---

Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Football returns home for the next two weekends and they will host Henderson State at ASAP Energy Field this Saturday evening with kickoff set for 6:00 pm
- The Bulldogs and Reddies both enter the game following defeats the past two weeks and each team is sporting a 1-2 record through three games
- Henderson State has won an NCAA-leading 27 consecutive road contests dating back to the beginning of the 2011 season, a streak that includes three victories over the Bulldogs at ASAP Energy Field
- SWOSU is 0-1 at home this season after a 38-10 defeat against Ouachita, but the Bulldogs are 8-4 at ASAP Energy Field since the beginning of the 2015 season
- The all-time series between Henderson State and SWOSU dates back to 1980, with two meetings in 1980-81 before the teams were charter members of the Great American Conference in 2011
- SWOSU owns one victory over the Reddies as GAC foes, a 17-13 win at HSU in 2011 but the Reddies have won the last five meetings by an average of 26.2 points per contest
 
The Series
- SWOSU and Henderson State have met eight times all-time in a series that was first played during the 1980 season
- The Bulldogs and Reddies split a home-and-home series during the 1980-81 seasons with SWOSU taking a 24-0 triumph on 1980 in Weatherford before Henderson State answered with a 23-16 victory the next year in Arkadelphia
- In six meetings as members of the Great American Conference, SWOSU is 1-5 against Henderson State, who won GAC Championships in 2012, 2013 and 2015
- HSU has won the last five meetings in the series, including a 45-17 victory in Weatherford last season
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Dan Cocannouer, 35-55 (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 Henderson State as the Bulldogs head coach, including a mark of 0-3 against the Reddies in Weatherford
 
Henderson State: Scott Maxfield, 89-45 (13th Season)
- Winningest coach in Great American Conference and he has the second-most wins of any coach at Henderson State
- Has led the Reddies to three GAC regular season championships and three appearances in the NCAA Division II Playoffs (2012, 2013, 2015)
- Two-time GAC Coach of the Year and AFCA Super Region 3 Coach of the Year in 2013
 
The Last Meeting (Sept. 24, 2016)
- After inclement weather delayed kickoff between SWOSU and #8/11 Henderson State for two and a half hours, the Bulldogs played the Reddies to a standstill for almost the entire first half
- The Reddies scored on a jump-ball at the end of the first half, then outscored the Bulldogs 21-0 in the third quarter to run away with a 45-17 victory
- Henderson State accumulated 405 yards of total offense, compared to 339 yards for the Bulldogs, who had 210 yards in the air and 129 on the ground
- Karltrell Henderson rushed for 86 yards on 16 carries and Kenneth Martey added 28 yards on seven rushing attempts
- Conner Bays had another busy night in the secondary with 16 tackles, Gentry Rogers added nine and BJ Kellogg recorded his first interception in a SWOSU uniform
 
Last Time Out (Sept. 16, 2017)
- After inclement weather delayed kickoff between SWOSU and #8/11 Henderson State for two and a half hours, the Bulldogs played the Reddies to a standstill for almost the entire first half
- The Reddies scored on a jump-ball at the end of the first half, then outscored the Bulldogs 21-0 in the third quarter to run away with a 45-17 victory
- Henderson State accumulated 405 yards of total offense, compared to 339 yards for the Bulldogs, who had 210 yards in the air and 129 on the ground
- Karltrell Henderson rushed for 86 yards on 16 carries and Kenneth Martey added 28 yards on seven rushing attempts
- Conner Bays had another busy night in the secondary with 16 tackles, Gentry Rogers added nine and BJ Kellogg recorded his first interception in a SWOSU uniform
 
Checking the Standings
- Just two teams remain atop the Great American Conference standings unblemished as Arkansas Tech and Southeastern Oklahoma State are both currently 3-0
- All three of SWOSU's previous opponents are currently 2-1 along with Southern Nazarene, the surprise of the league at 2-1 following a last-minute victory at defending GAC champion Harding last Saturday
- SWOSU and Henderson State are two of four teams - along with East Central and Northwestern Oklahoma State - that sit 1-2 following three games
- Harding and Oklahoma Baptist are the lone remaining winless teams, but that will change this weekend as the teams face off in Shawnee on Saturday
 
SWOSU Offensive Notes
- SWOSU features the lowest-scoring offense in the Great American Conference with 44 points (14.7 ppg) scored in the first three games
- Karltrell Henderson ranks sixth in the GAC with 72.3 yards per game, but the Bulldogs NCAA era rushing touchdowns leader has been kept out of the end zone in the first three games
- Henderson is closing in on another milestone, needing 107 yards to become SWOSU's leading rusher in the NCAA era, a mark currently held by Jimmy Jenkins (2000-04, 2,033 yards)
- After taking good care of the ball the first two games, SWOSU had three turnovers (one interception, two fumbles) against Southern Arkansas that led to 17 points for the Muleriders
- SWOSU's offensive line has allowed 14 sacks in the first three games - including seven at SAU - which is the fifth-most among all teams in NCAA Division II this season
 
SWOSU Defensive Notes
- After surrendering 38 points in each of the last two games, SWOSU's scoring defense of 31.7 points per game is ranked eighth in the Great American Conference
- The strength of the defense for SWOSU is against the pass, where the Dawgs are allowing 181.7 yards per game which ranks fifth among league teams
- Austin Loomis led the Bulldogs with 10 tackles against SAU, his fourth career 10+ tackle game, and he's now tied with Antoine Albert for the team lead with 23 tackles on the year
- SWOSU has totaled eight takeaways (five fumbles, three interceptions) in the first three games - second-most in the GAC through three weeks
- The Bulldogs had a pair of players record their first career interceptions at Southern Arkansas in Braden Sweet and Terry McMillon
- Colten Buie made his first career start at defensive tackle against SAU and finished the game with four tackles (three solo, one assist)
 
SWOSU Special Teams Notes
- Dalton Jackson averaged 37.3 yards per punt against Southern Arkansas with a season-long kick of 48 yards, upping his season average to 36.1 yards per punt
- As a true freshman, Trent Dennis is perfect on kick attempts (1-1 FG, 5-5 XP) while averaging 41.8 yards per kickoff attempt
- The Bulldogs are ranked seventh in the conference with an average of 18.5 yards per kickoff return and SWOSU has not yet returned a punt this season
 
Looking Ahead
- Parents Day at SWOSU will be next Saturday as the Bulldogs take on in-state rival East Central at 6:00 pm from ASAP Energy Field
- The Bulldogs play three of their four games in the month of October away from home, beginning on October 7th at Southeastern Oklahoma State