Game Preview
• The 2019 season of SWOSU Football will conclude on Saturday afternoon with a rivalry matchup in Alva against Northwestern Oklahoma State
• Both teams enter the matchup with matching records of 3-7 and looking to get a leg up on each other in the final GAC standings
• A win on Saturday would allow the Bulldogs to end the season with momentum and a one-game improvement in terms of wins in head coach Chet Pobolish's second season at the helm
• SWOSU holds a 6-3 advantage over Northwestern as an NCAA Division II institution, but the series is tied 3-3 since the Rangers joined the Great American Conference for the 2013 season
• SWOSU has dropped the last two meetings against Northwestern, including a 35-7 defeat in Alva to end the 2017 season
 
The Opponent
• Northwestern enters the season finale at 3-7 with victories over East Central, Arkansas-Monticello and Southern Nazarene to their credit
• The Rangers are ranked 11th in the GAC with an offense averaging 17.6 points and 312.5 yards per game while opponents are scoring 27.8 points and 376.6 yards per contest
• NWOSU return man Aharon Barnes has been named the GAC Special Teams Player of the Week in each of the past two weeks and the Rangers rank fourth in the GAC with 22.6 yards per kickoff return this season
• OBU leads the GAC in total offense (437.0
• Senior linebacker Maurice Wright, Jr., leads the Great American Conference with 112 tackles this season, an average of 12.4 per game
 
SWOSU Offensive Notes
• SWOSU rushed for better than 100 yards for the third straight game and sixth time this season with 144 yards and two touchdowns on the ground against Oklahoma Baptist
• Jared Rayburn became the sixth different player to record a rushing touchdown this season with a five-yard scoring run in the second quarter on Saturday
• Rayburn is ranked fourth in the GAC in all-purpose yardage, averaging 102.7 yards per game for the year
• Senior quarterback threw for 185 yards on 15-of-27 passing at OBU and he remains the third-leading passer in the conference with an average of 209.2 yards per game through the air
• Marr's 2,092 yards ranks as the ninth-best single-season total at SWOSU during the NCAA Division II era while his 17 touchdown passes ranks seventh
• Justin Bailey is now SWOSU's leading receiver for the season after hauling in five receptions for 79 yards against OBU, giving him 28 catches for 529 yards and three scores on the year
• Rayburn enters his final collegiate contest ranked third at SWOSU in the NCAA era for touchdowns (15), seventh in receptions (119) and eighth in receiving yards (1,530)
• Senior tight end Alex Ramirez brought home his second receiving touchdown of the season - a 33-yard strike from Bailey - to open the Bulldogs scoring against OBU
 
SWOSU Defensive Notes
• SWOSU allowed 316 passing yards against Oklahoma Baptist, the second-highest total they have surrendered this season
• Junior cornerback Jalen Carr secured his league-leading sixth interception at OBU and he's also tied for the conference lead with 15 passes defended
• Senior safety Braden Sweet was credited for five tackles at OBU and his team-leading total of 90 stops (48 solo, 42 assist) ranks fourth in the conference
• Javotrick Dotrey also recorded an interception against OBU, which made him the fifth different Bulldog player to claim an INT this season
• Freshman safety Landis Morris continued his strong finish to the season as he led the Bulldogs with eight tackles and one-half tackle for loss on Saturday
• Rahzel Young and Rece Wilhelm both made sacks against Oklahoma Baptist and Wilhelm is now the team leader with 2.5 sacks on the year
• The Bulldogs rank eighth in the GAC in scoring defense (30.8 points per game) and 9th in total defense (415.8 yards per game)
• OBU became the eighth team in ten games to rush for more than 150 yards against the Bulldogs, who rank 10th in the league with a rushing defense allowing 223.6 yards per game
 
SWOSU Special Teams Notes
• Senior kicker Ryan Buchanan misfired on a 46-yard field goal against Oklahoma Baptist and he's now 2-for-6 on field goals this season
• Junior punter Kane Bowen averaged 45.7 yards per punt on three attempts at OBU and he's now sixth in the league with a season-long average of 39.1 yards per punt
• SWOSU enters the season finale ranked ninth in the conference in punt return average (6.6 yards per return) and 12th in kickoff returns (18.0 yards per return)