Today's GAC games

HARDING

AT SOUTHERN NAZARENE

WHEN 1 p.m. Central

WHERE SNU Football Stadium, Bethany, Okla.

RADIO 95.3-FM KVHU in Searcy

INTERNET hardingsports.com

RECORDS Harding (1-1, 1-1 GAC); Southern Nazarene (1-1, 1-1)

COACHES Paul Simmons (12-5 in second season at Harding); Andy Lambert (7-17 in third season at SNU, 109-113 in 22nd season overall)

SERIES Harding leads 5-1

LAST MEETING Southern Nazarene defeated Harding, 28-27

COMMENTS Southern Nazarene stunned Harding last season when it rallied from 13 points down in the final 49 seconds to win on Harding's home field. It was SNU's first victory over Harding in six tries, and it dropped Harding to 0-3 in Paul Simmons' first season. Harding led 27-14 late in the fourth when SNU reserve quarterback Jackson Hopking completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Zach Walker to pull within 27-21 with 49 seconds left. Southern Nazarene recovered an ensuing on-side kick at its 46 with 46 seconds left, and after a pass-interference penalty, Hopking threw a pass that was deflected by wide receiver Reese Carlson into the hands of teammate Reid Roelofs, who raced 39 yards for the game-winning touchdown with 29 seconds remaining. Harding then won 11 consecutive games to reach the NCAA Division II semifinals. ... Harding is 14-3 in Oklahoma since the GAC began in 2011 and is ranked No. 21 in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll after a 28-23 loss to Southern Arkansas on Sunday in Searcy. Southern Nazarene defeated East Central (Okla.) 45-20 on Saturday in Bethany, Okla., after losing 35-0 to Southeastern Oklahoma in the season opener. ... Harding has won all three of it games against SNU in Bethany. ... The Crimson Storm are 8-38 overall and 4-25 at home since joining the GAC in 2013. ... Harding junior punter Cameron Scott leads the GAC and ranks 10th in Division II with 45.9 yards per punt. . ... SNU quarterback Jacob Spady (37-220 rushing) ranks fourth in the GAC in rushing.

ARKANSAS TECH

AT OKLAHOMA BAPTIST

WHEN 1 p.m. Central

WHERE Crain Family Stadium, Shawnee, Okla.

RADIO 102.3-FM KCJC in Russellville

INTERNET atusports.com, obubison.com

RECORDS Arkansas Tech (0-2, 0-2 in GAC); Oklahoma Baptist (2-0, 2-0)

COACHES Raymond Monica (31-28 in sixth season at Arkansas Tech, 76-62 in 13th season overall); Chris Jenson (20-37 in fifth season at Oklahoma Baptist)

SERIES Arkansas Tech leads 3-2-1

LAST MEETING Arkansas Tech won 58-21 in Russellville

COMMENTS Arkansas Tech had victory in its grasp when leading Henderson State 31-24 with 6:06 to play last Saturday in Russellville. The Wonder Boys regained possession at the Henderson State 46 after recovering a Reddies fumble with 4:24 to play. The Wonder Boys ran three times but were forced to punt, and Henderson State took over at its 12 with 2:44 to play. "We needed to make one more play," Arkansas Tech Coach Raymond Monica said. Henderson drove 88 yards in 9 plays to tie the game before winning it in overtime. Arkansas Tech outgained Henderson 479-410, ran 99 offensive plays and outrushed the Reddies 173-95. ... Oklahoma Baptist, picked to finish last by coaches in the preseason poll, seeks its first 3-0 start as a GAC member. Bison QB Preston Haire (66-97 passing, 613 yards, 5 TDs) leads the GAC in passing yards per game (306.5). Cagney Roberson (19-249 receiving, 1 TD) leads the conference in receptions and yards. ... Arkansas Tech's Terrez Hampton, (14-197 receiving, 1 TD) is second in the GAC in receptions and third in receiving yards. He caught an 84-yard touchdown pass on the first play last week from Carter Burcham (306 yards, 3 TDs), who took over as the starting quarterback for the Wonder Boys after splitting time with Cale Fulsom in the opener. ... Running back Christian Cole scored twice, on a 30-yard reception from Burcham and on a 15-yard scoop-and-score touchdown on the second-half kickoff to put Arkansas Tech up 24-21.

