Arkansas-Monticello at Cliff Harris Stadium.
OBU (7-2) rushed for 398 yards and scored on five consecutive second-half possessions to turn a 20-14 halftime lead into a blowout while staying tied atop the standings.
Most pleasing to Knight, the Tigers' 19th-year coach, is that his team has banded together after the second loss.
"We walked in and looked at ourselves and said, 'What did we just do?' " he said of the Harding loss. "We just talked about, 'What can we control?' And what we can control is our attitude, and we were not going to succumb to negativity. And the guys have done a great job of that."
An example came in the first quarter Saturday after Cole Sears' 19-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Tolliver put the Boll Weevils up 7-0, then they drove to the Tigers' 1 looking to go up two scores. Sears reached for the goal line, but the ball popped out of his hands, and Elijah Jones recovered for the Tigers. OBU responded with a 96-yard drive to tie the game on a 48-yard pass from Austin Warford to Allie Freeman.
Warford then added a 10-yard touchdown run, and Cole Antley kicked two field goals to make it 20-14 at halftime. About everyone pitched in for the Tigers in the second half to outscore the Weevils 35-7.
Warford threw two touchdown passes to Freeman and rushed for three scores while gaining 252 yards of offense. Drew Harris added a rushing touchdown and Kris Oliver gained 130 yards on the ground for the Tigers, who gained 554 total yards.
"I think we have the best playmakers in the GAC," Warford said. "As a quarterback and seeing who I have, it's just fun for me."
The Boll Weevils (5-4), trying to win a fourth consecutive game for the first time in nine years, gave the Tigers' plenty of help.
After the first-quarter fumble, Sears threw an interception and Josh Marini missed a 37-yard field goal, both of which the Tigers' answered with touchdowns. Those mistakes negated Sears' 377 yards passing and the team's 469 total yards.
"There were several things today that was just like -- man, they just blew your mind," UAM Coach Hud Jackson said. "You can't do it. You have to play dang near perfect football when you play a good team, and we just didn't do it today."
It helped OBU survive another week in a GAC race more muddled than any before. Not once in the league's first six years has the champion had more than one league loss. But that's guaranteed this year, considering OBU and Arkansas Tech are tied at the top of the standings and two others have three losses.
Knight hopes the good vibes are enough to keep his team in it.
"Win, lose or draw, we're going to be positive," Knight said. "Because all of that can go away in a blink. It's just about taking care of yourself and making sure we have the right attitude."
HENDERSON STATE 36,
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 30
Henderson State University (5-4, 5-4 GAC) diminished the chances for Southern Arkansas University (6-3, 6-3) to win its first Great American Conference title with its victory at Carpenter-Hay-good Stadium in Arkadelphia.
Henderson State trailed 24-14 entering the fourth quarter, and after the teams traded touchdowns to start the final quarter, the Reddies scored two touchdowns to set the final score.
Senior quarterback Evan Lassiter threw both of his touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, which went for 13 and 30 yards to junior wide receiver Ben Johnson.
Johnson’s second touchdown came with 2:03 left in the game, and senior defensive tackle Brandon Quinterro had a sack and recovered SAU junior quarterback Barrett Renner’s fumble at the SAU 31 to end the game.
Lassiter led the game with 16 of 24 passing for 213 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception, and SAU senior running back Michael Nunnery led the game with 120 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown.
SAU earned its 24-14 lead after a 27-yard field goal by Bradford Grems with 3:26 left in the third quarter, which followed two Renner touchdown passes, including a 49-yard touchdown passs to sophomore receiver Jared Lancaster at the end of the first quarter.
HARDING 42,
SE OKLAHOMA STATE 3
Harding University (6-3, 6-3 GAC) kept pace for a shot at the Great American Conference title in its victory at Southeastern Oklahoma State (6-3, 6-3) at Paul Laird Field in Durant, Okla. Harding has now won six consecutive games since starting the season 0-3, and the Bisons extended their victory streak over SE Oklahoma to seven games since the GAC was formed in 2011.
The Harding defense held an opponent without a touchdown for the third consecutive game, and the offense had a season-high 591 total yards.
