WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Football battled early, pulling even at 10-10 late in the second quarter, but Arkansas Tech responded quickly and controlled the second half as the Bulldogs dropped their season opener 32-10 on Thursday night.
The Bulldogs leaned on their ground game, finishing with 187 rushing yards.
Red Martel paced the effort with 76 yards on 10 carries. In the fourth quarter,
Chandler Galban broke loose for a 33-yard run to spark a drive, followed by a 27-yard dash from
Malik Roberson just two plays later. Together, Galban and Roberson combined for 81 yards on the ground.
SWOSU's first points came in the opening quarter after a defensive takeaway. With Tech ahead 7-0,
Jalen Bryant intercepted an overthrown screen pass and set the Bulldogs up in the red zone. Though the drive stalled,
Ethan McBee converted a 33-yard field goal to cut the deficit.
Just before halftime, SWOSU marched 82 yards on 11 plays to even the score at 10-10. The momentum was short-lived, however, as the Wonder Boys answered in only 34 seconds with a 70-yard touchdown drive to regain the lead heading into the break.
Arkansas Tech carried that surge into the second half, scoring 22 unanswered points to close the game. The Bulldogs nearly had a chance to cut the deficit to one score in the fourth quarter, but a fourth-and-goal attempt came up short. On the next defensive series, a potential interception slipped through SWOSU's hands, ending another opportunity.
Turnovers proved costly down the stretch. After halftime, the Wonder Boys forced four Bulldog giveaways—two interceptions and two fumble recoveries—that spoiled potential scoring drives.
Statistically, Arkansas Tech outgained SWOSU 366-245 and converted 12-of-21 third downs, while the Bulldogs managed just 58 passing yards and went 2-for-11 on third down. Bryant's interception stood as SWOSU's lone takeaway of the night.
With the loss, SWOSU opens the season 0-1 and now turns its attention to a tough road test against No. 2-ranked Harding next Thursday, September 11.
