SWOSU Football Game Notes | at Ouachita Baptist | 11.7.2026

SWOSU Football takes a three-game winning streak to Arkadelphia, Arkansas, Saturday to face Ouachita Baptist in the Paul Sharp Cup. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Cliff Harris Stadium.

The Bulldogs enter 4-4 after defeating Arkansas-Monticello 37-21 on Homecoming, their fourth victory in five games following an 0-3 start. Ouachita enters 7-2 and tied for second in the Great American Conference after extending its winning streak to five games with a 31-24 victory at Northwestern Oklahoma State.

Saturday marks SWOSU's final road game of the season before returning to Weatherford to host Northwestern Oklahoma State on November 14.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1. WINNING STREAKS COLLIDE
SWOSU has won three straight and four of its last five games, while Ouachita carries a five-game winning streak into Saturday. The Bulldogs returned to .500 last week after scoring the final 23 points against Arkansas-Monticello.

2. PAUL SHARP CUP
SWOSU looks to reclaim the Paul Sharp Cup for the first time since 2015. Last season, the Bulldogs led 38-35 before Ouachita converted fourth-and-19 into a 51-yard touchdown with 1:14 remaining to win 42-38.

3. ACCOUNTING FOR NICHOLS
Ouachita quarterback Tre Nichols leads the Tigers with 614 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Nichols and Chris Henley Jr. have combined for 1,208 yards and 21 rushing scores. SWOSU ranks third in the GAC against the run, allowing 148.6 yards per game.

4. PRESSURE VS. PROTECTION
SWOSU ranks second in the GAC with 3.0 sacks per game, totaling 24 for 141 lost yards. Ouachita has allowed just nine sacks in nine games and thrown only two interceptions in 169 attempts.

5. ATTACKING THE FOOTBALL
SWOSU leads the GAC with 12 forced fumbles. Eight of Ouachita's 10 turnovers have been lost fumbles. Last week, Kelton Moore forced a fourth-quarter fumble that Keshaun Jackson recovered with UAM threatening to take the lead.

SCOUTING OUACHITA

2025: 7-4 (7-4 GAC)
Head Coach: Todd Knight (27th season at Ouachita)
Preseason GAC: 2nd
2026 Record: 7-2 (7-2 GAC)
Current GAC Standing: T-2nd

Ouachita enters Saturday following a 31-24 road win at Northwestern Oklahoma State, securing its 13th consecutive season with at least seven victories. The Tigers rank second in the GAC in scoring at 36.7 points per game and third in total offense at 414.0 yards per contest.

Quarterback Tre Nichols has thrown for 1,528 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding a team-high 614 rushing yards and 10 scores. Chris Henley Jr. has rushed for 594 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 7.0 yards per carry. Carter McElhany leads the receiving group with 30 catches, while Eli Holmes-Holt averages 20.1 yards per reception with five touchdown catches.

Defensively, Ouachita ranks third in the conference in scoring defense at 19.9 points per game and fourth against the run at 149.4 yards per contest. Justin Crutchmer leads the Tigers with 70 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss. Kahlil Smith has a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, along with two interceptions. Ouachita collected five sacks and 14 tackles for loss against Northwestern last week.

The Tigers rank third in the GAC in kickoff returns at 24.6 yards per attempt and have returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. Braden Johnson is 5-for-6 on field goals with a long of 40 yards.

SERIES SNAPSHOT

All-Time Series: Ouachita leads, 17-4
GAC Era: Ouachita leads, 13-1
GAC Era in Arkadelphia: Ouachita leads, 6-0
Current Streak: Ouachita, W9
Last SWOSU Win: 2015, 58-38

Last three:
2025: L, 38-42 — Weatherford
2024: L, 3-42 — Arkadelphia
2023: L, 14-38 — Weatherford

BULLDOG BITES

LAST TIME OUT: After allowing 294 first-half yards against Arkansas-Monticello, SWOSU surrendered just 65 yards and three first downs across seven scoreless second-half possessions. The Bulldogs scored the game's final 23 points to turn a 21-14 deficit into a 37-21 victory.

