Setting the Scene
- The 2018 season of SWOSU Football will conclude on Saturday at ASAP Energy Field as the Bulldogs welcome Northwestern Oklahoma State to town for Homecoming
- Both teams enter the contest with records of 3-7 after the Rangers lost at Oklahoma Baptist last Saturday while SWOSU was upended in Bethany against Southern Nazarene
- Northwestern defeated the Bulldogs 35-7 to close out the 2017 season, but SWOSU maintains a 3-2 edge over the Rangers since they joined the Great American Conference in 2013
- SWOSU and Northwestern are both currently tied for eighth place in the GAC standings at 3-7
- SWOSU will play the 2018 season with a heavy heart as they mourn the loss of Jake Simmons, a freshman member of the Bulldog Football team who passed away on Saturday, September 8th due to injuries sustained in a vehicle accident on August 26th
 
The Series
- The longtime rivalry between SWOSU and Northwestern Oklahoma State dates back to 1907, making it the Bulldogs oldest rivalry among GAC foes
- The teams have faced off 85 times on the gridiron, with SWOSU holding an advantage of 52-29-4 in the all-time series
- SWOSU has won 11 of the last 14 meetings against Northwestern Oklahoma State, dating back to 1992 and they have a 6-2 advantage during the NCAA Division II era
- Saturday's contest will mark just the fourth time that SWOSU has hosted the Rangers since 1996, with the Bulldogs holding a 2-1 advantage in those contests
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Chet Pobolish, 3-7 (1st Season)
- First-year head coach guiding the Bulldogs into the 2018 season with 17 years of collegiate coaching experience
- He most recently served as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Missouri Western during the 2017 season
- Also has experience at the FCS level, having coached at Southeastern Louisiana four seasons following stints at Emporia State and Delta State
- Played at Emporia State, where he was a four-time All-MIAA selection and a three-time team captain for the Hornets
 
Northwestern Okla.: Matt Walter, 15-28 (4th Season)
- Third-year head coach at Northwestern, where he was a standout player in the late 1990's and early 2000's and a player on the 1999 NAIA National Championship team
- Previously served as the offensive coordinator at Emporia State for six seasons, helping the Hornets turn around their program and reach the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2013
 
The Last Meeting (Nov. 11, 2017)
- The final game of the 2017 season ended with a 35-7 setback against Northwestern Oklahoma State in Alva
- The Rangers scored twice in the first five minutes to build an early 14-0 lead and they never looked back, scoring one touchdown in each of the last three quarters to build their lead to 35-0
- SWOSU got on the board in the closing seconds with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Casey Freeman to Marcellous Dowell, who finished with a career-best 143 receiving yards on 10 receptions
- The Bulldogs got nine tackles apiece from Terry McMillon, Austin Loomis and Bailey McKay
 
Last Time Out (Oct. 27, 2018)
- Southern Nazarene scored two touchdowns in the final two minutes to defeat SWOSU 35-23 on Saturday afternoon at the SNU Football Stadium in Bethany
- The Bulldogs used two touchdown runs by Jaden Knowles to build a 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, with SNU cutting it in half to 13-7 at the break
- The fourth quarter featured four lead changes, the first of which came on the opening play of the quarter as Casey Freeman found Jared Rayburn on a wheel route for a 35-yard touchdown that put the Dawgs back on top
- Ryan Buchanan put the Bulldogs on top 23-21 with a 45-yard field goal with 8:38 to play and interceptions by Dalton Cooper and Jalen Carr halted the next two SNU drives and left the Dawgs with possession and a two-point lead with 5:25 to play
- SNU scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:46 to play and added a pick-six in the final minute to put the game away
 
Checking the Standings
- Ouachita has clinched the 2018 Great American Conference championship following a victory over Southern Arkansas last Saturday
- Harding and Southern Arkansas are both 8-2 and two games back of the top spot, while no other team in the league is above .500 heading into the final weekend
- Arkansas-Monticello, Henderson State and Southeastern are all right at .500 with a 5-5 record while Oklahoma Baptist is 4-6
- SWOSU and Northwestern are among five teams tied for eighth at 3-7
 
SWOSU Offensive Notes
- SWOSU had multiple rushing touchdowns for the second time this season at Southern Nazarene, getting a pair of scoring runs from Jaden Knowles in the first quarter
- Knowles finished the game with 22 yards and two scores on 11 runs while Marcus Anderson II had a team-high 78 yards on 15 carries
- Casey Freeman threw for 209 yards and one touchdown against SNU, his 6th 200-yard passing game of the season, but he also tossed three interceptions in a game for the second time this season
- Freeman is now ranked second in the GAC in touchdowns (19) and fourth in passing yards (2,294) this season
- DJ Hicks was SWOSU's leading receiver on Saturday with five receptions for 82 yards, both marking season highs
- Jared Rayburn hauled in four receptions for 71 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown pass, on Saturday, giving him 31 receptions for 447 yards and six touchdowns on the year, all marks that rank him second on the team
- Senior center Justin Bigelow has anchored SWOSU's offensive line for the last three seasons, starting all 32 games in that time with 36 career starts to his credit
 
SWOSU Defensive Notes
- SWOSU forced a season-high five turnovers on Saturday against Southern Nazarene, with four interceptions and one fumble recovery
- Jalen Carr hauled in two interceptions against SNU along with CJ Jennings and Dalton Cooper recording one apiece, while Garrett Kilpatrick was credited with the fumble recovery
- Jacob Rodman and Gerald While tied for team-high honors with six tackles apiece against SNU and each player also had one tackle for loss
- Southern Nazarene became the third team this season to rush for better than 300 yards against the Bulldogs, who rank ninth in the GAC in rushing defense (187.8 yards per game)
- Clay Wilkerson had four stops against the Crimson Storm and he maintains his team lead with 57 tackles (27 solo, 30 assist) this season
- Jalen Carr is now tied for the conference lead with four interceptions this season while also ranking second with 15 passes defended
 
SWOSU Special Teams Notes
- Ryan Buchanan became the first SWOSU kicker in better than six years to connect on a field goal of better than 40 yards with a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter at SNU
- Buchanan was 1-for-2 on long field goals in the game, improving him to 2-for-6 on field goal attempts this season
- Kane Bowen had a strong day punting at SNU, averaging 45.8 yards per punt on four attempts, including three that were downed inside the 20-yard line
- SWOSU is ranked third in the GAC in kickoff returns, averaging 20.9 yards per attempt, led by CJ Jennings (26.5) and Jared Rayburn (20.8)