Setting the Scene- SWOSU Football is set to begin the 2015 season - the 106th in program history - this Saturday with a trip to Magnolia, Arkansas to face Southern Arkansas
- The Bulldogs are coming off a 2014 season in which they finished 3-7 (3-7 GAC) and finished tied for eighth in the conference while SAU was an even 5-5 (5-5 GAC), good for sixth in the league
- In two prior trips to Magnolia, SWOSU is 0-2 with a pair of close defeats, falling 35-34 in 2012 and 20-17 in 2013
- Saturday's meeting will mark the first time that SWOSU has opened the season against Southern Arkansas and their second straight season with a road game for the season opener
- SWOSU is 2-4 in season openers under seventh-year Head Coach
Dan Cocannouer, including a 1-3 mark when opening the season away from home
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@SWOSUAthletics The Series- SWOSU and Southern Arkansas have met four times on the gridiron, dating back to the beginning of the Great American Conference in the fall of 2011
- The Bulldogs earned their first victory over the Muleriders last fall with a come-from-behind 27-24 victory in Weatherford
- All four meetings have been played within a nine-point spread with an average margin of victory of just four points
- The Bulldogs are 0-2 in games played in Magnolia, falling to SAU by a combined four points in 2012 and 2013
The CoachesSWOSU: Dan Cocannouer, 21-43 (Seventh Season)- Has been the head coach at his alma mater since 2009
- Led SWOSU to their first winning season since 2007 with a 6-5 record in 2014
- Earned his 21st win as the Bulldogs head man against Southern Nazarene (Nov. 1), tying him for seventh in all-time wins at SWOSU
- Has a record of 1-3 against Southern Arkansas
Southern Arkansas: Bill Keopple, 26-35 (Seventh Season)- Has led the Muleriders to 19 wins in the past three years with three straight winning seasons and their first postseason appearance since 2003
- Coached 32 all-conference players, 12 all-academic players, 10 all-region selections and four All-Americans while at SAU
- Over the past three seasons, his teams have averaged 37.2 points per game, 479.5 yards of total offense per game, 298.8 passing yards per game, and 180.7 rushing yards per game
- Has previous college coaching experience at Arkansas, Boise State and Central Arkansas and spent his six seasons prior to SAU as the head coach at Arkansas High in Texarkana
The Last Meeting (Sept. 20, 2014)- SWOSU overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter for a second straight week, scoring the final 14 points to defeat Southern Arkansas 27-24
- SAU led 24-13 with 13:49 to play following a five yard INT return for a touchdown
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Steven Townsley made a big defensive play for the second straight week, picking up a fumble forced by
Tanner Thompson and taking it back to the three-yard line to set up a score
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Karl Hodge scored on the ensuing drive to get SWOSU within five at 24-19
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Matt Farris capped off a 7-play, 40-yard drive with a one-yard TD plunge and the two-point conversion gave SWOSU a 27-24 lead with 4:09 to play
- Townsley and
Kale Sawatzky had a team-high 12 tackles apiece while Thompson had 11
-
Brad Smithey hauled in a five-yard TD in the first quarter, moving himself into fifth all-time in receptions at SWOSU
- SWOSU's defense recorded nine tackles for loss, including three by All-American DT
Devin Benton Last Time Out (Nov. 15, 2014)- SWOSU concluded the 2014 season with a 28-6 setback against Northwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford, finishing the year 3-7
- The Rangers scored 28 unanswered points to end the game after SWOSU scored late in the second quarter on a 3-yard TD run by
Karl Hodge- Hodge led the Bulldogs with 180 yards rushing on 28 carries, ending his senior season just shy of 1,000 yards rushing for the year
-
Steven Townsley had a team-high 11 tackles for the Bulldogs while
Austin Loomis added nine
GAC Preseason Poll1. Ouachita Baptist, 113 (6)
2. Harding, 111 (3)
3. Henderson State, 101 (2)
T4. East Central, 89 (1)
T4. Southeastern Oklahoma State, 89
6. Southern Arkansas, 70
7. Arkansas Tech, 57
8. SWOSU, 499. Arkansas-Monticello, 41
10. Northwestern Oklahoma State, 38
11. Southern Nazarene, 18
12. Oklahoma Baptist, 16
Bulldog Offensive Notes- SWOSU is expected to have seven first-time starters on offense when they take the field on Saturday against Southern Arkansas
- The most experienced offensive player returning for the Bulldogs is
Nathan Butler, who has started the past 21 games along the SWOSU offensive line