OUACHITA BAPTIST

AT SE OKLAHOMA STATE

WHEN 6 p.m. Central

WHERE Paul Laird Field, Durant, Okla.

RADIO Ouachita Football Network: 101.1-FM, KDXE in Little Rock (flagship), KUOA-AM, 1290 and KUOA-FM, 97.7 in Siloam Springs, KCXY-FM, 95.3, Camden, KZNG-FM, 105.5 and KZNG-AM, 1340, Hot Springs, KNAS-FM, 105.5, Nashville, KQOR-FM, 105.3, Mena; 100.3-FM

INTERNET obutigers.com

RECORDS OBU (2-0, 2-0 GAC); SEOSU (1-1, 1-1)

COACHES Todd Knight (102-94 at OBU in 20th season, 130-126-2 in 26th season overall); Bo Atterberry (28-19 in fifth season at SEOSU; 69-47 in 11th season overall)

SERIES OBU leads 32-18-4

LAST MEETING SEOSU won 41-35 in Arkadelphia

COMMENTS OBU is the highest ranked of three GAC teams in the AFCA Top 25 poll, moving to No. 14 after defeating Southwestern Oklahoma State 41-8. ... OBU is 18-6 in the GAC since the start of 2016, but two of its losses have come to SEOSU -- 45-38 in 2016 in Durant and 41-35 last season in Arkadelphia. ... SEOSU is coming off back-to-back 7-4 seasons. ... The Savage Storm won their opener 35-0 over Southern Nazarene but were tripped up at home, 27-26, last Saturday by Oklahoma Baptist. ... SEOSU RB Kenneth Burks (43-236 rushing, 4 TDs) is the GAC's second-leading rusher. ... OBU senior RB Kris Oliver (43-255 rushing, 5 TDs) became the fourth GAC back to go over the 3,000-yard mark. "He's getting close to being back on his game," OBU Coach Todd Knight said of Oliver, who has been slowed by injury the past two seasons. ... Knight's Tigers are 16-3 on the road against Oklahoma's GAC schools, but after more than 25 years of coaching in the Gulf South Conference at Delta State and now in the GAC at OBU, he said you can never take anything for granted on the road. "You have to be prepared, super prepared," Knight said."

HENDERSON STATE

AT NW OKLAHOMA STATE

WHEN 6 p.m. Central today

WHERE Ranger Field, Alva, Okla.

RADIO Henderson State Sports Network: 100.9-FM KDEL and 1240-AM KVRC in Arkadelphia, 99.7-FM KWPS in Hot Springs, 106.9-FM KYXK in Gurdon, 104.1-FM KZYP/1310-AM in Malvern, 99.3-FM KAFN/690-AM in Benton

INTERNET hsusports.com

RECORDS Henderson State (1-1, 1-1 GAC); NWOSU (0-2, 0-2)

COACHES Scott Maxfield (95-49 in 14th season at Henderson, 124-61 in 18th season overall); Matt Walter (13-23 in fourth season at NWOSU and overall)

SERIES Henderson State leads 4-2

LAST MEETING NWOSU won 36-30 in Arkadelphia

COMMENTS The Reddies are 16-0 when playing GAC games in Oklahoma and 31-1 on the road overall in the league after last Saturday's 38-31 overtime victory over Arkansas Tech in Russellville. Henderson State tied the game on a 21-yard pass from Richard Stammetti to Chase Lodree with 46 seconds to play. Stammetti scored the game-winner on a 2-yard run in overtime. Stammetti (25-56, 315 passing, 4 TDs), the GAC's Offensive Player of the Week, ranks second in passing yards (549) and touchdown passes (6). Teammate Bryston Gipson was named GAC Special Teams Player of the Week after registering five tackles and blocking an Arkansas Tech field goal late in the second quarter. ... Lodree (9-161 receiving, 1 TD last week) ranks fourth in the GAC in receptions (12), second in receiving yards (204) and is tied for lead with 3 TD receptions. ... NWOSU quarterback Isaiah Weed threw for 3 touchdowns and ran for another in the Rangers' 44-36 loss at UAM last week. Running back Jacob Peyton (237) leads the GAC in rushing. ... The Reddies will play in Alva (454 miles from Arkadelphia), but they stayed overnight in Enid, 73 miles east of Alva. ... The Rangers are third in the GAC in rushing yards per game (244) and the Reddies are 11th in rushing defense (240.0 ypg). ... When asked if he liked being called "King of the Road" in the GAC, Maxfield laughed, then said: "They call me a lot of things."

