Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Football erupted for 34 second-half points, overcoming an early 10-point deficit to defeat East Central 48-37 in a back-and-forth battle on Parents Day at ASAP Energy Field.
ECU scored the first 10 points of the game, taking the opening kickoff and driving 53 yards in 12 plays to set up a field goal attempt before blocking a SWOSU punt and returning it 25 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-0 just 13 minutes into the game. The Bulldogs had a quick response as
Jared Rayburn took the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and made it 10-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Another touchdown by ECU put the Tigers on top 17-7 early in the second quarter and the score would remain at that until a
Karltrell Henderson touchdown run from seven yards out capped off a 14-play, 83-yard drive and got the Bulldogs within three, 17-14, at halftime.
Fireworks erupted at ASAP Energy Field in the second half as SWOSU took their first lead on a 24-yard touchdown run by
Cedric Cooper with 6:32 to play in the third. ECU quickly responded with a two-play, 61-yard drive and went back on top 23-21 following a blocked extra point. SWOSU countered with a six-play, 56-yard drive that ended when
Casey Freeman found
Jordan Jackson in the back of the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown reception that put the Dawgs up 27-23, a lead that lasted just two offensive plays as ECU's Ontario Douglas broke off an 83-yard touchdown run to make it 30-27 in favor of the Tigers at the end of the third quarter.
Facing 4th-and-6 early in the fourth quarter, Rayburn got behind the East Central defense and Freeman dropped a perfect throw over his shoulder for a 23-yard touchdown that had the Dawgs go on top 34-30. After each team traded possessions, East Central regained the lead on a 25-yard run from Douglas – his fourth of the game – that made it a 37-34 advantage for the Tigers.
That would be the final points scored by East Central, whose lead would last exactly one minute before Jackson hauled in a deep pass from Freeman and took it into the end zone from 55 yards out to make it a 41-37 lead for the Dawgs.
Wilbur Young got the ball back for SWOSU with an interception that set up an eight-yard touchdown run by Copper with 1:43 to play that iced the game.
ECU would have one final drive, but it ended in the end zone on fourth down as
Dominic Blue hauled in a deflected pass and got the interception with just 25 seconds to play.
SWOSU finished with 478 yards of total offense, getting a career-high 314 passing yards and three touchdowns from
Casey Freeman. Freeman spread the ball around to nine different receivers, led by Rayburn with seven receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown. Jackson had four catches for 83 yards and two scores while
JR Omigie also hauled in four passes.
Cedric Cooper led the Dawgs on the ground, carrying 16 times for 93 yards and two touchdowns while Freeman had 47 yards on seven carries and
Karltrell Henderson added 32 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Austin Loomis led the way for the Bulldog defense, which faced 61 plays from East Central, with eight tackles (six solo, two assist) and two tackles for loss. Making his first career start, freshman
Jaylen Ellis totaled six tackles while
Antoine Albert,
TJ Harris and
Braden Sweet each had five stops in the contest. Sweet and
Dominic Blue each had two tackles for loss while Blue and
Wilbur Young had interceptions and
Tyler Follis recovered an ECU fumble.
"I'm so proud of our guys," SWOSU Head Coach
Dan Cocannouer said following the win. "They've been working their butts off in practice and it showed tonight with the resiliency they showed. The main thing I told them at halftime was to finish and they did just that. We need this win and I'm so happy for our group."
The victory snaps a three-game slide for the Bulldogs, who improve to 2-3 (2-3 GAC) on the year with the win. Next up for the Dawgs is a trip to Durant to face unbeaten Southeastern Oklahoma State next Saturday, with kickoff set for 2:00 pm from Paul Laird Field.
