WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Football found itself leading after three quarters at home against East Central Saturday night but could not close it out, eventually falling to the Tigers 24-13.
After trailing just 3-0 at halftime and surrendering another touchdown early in the third quarter, SWOSU battled from two scores down to regain the lead heading into the final 15 minutes. The Bulldogs were held scoreless the rest of the way, while ECU added the go-ahead touchdown on the quarter's opening drive and another score for insurance with 2:08 to play.
The loss drops the Bulldogs to 0-3 on the season. Meanwhile, the Tigers earned their first win and move to 1-2.
The first half was a defensive grinder for both sides. East Central missed a field goal on their opening possession but mustered another on the following drive due to an early first quarter fumble by the Dawgs. The kick would be the only points either side would score in the half. ECU led things 3-0 at the break.
The Bulldog defense held firm while the offense found its footing. SWOSU managed just 58 yards of offense in the opening half, but limited ECU to 127 and racked up four first-half sacks in the process.
Out of the half time locker room, SWOSU found success with Dexter Brown and Ethane Hyche running the football. After ECU scored right away in the third quarter, the duo led the Dawgs down the field on a nine play, 75-yard touchdown drive to answer right back. On that drive, Taylor Tosches caught a 34-yard pass from Calvin Cloud and Hyche scored a play later from two yards out.
The defense stepped up again shortly after. Logan Monroe intercepted a pass, but a three-and-out on offense forced a pooch kick from Cloud which was executed to perfection. The ball was downed on the one-yard line and allowed the defense to make a play once again.
Following a run of no gain, Mason Daugherty forced a second down fumble that Richard Silva recovered on the two-yard line. Two plays later, Hyche found the end zone again to give SWOSU the 13-10 lead late in the third quarter.
ECU responded with a touchdown of their own on the next possession that bled into the fourth quarter and did not relinquish the lead from there. After a successful third quarter moving the ball, SWOSU added just 42 yards of offense in the fourth and was held without points. Final, 24-13.
SWOSU finished with 175 yards of total offense. ECU, 333. The Bulldogs won the time of possession battle for the first time all season but continued their third down struggles and finished 3-for-13 (23%).
Silva led the defense with 12 tackles including one for loss and his fumble recovery. Monroe added 10 tackles, three of those for loss, and notched his first interception of the season.
Cloud finished 4-for-12 for 91 yards and an interception that came late when SWOSU was forced to take chances down the field in hopes of a comeback.
SWOSU will travel, but not far, for next Saturday's matchup against Southern Nazarene in Bethany. The Bulldogs will stay on the road the following week against Harding before returning to Weatherford for Homecoming on October 7.
