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Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Official Athletics Site of the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders
FB | Southern Nazarene (10-1-16)
Brenna Johnson
20
Southern Nazarene SNU 0-5 , 0-5
37
Winner Southern Arkansas SAU 4-1 , 4-1
Southern Nazarene SNU
0-5 , 0-5
20
Final
37
Southern Arkansas SAU
4-1 , 4-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
SNU Southern Nazarene 0 6 3 11 20
SAU Southern Arkansas 2 14 7 14 37

Game Recap: Football | | By: Daniel Gallegos

Muleriders defeat Southern Nazarene 37-20 on Homecoming

MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas football team moved to 4-1 on the season after they beat Southern Nazarene by a score of 37-20 on Saturday afternoon in front of a 101st Homecoming crowd of 5,216 at Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field.
 
RECORDS
Southern Nazarene (0-5, 0-5 GAC)
Southern Arkansas (4-1, 4-1 GAC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Southern Arkansas and Southern Nazarene were locked up in the equivalent of the pitcher's duel through the first quarter as the only points on the board came on a safety record by SAU' Anthony Washington with 46 seconds left in the opening period
  • Following the safety, SAU got the ball back and went on an 8-play 81-yard drive that culminated in a 39-yard touchdown pass from Barrett Renner to Jonathan Weisheit for the game's first touchdown.
  • Later in the second quarter, SAU went up 16-0 as Tanner Hudson skied in the air and pulled down a 9-yard touchdown grab near the back corner of the south endzone.
  • On SNU's ensuing drive, the Crimson Storm marched down the field 81 yards for their first points of the game on a 38-yard TD pass from Jacob Sprady to Trevor Smith
  • The Muleriders quickly made their way down the field themselves and looked to score before the half, but the final play of the half saw Renner fumble the ball into the endzone and SNU recovered for a touchback to end the half.
  • With 6:19 left in the third quarter, SAU extended their lead to 23-6 as Renner found the endzone from three yards out on a QB sweep
  • The Crimson Storm scored the next six points of the game thanks to a pair of field goals from Carlos Anguiano, making it 23-12
  • Midway through the fourth, Michael Nunnery punched in a score from five-yards out to make it 30-12 SAU
  • A turnover on SAU's next possession led to a touchdown for Southern Nazarene as Terrence Olds scored from two yards out. The Crimson Storm then converted on a two-point conversion to make it just a 10-point game, 30-20 with 4:01 left in the game
  • An unsuccessful on-side kick gave SAU a short field to work with on what they hoped would be their final possession of the game
  • On the drive, SAU ran the ball four times with Nunnery and Keiandre Purifoy each getting two carries. Nunnery picked up the first 16 yards of the 36-yard drive and Purifoy tallied the final 20 yards on his two totes with the last of those being his first career touchdown as he scored from five-yards out, effectively ending the game
 
TURNING POINT
  • With the score 23-12 with just over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, reigning GAC Defensive Player of the Week, Stacy Lawrence, picked off his second pass of the game at the SNU 40-yardline and returned it 18 yards to the SNU 22. Lawrence's INT set up SAU's scoring drive that made it a three-score game at 30-12, SAU
 
OF NOTE
  • Anthony Washington's safety in the first quarter was SAU's first safety since 2009 against Ouachita Baptist.
  • SAU is now 5-0 against Southern Nazarene with three of the wins coming at home as SAU's Homecoming opponent
  • The Muleriders have also won their last nine Homecoming games dating back to 2008 with the last eight coming under head coach Bill Keopple
  • SAU came into the game averaging 93.5 yards per game on the ground, but against Southern Nazarene, the Muleriders racked up 248 yards rushing on a season-high 53 carries.
  • The Muleriders also went over 500 yards of total offense for the first time this season as they totaled 544 yards
  • For the game, the Muleriders ran an incredible 91 offensive plays against the Crimson Storm. It was the most plays run by SAU since the season finale a year ago against Arkansas-Monticello when the Muleriders ran 81 offensive plays

UP NEXT
The Muleriders will now prepare to go on the road each of the next three weeks with the first of those trips being to Shawnee, Okla. for an October 8 game against Oklahoma Baptist. Kick-off for the game is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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