Week Eight

SWOSU (3-4) vs East Central (5-2)

Oct. 25 • 2:00 pm • Weatherford, Okla. (Flex-Chem Field)

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SWOSU Football (3-4, 3-4 GAC) returns home for Week eight action as they look to take down a tough East Central team on Homecoming Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs enter the matchup riding momentum after a dominant 25-point victory over Southern Nazarene, where they didn't allow a single score until the fourth quarter.

The rushing attack has become the heartbeat of SWOSU's offense. Against SNU, the Dawgs piled up 322 yards on the ground—marking their second 300-yard rushing performance of the season after posting 388 yards earlier against Oklahoma Baptist. It's just the second time dating back to 1997 that SWOSU has tallied multiple 300+ rushing games in a single season, matching the 2012 squad. The Dawgs have never hit that milestone three times in a year.

The Dawgs also capitalized efficiently in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on all four of their trips inside the 20-yard line for the first time this season. On the other side of the ball, the defense held firm, allowing SNU to score on just one of their two red zone drives and stopping a two-point conversion on their lone touchdown of the game.

Saturday marks the 102nd meeting between the schools since 1916 and the 28th since the Bulldogs transitioned to Division II. The Tigers hold a 16-11 advantage in the D2 series, with the Dawgs sitting at 7-8 at home. ECU, however, has taken four of the last six matchups in Weatherford.

Last year's contest was a milestone moment for the Bulldogs, as it featured Head Coach Andrew Rice's first collegiate win and snapped a 13-game program losing streak that stretched back to the start of the 2023 season. In that victory, the Dawgs rushed for a season-high 271 yards while holding ECU to just three points.

Red Martel has been a focal point of the rushing attack this season. He is currently ranked in the top 10 in both average yards per rush (6.5) and rushing yards per game (86.4) in SWOSU single-season history. Against SNU, he racked up 147 yards on 18 carries, just shy of his season-best 167 yards on 16 runs against Southeastern; those two performances rank among the top six highest rushing outputs in the GAC this season. He has totaled two touchdowns, both against Southeastern, and currently stands as the third-leading rusher in the conference (605 yards), trailing only a pair of Harding backs.

MJ Rivers has led the Bulldogs offense for most of the season, averaging 119.3 yards through the air while contributing the team's second-highest rushing total at 45.3 yards per game. He has accounted for 12 total touchdowns, including two on the ground. Rivers has thrown three interceptions but has completed over 50% of his passes in five of SWOSU's seven games this season.

Quarterback Braxton Etheridge saw his first meaningful action of the year against SNU, completing his lone pass attempt for seven yards while adding 34 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Baylor Nash leads the receiving group with 12 receptions for 192 yards and one touchdown. Isaac Norris has hauled in 14 passes for 159 yards and two scores. Elijah Reed holds the team lead in receptions with 21, totaling 154 yards and three touchdowns—two of which came last week against the Crimson Storm.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Dawgs rank seventh in the GAC, allowing 25.7 points per game. However, over their last two outings, they've tightened up significantly, surrendering just 10 points per game. The defense has intercepted opposing quarterbacks five times, returning two of those for touchdowns. SWOSU has also recorded 11 sacks and forced five fumbles, though they've yet to recover one.

Zack Roberts leads the Bulldogs with 41 tackles on the season, including 22 solo stops. Reigning Bulldog of the Week Matthew Myles ranks 12th in the GAC with 5.5 tackles for loss, accounting for 29 yards lost.

ECU enters the matchup at 5-2, coming off an overtime thrilling win over Oklahoma Baptist 37-31. The 5-2 start is their best since 2022. The Tigers rank fourth in the GAC in passing (212.4 YDS/G, 11 TD) while on the ground they rank eighth (149.0 YDS/g, 4.3 YDS/ per carry, 13 TD). They are just behind the Dawgs at eighth in scoring defense at 27.0 PPG while their total defense is fifth at 353.1 YDS/G. They have completed just 3-8 fourth downs for the worst mark in the conference, SWOSU has converted 13 of 21.