OUACHITA BAPTIST AT ARKANSAS TECH
WHEN 6 p.m.
WHERE Thone Stadium, Russellville
RADIO Ouachita Football Network (KDXE-FM, 101.1, Little Rock; KUOA, AM 1290 and FM 97.7, Siloam Springs; KCXY-FM, 95.3, Camden; KZNG-AM 1340, FM 94.5, Hot Springs; KNAS-FM, 105.5, Nashville; KQOR-FM, 105.3, Mena); KCJC-FM, 102.3, Russellville
INTERNET obutigers.com, arkansastechsports.com
RECORDS Ouachita Baptist 1-0; Arkansas Tech 0-1
COACHES Todd Knight (113-95 in 21st season at OBU, 141-127-2 in 26 seasons overall); Kyle Shipp (0-1 in first season at Arkansas Tech)
SERIES Arkansas Tech leads 44-32-7
LAST SEASON Ouachita Baptist won 24-7 in Arkadelphia
NOTEWORTHY Ouachita Baptist remained at No. 5 in the AFCA Top 25 and at No. 4 in the d2football.com media poll after beating Harding 16-14 on a last-minute field goal by true freshman Gabe Goodman. ... OBU has won 18 consecutive GAC games. ... Goodman, the GAC Special Teams Player of the Week, was one of two GAC kickers to make three field goals, the other being Arkansas Tech sophomore Jesus Zizumbo, who went 3 for 3 in the overtime loss at UAM after making 5 of 17 last season. ... Senior receiver/kick returner Allie Freeman (11-89 receiving; 67 KO return yards) leads the GAC in receptions and is tied for the lead nationally. ... OBU quarterback Brayden Brazeal (16-20 passing, 80%) leads the GAC and is sixth in the nation in completion percentage. ... All-American cornerback Keandre Evans was one of 10 NCAA Division II players to intercept two passes in the opening week. Evans, the GAC Defensive Player of the Week, did it even though Harding only attempted five passes. ... OBU senior punter Jake Ford (2-46.5 yards) leads the GAC and is sixth nationally in net punting. ... True freshman WR Tucker Swoboda caught 3 passes for 66 yards, and also drew a pass interference penalty on fourth and 11 that set up Goodman's winning FG. ... The Wonder Boys, behind an offensive line that averages 302 pounds per man, rushed for 225 yards on 46 carries against UAM, led by Mayflower true freshman Deon Simmons (11-90 rushing, 1 TD). ... Tech DT Carlos Gordon had 2.5 tackles for loss against UAM.
ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO AT HARDING
WHEN 6 p.m.
WHERE First Security Stadium, Searcy
RADIO KVHU-FM, 95.3, Searcy; KBHM-FM, 93.7, Monticello
INTERNET uamsports.com; hardingsports.com
RECORDS UAM 1-0; Harding 0-1
COACHES Hud Jackson (30-59 in ninth season at UAM); Paul Simmons (20-8 in third season at Harding)
SERIES Harding leads 30-24
LAST SEASON Harding won 47-21 in Monticello
NOTEWORTHY Harding is one of two NCAA Division II teams to remain in the AFCA Top 25 poll despite losing its opener. The Bisons, ranked No. 18 in the preseason poll, dropped to No. 22 after losing to No. 5 OBU 16-14 on a last-minute field goal. Harding fell from No. 16 to 21 in the d2football.com media poll. ... Harding has won the past eight meetings between the schools. UAM's last victory -- 44-17 -- occurred in 2009. ... UAM's victory over Arkansas Tech was its first in a season-opener since 2012. ... UAM's schedule detours to Oklahoma opponents for the next six weeks before playing Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist and Southern Arkansas to end the season. ... CB Kerenzo Credit came up with an interception of a Manny Harris pass in overtime to set up Josh Marini's 23-yard field goal. Marini has kicked game-winning field goals in each of UAM's last two GAC games. ... UAM's C.J. Parham (8-164 receiving, 1 TD) is second in the GAC and ninth nationally in receiving yards. ... Junior QB Caleb Canady (19-35-287 yards, 2 TDs) did exactly what Jackson wanted him to do -- get the ball to the Boll Weevils' talented wide receivers. ... Harding punter Cameron Scott (2-39.7 net) landed both of his punts inside the OBU 20. ... The Bisons rushed for 219 yards and 1 touchdown in the loss to OBU. Tristan Tucker (7-93, 1 TD) scored Harding's only touchdown. ... Harding's opening play, an 85-yard touchdown pass from Preston Paden to Bobby Green, ranks as the fourth-longest pass play in the program's history. ... Harding outgained Ouachita 315-266. .... Cory Batie led the Bisons with 12 tackles. ... Harding (31:09-28:51) held the time-of-possession advantage for the 28th consecutive game. The Bisons held the ball for 17:56 of the second half to 12:04 for OBU. ... UAM last won in Searcy in 2008.
