SWAC
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF vs. Mississippi Valley State
WHEN 1 p.m.
WHERE Simmons Bank Field, Pine Bluff
RADIO UAPB Sports Network, KOKY-FM, 102.1, KPBA-FM, 99.3, KARN-AM, 920, in Little Rock
INTERNET uapblionsroar.com/live
TELEVISION None
RECORDS UAPB (4-2, 1-1 SWAC); Mississippi Valley State (1-4, 0-1)
COACHES Cedric Thomas (6-11 in second season at UAPB and overall); Vincent Dancy (2-14 in second season at MVSU and overall)
SERIES UAPB leads 26-23-1
LAST SEASON MVSU erased a 14-point, third-quarter deficit to beat UAPB 48-47 in double overtime in Itta Bena, Miss.
LAST WEEK UAPB held on for a 45-38 victory over Lane College; MVSU eased by Virginia Lynchburg 31-23.
NOTEWORTHY Today's game is deemed a Breast Cancer Awareness game. ... The teams have split the past six meetings, with Mississippi Valley State winning the last three. ... The Golden Lions have doubled their win total from 2018. ... Sophomore quarterback Skyler Perry had one of his better games as a freshman when UAPB lost 48-47 in double overtime at Mississippi Valley State when he completed 20 of 35 passes for 276 yards and 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. ... The Delta Devils average just over 130 yards rushing, with quarterback Dejerric Bryant leading the way with 72.4 yards per game. The senior, who had 181 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns in last year's game vs. UAPB, has completed 46.7 percent (77 of 165) of his passes for 637 yards. ... UAPB has scored at least 40 points three times this season, and the team's six interceptions are more than it had all of last year. ... Mississippi Valley State is fourth in the SWAC in rush defense (161.6 yards per game) and eighth against the pass (264.8 ypg). ... Running back Taeyler Porter has run for at least 100 yards in 10 of the 16 games he's played for the Golden Lions. The senior ran for 174 yards and two touchdowns against Mississippi Valley State last year. ... The Delta Devils are second in the league with 15 sacks, led by linebacker Jerry Garner's 3.5. Defensive lineman Ray Taylor is first in the SWAC in tackles for loss with 8 while Garner is third with 6.5. Defensive back Tracy Thompkins is eighth with 5. Thompkins is second in overall tackles as well. ... UAPB defensive back Shawn Steele had an interception and fumble recovery in the fourth quarter last week, while teammate Blake Conner finished with 11 tackles for the second consecutive week. ... Junior wide receiver Harry Ballard leads the conference in touchdown catches (6) and is third in catches (30). ... Mississippi Valley State quarterback Roger Totten II transferred from UAPB after the 2017 season.
-- Erick Taylor
GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE
HARDING AT OKLAHOMA BAPTIST
WHEN 1 p.m. Central
WHERE Crain Family Stadium, Shawnee, Okla.
