November 4th, 2024 7:00am
Well, if you were expecting something shocking to happen in week nine of the Great American Conference schedule, you should go on to Vegas. Lots of stuff to dig into from this weekend, so let’s get right down to it.
Southern Nazarene 18, Ouachita Baptist 17
SNU- We’ve already talked a lot about this one, but a few more things to note. The Crimson Storm didn’t win in a fluky way. They stood toe-to-toe with the Tigers and earned this massive win. The final drive in particular was a sight to behold. Nine plays, 72 yards in 2:08, no negative plays and only a single third down that was just two yards to gain. Masterfully done by the Crimson Storm. Now, can SNU finish the year strong after starting with eight straight losses? Huge opportunity to build into 2025.
OUA- Man, all the good feelings after the win over Harding are GONE. The playoffs are still attainable, but who’s the quarterback? Eli Livingston, Nate Tenbarge and Riley Harms all played against SNU, with Harms on the field at the end. Is Connor Flannigan seriously injured? How were the Tigers unable to impose their will against one of the worst (statistically) teams in the league? Questions abound, but answers need to come quickly. The Tigers have to get right or making the playoffs isn’t going to happen.
Harding 56, Southeastern OSU 14
HU- The Bisons were explosive on Thursday night, averaging over eight yards per play and popping five touchdowns of at least 40 yards. The offense overcame a slow start to rush for over 400 yards. The defense was suffocating as well, forcing four first half turnovers that allowed the Bisons to build a big lead at the end of the first half. The Savage Storm came in playing really well of late, so this was a really good performance from the defending champs.
SEOSU- The defense started so well, forcing punts on the first three Harding possessions. And then, they gave up touchdowns on eight of the Bisons’ next nine drive, not counting the end of the first half. Such is life against Harding sometimes. The turnovers in the first half prevented the Savage Storm from taking advantage of the strong start to the game by the defense.
Southern Arkansas 48, Southwestern OSU 14
SAU- Tied at seven six minutes into the ballgame, the Muleriders put the pedal to the metal and didn’t look back, scoring the next 41 points in the game to win going away. The Muleriders struggled to run the ball, averaging just 2.9 yards per carry on 39 rushes. However, Judd Barton threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns to lead the offense. The defense held the Bulldogs to just 178 yards and racked up five sacks. Not even a two-hour delay to kickoff could slow down the Muleriders.
SWOSU- The Bulldogs struggled to move the ball after scoring on their second possession of the ball game. SWOSU punted on nine straight possessions before scoring a touchdown on their final possession of the game. Things have been a struggle of late for the Bulldogs, who have now lost five consecutive games. Quarterback play has become a lot more unsettled the last few weeks, with both Kai Kunz and Tate Robards splitting time. It would appear Robards is there to generate a better passing game, but that just hasn’t happened yet.
East Central 23, Arkansas Tech 13
ECU- Really nice win for the Tigers on the road in Russellville. The Tigers held the Wonder Boys to just 3.9 yards per play and rolled up 249 yards on the ground, with Myles Featherston and Cade Searcy both going over 100 yards. Sergio Kennedy was just 11-of-27 for 96 yards but most importantly, didn’t turn the ball over at all. In the Tigers’ four wins, Kennedy has just three turnovers. That’s now three wins a row for the Tigers.
Tech- Man, that’s a tough loss at home for the Wonder Boys. Tech couldn’t run the ball and couldn’t stop the run. That’s a combination that’s going to get you beat in a lot of games. All of a sudden, Tech has lost three consecutive games and it looks likely the Wonder Boys will finish under .500 for a sixth consecutive year. They’re on the road the last two games against Southeastern OSU and Harding, both of which would require upsets to win. It’s disappointing the offense hasn’t been better because the defense has been really good this year. Tech has given up 30 or more points three times this year and even won one of those games. Saturday, Tech didn’t even threaten scoring in the first half, not advancing past the East Central 32-yard line in six possessions. We’ll see how these last two weeks go, but it’s looking like a really disappointing finish for the Wonder Boys
Arkansas-Monticello 24, Oklahoma Baptist 20
UAM- The Weevils pulled out a miracle against the Bison, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute left after facing a first and 10 at their own 10-yard line with just over a minute to go. Buddy Taylor relieved Demilon Brown at quarterback and directed the winning drive. Overall, a strange game the Weevils had no business winning. OBU played really well and piled up 210 rushing yards. But UAM made the final plays when it counted and got a big win.
OBU- Not sure how the Bison lost this game. The box score is really pretty for OBU, but when it mattered most, OBU didn’t make the plays and allowed the Weevils to make them. OBU rushed for over 200 yards for the first time in forever (I believe the 2021 season), and didn’t punt in this one. They were 10-of-17 on third down and had the ball for 35 minutes. They shortened the game to just 15 possessions between the two teams. Four of OBU’s possessions were at least 12 plays and six minutes of possession time. And they lost. Brutal.
Henderson State 44, Northwestern OSU 10
HSU- Simple win for the Reddies. HSU piled up 250 yards on the ground and 6.1 yards per play against the Rangers. Andrew Edwards tossed three more touchdown passes as well. The defense was great as well, forcing 11 punts in the game. Now, the big win for Henderson was seeing Ouachita go down to SNU on Thursday night. Suddenly, the Battle of the Ravine has the spoiler element added in. I’m not sure the Reddies have a shot at the playoffs given what they’ve done this year, but chaos is kind of reigning in SR3 right now. Who knows?
NWOSU- Not much to say here. The defense forced a couple of turnovers, but the offense just couldn’t move the ball against the Reddies. In recent history, the Rangers were best with Tanner Clarkson and a good group of receivers. NW doesn’t have any of that right now, so their ability to threaten teams is severely limited. More talent needed.
This week: 4-2 (not mad about it!)
Overall: 41-13