Junior quarterback Terrence Dingle scored the first two touchdowns on 1-yard touchdown runs, and he threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Grant Kimberlin during the second quarter to put Harding up 28-0. Dingle finished the game 4-of-5 passing for 90 yards and an interception, while freshman running back Cole Chancey had a game-high 99 yards on 15 carries. Junior running back Brandon Gates added touchdown runs of 1 and 6 yards, and junior running back Matt Fuller capped the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run with 10:12 left in the game.
SE Oklahoma lost two fumbles during the game, and the Savage Storm had only previously lost one all season.
Harding held the GAC’s fifth-ranked offense (405.8 yards per game) to 226 yards.
ARKANSAS TECH 38,
EAST CENTRAL 10
Arkansas Tech University (7-2, 7-2 GAC) won its third consecutive game in its victory over East Central (Okla.) (2-7, 2-7) to remain tied atop the Great American Conference standings with Ouachita Baptist. The Wonder Boys are still within reach of its first GAC title since the league was formed in 2011, and still have Southeastern Oklahoma State and Harding left on the schedule.
Tech outgained East Central 425-316 and won the turnover battle 3-0.
Tech senior quarterback Ty Reasnor threw two touchdown passes to start the scoring. The first was a 15-yard pass to junior fullback Chris Eastburn, and the second was a 9-yard pass to junior receiver Jakcob Dean.
Reasnor went 24 of 35 for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had 24 yards rushing on 6 carries, including a 12-yard rushing touchdown to cap the scoring with 7:15 left in the game.
The GAC’s leading rusher, East Central freshman Ontario Douglas, had a game-high 111 yards on 22 carries.
The Tigers scored their points during the second quarter — first on a 36-yard field goal by freshman kicker Bobby Schmidt, then a 20-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Rayjohn Austin-Ramsey to senior wide receiver Devyn Williams, which made the halftime score 21-10.
SAA
HENDRIX 38, TRINITY 35
Hendrix College (6-2, 4-2 Southern Athletic Association) evened itself at third place in the conference standings with a victory over Trinity (5-3, 4-2) at Trinity University Stadium in San Antonio.
Junior kicker Sandy Burks kicked the go-ahead 25-yard field goal with 7:22 left in the fourth quarter to give Hendrix a 31-28 lead.
The Warriors never trailed, and the team scored three consecutive touchdowns to start the game. The first two were a 1-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Miles Thompson and a 5-yard pass from Thompson to freshman wide receiver Blake Hinton.
Thompson went 25 of 43 for 417 yards and 2 touchdown passes.
Trinity’s run game outgained Hendrix 274-83, and freshman running back Charles Davis and senior running back Evan McDowell combined for 213 yards and a touchdown.
McDowell’s 2-yard touchdown run brought Trinity within 21-14 with 8:56 left in the third quarter, but Hendrix responded with a 6-play, 61-yard touchdown drive, capped by senior running back Ivan Burrell’s 2-yard run, on its following possession.
Hendrix receivers Michael Spainhour, Nate Hodapp and Blake Hinton each had over 100 yards receiving, and they combined for 20 catches, 396 yards and 2 touchdowns.
CSFL
SW ASSEMBLIES OF GOD 28, LYON 13
Lyon (3-5, 1-4 Central States Football League) lost for the fourth time in five games, this one at Southwestern Assemblies of God (7-1, 6-0) at Lumpkins Stadium in Waxahachie, Texas.
The Scots led 3-0 after the first quarter, when freshman kicker Ignacio Gomez made a 38-yard field goal.
After SAGU senior running back J.P. Lowery gave his team a 7-3 lead with a 11-yard touchdown run with 13:13 left in the second quarter, Lyon’s Gomez made a 36-yard field goal to make the halftime score 7-6.
SAGU scored consecutive touchdowns in the third quarter on a 9-yard pass from junior quarterback C.J. Collins to junior wide receiver Samuel Northey and a 26-yard run by Lowery, which set the lead out of reach at 21-6. Lyon scored once more with 14:29 left in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard run by freshman running back Titus Nelson, and SAGU junior Justin Allen capped the scoring with a 5-yard run with 5:32 left in the game.
SAGU outgained Lyon 355-238 in total offense, and Lyon surrendered the only turnover with an interception.
Lyon’s Nelson led all rushers with 89 yards on 24 carries, and SAGU’s Collins went 22 of 44 for 188 yards and a touchdown.
Lyon will host its final home game of the season Saturday against Bacone College.
Sports on 10/29/2017