MAGNOLIA, Ark. – True freshman Brock Floyd picked off a Northwestern Oklahoma pass late in the fourth quarter to put the final stamp on yet another stifling performance by the Mulerider defense, while senior Lorenzo Alexander rushed for a forty-yard touchdown on the first play following Floyd's interception as Southern Arkansas closed the door on the Rangers' comeback attempt as SAU improved to 4-0 behind a 27-14 Great American Conference victory on a wet Saturday evening inside Wilkins Stadium.
 
RECORDS
#21/19 Southern Arkansas Muleriders (4-0, 4-0 GAC)
Northwestern Oklahoma State (1-3, 1-3 GAC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – First Half

• Each side managed a touchdown in the opening 30 minutes of action. For the SAU offense, the Muleriders trudged through another slow start offensively.
• Southern Arkansas scored first on their second drive of the game as the Muleriders' Lorenzo Watkins picked off a pass from Isaiah Weed to set the SAU offense up inside the red zone.
• After a 12-yard completion from Barrett Renner to Dalton Wright on 3^rd and 8 reset the chains with a goal-to-go opportunity, birthday boy Keiandre Purifoy scored from three-yards out to stake Southern Arkansas to a 7-0 lead.
• The Ranger touchdown came following an SAU interception deep in Mulerider territory. The Rangers' Tyson Gatewood scored on a three-yard carry with 5:02 to play in the first quarter and the next twenty-plus minutes of game time would go without scores.
• The Muleriders tallied 196 yards on 42 plays in the first half, while Renner threw two interceptions.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED – Second Half

• The Muleriders regained the lead with 9:07 to play in the third quarter as true freshman Austin Wilkerson knocked through a 31-yarder to give SAU a 10-7 lead.
• Five minutes later, Southern Arkansas pushed its lead to ten as Renner connected with junior Dalton Wright on a three-yard touchdown pass, the 105^th of his career, to conclude a six-play, 49-yard drive that took less than three minutes.
• Southern Arkansas' lead would increase to 13 as Wilkerson connected on another close field goal; this time from 22-yards out giving SAU a 20-7 lead at the 12:31 mark of the fourth quarter.
• When it seemed like the Muleriders were beginning to distance themselves from NWOSU, the Rangers struck on the third play of the ensuing drive as Weed found Gavin Garner for a 74-yard pitch-and-catch that brought the SAU lead to just six, 20-14.
• The Muleriders were forced to punt on their next drive and redshirt junior Jordan White pinned the Rangers inside their own 10 yard line at the NWOSU 6 where the SAU defense would soon impact again.
• After a 94 yard touchdown rush was called back on a holding penalty on the drive's first play which would have tied the game at 20, three plays later redshirt junior Malik Preston sacked Weed forcing the ball loose which Preston recovered to end the Ranger drive.

 
TURNING POINT(s)

• After Preston sacked Ranger quarterback Isaiah Weed forcing a fumble in which Preston recovered, the Mulerider offense would be unable to cash in on the red zone opportunity as an 18-yard field goal attempt from the right hash missed right giving Northwestern Oklahoma the football at their own 20 yard line; trailing by six, 20-14, with 6:36 to play.
• On a 1^st and 20 at the Ranger 36 yard line, Weed looked down the visitor sideline at what he thought was one-on-one coverage, but true freshman Brock Floyd baited the opposing QB and stepped in front of the pass and took it 25 yards down to the Ranger 25 giving Southern Arkansas an opportunity to put the game away.
• After a cut block on the return backed the start of the Mulerider drive to the Ranger 40, senior Lorenzo Alexander raced off of left tackle forty yards for the touchdown to put Southern Arkansas up 27-14 with 3:36 to play.

 
OF NOTE

• The Mulerider defense logged another stellar performance as they allowed just 254 yards on 54 plays. Weed completed just nine of his 23 passes for 151 yards, while SAU allowed just over three yards a carry. SAU forced and recovered two fumbles and picked off a pair of Weed passes.
• Redshirt senior DaVondrick Lison led SAU with eight tackles, including 3.5 for loss totaling 22 yards. Lison registered 2.5 sacks and now is just three sacks shy of tying the career program record.
• The Muleriders totaled 12 tackles for loss for 55 yards, including five sacks for 41 yards.
• Redshirt senior Kaseem Smith and sophomore Kobe McDonald each collected six tackles with the latter collecting 2.5 for loss.
• Floyd finished with four tackles including 1.5 for loss, the big interception, and three pass breakups.
• Southern Arkansas finished with 342 yards of offense on 76 plays and totaled 100 yards in returns.
• Redshirt senior Karonce Higgins caught five passes, including a pair of acrobatic tip drill snags, for 83 yards. Redshirt junior Jared Lancaster snagged four receptions for 28 yards.
• Alexander was the leading rusher with 82 yards on 16 carries and none bigger than the aforementioned 40-yard dagger. SirCharles Perkins carried 13 times for 77 yards, while Purifoy's 18 yards came on seven rushes with a score.
• White averaged over 40 yards a punt in four attempts on Saturday night.
• Southern Arkansas is 4-0 to start a season for the first time since 2012 when that year's team started 4-0, finished 8-3, and lost a 36-35 thriller to a Hal Mumme-led McMurry University in the C.H.A.M.P.S Heart of Texas Bowl.

 
UP NEXT
Southern Arkansas heads back to Oklahoma for a September 29 matchup with Oklahoma Baptist. Kickoff from Shawnee, Oklahoma, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Live coverage links available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.