SOUTHERN NAZARENE AT HENDERSON STATE
WHEN 6 p.m.
WHERE Carpenter-Haygood Stadium, Arkadelphia
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, KZYP-AM, 1310, Malvern; KAFN-FM, 99.3, KAFN-AM, 690, Benton
INTERNET hsusports.com
RECORDS Henderson State (1-0); Southern Nazarene (0-1)
COACHES Scott Maxfield (100-54 in 15th season at Henderson State); Andy Lambert (9-25 in fourth season at Southern Nazarene)
SERIES Henderson State leads 6-1
LAST SEASON Henderson State won 24-10 in Bethany, Okla.
NOTEWORTHY Henderson State QB Richard Stammetti leads the GAC and ranks seventh nationally in passing yards (357) and is the GAC leader in passing efficiency with a 65.6 completion percentage, 4 TD passes and no interceptions. ... WR L'liott Curry (8-173 receiving, 3 TDs) was named the GAC Offensive Player of the Week and leads the GAC in receiving yards. Curry's day was the best by a Reddies receiver since Darius Davis (181 yards, 3 TDs) against Arkansas Tech in 2014. ... RBs Logan Moragne (15-101 rushing, 1 TD) and Querale Hall (14-61) combined to run for 162 yards. Moragne was one of four GAC rushers to gain 100 or more yards. ... The Reddies lead the GAC with 507 yards in total offense. ... The Reddies are looking to reduce penalties after being flagged 15 times for 212 yards, the most by a Maxfield team at Henderson State.... Southern Nazarene was held to 130 yards on 42 plays and possessed the ball for 22:20 of the game's 60 minutes in its 34-14 loss to Southern Arkansas. WR Reid Roelofs (3-100 receiving, 1 TD) accounted for nearly all of Southern Nazarene's offense. Quarterback Gate Porter passed for 112 yards, 1 TD, 62 of the yards coming on the pass to Roelofs. ... The Crimson Storm rushed 24 times for 18 yards against the Muleriders.
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST AT SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
WHEN 6 p.m. Central
WHERE Wilkins Stadium, Magnolia
RADIO KVMZ-FM, 99.1, Magnolia
INTERNET muleriderathletics.com
RECORDS Southern Arkansas 1-0, Oklahoma Baptist 0-1
COACHES Bill Keopple (58-50 in 11th season at SAU); Chris Jenson (23-44 in seventh season at Oklahoma Baptist)
SERIES Muleriders lead 4-0
LAST SEASON SAU won 55-45 in Shawnee, Okla.
NOTEWORTHY Southern Arkansas received 15 votes in the first AFCA Top 25 poll after beating Southern Nazarene. ... OKBU's Josh Cornell (8-128 receiving, 1 TD) is one Bison that SAU will be keying on, along with quarterback Preston Haire (26-43-286 passing, 3 TDs). Haire passed for 476 yards and 5 TDs and completed 49 of 60 attempts in last season's game against SAU. ... The Muleriders rushed for 312 yards last week, led by redshirt freshman Kor'Davion Washington (16-109 rushing); redshirt senior SirCharles Perkins (15-103, 1 TD); and redshirt sophomore Dennis Daniels (13-99). Junior quarterback Hayden Mallory (9-15 passing 86 yards, 1 TD) managed the game to Keopple's liking. ... Austin Wilkerson kicked field goals of 29 and 35 yards for the Muleriders. ... Senior CB Lorenzo Watkins recorded 6 tackles, including 2 for loss that totaled 16 yards. ... OKBU Coach Chris Jenson said he wasn't sure if the Muleriders would play as conservatively as they did against Southern Nazarene. "I don't know if we saw their true offense," Jenson said on his weekly internet show." SAU has averaged 50 points per game in its 4 victories over Oklahoma Baptist, with an average margin of victory of 25.1 points. The Muleriders allowed 130 yards against Southern Nazarene, 136 fewer than the Harding, the next-stingiest defense.
-- Jeff Krupsaw
Sports on 09/14/2019