Setting the Scene: Past the Halfway Point
Six games into the season, the Southern Arkansas football team is off to their best start since the 2012 season at 5-1 on the year. For the second-straight week, the Muleriders are receiving votes in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches' Top-25 poll and also for the second-straight week, the Muleriders are on the road as they are set to travel to Arkadelphia to take on Ouachita for a noon kick-off.
Last year, these two teams met in a pivotal mid-season clash at the Murphy USA Classic in El Dorado. It was the Muleriders who won the game as redshirt freshman QB
Barrett Renner engineered a late fourth-quarter comeback to give SAU the win; their first in the Murphy USA Classic.
This year, the mid-season affair carries a lot of importance as well for both teams as SAU is looking to move to 6-1 on the year and remain in conention for a GAC title and possible post-season berth, while Ouachita is looking to go above .500 on the year with a relatively easy schedule remaining outside of their season finale and the Battle of the Ravine against Henderson State.
About Ouachita
SCHEDULE
The Ouachita football team enters play this weekend with a 3-3 overall record and a 3-3 record in the Great American Conference. The Tigers have lost their last two games after a 24-20 road loss at #20 Harding and a 49-17 loss at home to Arkansas Tech this past week.
THE COACH
The Tigers are coached by Todd Knight, who is in his 18th season at Ouachita and his 24th overall as a collegiate head coach. In his time at Ouachita, Knight has amassed an 87-90 overall record and has led the Tigers to a winning season each of the past eight years, going 56-26 (.683) in that time. Prior to returning to his alma mater to coach, Knight was the head coach at Delta State for six years. In his time at Delta, Knight went 28-32-2 overall, but led the Statesmen to an 8-3 record and a trip to the NCAA DII playoffs his final season in 1998.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Offensively, the Tigers are averaging 34.5 points per game and 456.2 yards of total offense per game as well. 251.2 of those yards per game is coming on the ground while the reamaining 205.0 yards are being gained through the air. In the GAC, the Tigers rank 1st in Total Offense, 2nd in rushing offense, 3rd in points per game, and 9th in passing offense.
The signal-caller for Tigers is Austin Warford and the redshirt junior has completed 57-of-84 passes for 1,031 yards and 9 TDs while throwing 3 INTs.
In terms of rushing, the Tigers are led by Kris Oliver, who has 618 yards on 125 carries and 9 TDs. Warford is the second-leading rusher on the team with 488 yards and three
touchdowns on 71 rush attempts. Brandon Marks, Barry Bennett and Ke'Vontae Pope have all accounted for rushing TDs as well.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Defensively, the Tigers are allowing 34.7 points per game and 427.8 yards of total offense per game with 283.7 of those yards coming through the air and 144.2 yards on the ground. Among the GAC rankings, the Tigers rank 8th in scoring defense, 4th in rushing defense while also ranking 7th in total defense and 11th passing defense.
On the year, the Tigers have forced 7 turnovers with five being interceptions and two being fumble recoveries. The leading tackler for the Tigers is Elijah Jones with 47.
Demetric Jennings leads the team in sacks with 3.5 and Devin Price has the most INTs with three.
THE SERIES
This will be the 73rd meeting all-time between the Muleriders and the Tigers with Ouachita holding a slight lead in the series, 36-35-1. Since 1970, however, the two teams have met 43 times with SAU edging out Ouachita 23-20. In games played in Arkadelphia since 1970, the Tigers are 13-8 against the Muleriders.
SAU News and Notes
Quick Hits From Last Week
» The Muleriders turned in their most complete game of the year against Oklahoma Baptist as they limited the Bison to just 106 yards of Total Offense while gaining 549 yards themselves.
» SAU also went over the half-century mark in scoring for the first time this season witha 52-point effort.
» Defensively, the Muleriders held the GAC's leading rusher in Isaiah Mallory to just 35 yards on 14 carries. Entering the game, Mallory was averaging 129.0 yards per game
» In the game, the Muleriders rushing attack reached new season-highs in attempts (54), yards (260) and touchdowns (5).
Holding Down Hudson
Tanner Hudson has played numerous positions in his time at SAU from quarterback upon his transfer into the program, to rugby punter this past year, and with time spent at the wide receiver and tight end positions along the way. Of all of those positions, however, the versatile Hudson flourished as a pass-catching tight end.
An All-GAC Second-Team selection at the position, Hudson proved to be a match-up nightmare in the passing game as he hauled in 44 passes for a teambest 697 yards. Hudson was also on the receiving end of eight TD passes to lead the Muleriders.
