Setting the Scene
- A new era of SWOSU Football will commence on Thursday evening when the Bulldogs, under the direction of first-year Head Coach Chet Pobolish, host Arkansas-Monticello in the ASAP Kickoff Classic
- Pobolish was named the 22nd Head Football Coach in SWOSU history last November and he will be leading the Bulldogs into the 2018 season as a first-time head coach
- SWOSU meets Arkansas-Monticello to open the 109th season in program history - and the 22nd season as a member of NCAA Division II
- This marks the second straight season the Bulldogs have opened the year by facing UAM as SWOSU claimed a 20-19 victory to open the 2017 season in Monticello
- SWOSU is 11-10 in season openers as an NCAA Division II program, including a mark of 5-4 when opening the season on their home field
- The Bulldogs are 4-4 in the ASAP Kickoff Classic - which has been the home opener each season since the installation of turf in 2010
 
The Series
- SWOSU and Arkansas-Monticello will be meeting for the eighth consecutive season after both schools were charter members of the Great American Conference
- SWOSU holds a 4-3 advantage in the series after claiming a 20-19 victory over the Weevils last season in Monticello
- Last season's victory by the Bulldogs was the first by a road team in the series, with SWOSU also claiming home wins over UAM in 2012, 2013 and 2015
- The Bulldogs have now won three of the past four meetings against UAM and they will be hosting the Weevils for the first time since 2015
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Chet Pobolish, 0-0 (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
 
Arkansas-Monticello: Hud Jackson, 23-53 (8th Season)
- Entering his eighth season as the head coach at Arkansas-Monticello after being hired prior to the 2011 season
- Prior to taking the job at UAM, Jackson served the previous six seasons as association head coach at FCS Central Arkansas
 
The Last Meeting (Sept. 2, 2017)
- Dominic Blue blocked an Arkansas-Monticello field goal attempt in the final seconds of Saturday's season-opener at UAM, propelling the Bulldogs to a 20-19 victory
- SWOSU struggled in the early going and went behind 13-0 before scoring two touchdowns to bookend halftime and take a 14-13 lead early in the third quarter
- Trailing 19-14 in the fourth quarter, reserve quarterback Tyler Marr found Zach Hill for the go-ahead 22-yard touchdown with 6:23 to play
- UAM's final drive got into the red zone before Blue blocked a 32-yard field goal attempt by the Weevils with less than 10 seconds to play
- Karltrell Henderson led the SWOSU offense with 85 rushing yards on 14 attempts and Austin Loomis totaled a team-best nine tackles in the victory
 
Last Time Out (Nov. 4, 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
 
Checking the Standings
- Harding is the preseason pick to win the Great American Conference in 2018, receiving eight first-place votes and 118 points to sit atop the preseason coaches poll
- Defending conference champion Ouachita received two first-place votes and they're picked to finish second, followed by Southern Arkansas, Southeastern Oklahoma State and Arkansas Tech
- SWOSU is picked to finish 10th in the conference, just ahead of East Central and Oklahoma Baptist in a tie for 11th
 
SWOSU Offensive Notes
- SWOSU returns four starters on offense, led by senior offensive linemen Justin Bigelow and Brandon Roe and senior wide receiver JR Omigie
- Junior quarterback Casey Freeman returns under center after starting eight games and throwing for 1,801 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago
- The top returning rusher for the Bulldogs is senior Kedron Banks, who ran for 290 yards and scored two touchdowns late in the 2017 season
- Banks will be challenged for time in the backfield by a pair of newcomers in junior college transfer Kyshawn Richards and true freshman Jaden Knowles
- Omigie is the Bulldogs top returning receiver after catching 32 passes for 503 yards and two touchdowns last season after earning All-GAC honors as a sophomore
- Jared Rayburn hauled in a team-best 43 receptions for 327 yards and three touchdowns last season, while Zach Hill recorded 15 receptions for 121 yards, including a touchdown against UAM
- SWOSU is slated to have three new starters along the offensive line, including Tristyn Close, who started two games at left guard last season, and junior transfers Calton Bakker and Robert Ricks
 
SWOSU Defensive Notes
- The Bulldogs defense will have a new look in 2018 as the team switches formations and will feature an odd-man front
- Two returning starters will anchor SWOSU's defensive line as Dejai Johnson and TJ Harris are both back for their senior seasons
- Both players are slated to start at the defensive end positions while Jonathan Harris will man the nose guard position
- Braden Sweet earned a starting position early in the 2017 season and he returns at the outside linebacker position after recording 38 tackles and being named a CoSIDA Academic All-American as a sophomore
- Derrick Gibbs and Garrett Kilpatrick have battled for the outside position opposite of Sweet while Clay Wilkerson and Jacob Rodman lead the way for playing time at the inside linebacker spots
- Several players are expected to see time in the SWOSU secondary, led by redshirt juniors Quinton Gale and Ethan Savoy at safety
- Sophomores Darrion Richards and Tony Johnson will man one cornerback spot while CJ Jennings is set to start on the other side
 
SWOSU Special Teams Notes
- For the second time this season, SWOSU had a player named the Great American Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after Dejai Johnson earned the honor this week
- Johnson claimed the award after blocking a SNU field goal attempt that could have tied the game in the final seconds
- Dominic Blue previously earned the honor after also preserving a victory with a blocked field goal against Arkansas-Monticello
 
Looking Ahead
- Plenty of new faces are expected to contribute for the Bulldogs on special teams, led by kicker Ryan Buchanan and punter Kane Bowen
- Jared Rayburn ranked fourth in the GAC by averaging 27.2 yards per kickoff return last year and he is again set to handle kick return duties along with Turner Jackson