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Arkansas Tech (1-0, 1-0 GAC) at SWOSU (0-1, 0-1 GAC) Fast Lane Kickoff Classic Saturday, September 13, 6:00 pm Weatherford, Okla. (Fast Lane Field) SWOSU Game Notes Live Stats  |  Listen Live  |  Live Video

Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Football will host Arkansas Tech on Saturday in the Fast Lane Kickoff Classic, the home opener for the Bulldogs
- The Bulldogs are 0-1 following a 42-6 defeat at Harding while Arkansas Tech comes in 1-0 after knocking off Northwestern Oklahoma State 33-14 last Thursday
- This will be the third time in the four-year history of the Great American Conference that Arkansas Tech has come to Weatherford to meet the Bulldogs
- SWOSU has won their home opener in each of the past two seasons, but they are just 2-3 in home openers under the direction of Coach Dan Cocannouer
- SWOSU is looking to avoid their first 0-2 start to a season since 2010, Cocannouer's second season
 
The Series
- SWOSU and Arkansas Tech have faced off 10 times in a series dating back to 1968
- The ten meetings have been evenly split between Weatherford and Russellville, with three of the last four meeting being played on SWOSU's home field
- The Bulldogs are 3-2 against Arkansas Tech when hosting the Wonder Boys
- Arkansas Tech forfeited their 1991 victory over the Bulldogs
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Dan Cocannouer, 18-37 (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
- Ranked ninth in career wins at SWOSU with 18, will tie Carl Voyles (1922-25) for eighth with his next victory
- Has a record of 2-1 against Arkansas Tech
- Led the Bulldogs to victories in their home opener the past two seasons
 
Arkansas Tech: Raymond Monica, 6-6 (Second Season)
- Finished 5-6 in his first season with the Wonder Boys
- Spent seven seasons as the head coach at Kutztown University before coming to ATU
- Led the Golden Bears to a 45-34 record, two NCAA Division II Playoff appearances and their first PSAC Championship
 
The Last Meeting (Sept. 14, 2013)
- SWOSU defeated Arkansas Tech 28-17 in Russellville
- With the victory, the Bulldogs improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2007
- Dustin Stenta tied a school record with four touchdown passes, completing them to four different receivers: Brad Smithey, Ryan Corbin, MJ Porter and Brian Robinson
- Kale Sawatzky led the SWOSU defense with 11 tackles (three solo, seven assist) while Abram Piggee added an interception
 
Last Time Out (Sept. 6, 2014)
- Harding defeated SWOSU 42-6 in the 2014 season opener in Searcy, Ark., last Saturday
- SWOSU turned the ball over four times and added three turnovers on downs in the game
- Making his first career start, Ryley Claborn finished 22-of-41 passing for 190 yards but tossed three interceptions
- Bulldog offense was limited to seven yards rushing 28 attempts and 197 yards of total offense
- Karl Hodge capped off an 11-play, 62-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter for SWOSU's only score
- Steven Townsley led the Bulldog defense with 12 tackles while Kale Sawatzky and Devin Benton had 10 apiece
- SWOSU totaled 10 tackles for loss in the game, led by 2.0 by Benton and Jake Doyle
- Brad Smithey hauled in a team-best six receptions for 34 yards
 
Checking the Standings
- SWOSU is one of five teams in the Great American Conference coming off of a loss in the opening week of the season
- The Bulldogs sit tied for seventh in the GAC standings this week
- SWOSU is coming off their highest finish in the GAC, a tie for fourth last season with a 6-4 conference mark
- Arkansas Tech was picked seventh in the preseason GAC poll, directly behind SWOSU
- ATU is one of five teams tied for first in the GAC with a 1-0 conference mark
 
Bulldog Offensive Notes
- Ryley Claborn completed 22-of-41 passing attempts in his first collegiate start, but was intercepted twice by Harding. He currently ranks seventh in the Great American Conference in passing yards
- With six receptions last Saturday, Brad Smithey now has 111 for his career, needing six more to move past Danny Howard (116, 2002-05) and into fifth place
- Smithey also moved into seventh place in career receiving yards against Harding and his current total of 1,179 yards is 46 yards behind Walter Oliver (1,224, 1999-00) for sixth
- Six players had multiple receptions for SWOSU against the Bisons: Smithey, Jared Rayburn, X'zavious Harrison, Brian Robinson, Teverick Boyd & Karl Hodge
- SWOSU was limited to just seven total rushing yards against Harding, a mark that is the third-lowest rushing total in the Cocannouer era (0, vs. Southeastern, 10/3/09; 5, at Stephen F. Austin, 8/31/12)
- Harding held the Bulldogs to just six points last week and they're the only team to hold SWOSU to single-digit scoring since 2010. The Bisons also limited SWOSU to seven points in a 38-7 defat in 2012
- Three players (Claborn, Harrison, tight end Collin Bricker) made their first career starts in SWOSU's season opener
- SWOSU currently ranks 10th in the Great American Conference in scoring offense (6.0 ppg) and total offense (197.0 ypg)
 
