Game Preview
• It's Homecoming Week at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and the main event comes on Saturday evening as the Bulldog Football team welcomes Arkansas Tech to ASAP Energy Field for a 5:30 pm kickoff
• SWOSU enters the game with a 2-5 record following the toughest stretch on the schedule that included faced two ranked opponents in the past four weeks
• Arkansas Tech picked up their first victory of the season last Saturday, defeating Northwestern Oklahoma State 21-14 to snap an 0-6 start to the season
• Each team is battling for positioning in the GAC standings as two of seven teams in the conference with records below .500 at this point in the season
• SWOSU is 8-7 all-time against Arkansas Tech, which includes a 35-14 victory in Russellville last season that snapped a two-game win streak by the Wonder Boys
• Arkansas Tech has defeated SWOSU in each of their last two trips to ASAP Energy Field, claiming 24-20 and 38-21 victories in consecutive visits during the 2016 and 2017 seasons, respectively
 
The Opponent
• After starting the season 0-6, Arkansas Tech defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State last Saturday for their first victory of the season
• ATU defensive tackle Tre Chism was named the GAC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after recording eight tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks against NWOSU
• Tech enters Week 8 ranked eighth in the GAC in scoring offense (21.0 ppg) and ninth in total offense (327.7 ypg) while sitting ninth in scoring defense (32.6 ppg) and eighth in total defense (409.4 ypg)
• The Wonder Boys have rushed for 150 yards or more in four games this season and they've scored at least two rushing touchdowns in six-of-seven games they've played
• Arkansas Tech has allowed their opponents to throw for 216.6 yards per game and 12 touchdowns on the year
 
SWOSU Offensive Notes
• SWOSU senior wideout Jared Rayburn hauled in his sixth receiving touchdown of the season at Harding, which ranks him third in the conference and matches his total from 2018
• Rayburn continues to climb SWOSU's NCAA era charts, entering Week 8 tied for third in career touchdowns (15), ranked 8th in receiving yards (1,463) and tied for ninth in receptions (115)
• Starting quarterback Tyler Marr finished 13-for-22, throwing for 221 yards and two touchdowns at Harding and he's ranked third in the GAC with 213.9 passing yards per game and sixth in pass efficiency
• The Bulldogs were held to less than 100 yards rushing for the third straight game and fourth time in seven contests, totaling 59 yards on 26 attempts against Harding
• SWOSU comes into Homecoming with the lowest-ranked rushing attack in the GAC, averaging 95.7 yards per game on the ground
• Marr is SWOSU's leading rusher with 185 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to his credit through seven games
• DJ Hicks and Justin Bailey each had a season-high four receptions against Harding, with Hicks hauling in four catches for 75 yards and one touchdown while Bailey totaled 70 yards on his grabs
• SWOSU surrendered a season-high four quarterback sacks at Harding, which dropped the Dawgs to eight in the conference with nine sacks allowed on the year
 
SWOSU Defensive Notes
• SWOSU checks in at 10th in the GAC in total defense (425.7 yards per game) and scoring defense (32.9 points per game) after allowing season-highs of 504 yards and 45 points to Harding last Saturday
• The Bisons vaunted rushing attack rolled up 478 yards on the ground against SWOSU, which dropped the Dawgs to 11th in the GAC with 258.9 rush yards allowed per game
• Senior safety Braden Sweet was credited with a career-high 14 tackles (seven solo, seven assist) against Harding and he's now the third-leading tackler in the GAC with 67 total stops on the year
• Gerald White (9), Jacob Rodman (7) and Malcolm Davis (6) all set or matched their season-high in tackles against Harding
• SWOSU's defense recorded their 13th takeaway of the season against the Bisons as White forced and Sweet recovered a fumble during the first quarter
• Jalen Carr is the Dawgs second-leading tackler with 32 stops on the year and he's ranked second in the GAC with three interceptions and third with nine passes defended this season
• CJ Jennings finished with five tackles at Harding and he remains SWOSU's team leader with 5.0 tackles for loss in addition to one of six players in the conference with two forced fumbles
• Dalton Cooper added five tackles in the matchup with Harding and he's currently ranked third on the team with 29 tackles (12 solo, 17 assist) this season
 
SWOSU Special Teams Notes
• SWOSU punter Kane Bowen was called to action seven times on Saturday, averaging 41.0 yards per attempt with a long of 54 yards
• For the year, Bowen is averaging 40.0 yards per punt which ranks eighth in the GAC while SWOSU's net punting average of 33.6 yards per attempt ranks 10th in the league
• The Bulldogs rank 10th in the GAC in both kickoff returns (18.4 yards per return) and punt return average (5.3)
• SWOSU placekicker Ryan Buchanan was 2-for-2 on extra point attempts at Harding, improving to 16-for-17 on the year and he remains 2-for-5 on field goal attempts with a long of 40 yards at Arkansas-Monticello
 
Looking Ahead
• Week 9: Saturday, November 2, 2:00 pm, vs. Southern Nazarene
• Week 10: Saturday, November 9, 1:00 pm, at Oklahoma Baptist