- Others returning with starting experience from last season include
Collin Bricker (eight starts, Tight End),
Garrett Luke (four, Left Tackle) and
Zach Britton (one, Center)
- A new face will be under center for the Bulldogs as well, with junior college transfer
Marc Evans and sophomore transfer
Brooks Robertson remaining in competition for the position
- The trio of
Karltrell Henderson,
Kenneth Martey and
Talo Pascal have been competing to fill the running back position, vacated by All-Great American Conference selection
Karl Hodge- Sophomore
Derrick Styles and redshirt-freshman
JR Omigie are expected to start at the outside wide receiver position with newcomer
D.J Jones listed atop the depth chart at the slot position
- Butler has moved to left guard this season with Britton stepping into the center position and Luke set to start at left tackle after starting the final four games of last season at right guard
- Sophomores
Kevin Blessing (guard) and
Kaleb Prough (tackle) make up the right side of the offensive line and both are expected to make their first career starts on Saturday
Bulldog Defensive Notes- Defensively, SWOSU returns four players who started all 10 games last season: DE
Jake Doyle, NG
Tyler Follis, 'Dawg'
Tanner Thompson and LB
Austin Loomis- Others with starting experience from last season include DE
Collier Ward (eight starts), SS
Conner Bays (five), FS
Kapena Olsen (five) and LB
Tyler George (three)
- The Bulldogs must replace two players who received postseason honors in All-American Defensive Tackle
Devin Benton and All-Region Cornerback
Kevin Joseph- The leading candidate to replace Benton is
George Woods, a junior transfer who played two seasons at Abilene Christian
- Two seniors are expected to start at the cornerback position with
Trevon Hartfield and
Ja'Vaughn Mitchell both slated to get their first start on Saturday
- Bays took over for Olsen at Free Safety last season following an injury, but has since moved to the Strong Safety position where he has earned the starting position
- SWOSU returns three of their top five tacklers from last season in Thompson, who led the team with 87 stops, Loomis and Olsen, who was fifth with 52 tackles in just six games
- Loomis started all 10 games of his redshirt freshman season and ranked third on the team with 71 stops, 5.0 TFL and one interception
- George missed the first four games of 2014 with an injury before returning to record 39 tackles in six games, making three starts in the final four games
- Junior
Cameron Nix changed positions from quarterback to defensive back following last season and he is currently listed as the backup free safety
Bulldog Special Team Notes- Junior college transfer
Tyler Peterson and redshirt-sophomore
Michael Perez are expected to handle the kicking duties for SWOSU this season
- Peterson comes to SWOSU from Garden City CC while Perez missed last season due to an injury after hitting all 12 of his extra point attempts and averaging 37.8 yards per punt in 2013
- Redshirt-freshman
Zach Moore is expected to handle longsnapping duties for SWOSU this year while quarterback
Brooks Robertson will be the holder on field goal and extra point attempts
-
D.J Jones and
Karltrell Henderson are listed as the potential kick returners with Jones also planning to handle punt return duties
Scouting Southern Arkansas- Picked to finish sixth in the Great American Conference preseason coaches poll
- Return 12 starters and 28 lettermen off their 2014 team, which finished 5-5 and claimed sixth place in the GAC
- Will be starting a first-time quarterback, with redshirt freshmen Barrett Renner and Omari Jones competing for the position
- The offense averaged 38.7 points and better than 500 yards per game last season
- Return two All-GAC offensive linemen in center Chris Paul and left guard John Miller, a two-time All-GAC selection and three-year starter at the position
- A pair of running backs anchor the backfield, including All-GAC Honorable Mention selection DeAndre Jenkins
- While youthful on defense, they will be boosted by the return of junior defensive back Quan Warren, who missed last season with an injury after being a Second Team All-GAC honoree in 2013
- Must replace all three starting linebackers, with junior college transfer Dominic Kelly expected to be one of their key players in the middle
Looking Ahead- Following Saturday's game, the Bulldogs return home for their next two contests, beginning next Saturday as they host Arkansas-Monticello in the ASAP Kickoff Classic
- SWOSU then hosts the defending GAC Champions from Ouachita Baptist on September 19 as they battle the Tigers for the third annual Paul Sharp Cup
