Box Score (html)
ADA, Okla. – SWOSU made their first trip to Ada to face in-state rival East Central since 2010 on Saturday but it was not a pleasant visit as the Tigers took advantage of five Bulldog turnovers to defeat the SWOSU 36-13. The loss extends the Bulldogs current winless streak to five games and drops SWOSU to 2-6 on the year.
ECU scored the first 24 points of the game and never looked back, converting a fumble by starting quarterback
Klark Ashmore into a field goal in the first quarter to make it 10-0 less than 10 minutes into the game. Ashmore then led the Bulldogs on an 11-play drive that reached the red zone before an interception in the end zone put the ball back in the hands of the Tigers.
JoJo Snell made SWOSU pay for the error, taking a handoff on the ensuing play 80 yards for a touchdown and helping ECU take a 17-0 lead to the second quarter.
Tanner Thompson gathered a takeaway for SWOSU on an interception early in the second quarter, but the Bulldogs following drive went 3-and-out under the direction of
Tim Morovick, making his first appearance at quarterback since the Arkansas-Monticello game on September 27.
A 60-yard punt by
Dalton Jackson backed the Tigers up to their own 10-yard line, but they would put together a 10-play, 90-yard drive that was capped off by a 59-yard touchdown pass that completed building the Bulldogs 24-0 deficit.
SWOSU again went 3-and-out on their next drive, but were bailed out by ECU when Brad Davis muffed the following punt by Jackson and
Jamarion Rose was there to recover at the ECU 13 yard line.
Karl Hodge cashed in four plays later with a 1-yard TD run that got the Dawgs on the board before the break. ECU took their final drive of the half 66 yards in eight plays and added a field goal, making it 27-7 at halftime.
Defense controlled the third quarter before Morovick led a six-play touchdown drive late in the quarter, calling his own number on the final play, a nine-yard touchdown run. Jackson's extra point, however, was blocked, leaving the Bulldogs facing a 27-13 defecit heading to the fourth quarter.
The SWOSU defense held ECU 3-and-out on their first drive of the fourth quarter, but another turnover ended any chance of a comeback for the Bulldogs. Facing 3rd and five from their own 24, Morovick's pass was picked off by Jameel Whitney and returned 29 yards to paydirt leaving the Bulldogs down 33-13 after
Devin Benton blocked the extra point. ECU would tack on a field goal late in the game for the final margin of 36-13.
ECU racked up 429 yards of offense against the Bulldogs, including 237 rushing yards, the second-most allowed by the Bulldogs this year. Conversely, SWOSU was held to 269 yards of total offense – their third consecutive game being limited to less than 300 yards – and just 54 yards on the ground.
Karl Hodge had 65 yards rushing and a touchdown to lead the way with
Matt Farris gaining 15 yards on seven carries.
Morovick was 14-for-25 passing in his return, throwing for 154 yards but also two interceptions. He entered in place of Ashmore, who was just 3-for-10 for 57 yards while also tossing two picks.
X'zavious Harrison and
Teverick Boyd had four receptions apiece to lead SWOSU.
Austin Loomis led the Bulldog defense with a career-best 12 tackles while
Conner Bays added 10 and
Tanner Thompson came through with eight and an interception.
Devin Benton and
Tyler George each had seven tackles and added tackles for loss, with Benton adding 1.5 TFL to his Great American Conference-leading total.
SWOSU falls to 2-6 on the year and the Bulldogs are now mired in a five-game losing streak, their longest skid since 2012. The good news for SWOSU is that their next opponent, Southern Nazarene, is the same foe they stopped their last five-game slide against. The Bulldogs and Crimson Storm kick off at 4:00 pm from Bethany next Saturday afternoon.