THIRD-DOWN OPPORTUNITY: SWOSU converted 7-of-13 third downs against UAM. Ouachita ranks sixth in the GAC in third-down defense at 42.4% and allowed Northwestern to convert 10-of-17 last week in a seven-point game.

PROTECTING THE POCKET: SWOSU has allowed 10 sacks in eight games. Ouachita collected five sacks and 14 tackles for loss at Northwestern last week, bringing its season totals to 21 sacks and 58 tackles for loss.

RETURN GAME THREAT: Ouachita ranks third in the GAC in kickoff returns at 24.6 yards per attempt. Carter McElhany has an 87-yard return touchdown and Nathan Stafford a 95-yard score. SWOSU has allowed one kickoff return touchdown this season, a 98-yarder against Harding.

BEASLEY VS. THE SECONDARY: DeAndre Beasley leads SWOSU with 36 receptions, 527 yards and five touchdown catches. Ouachita ranks 10th in the GAC in passing yards allowed at 221.1 per game, with opponents averaging 11.6 yards per completion.

ETHERIDGE'S CLEAN SLATE: Braxton Etheridge has thrown seven touchdown passes without an interception in 124 attempts this season. Ouachita has intercepted nine passes, with Kahlil Smith, KJ Colen and Jackson Edwards sharing the team lead with two apiece.

LIMITING THE FLAGS: Ouachita is tied for the GAC lead in fewest penalty yards per game at 42.9, while SWOSU ranks fifth at 49.6. Last year's meeting included a fourth-quarter running-into-the-kicker penalty that extended a Ouachita possession; the Tigers scored a touchdown on the next play.

MUTTER MAKES HIS MOVE: Charles Mutter rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries against UAM, including a 56-yard touchdown and a 64-yard run. He now leads SWOSU with 404 rushing yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry.

MOORE KEEPS MAKING PLAYS: Kelton Moore has contributed a takeaway in three consecutive games: a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown against Southern Arkansas, a late interception at East Central and a forced fumble against UAM.

HARGRAVES TAKES THE LEAD: Keith Hargraves moved into the team lead with 5.5 sacks after adding one against UAM. He ranks third in the GAC in sacks per game, while Keshaun Jackson ranks fifth. Together, they have accounted for 10.5 of SWOSU's 24 sacks.

BACKFIELD DISRUPTORS: Keshaun Jackson ranks third in the GAC with 1.56 tackles for loss per game, followed by Ouachita's Kahlil Smith in fifth at 1.19 and Keith Hargraves in sixth at 1.13. Jackson and Hargraves have combined for 21.5 tackles for loss and 87 lost yards.

MARTEL'S MATCHUP MEMORY: Red Martel rushed for 108 yards on 16 carries against Ouachita last season, including a 56-yard touchdown. SWOSU finished with 276 rushing yards and four rushing scores in that meeting. Martel enters Saturday with a team-high six rushing touchdowns this season.

PINNING THEM DEEP: Christian Clarke leads the GAC with 18 punts inside the 20, including six over the past two games. Against UAM, his third-quarter punt pinned the Weevils at their own 10; two plays later, a bad snap produced the safety that gave SWOSU its first lead.

LAST TIME VS. OUACHITA

SWOSU erased an early 14-0 deficit and led 28-21 at halftime before falling 42-38 to Ouachita in last season's Paul Sharp Cup matchup in Weatherford.

MJ Rivers threw for 173 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 114 yards and two scores. His 2-yard touchdown run put the Bulldogs ahead 38-35 with 2:57 remaining, but Ouachita answered with a 51-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-19 with 1:14 left.

Red Martel added 108 rushing yards on 16 carries, including a 56-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs finished with 276 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns while outgaining the Tigers 449-416.

SWOSU's defense recorded six sacks and forced two turnovers. Shane Armstrong led the Bulldogs with 14 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.