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Setting the Scene
- A pair of 1-1 teams will meet in a Great American Conference showdown this Saturday as the Bulldogs of SWOSU head to Magnolia, Ark., to face Southern Arkansas
- SWOSU enters the contest following a 38-10 defeat at the hands of Ouachita in the ASAP Kickoff Classic last Saturday
- The Muleriders - chosen as the preseason favorite to win the GAC - are coming off a 35-24 home victory over Harding, the defending champions of the conference
- Saturday's winner will move above .500 and remain right in the thick of the GAC race, which is very balanced early in the year with six teams currently sitting at 1-1
- SWOSU is seeking to defeat the Muleriders in Magnolia for the first time, having previously fallen to SAU in 2012, 2013 and 2015 by a combined eight points
- The Bulldogs won their season opener at Arkansas-Monticello, meaning a victory at SAU on Saturday would give SWOSU victories in their first two road games for the first time since 2011, when they won their first three road contests of the season
 
The Series
- The series between SWOSU and Southern Arkansas dates back to the formation of the Great American Conference prior to the 2011 season
- SWOSU and SAU have faced off in each of the last six seasons, with the Muleriders holding a 5-1 advantage in those games
- SAU has won the last two meetings against SWOSU and they've won all three prior meetings in Magnolia, with no game being decided by more than four points
- The Bulldogs lone victory in the series came in 2014 with a 27-24 come-from-behind victory at ASAP Energy Field
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Dan Cocannouer, 35-54 (9th Season)
- Has been the head coach at his alma mater since 2009, leading the Bulldogs to two winning seasons in the past four years
- Earned four Coach of the Year Awards following the 2015 season, including: Great American Conference, AFCA Region 4, HERO Sports Region 3 and OklahomaSports.Net Small College
- Ranked fourth in SWOSU Football history for coaching victories with 35, four shy of Bob Mazie (39-37-2; 1978-85) for third place on the list
- Has a record of 1-5 against Southern Arkansas as the Bulldogs head coach, including a mark of 0-3 against the Muleriders in Magnolia
 
Southern Arkansas: Bill Keopple, 43-43 (9th Season)
- Since 2012, Keopple has led the Muleriders to 35 victories and his team has had a record of .500 or higher in five straight seasons
- Guided the Muleriders to the 2012 C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl and the 2016 Live United Bowl after SAU hadn't seen the postseason since 2003
 
The Last Meeting (Sept. 1, 2016)
- The history of close games between SWOSU and Southern Arkansas continued as the Muleriders defeated the Dawgs 21-17 in the ASAP Kickoff Classic
- SWOSU built a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter, but they were held scoreless for the final 40 minutes while SAU came from behind for the victory
- D.J. Jones had a career-high 141 yards on seven receptions, including an 86-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter
- SWOSU's defense forced six turnovers, including four interceptions of 2015 First Team All-GAC Quarterback Barrett Renner, with two of those coming from Kevin Joseph
- Austin Loomis led the Bulldogs with 11 tackles (six solo, five assist) and a fumble recovery while Michael Adefolarin had 10 stops and several big hits
 
Last Time Out (Sept. 9, 2017)
- SWOSU allowed 28 unanswered second-half points to wrap up Saturday's game against Ouachita, falling 38-10 to the Tigers in the 2017 home opener
- The Bulldogs took their only lead at 7-3 late in the first quarter on a seven-yard touchdown run by Sheldon Wilson, but Ouachita scored just before halftime and led 10-10 at the break
- After a 26-yard field goal from Trent Dennis tied the game at 10-10, Ouachita scored four rushing touchdowns in the final 24 minutes to run away with the 38-10 victory
- Casey Freeman completed 24-of-40 passes for 291 yards, with Dillon Bauer and Jared Rayburn each hauling in six receptions
- TJ Harris led the Bulldogs defensively with seven tackles
 
Checking the Standings
- The Great American Conference appears as balanced as ever two weeks into the 2017 season with just three teams remaining undefeated: Arkansas Tech, Ouachita and Southeastern Oklahoma State
- SWOSU and Southern Arkansas are among a group of six teams that have split their first two games of the season
- Three teams – Harding, Northwestern Oklahoma State and Oklahoma Baptist – are still seeking their first victory of the 2017 season
 
SWOSU Offensive Notes
- Through two games, SWOSU has the lowest scoring offense in the Great American Conference with 15.0 points per game despite ranking seventh in the league in total offense with 389.5 yards per contest
- The Bulldogs 10 points scored against Ouachita was the teams lowest-scoring output since being shutout in consecutive games against Henderson State and Southeastern Oklahoma State during the 2015 season
- Casey Freeman through for a career-best 291 yards against Ouachita, completing 24-of-40 passes with one being intercepted
- Karltrell Henderson rushed for 98 yards on 20 carries on Saturday and he's ranked fourth in the GAC with 91.5 yards per game
- Ouachita totaled 9.0 tackles for loss and sacked Freeman six times on Saturday and SWOSU has now surrendered seven sacks in the first two games after allowing just five all of last season
 
SWOSU Defensive Notes
- SWOSU is tied with Southeastern Oklahoma State and Arkansas Tech for the top turnover margin in the league (+3) through two games
- The Bulldogs have generated a league-best five fumble recoveries to offset being one of two teams (East Central) without an interception in the first two weeks
- Conference rankings for the Dawgs include fourth in Passing Defense (174.0 yards per game), sixth in Total Defense (373.0 ypg), seventh in Scoring Defense (28.5 ppg) and eighth in Rushing Defense (199.0 ypg)
- Senior transfer Antoine Albert is the Bulldogs leading tackler with 14 stops (nine solo, five assist) and he's also recorded 1.0 tackle for loss, two pass breakups and one fumble recovery
- Austin Loomis and TJ Harris are tied for second on the team with 13 tackles and Harris leads the Dawgs with 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack
- Dominic Blue has recorded 12 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and one blocked kick
 
SWOSU Special Teams Notes
- Freshman placekicker Trent Dennis connected on his first career field goal against Ouachita, nailing a 26-yard attempt in the third quarter of the game
- Dalton Jackson returned to his punting duties against Ouachita and averaged 35.4 yards per on five attempts with a long of 41 yards and one touchback
- SWOSU ranks 12th in the conference in kickoff coverage, averaging 39.9 yards per kickoff with a net average of just 16.1 yards
 
Looking Ahead
- SWOSU closes out the month of September with consecutive home games against Henderson State (Sept. 23) and East Central (Sept. 30) for Parents Day
- Three of SWOSU's four games schedule in October will be played on the road, beginning on October 7 at Southeastern Oklahoma State