RADIO KVHU-FM, 95.3, Searcy
INTERNET hardingsports.com
RECORDS Harding (4-1, 4-1 GAC); Oklahoma Baptist (3-2, 3-2)
COACHES Paul Simmons (24-8 in third season at Harding); Chris Jensen (26-45 in fifth season at Oklahoma Baptist)
SERIES Harding leads 4-0
LAST SEASON Harding won 56-7 in Searcy
NOTEWORTHY Harding's 6.4-points-per-game defense meets Oklahoma Baptist's 36.6-points-per game offense, a big test for a Harding defense that ranks No. 1 in the nation in points and yards allowed (196.8 ypg). "This is a very dangerous opponent, without a doubt," Harding Coach Paul Simmons said of the Bison, who are led by junior quarterback Preston Haire, the GAC's leading passer with 1,337 yards and 14 touchdowns. "I really believe this is the most dangerous offense in the league right now. Their quarterback is playing at a real high level right now." ... Harding's defense has allowed 2 touchdowns, and 6 field goals in 5 games, and it slowed the GAC's second-leading passer, Richard Stammetti of Henderson State, in a 14-13 victory two weeks ago. Harding held Stammetti to 137 yards passing with 2 interceptions, but the Bisons got an assist from their Flexbone offense, which controlled the ball for 35:06 to 9:54 over the final three quarters. Haire (34-386, 4 TDs), unlike Stammetti, is a threat to run the ball, and Haire (351.8 ypg) leads the conference in total offense by a large margin over Stammetti (265.6 ypg). ... Harding will lean on a rushing offense (304.4 ypg) that leads the GAC and is No. 5 in the nation. ... Oklahoma Baptist is on a three-game winning streak after an 0-2 start; Harding has won four in a row after losing its opener to Ouachita Baptist. ... Harding, ranked No. 22 in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 and No. 16 in the division2football.com, is making its first venture into Oklahoma this season, with two more trips yet to come. ... The Bisons led 28-0 at halftime en route to their 31-3 victory over Southern Nazarene last week. ... Oklahoma Baptist is coming off a 43-31 victory over winless Arkansas Tech in Russellville, rallying from a 21-0 second-quarter deficit to win in the state of Arkansas (1-18) for the first time as a Division II team.
ARKANSAS TECH AT SOUTHERN NAZARENE
WHEN 1 p.m. Central
WHERE Southern Nazarene Football Stadium, Bethany, Okla.
RADIO KCJC-FM, 102.3, Russellville
INTERNET arkansastechsports.com
RECORDS Arkansas Tech (0-5, 0-5 GAC); Southern Nazarene (1-4, 1-4)
COACHES Kyle Shipp (0-5 in first season at Arkansas Tech); Andy Lambert (10-29 in fourth season at Southern Nazarene; 112-124 in 23 seasons overall)
SERIES Arkansas Tech leads 6-0
LAST SEASON Arkansas Tech won 24-10 in Russellville
NOTEWORTHY Arkansas Tech led Oklahoma Baptist 24-7 with 45 seconds to play in the first half, but the Bison scored 36 consecutive points en route to a 43-31 victory last week. The Wonder Boys trailed 43-24 with 2:44 to play before adding a late touchdown. ... Tech was led by Liberty University transfer quarterback Mason Cunningham (265 passing, 2 TDs). Cunningham threw a 3-yard TD pass to Tucker Kennedy for ATU's first touchdown and a 5-yard pass play to Wallace Foote to complete the scoring with 1:27 to play in the game. Mayflower freshman Deon Simmons scored on runs of 16 and 3 yards, the second of which put Arkansas Tech up 21-0 with 5:30 to play in the half. Trey Smith (6-76) was the leading receiver for the Wonder Boys. ... Arkansas Tech, which has lost seven consecutive games dating back to last season, has never lost to the Crimson Storm. It has outscored them 267-45 and has never allowed more than 14 points in any one game. ... Arkansas Tech has been competitive in the first half of all five defeats, outscoring their competition 74-72. The Wonder Boys have twice led at halftime and were tied in a third game. Tech has been outscored 101-28 in the second half.
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS AT NW OKLAHOMA STATE
WHEN 2 p.m. Central
WHERE Ranger Field, Alva, Okla.
