Setting the Scene- For the first time since 1940, SWOSU Football faces Oklahoma Baptist, an old in-state foe of the Bulldogs who have joined the Great American Conference this season
- The Bulldogs faced OBU 20 times from 1912-1940, much of which time the teams were members of the Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference (OCAC)
- Oklahoma Baptist reinstated football prior to the 2013 season and they began their transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II the following season, with 2015 serving as their first year to play an entire GAC schedule
- SWOSU enters the game with two straight victories while the Bison have won two of their last three games, including a 41-38 win at Northwestern Oklahoma State last Saturday
- The Bulldogs look for their first victory away from ASAP Energy Field this season. SWOSU has a perfect 4-0 record on their home field while they are 0-3 on the road this year
The Series- SWOSU and Oklahoma Baptist have faced off 20 times on the gridiron, but not since 1940 after OBU disbanded their football team until 2013
- The Bison have won the last four meetings and SWOSU has just one victory over OBU in the previous 10 matchups between the schools
- OBU leads the all-time series 10-8-2, including shutouts of SWOSU in both 1939 and 1940
- The series dates back to 1912, with SWOSU winning the first six meetings between the teams, never allowing the Bison to score more than six points
The CoachesSWOSU: Dan Cocannouer, 25-46 (Seventh Season)- Has been the head coach at his alma mater since 2009
- Earned his 22nd win as the Bulldogs head man against Arkansas-Monticello (Sept. 12, 2015), moving into seventh on the all-time wins list at SWOSU
- Will be coaching against Oklahoma Baptist for the first time on Saturday
Oklahoma Baptist: Chris Jensen, 14-15 (Third Season)- The first Oklahoma Baptist head football coach since 1940, Jensen is midway through his third season at the helm of the Bison program
- Helped the team double its win total from his first season to the second as OBU finished 8-3 in 2014, their final year as a member of NAIA
- Has coached one All-American, five NAIA scholar athletes and 23 all-conference selections in his first two seasons
The Last Meeting (1940)- No stats are available from the last meeting between SWOSU and Oklahoma Baptist
- The Bison defeated the Bulldogs 20-0 opening game of the 1940 season, but SWOSU rebounded to win nine of their final ten games that season
Last Time Out (Oct. 17, 2015)- SWOSU Football dismantled Southern Nazarene 73-7 last Saturday, earning their fourth consecutive win at ASAP Energy Field
- The Bulldogs scored their most points in the NCAA era, and third-most all-time, while recording their largest margin of victory since 1969
- Other NCAA era records set by the SWOSU offense: Most yards of total offense (659), most rushing touchdowns scored (six), most all-purpose yards gained (807), most touchdowns scored (10), and most points scored (73)
- DJ Jones scored three touchdowns, including the first punt return TD by a Bulldog since 2007 and was rewarded as the GAC Special Teams Player of the Week
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Marc Evans threw for 325 yards on 23-of-35 passing with three touchdowns, recording his fourth 300-yard passing game of the season
- The Bulldogs limited SNU to 152 yards of total offense and just seven points, with the Crimson Storm barely averaging 2.0 yards per play
Checking the Standings- SWOSU enters the weekend sixth in the Great American Conference standings, but the Bulldogs are within one game of second place at 4-3
- Henderson State leads the league with a 6-1 record while four teams are tied with two losses, including Arkansas Tech and Harding - teams that SWOSU still has the opportunity to play
- Saturday's opponent, Oklahoma Baptist, is tied for ninth in the standings with Northwestern Oklahoma State at 2-5
Bulldog Offensive Notes- With 243 points scored in seven games, SWOSU is averaging 34.7 points per game which ranks fourth in the Great American Conference
- SWOSU's highest scoring average in the NCAA Division II era came in 2013 when the Bulldogs averaged 30.2 points per game
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Kedron Banks rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns against Southern Nazarene, the first three-touchdown game by a SWOSU running back since
Karl Hodge last season, also against SNU
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D.J. Jones had four receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns last Saturday and he leads the Bulldogs with 27 receptions for 529 yards and six scores this season
- Jones leads the Great American Conference in all-purpose yards this season with 1,110 (158.6 per game)
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Marc Evans is rated sixth in the GAC with an average of 291.2 yards per game and he's thrown for 1,747 yards and 16 touchdowns so far this season
- SWOSU quarterbacks have completed a pass to 13 different receivers this season, with six different receivers that have caught 10 or more passes and five who have a touchdown reception to their credit
Bulldog Defensive Notes- SWOSU's defense has held two of their last three opponents to fewer than 10 points, a feat that had not previously been accomplished since 2007
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Conner Bays continues to lead the SWOSU defense, recording 77 tackles (40 solo, 37 assist) and two interceptions on the year
- Bays ranks second in the GAC with an average of 11.0 tackles per game
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Kapena Olsen and Bays each recorded their second interception of the season against Southern Nazarene and they now share the team lead
- The Bulldogs are now ranked third in the Great American Conference in scoring defense (23.6 points per game) and fifth in total defense (361.4 yards per game)
- SWOSU ranks sixth in the league with eight interceptions and they are tied for third with a turnover margin of +3
- Eleven different Bulldogs tallied had at least a partial tackle for loss against SNU as the Bulldogs recorded a season-high 11 TFL behind two from defensive tackle
George Woods Bulldog Special Team Notes-
D.J. Jones averaged 18.0 yards per punt return, including a 54-yard return for a touchdown, against Southern Nazarene and he was rewarded as the GAC Special Teams Player of the Week
- His punt return for a touchdown was the first by a Bulldog since September 23, 2007, when Patrick Weaver had an 87-yard score against Northwestern Oklahoma State
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Dalton Jackson tied an NCAA era record at SWOSU on Saturday by scoring 13 points (10-for-10 extra points, one field goal)
- Jackson is a perfect 15-for-15 on extra point attempts this season and he ranks fifth on the team with 21 total points to his credit
- SWOSU ranks fourth in the GAC in kickoff return average (22.5 yards per game) and they trail only Oklahoma Baptist in punt return average (15.2 yards per game)
- Jackson has taken over punting duties for SWOSU as well, averaging 33.5 yards per punt on 11 attempts, including three punts inside the 20-yard line
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Tyler Peterson remains the kickoff specialist for the Bulldogs, averaging 54.5 yards per kickoff with nine touchbacks on 33 attempts
Scouting Oklahoma Baptist- After being picked to finish last in the Great American Conference, the Bison have won two of their last three games to improve to 2-5 in their inaugural season in the league
- OBU ranks ninth in the GAC in scoring, averaging 27.1 points per game, while their opponents are scoring an average of 36.4 points per game
- The Bison get most of their offense on the ground, ranking fourth in the league with an average of 194.6 yards per game rushing
- Dezmond Stegall leads the team with 317 yards and seven touchdowns rushing, while also averaging 67.9 yards per game passing with five scores
- Zach Bishop leads the team with 61 tackles while two-time GAC Defensive Player of the Week Brynden Pitzer had 48 tackles, 4.5 TFL and three interceptions
Looking Ahead- SWOSU's final home game of the 2015 season is next Saturday as Harding visits ASAP Energy Field for Senior Day
- The Bulldogs conclude the season with two straight road games that includes visits to Arkansas Tech and Northwestern Oklahoma State
