Setting the Scene: Bounce Back Game in Durant
Following a difficult defeat on the final play of the game in their most-recent action on the road against #14 Henderson State, the Southern Arkansas football team remains on the road this week and will look to bounce back as they travel to Durant, Okla. to take on Southeastern Oklahoma State. Last year, these two teams opened each other's season and after lengthy lightning delays put a damper on the initial excitement of the game, SAU reignited the faithful that stuck out the entire game as the Muleriders drove
the field with under two minutes left to play and on the last play of the game, last year's starting QB, Si Blackshire, threw the game-winning touchdown to Aaron Johnson with no time left on the clock to edge Southeastern 30-29. That close score was just another example of how close these two teams have played one another since becoming members of the Great American Conference as the last four meetings have been decided by 17 points.
 

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About Southeastern Oklahoma
SCHEDULE
The Southeastern Oklahoma football team enters play this weekend with a 3-5 overall record and a 3-5 mark in the Great American Conference. The Savage Storm enter play having lost their last three games, including a four overtime loss at home to Harding. After starting the year 0-2 with a pair of close losses to the only two teams to win a GAC Championship, Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist, Southeastern won their next three games taking down Southern Nazarene, Oklahoma Baptist and Southwestern Oklahoma.

THE COACH
The Savage Storm are coached by Bo Atterberry, who is in his second season as the head coach of Southeastern Oklahoma. Coming into this week's game, Atterberry has amassed a 10-10 overall record. In his first season back at his alma mater, Atterberry led the Savage Storm to a 7-5 record which was capped with an appearance in the Live United Bowl. Prior to his appointment at Southeastern, Atterberry was the head coach at Texas A&M-Kingsville for six years. In his time at A&M-Kingsville, Atterberry registered a 41-28 record and led the Javelinas to the NCAA Playoffs in consecutive years in 2009 and 2010.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Offensively, the Savage Strom are averaging 32.2 points per game and 432.8 yards of total offense per game as well with 292.0 of the yards coming through the air and the remaining 140.8 yards being gained on the ground. Their points per game average ranks sixth in the GAC while their total offense and passing offense both rank fifth in the league. 

Under center for the Savage Storm is senior QB Ryan Polite. On the year, Polite has completed 204-of-346 passes for 2,336 yards and 15 touchdowns. His
292.0 passing yards per game average ranks fourth in the GAC. Polite has also added 144 rushing yards to rank him second in the GAC in total offense at 310.0 yards per game. The Savage Storm also have the top-two pass catchers in the GAC in Franky Okafor and Kaymon Farmer as each average at least 6.0 receptions per game. The two have also combined for 1,070 yards on 99 receptions with 12 touchdowns.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Defensively, the Savage Storm are allowing 31.2 points per game and 359.9 yards of total offense per game. Coming into the game, Southeastern has the top pass defense in the GAC, limiting their opponents to 141.9 yards passing per game, but their rushing defense ranks 10th in the league as they are giving up an average of 218.0 yards rushing per game. On the year, the Savage Storm have forced 19 turnovers with 12 being fumble recoveries and seven coming as interceptions. Four of those INTs have come from Raheem Wilson and two of his picks have been taken back to the house for scores.

THE SERIES
This will be the 40th meeting all-time between the Muleriders and Savage Storm with SAU holding a 20-16-3 lead in the series. The all-time series dates back to 1952 and was just about a yearly matchup from 1970-2000 before the series re-booted in 2011 with the two schools being charter members of the Great American Conference. Since becoming conference opponents, the series is tied 2-all with the average margin of victory being 4.25
 

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SAU News and Notes
"It's Our Time"
With the departure of several household names within the Great American Conference ranks including the starting quarterbacks at Harding, Henderson State, and Ouachita, it appears that landscape that has been the top of the GAC over the last three-to-four years may be in for a shakeup in 2015. While the Muleriders are among those that will feature a new starting quarterback, head coach Bill Keopple feels that his 2015 team may be the most talented team in his tenure and feels that this year is when the Muleriders make their move to assert themselves as the class of the GAC; rallying his team on a single mantra since spring ball; "It's Our Time."

.500 or Better Three Years Running
Last season, the Muleriders finished the year 5-5 over their 10-game schedule to give them a .500 winning percentage. That marked the third-straight season in which the Muleriders have finished with a .500 winning percentage or better. In those three years, the Muleriders are 19-12 overall for a .613 winning percentage, which marks the best three-year stretch ar SAU since 2002-04.

Fountain of Youth
After losing over 25 seniors a year ago, the Muleriders appear to have found the ever-elusive fountain of youth heading into the 2015 season as an overwhelming majority of the roster will be underclassmen. This season, the Muleriders will field only 20 upperclassmen with 12 of those being seniors. While the Muleriders will be young in terms of experience, they figure to be a talented bunch all the same. Listed among the preseason two-deep, the Muleriders have 28 underclassmen that are projected to either be a starter or backup in 2015.

Relying on Renner
Coming into the 2015 season, the Muleriders knew they were going to have to replace a record-setting and All-GAC quarterback for the second time in as many years and they also knew the new signal-caller was going to be a redshirt freshman as SAU had only two redshirt freshmen QBs returning the roster. What maybe they didn't know was the kind of production they were going to get from the position, especially early in the season. After seven games and seven starts from Barrett Renner, the Muleriders
appear that will not have any drop off at the QB position. So far this season, Renner has completed 185-of-294 passes for 2,415 yards and 24 TDs w/seven interceptions. Renner currently leads the GAC in total offense while ranking second in passing yards per game (301.9) and third in passing TDs (24).

Passing Defense to Be Tested Down the Stretch 
The Southern Arkansas pass defense has been an area of strength for the Muleriders through eight games of their 2015 season as the currently rank second in the GAC in pass defense, allowing just 157.8 yards per game. To this point, SAU has not had a team throw over 250 yards in a game and three times this season, the Muleriders have allowed fewer than 100 yards passing with a low-mark of 21 yards coming against Oklahoma Baptist. Over their final three games of the year, however, the Muleriders' pass
defense will be tested as all three of their opponents rank in the top-five in the GAC and are averaging over 290 yards passing per game.

Boo - A Reason To Be Scared
After limited carries over the first four games of his collegiate career, true freshman running back William "Boo" McKnight had a breakout performance against Southern Nazarene as he totaled 95 yards on just five carries with three of those runs concluding in the endzone. McKnight carried that performance over against Oklahoma Baptist as he scored two more rushing TDs, giving him five in those two weeks, which now leads the team in that category.

Red Zone Threat
Sophomore Tanner Hudson has played several positions since coming to SAU. After coming in as a quarterback in the spring of 2014, Hudson was moved to wide receiver for the 2014 season and had eight catches for 68 yards including two TDs. This year, Hudson has moved to tight end and has become a big red zone target as four of his six TDs have come inside the 20-yardline.

Destruptive Davondrick
Redshirt freshman Davondrick Lison is playing some sensational football for the Muleriders along their defensive front. The lanky yet quick 6-3 native of Arkansas City, Ark. is sixth on the team in tackles with 43 and is first in tackles for loss (13.0) and sacks (8.5). In the GAC ranks, Lison is third in TFL while leading the league in fumbles forced with five and sacks with 8.5.

Reservations for Six
Through seven games this season, Southern Arkansas has scored 38 touchdowns with 14 different players accounting for those scores. QB Barrett Renner has been responsible for the most touchdowns (25) with his 24 passing TDs and one rushing score. Running back William McKnight has the most rushing TDs with six, while tight end Tanner Hudson has the most receiving TDs with six.