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SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
MULERIDERS
3-1 (3-1 GAC)
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SOUTHERN NAZARENE
CRIMSON STORM
0-4 (0-4 GAC)
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GAME NOTES | SAU | SNU | GAC Weekly FB Notebook
Setting the Scene: Homecoming/Hall of Fame 2016
The Southern Arkansas football team enters this Homecoming/Hall of Fame weekend with a good bit of momentum as they are 3-1 on the year with two of those wins coming at the friendly confines of their home venue, Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field.
In this year's homecoming, SAU is looking to make it nine in a row as they are unbeaten in their last eight homecoming games dating back to 2008. The last seven of the Mulerider triumphs have come under current head coach
Bill Keopple. Among those homecoming victories, SAU has defeated GAC-foes, Arkansas Tech (2011 & 2008), Oklahoma Baptist (2015), Ouachita Baptist (2013 & 2009), and Southern Nazarene (2014 & 2012). The eighth win during this stretch came against former conference opponent West Alabama in 2010.
This year's homecoming game will be played against Southern Nazarene and it will be the third time that the matchup will serve as SAU's Homecoming. Additionally, SAU will publicly induct 10 new members into its Sports Hall of Fame.
About Southern Nazarene
SCHEDULE
The Southern Nazarene football team enters play with an 0-4 overall record and an 0-4 record in the GAC. The Crimson Storm are in their third year as full members of the NCAA after transitioning from the NAIA ranks prior to the 2012 football season. Since making that transition, SNU has an overall record of 3-45. Their most-recent win came against GAC-newcomer Oklahoma Baptist in the season finale last year. In that game, the Crimson Storm beat the Bison 33-32 in overtime. The win also snapped a 32-game losing streak that began at the start of the 2013 season.
THE COACH
The Crimson Storm are coached by Andy Lambert, who is in his first season as head coach of Southern Nazarene. In the midst of his first season, Lambert is 0-4, but prior to coming to Bethany, Lambert had won over 100 games across a 19-year coaching career that saw stops at his alma mater, Trinity International, and most-recently a 12-year stint at Sterling College ins Sterling, Kans. At Trinity, Lambert was 30-45 and at Sterling, he went 72-51.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Offensively, the Crimson Storm are averaging 6.8 points per game and 170.0 yards of total offense per game with 133.8 of those yards coming on the ground and 36.3 coming through the air. The Crimson Storm's points per game, total offense and passing yards rank 12th in the GAC while their rushing yards ranks eighth.
Commanding the offense for the Crimson Storm is sophomore quarterback Jacob Spady. In four games this season, Spady has completed 17-of-28 passes for 141 yards and no touchdowns. Spady is the team's leading rusher with 200 yards on 30 carries. He has also rushed for a team-best two scores.
Additionally on the ground the Crimson Storm have two other players that have found the endzone in Terence Olds and Alec Lafoon. Olds is the second-leading rusher with 159 yards on 30 carries.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Defensively, the Crimson Storm are allowing 44.2 points per game and 472.8 yards of total offense per game with 316.5 of those yards coming on the ground and 156.2 yards through the air. The Crimson Storm's opponents points per game and total offense are the 10th-most in the GAC while their rushing yards ranks 12th in the GAC.
On the year, SNU has forced five turnovers with four being fumble recoveries and the other an interception.
A total of 13 players have registered double-digit tackles on the season with Damion Willis and Trystan Slinker leading the way with 28 tackles each.
THE SERIES
This will be the fifth meeting all-time between the Muleriders and Crimson Storm in a series that began in 2012 when Southern Nazarene began its transition to the NCAA and became members of the Great American Conference. In the four previous meetings, SAU has come out on top in lopsided decisions as the average margin of victory for the Muleriders in the those games is 43.0 points. This will also be the third meeting between the two in Magnolia as SAU took the first two meetings, 47-14 in 2012 and 62-7 in 2013.
SAU NEWS AND NOTES
Quick Hits From Last Week
» SAU's win at home over Arkansas Tech was their fifth such win against the Wonder Boys since the 2008 season. In the nine meetings total in that time, the home team has won each match-up.
» Sophomore QB
Barrett Renner found his groove from 2015 against Tech as he went 37-for-48 for 399 yards and three TDs. His pass completions and yards were single-game highs for Renner, while he tied his career-most in pass attempts.
» Forced to defend a goal-to-go situation with less than three minutes left and a one-score lead for the Muleriders, the SAU defense stood tall once more as
Stacy Lawrence had an interception in the endzone, effectively ending the game. It is the second such game-ending INT that the SAU defense has
Methodical Marchers
The Southern Arkansas offense has shown through the first four games of the season that field position, or lack there of, won't stop them from scoring touchdowns.
On the year, SAU has scored 12 touchdowns. Of those TD drives, eight 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.
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 team-best 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 (16) and yards (197), while also being tied for the team-lead in receiving touchdowns (3).
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 four games this year, Weisheit has been the top target with a team-best 24 receptions for an average of 6.0 receptions per game ranks in a tie for second 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 18.5 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 four 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 11 turnovers with six INTs and five fumble recoveries. Their 11 takeaways are tied for second in the GAC.
Disruptive Davondrick
Davondrick Lison enjoyed a sensational redshirt freshman campaign last year as one of the Muleriders' starting defensive ends. At that position, Lison wreaked havoc on opposing backfields as he totaled 17.5 tackles for lost yardage to rank second in the GAC. Of those TFLs, 9.0 were QB Sacks, ranking Lison third in the league in that category. Not only was he adept at stopping the offense behind the line of scrimmage, Lison also had a knack for popping the ball loose as he led all of NCAA DII in Forced Fumbles with seven.
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.
