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Southern Arkansas (1-1, 1-1 GAC) at SWOSU (1-1, 1-1 GAC) Honoring America's Warriors Game Saturday, September 20, 6:00 pm Weatherford, Okla. (Fast Lane Field) SWOSU Game Notes Live Stats  |  Listen Live  |  Watch Live

Setting the Scene
- SWOSU football plays their second consecutive home game this week when they welcome Southern Arkansas to Fast Lane Field
- The Bulldogs evened their record at 1-1 with a thrilling 27-23 victory over Arkansas Tech in the Fast Lane Kickoff Classic
- Saturday's game will be known as the 'Honoring America's Warriors Game,' the first in a SWOSU partnership that allows FREE admission to veterans and active duty military personnel to all home games
- Southern Arkansas is one of just two teams (Ouachita Baptist) that SWOSU has not defeated since the formation of the Great American Conference
 
The Series
- SWOSU and Southern Arkansas are new foes who have faced off in each of the past three seasons
- The series between the two schools coincides with the creation of the Great American Conference
- Southern Arkansas has won all three previous meetings, including a 31-22 win in Weatherford back in 2011
- The two teams have met in Magnolia the past two seasons, including a 20-17 SAU victory last season
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Dan Cocannouer, 19-37 (Sixth Season)
- Returned home to lead his alma mater in 2009 following a long, successful high school coaching career
- Led SWOSU to their first winning season since 2007 with a 6-5 record last season
- Earned his 19th win as the Bulldogs head man against Arkansas Tech, moving into a tie for eighth place all-time at SWOSU wth Carl Voyles (1922-25)
- Has a record of 0-3 against Southern Arkansas
 
Southern Arkansas: Bill Keopple, 22-32 (Sixth Season)
- Has led Southern Arkansas to back-to-back winning seasons, the first for the program since 2002-03
- Finished 8-3 in 2012 and led the Muleriders to an appearance in the Heart of Texas Bowl, the first postseason game for SAU since 2003
- Has coached four All-Americans at SAU
- Has won all three previous meetings against SWOSU
 
The Last Meeting (Sept. 14, 2013)
- SAU handed SWOSU their first defeat of 2013 by a score of 20-17
- Muleriders outscored SWOSU 13-0 in the second half before Dustin Stenta hit MJ Porter for a 60-yard TD with 1:04 to play in the 4th quarter
- Porter finished with three receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns
- Tyler George led the defense with 10 tackles while Kale Sawatzky and Ryan Feller had seven apiece
 
Last Time Out (Sept. 13, 2014)
- SWOSU scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat Arkansas Tech 27-23 in the Fast Lane Kickoff Classic
- After scoring their first touchdown of the fourth quarter, SWOSU's Dalton Jackson successfully executed an onside kick that gave the Bulldogs another possession and a huge boost of momentum
- Steven Townsley gave the Bulldogs their first lead with a 63-yard interception return with 5:11 to play in the game
- Ryley Claborn completed 24-of-42 passes for 253 and tossed two fourth-quarter touchdowns during the comeback
- Karl Hodge got the Bulldogs offense rolling in the fourth quarter and rushed for 167 yards in the game on 28 carries
- Devin Benton caused chaos for Arkansas Tech, recording 8 tackles (5 solo, 3 assist), 5.0 tackles for loss and one-half sack
- Tanner Thompson matches Benton with a team-best eight tackles
- Kevin Joseph added seven tackles and intercepted two Arkansas Tech passes
- Benton and Navajo Smith combined for a fourth and four sack to end an Arkansas Tech drive with 3:50 to play in the game
 
Checking the Standings
- At 1-1, SWOSU is one of four teams tied for fifth place in the GAC standings
- Southern Arkansas joins SWOSU in entering the game at 1-1
- East Central and Harding are the only two teams to earn conference victories in each of the first two weekends of the 2014 season
- Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist are both 1-0 in conference play while the Reddies are 2-0 overall following a victory over FCS Nicholls State last weekend
 
Player of the Week
- Devin Benton became the first Bulldog to earn one of the GAC's weekly honors when he was named GAC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday
- Benton finished the game with eight tackles and a career-best 5.0 tackles for loss in the game
- His 5.0 TFL is the third-most by a player in all of NCAA Division II so far this season
- The performance also earned Benton an honor as one of the NCAA Division II Athletes of the Week by Beyond Sports Network
 