Bulldog Defensive Notes
- Steven Townsley is tied for the Great American Conference lead in tackles after making 12 stops (9 solo, 3 assist) in the season opener
- Townsley has made 10 or more tackles four times in 12 games as a Bulldog
- Seniors Devin Benton and Kale Sawatzky each made 10 stops apiece, including 2.0 tackles for loss by Benton and 1.5 for Sawatzky
- The 10 tackles by Benton is the second-most of his career with his other top performance coming against Harding in 2011
- Sawatzky also reached the double digit mark in tackles for the second time in his career and the first since recording 13 tackles against Southern Arkansas in 2012
- The SWOSU defense combined for 9.0 tackles for loss against Harding
- The starting defense featured seven first-time starters: Doyle, Tyler Follis, Collier Ward, Austin Loomis, Tanner Thompson, Kevin Joseph and Kapena Olsen
- Thompson and Ward each finished with nine tackles against the Bisons high-powered rushing attack
- Jamarion Rose notched the Bulldogs lone pass breakup of the game
- Navajo Smith was the lone true freshman to see time for the Bulldogs on defense, notching three assisted tackles late in the game
 
Bulldog Special Team Notes
- True freshman Dalton Jackson got the first action of his career, serving as both the kicker and punter for the Bulldogs
- Jackson averaged 33.0 yards on four punts and 43.0 yards on two kickoffs
- The only extra point attempt by Jackson was unsuccessful
- Last year's starting kicker, Michael Perez, will miss this week's game due to injury
- Sophomore Lantz Parks has shifted positions from offensive line to tight end, but he is still handling long snapping duties
- Three different players: Jared Rayburn, Teverick Boyd and Matt Farris returned a kickoff against the Bisons
- Rayburn and Boyd returned three each and both players had a long return of 20 yards
 
Scouting Arkansas Tech
- Come to Weatherford 1-0 following a 33-14 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State last Thursday nigth in Russellville
- Racked up 340 yards of total offense against the Rangers with 114 yards on the ground and 226 through the air
- Defensively, ATU limited Northwestern to 313 yards of offense and forced four turnovers
- New Wonder Boy quarterback Dennis Robertson, a Delta State transfer, threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns in his ATU debut
- Wideout Jermaine Merdock caught five passes for 144 yards, including a 98-yard touchdown pass, against Northwestern and he ranks second in the GAC in receiving yards
- ATU linebacker Logan Genz is tied with SWOSU's Steven Townsley for the GAC lead in tackles with 12
- Arkansas Tech has six native Oklahomans listed on their roster and all four are underclassmen
 
SWOSU in Home Openers
- Under Coach Cocannouer: 2-3
- NCAA Division II Era: 7-10
- Current Streak: Win 2 (def. East Central 13-10, 2012; def. Harding, 27-23, 2013)
 
Quick Notes
- Seniors Devin Benton, Mack Cannon and Derrick Shelton have all started 30 or more games in their careers at SWOSU
- Two true freshman (Dalton Jackson & Navajo Smith) and eight redshirt freshman (Jared Rayburn, Tyler Follis, Austin Loomis, Garrett Luke, Kaleb Prough, Jamarion Rose, Jarech Page & Jake Ellison) made their career debuts against Harding
- SWOSU has players from 10 different states on the roster, including one from Arkansas: freshman tight end Sam Phillips (Clinton)
- The Bulldogs offensive line of Shelton, Cannon, Nathan Butler, Landen Carson and Colton Cline started together for the ninth time in 12 games over the past two seasons
 
GAMEDAY Notes
- Ticket gates for home football games at SWOSU will be located in the Pioneer Cellular Event Center
- Fans can enter through two gates on the west side of Fast Lane Field and one on the east side
- Family members looking for 'Will Call' tickets are asked to come to the southwest corner of the football field (northwest ticket booth from Pioneer Cellular Event Center) to claim their tickets
 
Looking Ahead
- SWOSU will host Southern Arkansas next weekend (Sept. 20) at 6:00 pm
- Bulldogs are looking for their first win over the Muleriders in their fourth all-time meeting