SOUTHERN AKANSAS

AT SW OKLAHOMA STATE

WHEN 6 p.m. Central

WHERE ASAP Energy Field, Weatherford, Okla.

RADIO 99.1-FM KVMZ in Magnolia

INTERNET muleriderathletics.com

RECORDS SAU (2-0, 2-0 GAC), SWOSU (1-1, 1-1)

COACHES Bill Keopple (51-46 in 10th season at SAU); Chet Pobolish (1-1 in first season at SWOSU)

SERIES SAU leads 6-1

LAST MEETING SAU won 38-14 in Magnolia

COMMENTS SAU leads the GAC in scoring defense (11.5 ppg) and total defense (273.5 ypg). Linebacker Malik Preston was named the GAC's Defensive Player of the Week and D2football.com's National Defensive Player of the Week after being credited with 16 tackles, 13 unassisted, and 3 forced fumbles in last Sunday's 28-23 victory over Harding in Searcy. Two of Preston's forced fumbles were returned for touchdowns, and the second touchdown came late in the fourth quarter with SAU clinging to a 21-17 lead. Preston, an All-GAC selection in 2016, returned to top form after missing the final eight games of 2017 with a knee injury. ... SWOSU's program is dealing with tragedy after last Saturday's death of freshman player Jake Simmons, who never recovered from injuries sustained in an Aug. 26 car accident. ... Bulldogs quarterback Casey Simmons passed for 7 touchdowns and earned offensive player of the week honors in his team's 49-35 victory over Arkansas-Monticello in Week 1, but was 14-of-24 passing, 103 yards, in last week's 41-8 loss to Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia. Simmons was sacked 4 times and threw an interception after completing 18 of 26 for 417 yards in the opener against UAM. Freeman leads all GAC quarterbacks with 8 TD passes. ... SAU has won the past 3 meetings in the series, including a 21-17 victory in their last trip to Weatherford, which was the 2016 season opener. ... SAU climbed into the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll at No. 25 after beating Harding, which dropped from No. 7 to No. 21.

ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO

AT EAST CENTRAL (OKLA.)

WHEN 6 p.m. Central

WHERE Norris Field, Ada, Okla.

RADIO 93.7-FM KHBM in southeast Arkansas

INTERNET ECUTigers.com

RECORDS UAM (1-1, 1-1 GAC), East Central (0-2, 0-2)

COACHES Hud Jackson (24-54 in eighth season at UAM and overall); Al Johnson (0-2 in first season at East Central and overall)

SERIES East Central leads 6-4

LAST MEETING UAM won 49-7 in Monticello

COMMENTS UAM is the only Arkansas team with a losing road record against Oklahoma GAC opponents. "I think we try to be very detailed on the road," Hud Jackson said. "We've got an itinerary, so nobody's going to be caught off guard." How detailed? The Boll Weevils left Monticello at 7:30 a.m. Friday, stopped at Alma High School 231 miles away, around 11 a.m. to stretch their legs with a walk-through. There was a stop in Fort Smith for lunch, then another 177 miles to Ada, where the Boll Weevils checked into their hotel, relaxed for a while, before going to Koi Ishto Stadium for another walk-through. UAM has a catering service that feeds the team at the hotel. "We never leave the hotel once we get there," Jackson said. "For coaches, you can control a few more things on the road." ... UAM leads the GAC in scoring offense (39.5 ppg) and total offense (469.5 ypg) but the Boll Weevils are last in scoring defense (42.5 ppg), total defense (517 ypg) and pass defense (342 ypg). ... UAM quarterback Cole Sears is No. 2 in the GAC in passing (278.5 ypg). He has accounted for 6 touchdowns -- 4 rushing and 2 passing. ... Other than Sears, UAM has taken a committee approach on offense, with Ralph Singleton (6-92), Imani Riley (26-85) and Nigel Dora (20-78) splitting the rushing yards. Seventeen different players have caught at least 1 pass. ... East Central relies on wide receiver Trinity Benson (7-141 rushing, 2 TDs; 12-141 receiving, 3 TDs).

Sports on 09/15/2018

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