Bulldog Offensive Notes
- Karl Hodge rushed for a career-best 167 yards against Arkansas Tech, the 7th-most by a Bulldog in the NCAA Division II era
- Hodge is ranked fifth in the GAC in rushing with an average of 89.5 yards per game
- Ryley Claborn finished 24-of-42 against ATU for a personal-best 253 yards and two touchdowns. He now ranks fifth in the GAC in passing with an average of 221.5 yards per game
- Brad Smithey hauled in five passes against Arkansas Tech and he is tied for second in the GAC with an average of 5.5 receptions per game
- Smithey now has 116 career receptions and he moved into a tie with Danny Howard (116, 2002-05) for fifth on the all-time receptions list at SWOSU
- With 76 receiving yards against ATU, Smithey moved into sixth on the all-time yardage list with 1,246 yards to his credit. He needs 332 yards to reach fifth place on the list, currently occupied by Shevron Glover (1,577, 1997-00)
- Aside from Smithey, several receivers have emerged as key targets for Claborn including X'zavious Harrison, Teverick Boyd and Jared Rayburn who each have seven receptions through two games
- Tight end Collin Bricker caught four passes against Arkansas Tech, including a 47-yarder in the third quarter that is the Bulldogs longest play from scrimmage this season
- Carlos Smith made his first start in a Bulldog uniform last Saturday and caught the first two passes of his SWOSU career, including a 27-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter
 
Bulldog Defensive Notes
- Devin Benton leads SWOSU and the Great American Conference while ranking second in NCAA Division II in tackles for loss with 7.0 through two weeks
- Benton is also the Bulldogs leader in tackles with 18 (9 solo, 9 assist)
- Jake Doyle is one of four players for SWOSU to record a sack and he ranks behind only Benton among team and GAC leaders in tackles for loss (4.5)
- Kevin Joseph intercepted two against Arkansas Tech and he's one of seven players in the GAC averaging one interception per game
- Tanner Thompson ranks second on the team with 17 tackles (9 solo, 8 assist) and he's also recorded one tackle for loss, one pass breakup and one pass defended
- Collier Ward and Kale Sawatzky each have 16 tackles apiece through two weeks with Sawatzky recording 3.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack
- The Bulldogs pass defense is ranked fifth in the conference, allowing just 189.0 yards per game through the air
- SWOSU ranks fourth in the GAC with three interceptions and they're one of just two teams (Harding) with a pick six to their credit this season
- Steven Townsley only had two assist tackles against Arkansas Tech, but he made the defensive play of the game, a 63-yard INT return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter
 
Bulldog Special Team Notes
- True freshman Dalton Jackson continues to handle both kicking and punting duties for the Bulldogs
- Jackson is averaging 32.0 yards on seven punts and 49.8 yards on six kickoffs
- SWOSU has not attempted a field goal yet this season and Jackson is 3-5 on extra point attempts after getting one blocked against Arkansas Tech
- Teverick Boyd and Jared Rayburn have handle most of the kickoff returns for SWOSU with both players averaging more than 17.0 yards per return
- Brad Smithey continues to return punts for SWOSU with 3 returns for 15.7 yards in the first two games
 
Scouting Southern Arkansas
- Record evened at 1-1 following a 47-40 loss at East Central last Saturday
- Led ECU 20-0 early in the second quarter before the Tigers rallied over the final three quarters
- Won their opener 30-29 over Southeastern Oklahoma State, scoring on a 24-yard touchdown pass as time expired for the victory
- Running back Deandre Jenkins ranks second in the GAC with an average of 114.0 yards rushing per game
- Quarterback Si Blackshire, the Sept. 8 GAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, ranks third in the conference with an average of 241.0 yards passing per game
- Rank seventh in the GAC in scoring defense (38.0 points per game) and eighth in total defense (454.5 yards per game)
- Mourning the loss of senior wide receiver Brandon Hobdy, who was fatally shot in an off-campus incident in the early morning hours of Sunday, August 24
 
Quick Notes
- SWOSU started the same offensive line of Derrick Shelton (LT), Mack Cannon (LG), Nathan Butler (C), Landen Carson (RG) and Colton Cline (RT) against Arkansas Tech for the 10th time in 13 games over the past two seasons
- Cannon and Shelton have both started more than 30 games in their careers at SWOSU
- Carlos Smith got the start at WR in place of Brian Robinson against ATU, the only change among the 22 starters from the season opener against Harding
- SWOSU has attempted a Great American Conference-leading 13 4th-down conversions, converting four for a 30.8% clip
- The Bulldogs are the only team in the GAC to attempt an onside kick so far this season
 
Looking Ahead
- A trip to Monticello awaits the Bulldogs next weekend as they head back on the road to face the Boll Weevils of Arkansas-Monticello