RADIO KVMZ-FM, 99.1, Magnolia
INTERNET muleridersports.com
RECORDS Southern Arkansas (4-1, 4-1 GAC); Northwestern Oklahoma State (2-3, 2-3)
COACHES Bill Keopple (61-51 in 11th season at Southern Arkansas); Matt Walter (18-31 in fifth season at NW Oklahoma State)
SERIES SAU leads 7-2
LAST SEASON Southern Arkansas won 27-14 in Magnolia
NOTEWORTHY SAU, which had been favoring the run in its first four games, produced more balance in a 45-20 victory over SW Oklahoma State last week in Magnolia. ... The Muleriders got 223 yards passing from quarterback Hayden Mallory (14-17, 2 TDs) and 232 rushing yards on 45 attempts, led by Kor'Davion Washington's 88 yards on 18 carries. Washington, the GAC's second-leading rusher, is averaging 107.8 yards per game in SAU's 4 victories. He had 29 yards in a 24-0 loss to Harding in Week 3. Mallory threw TD passes of 25 yards to Jared Lancaster and 76 yards to Micah Small (4-102 rushing). ... Senior cornerback Lorenzo Watkins returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown. ... SAU is 2-1 in its previous GAC trips to Alva, but lost 38-16 in 2017. NW Oklahoma State has won three of it past four against Arkansas foes in Alva, Okla., including a 28-0 victory over Arkansas-Monticello two weeks ago. ... NWOSU was within 10-7 with 13:35 to play in the first half last week in Arkadelphia, but Henderson State scored the final 37 points in a 47-7 Reddies victory. ... Rangers QB Trent Easley (12-20 passing, 135 yards, 1 TD) threw 4 interceptions, including 1 that was returned for a touchdown. The Rangers were outgained 393-217 against the Reddies, but lead the conference with 7 fumbles recovered and 8 passes intercepted, a plus-1.2 turnover margin per game.
HENDERSON STATE AT SW OKLAHOMA STATE
WHEN 2 p.m. Central today
WHERE ASAP Energy Field, Weatherford, Okla.
RADIO Henderson State Sports Network: KDEL-FM, 100.9 and KVRC-AM, 1240, Arkadelphia; KWPS-FM, 99.7, Hot Springs; KYXK-FM, 106.7, Gurdon; KZYP-FM, 104.1 and KZYP-AM, 1310, Malvern; and KAFN-FM, 99.3, and KAFN-AM, 690, Benton.
INTERNET hsusports.com
RECORDS Henderson State (4-1, 4-1 GAC); SW Oklahoma State (2-3, 2-3)
COACHES Scott Maxfield (103-55 in 15 seasons at Henderson State; 132-67 in 19 seasons overall); Matt Walter (18-31 in fifth season at SW Oklahoma State)
SERIES Henderson State leads 8-3
LAST SEASON SW Oklahoma State won 35-31 in Arkadelphia
NOTEWORTHY Two of the GAC's top 3 quarterback-wide receiver combinations are meeting. Henderson State QB Richard Stammetti (1,337 yards, 9 TDs) and WR L'liott Curry (38-530 receiving, 6 TDs) rank second in the conference in passing yards and receiving yards per game, respectively. SWOSU quarterback Tyler Marr (1,078 passing, 10 TDs) and receiver Jared Rayburn (18-375, 5) each rank third in those respective categories. ... The Reddies are 4-0 in Weatherford since the two schools became GAC members. SWOSU halted Henderson State's six-game victory streak in the series with a 35-31 come-from-behind victory a season ago. ... Running back Logan Moragne (62-351 rushing, 6 TDs) scored 3 TDs in Henderson's 47-7 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State. Curry had 8 catches for 125 yards and 1 TD. ... Stammetti (17-31, 198, 1 TD) was 3 for 6 for 39 yards in the second half against NWOSU, as the Reddies scored twice on Moragne runs, a 36-yard interception return by Patrick Jones and a 23-yard by redshirt sophomore Darius Austin of North Little Rock. Henderson State led 17-7 at halftime. Austin (12-108, 2 TDs) has put up his numbers in 2 games -- Southern Nazarene in Week 2 and last Saturday. ... Henderson State held NWOSU to 217 yards of offense and 71 yards in the second half, and has held three of its first five opponents to under 300 yards of total offense. The Reddies' 4-1 start is their best since starting 5-0 in 2016.
ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO AT SE OKLAHOMA STATE
WHEN 2 p.m. Central
WHERE Paul Laird Field, Durant, Okla.