This year, Hudson remains a threat in the passing game as he is tied for second on the team in receptions (22) and is second in yards (283), while also being tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (4).
Wise to Throw to Weisheit
Junior wide receiver
Jonathan Weisheit has been one of SAU's most consistent and reliable targets in the passing game since his redshirt freshman campaign. In each of his first two full seasons, Weisheit caught 30+ passess and averaged over 10 yards per reception. Last year, Weisheit earned All-GAC honors as he ranked sixth in the league in receptions per game while also ranking seventh in receiving yards per game. All told, Weisheit hauled in 49 passed for 658 yards and three TDs.
Through six games this year, Weisheit has been the top target with a team-best 30 receptions for an average of 5.0 receptions per game ranks in a tie for fourth in the GAC.
It's a Track Meet Out There
Last year, sophomore wide receiver
Karonce Higgins began to show flashes of what he could become as a wideout at SAU as he caught 22 passes for 499 yards (22.7 ypr) and five scores. Regarded as one of the fastest players in the GAC, Higgins also showed out last year on the track as he finished second in the 200-meter dash at the inaugural GAC Track Championships and later qualified for the NCAA Championships in the event.
This year, Higgins is proving to be a big-play threat once more as he is currently averaging 16.7 yards per reception and against NWOSU, Higgins took a short shovel pass behind the line of scrimmage, caught the edge and sprinted down the sideline for an 87-yard touchdown.
Getting Defensive
Through the first six games of the season, the SAU defense has played exceptionally well and one of the fruits of their improved play has been their ability to force turnovers. Currently, the Mulerider defense has forced 16 turnovers with 10 INTs and six fumble recoveries. Their 16 takeaways are second in the GAC.
Methodical Marchers
The Southern Arkansas offense has shown through the first five games of the season that field position, or lack there of, won't stop them from scoring touchdowns.
On the year, SAU has scored 24 touchdowns. Of those TD drives, 12 have covered 70 or more yards. Against Arkansas Tech, all four of their TD drives were at least 75 yards with an average drive length being 75.3 yards. Their longest TD drive to this point was a two-play 91-yard drive that was highlighted by an 87-yard receiving TD by
Karonce Higgins.
Picked 5th in Wide-Open GAC
The Southern Arkansas football team enters the 2016 season picked to finish fifth in the Great American Conference according to the league's head coaches in the annual preseason poll. Last year, the Muleriders were picked to finish sixth, but a 7-4 record tied SAU for fourth with Harding and Ouachita.
Ahead of the Muleriders in the 2016 preseason poll are Henderson State, Harding, Ouachita, and Southwestern Oklahoma. SAU went 2-2 against those for team picked higher with wins coming against Ouachita and Southwestern Oklahoma.
Familiar Faces All Around
Familiarity will be a strength of the 2016 Mulerider football team as a total of 41 lettermen and 16 starters are back with eight starters apiece coming on each side of the ball. Highlighted among the starters are All-GAC honorees
Davondrick Lison, Calvin Lyons,
Elgin Moore,
Chris Paul,
Barrett Renner, and Jonathan Weisheit.
Relying on Renner
For the first time since the start of the 2013 season, the Muleriders will have the return services of their starting quarterback from the previous year as
Barrett Renner is back for his sophomore season. Last year, Renner continued a line of high-level quarterback play at SAU as he set five new school records and was named as the GAC's Freshman of the Year as well as being the league's first-team QB on the all-conference squad.
This season, Renner will be the focal point of the Muleriders' offense once again while also being the man to stop for opposing defenses. Last year, Renner was an all-region selection and he led the league and ranked ninth in NCAA DII in Total Offense with over 3,700 yards gained.
Welcome to the O-Show
Mulerider Football and offensive production/explosion have been synonymous with one another for the past five years since
Landon Keopple became the offensive coordinator. In his first year in 2011, Keopple put together an offense that averaged 26.2 points per game and 376.4 yards of total offense per game. Those numbers were markedly better than the previous year where SAU averaged 16.3 ppg and 268.4 yards of total offense.
In the four years since his first as OC, Keopple has developed one of the top offenses not only in the GAC, but in all of NCAA DII.
Beginning in the 2012 season, the Muleriders average 36.8 points per game and 477.4 yards of total offense per game. In three of the last four years, SAU has gained over 5,000 yards and in those same years they have scored more than 385 points.
All told under Keopple as the OC, the Muleriders score nearly 35 points per game and average over 450 yards of total offense as well.
