Setting the Scene
- For the second time in three weeks, the SWOSU Football team is bound for Arkadelphia, Ark., for a Great American Conference contest as the Dawgs will meet Henderson State this Saturday evening at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium
- Both teams enter the contest off a defeat, with SWOSU falling to #25 Southern Arkansas 36-12 on Saturday night while Henderson State was upended 30-24 at Northwestern Oklahoma State
- HSU has won the last six meetings over the Bulldogs after SWOSU defeated the Reddies 17-13 in Arkadelphia during the 2011 season - the first year of the GAC's existence
- SWOSU and Henderson State are two of eight Great American Conference teams that have a record of 1-2 after three weeks of play in the 2018 season
- 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 series between Henderson State and SWOSU dates back to the 1980 season and Saturday will be the 10th all-time meeting between the teams, with HSU leading the series 7-2
- After splitting a home-and-home series during the 1980 and 1981 seasons, the teams would not meet again until the formation of the Great American Conference in 2011
- Henderson State has won six consecutive meetings with the Bulldogs with each victory coming by at least 14 points, including a 33-0 victory over SWOSU in the Bulldogs last trip to Arkadelphia in 2015
- SWOSU is 1-3 all-time against the Reddies in Arkadelphia with a 17-13 win in 2011 to their credit
 
The Coaches
SWOSU: Chet Pobolish, 1-2 (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
 
Henderson State: Scott Maxfield, 95-50 (14th Season)
- Two-time Great American Conference Coach of the Year who has also led the Reddies to three GAC Championships and three NCAA postseason appearances
- Maxfield was named the AFCA Super Region 3 Coach of the Year in 2013 after leading the Reddies to a school-record 11 victories
- Winningest coach in GAC history and he's ranked second in career victories at Henderson State
 
The Last Meeting (Sept. 23, 2017)
- SWOSU was held scoreless after halftime as Henderson State defeated the Bulldogs 37- 14 on Saturday evening at ASAP Energy Field
- Henderson State built a 16-0 lead early in the second quarter before SWOSU closed to within nine, 23-14, at halftime
- The Bulldogs got on the board with a six-yard touchdown run from Karltrell Henderson and a 23-yard touchdown strike from Casey Freeman to JR Omigie just before halftime
- In the second half, the Bulldogs continued to move the ball but were kept off the scoreboard by two interceptions and two turnovers on downs
- Jared Rayburn had a team-high nine receptions for 80 yards while Omigie had three catches for 71 yards and the lone touchdown
- Antoine Albert recorded a team-best seven tackles (five solo, two assist) along with a forced fumble and pass breakup
 
Last Time Out (Sept. 15, 2018)
- SWOSU Football was unable to maintain a halftime lead as No. 25/24 Southern Arkansas scored 29 unanswered points to close out a 36-12 victory over the Bulldogs
- SWOSU took a 10-7 advantage to the locker room following a 35-yard scoring strike from Casey Freeman to JR Omigie with less than two minutes to play in the first half
- Tyreik Lusk brought down SAU running back SirCharles Perkins in the end zone for a safety with 9:24 to play in the third quarter, which gave the Dawgs a 12-7 lead
- From that point forward, it was all SAU as the Muleriders scored the final 29 points of the game while also forcing three turnovers – two interceptions, one fumble – and sacking Freeman in his own end zone for a safety in the fourth quarter
- Kyshawn Richards recorded his first 100-yard rushing game as a Bulldog with 110 yards on 16 carries
- TJ Harris and Darion Richards led the Bulldogs defensively with seven stops apiece, while Jacob Rodman and Braden Sweet both added six tackles
 
Checking the Standings
- SWOSU's last two opponents, Ouachita and Southern Arkansas, remain atop the GAC standings after opening the year 3-0
- Harding and Oklahoma Baptist are one game behind the duo at 2-1, with OBU suffering their first defeat of the season last Saturday
- The other eight teams in the league are all 1-2 right now, with each team securing at least one victory in the first three weeks of the season
 
SWOSU Offensive Notes
- SWOSU is ranked fifth in the Great American Conference in total offense, averaging 390.7 yards per game through two weeks
- Fresh off his first 100-yard rushing performance at SWOSU, running back Kyshawn Richards moved up to eighth in the league's rushing rankings with 70.7 yards per game
- Casey Freeman is tied for the GAC lead with nine touchdown passes and he's fifth in the league in passing average with 242.7 yards per game
- Six different receivers have grabbed a touchdown pass from Freeman, with Turner Jackson, JR Omigie and Jared Rayburn each having one apiece
- Jackson leads the Bulldogs with 13 receptions for 108 yards while Omigie has 10 receptions for a team-high 155 yards
- Richards continues to lead the conference in All-Purpose Yards with 212 rushing yards, 92 receiving yards and 190 kick return yards to his credit for 164.7 total yards per game
- Starting tight end Alex Ramirez hauled in his first reception of the season against Southern Arkansas while Kameron Bradley has four receptions for 90 yards to his credit, including a touchdown in the season opener against Arkansas-Monticello
 
SWOSU Defensive Notes
- Saturday's matchup will feature the two lowest-ranked defenses in the league with Henderson State at 11th with 451.3 yards per game and SWOSU in 12th, allowing 468.3 yards per contest
- TJ Harris matched his career-high with seven tackles against SAU, adding 2.0 tackles for loss and one sack to earn Bulldog of the Week recognition
- Tyreik Lusk had just one tackle against Southern Arkansas, but it was a big one - a tackle for loss in the third quarter that resulted in a safety and two points for the Dawgs
- Lusk became the first SWOSU player to record a safety since 2015, which also happened against Southern Arkansas
- Darion Richards matched Harris with a career-high seven tackles, giving him 14 stops (12 solo, 2 assist) on the year
- Clay Wilkerson remains the Bulldogs leading tackler with 16 stops (7 solo, 9 assist) after making a pair of tackles against SAU
- Braden Sweet is second on the team with 15 tackles (9 solo, 6 assist) along with a team-leading 2.5 tackles for loss
 
SWOSU Special Teams Notes
- Jackson Wilhite is now 8-for-8 on extra point attempts and put through his first career field goal against SAU, connecting on a 27-yard attempt in the first quarter
- Kane Bowen is ranked eighth in the GAC in punting with an average of 39.7 yards per on 15 attempts
- Ryan Buchanan has forced five touchbacks on 14 kickoffs this season while averaging 58.7 yards per kickoff
- Kyshawn Richards is ranked third in the conference with an avearge of 23.8 yards per kickoff return, including a 51-yard run back at Ouachita
 
Looking Ahead
- SWOSU will play their first in-state rival of the season next Saturday (Sept. 29) when they head to Ada to face East Central at 6:00 pm
- The Bulldogs' next home game will be played on the following Saturday (Oct. 6) against Southeastern Oklahoma State