RADIO KBHM-FM, 93.7, Monticello
INTERNET uamsports.com
RECORDS Arkansas-Monticello (3-2, 3-2 GAC); SE Oklahoma State (1-4, 1-4)
COACHES Hud Jackson (32-61 in nine seasons at UAM); Tyler Fenwick (1-4 in first season, 38-33 in seventh season overall)
SERIES Southeastern Oklahoma State leads 6-3
LAST SEASON Southeastern Oklahoma State won 21-7 in Monticello
NOTEWORTHY UAM has lost its past five matchups with Southeastern Oklahoma, including three consecutive losses in Durant. ... The Boll Weevils have been very good at home -- averaging 39.6 points in 3 victories in Monticello -- but dormant on the road, outscored 52-0 in losses at Harding and Northwestern Oklahoma. This will be UAM's first road trip with true freshman Demilon Brown at quarterback. Brown (258 passing, 155 rushing) accounted for 413 yards, rushed for 3 touchdowns and passed for 2 in his first career start in last week's 49-46 victory over East Central (Okla.) ... UAM Coach Hud Jackson said the Boll Weevils can't be fooled by SOSU's 1-4 record. "Their record is no indication of the type of team they are." ... The Savage Storm are in their first season under Tyler Fenwick, a successful coach at Missouri S&T. SOSU is third in the GAC in passing, averaging 273.4 ypg, led by QB Rollin Kinsaul (80-140, 854 yards, 5 TDs). Felton Hatcher (28-345) and Braxton Kincade (22-328, 3 TDs) are the primary receivers. Southeastern ranks 4th in total offense (392) but is ninth in scoring offense (21.4 ppg) but is last in the GAC, averaging minus-2.2 per game in turnover margin.
OUACHITA BAPTIST AT EAST CENTRAL (OKLA.)
WHEN 3 p.m. Central
WHERE Koi Ishto Stadium, Ada, Okla.
RADIO Ouachita Football Network (KDXE-FM, 101.1, Little Rock; KUOA-FM, 97.7 and KUOA-AM, 1290, Siloam Springs; KCXY-FM, 95.3, Camden; KZNG-FM, 94.5 and KZNG-AM, 1340, Hot Springs; KNAS-FM, 105.5, Nashville; KQOR-FM, 105.3, Mena)
INTERNET obusports.com
RECORDS Ouachita Baptist (5-0, 5-0 GAC); East Central (1-4, 1-4)
COACHES Todd Knight (117-95 in 21st season at OBU 146-127-2 in 26 seasons overall); Al Johnson (4-12 in second season at East Central)
SERIES OBU leads 17-5
LAST MEETING OBU won 42-0 in Arkadelphia
NOTEWORTHY OBU is coming off a 27-14 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State when it turned two interceptions into 10 points, and used a 53-yard punt return by Allie Freeman to set up another touchdown. ... Freeman had 11 catches for 114 yards and 1 TD, to give him 49 catches for the season. He leads the GAC in receptions and is No. 2 in Division II. Quarterback Brayden Brazeal (81-102 passing, 8 TDs, 0 INTs) leads the GAC and Division II with a 79.4 completion percentage. ... OBU, the only undefeated team in the league, ranks fourth in the GAC and 62nd nationally in total defense (340.6 ypg), but is second to Harding in the GAC and No. 13 nationally in scoring defense (14.6 ppg). The Tigers rank No. 6 in the GAC in total offense (378.6 ypg) and 72nd nationally and are 4th in scoring offense (28.4 ppg) and 69th nationally. ... Ouachita may lack traction in mainstream stats, but it is No. 1 in the GAC and NCAA Division II in third-down conversion percentage (.597), pass completion percentage (.794) and fewest interceptions thrown (0). The Tigers are No. 1 in the GAC and No. 2 in Division II in turnovers lost (3) and net punting (42.6 ypp), courtesy of Brazeal and senior punter Jake Ford. OBU's 3 turnovers -- all fumbles -- occurred in a 31-11 victory over Northeastern Oklahoma State in Week 3. ... ECU's Ontario Douglas (176.0 ypg) and Freeman (140.0 ypg) rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the GAC in all-purpose yardage. Douglas has 745 rushing yards, 124 receiving and 12 on kick return and has scored 11 TDs.
-- Jeff Krupsaw
Sports on 10/12/2019