October 21st, 2024 7:00am
Well, week seven in the Great American Conference proved to be full of surprises across the board. Upsets, surprising margins, this week had it all.
My predictions were quite wrong this week. It happens. This is entirely based on my personal opinion. I’m not out here trying to be some expert. Just a guy covering the league I’m a part of and offering up my opinions each week. Sometimes they hit and sometimes they don’t. We move on.
Let’s dig into this surprising week in the GAC.
Ouachita Baptist 17, Harding 13
OUA- The Tigers’ defense was outstanding Saturday night and was the reason for the upset. The most impressive thing was holding the Bisons to 1-of-12 on third downs after Harding came into the game converting on over 60 percent of their third downs. Offense was predictably hard to come by, but they got just enough to allow the defense’s performance to stand up. Bravo, Tigers. You made me look foolish.
HU- The Bisons’ struggles were surprising to say the least. The defense played well, forcing more drives of negative yardage than scoring drives for the Tigers. Normally, that’s enough to get a win, particularly with how explosive the offense had been this year. But the offense dried up, the Bisons couldn’t convert on third down, and had just one play over 20 yards, and it was the first offensive play of the game. Plenty of season to go, and the playoffs are still well within reach, but this one will certainly sting.
Southern Arkansas 42, Henderson State 19
SAU- Big statement win for the Muleriders, which piled up nearly 300 yards on the ground and sacked HSU quarterback Andrew Edwards five times. They also held the Reddies to 50 yards on the ground. Judd Barton played the best game of his career, managing the offense well and running for over 100 yards with no turnovers. Every facet of the game the Muleriders were the better team. Not shocked by the win for Southern Arkansas, but definitely am impressed by the domination. Bravo, Muleriders. You also made me look foolish.
HSU- Man, the two biggest games of the year for Henderson have both been dud performances. The 66-0 loss to Harding was surprising, but also semi-understandable given the circumstances. This, a more evenly-matched game, was not. The Reddies were gashed on the ground and couldn’t run themselves. Andrew Edwards was fine throwing the ball, but he was also sacked five times and was throwing from behind much of the day. Bummer for the Reddies, who came in with high expectations, but are on the outside of the playoff picture now.
Oklahoma Baptist 35, Southwestern OSU 17
OBU- Not sure where this performance came from, but it was much-needed. Quarterback Kenny Rosenthal got the start and threw four touchdowns. On nine completions. This one had a wild second quarter with a combined 38 points between the two teams. The Bison held the Bulldogs to 4.5 yards per play and just 2-of-15 on third down. OBU didn’t end up with great yards per carry or total rushing yardage, but they ran it 48 times and their commitment to it allowed Rosenthal to hit some big passes over the top.
SWOSU- As much as the Bulldogs have improved this year, this was a reminder they still have a long way to go. Three one-play touchdown drives allowed isn’t gonna get it done. Now, it should be noted, the defense gave them a chance to come back, holding OBU to 46 yards in the second half after the first scoring drive of the third quarter for the Bison, but the offense was unable to get anything going.
Arkansas-Monticello 24, Arkansas Tech 13
UAM- Ok, Weevils. I see you. An impressive win to snap a four-game losing streak and give some hope and optimism for the rest of the year. Demilon Brown was a beast running the ball, totaling 204 yards and two touchdowns. Only had 25 yards passing, but it ultimately didn’t matter. The defense came up with three sacks and also got a blocked punt for a touchdown. Great win for Monticello.
Tech- On the other side, that’s a dispiriting loss for the Wonder Boys, who haven’t had a true head-scratcher yet this year. They moved the ball fine, but two turnovers and a blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown was ultimately the difference in the game. Ethan Everson was back at quarterback and played the whole game. Maybe that position is settled again? We’ll see, but tough loss here for the Wonder Boys.
Southeastern OSU 40, Southern Nazarene 14
SEOSU- Great offensive showing for the Savage Storm, which piled up over 500yards, 8.1 yards per play and 357 yards on the ground. Pretty simple equation here. Two turnovers prevented this from being worse. The defense was outstanding as well, holding SNU to just 146 yards and allowing just 41 plays. Overall, dominant performance from SE this week.
SNU- The Crimson Storm continue to look for their first win of the year. Just six first downs and 2.5 yards per carry. SNU didn’t have the ball much, again, just running 41 plays on offense, but they didn’t do much with those few opportunities. Redshirt freshman Dezmond Williams had a punt return for a touchdown, which was exciting. Williams has been solid in that role and also in the secondary this year for SNU. The defensive showing was disappointing, as that’s been a small bright spot for SNU this year.
East Central 20, Northwestern OSU 14
ECU- It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win. The Tigers averaged just 3.7 yards per play, but only allowed 3.8 yards per play to the Rangers and also came up with three sacks. They held on to the ball and were solid on third downs. No one will write oral histories about this one, but ECU will take the W.
NWOSU- Not much to say here. The Rangers were pretty equal to the Tigers across the board, but just couldn’t put enough points on the board. The turnover on downs at the ECU 9-yard line in the fourth quarter was a tough one. Overall, it’s a loss with a not-so-pretty performance.
This week: 2-4 (with a terrible margin prediction with SEOSU vs. SNU)
Overall this season: 33-9