Game Preview
• Bulldog Football returns to Arkansas for the second time in the past three weeks, this time with a trip to Magnolia to face Southern Arkansas on Saturday afternoon
• SWOSU enters the game on a two-game slide following a 26-21 defeat to #6/4 Ouachita last weekend while Southern Arkansas improved to 3-1 on the year with a 35-14 victory at Arkansas Tech
• In order to get their record back above .500, the Bulldogs would have to defeat the Muleriders at Wilkins Stadium for the first time
• SWOSU is 0-4 all-time against Southern Arkansas in Magnolia, which includes three meetings decided by four points or less and a 38-14 setback in their last visit to SAU in 2017
• In their last home game, Southern Arkansas was shut out by Harding, 31-0, which ended a then-NCAA Division II best 17-game home win streak by the Muleriders
• SAU has represented the Great American Conference in the Agent Barry Live United Bowl twice in the past three seasons, including a 30-25 defeat against Missouri Western in the game last year
 
The Opponent
• Southern Arkansas has finished at .500 or better in seven consecutive seasons, making three bowl appearances since the formation of the Great American Conference
• This season, the Muleriders were picked to finish third in the conference and they've opened the season with victories over Southern Nazarene, Oklahoma Baptist and Arkansas Tech and a loss to then-#23 Harding
• SAU is averaging 369.0 yards of total offense and 23.2 points per game while the GAC's second-leading total defense (286.8 ypg) allows 21.8 points per game
• Head Coach Bill Keopple has overseen the rebuild of Southern Arkansas football and he's in his 11th season at the helm, with 60 victories to his credit
 
SWOSU Offensive Notes
• In his return to the lineup after missing the UAM game, senior wide receiver Jared Rayburn hauled in five receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns against Ouachita
• It was the third 100-yard game of the season for Rayburn, who now ranks fifth in SWOSU's NCAA Division II era for career touchdown receptions (12), ninth in career receiving yards (1,265) and 10th in career receptions (102)
• SWOSU quarterback Tyler Marr threw for 189 yards and a career-high 3 touchdowns against Ouachita, giving him 832 yards and seven scoring strikes on the year
• This season, Marr has completed eight passes of 30 yards or more and he's ranked third in NCAA Division II with an average of 17.3 yards per completion
• Through four games, the Bulldogs are ranked seventh in the Great American Conference in both scoring offense (22.2 points per game) and total offense (330.8 yards per game)
• SWOSU's rushing offense, which ranks 10th in the GAC with 115.5 yards per game, is led by senior running back Tristian Houston with 132 yards and three touchdowns
• The Bulldogs have remained very balanced offensively this season with 11 different players who have at least one rushing attempt while 14 different Bulldogs have caught at least one pass this season
• Behind Rayburn, the Dawgs have two other 100-yard receivers this season in Donnell Hawkins (8 rec, 132 yds, 2 TD) and Justin Bailey (5 rec, 153 yds, 1 TD)
• After hauling in one reception in each of the first three games, Kevin Fox, Jr., had his best performance of the season with four catches for 37 yards against Ouachita
• SWOSU surrendered one sack on Saturday, but the Bulldogs still rank second in the conference with just two sacks allowed this season
 
SWOSU Defensive Notes
• Making his first career start, redshirt freshman Javotrick Dotrey tied for team-high honors with 11 tackles - including seven solo - on Saturday against Ouachita
• SWOSU's other starting safety, senior Braden Sweet, matched his career-high 11 tackles against Ouachita for the second straight game
• Sweet has now climbed to third in the Great American Conference with 37 tackles (19 solo, 18 assist) this season, while also totaling one interception and one pass breakup
• SWOSU has four players tied for second on the team with 18 tackles, including cornerbacks Rahzel Young and Jalen Carr, linebacker Dalton Cooper and safety Derrius Franklin
• Young was credited with six stops against Ouachita and he's made at least three tackles in each game this year
• Carr, who ranks second in the league with two interceptions and fourth with five passes defended, was rarely targeted by the Tigers and he finished with two tackles while also intercepting Ouachita's two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter
• Cooper slid inside to start at linebacker against Ouachita and matched a career-high with nine tackles (two solo, seven assist) in the game
• CJ Jennings totaled a career-best eight tackles, including 3.0 tackles for loss, on Saturday which moved him to third in the conference with 5.0 TFL on the season
• Jared Young and Reshawn Parker each had 1.0 tackle for loss against Ouachita while Young finished with eight tackles in the game and Parker added three, including his team-leading second sack of the year
 
SWOSU Special Teams Notes
• Ryan Buchanan connected on all three of his extra point attempts against Ouachita, improving to 11-of-12 on point after tries for the year
• Punter Kane Bowen averaged 41.2 yards per punt against Ouachita with a long of 50 yards, giving him at least one punt of 50+ yards in three-of-four games this season
• For the year, Bowen ranks ninth in the GAC with an average of 39.8 yards per on 24 attempts
• Jared Rayburn averaged 12.0 yards per kickoff return on Saturday and the Dawgs are ranked 11th in the conference with an average of 17.1 yards per return for the season
 
Looking Ahead
• Week 6: Saturday, October 12, 3:00 pm, vs. Henderson State
• Week 7: Saturday, October 19, 3:00 pm, at Harding