Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Official Athletics Site of the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders
Kor'Davion Washington at ECU
Jacob Pumphrey
24
Winner Southern Arkansas SAU 7-1 , 7-1
23
East Central ECU 1-7 , 1-7
Winner
Southern Arkansas SAU
7-1 , 7-1
24
Final
23
East Central ECU
1-7 , 1-7
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
SAU Southern Arkansas 0 7 7 10 24
ECU East Central 10 3 7 3 23

Game Recap: Football | | By: Jacob Pumphrey

(RV) Muleriders come alive in fourth quarter; edge East Central 24-23

ADA, Okla. – For three quarters it was ugly for (RV) Southern Arkansas, but in the final 15 minutes the Muleriders flipped the switch and produced ten fourth quarter points to edge East Central 24-23 in Great American Conference action on Saturday afternoon from Koi Ishto Stadium.

With ECU leading 23-14 following Harper Simmons' third field goal of the day with just over 13:30 remaining, the Muleriders needed a big play and turned to the air as junior quarterback Hayden Mallory connected with redshirt sophomore Micah Small on a 67-yard touchdown pass that took just twelve seconds.

With 5:24 to play, and after a huge defensive stand, sophomore Austin Wilkerson punched through a 35-yard field goal attempt to put Southern Arkansas up 24-23. With the lead, the Mulerider defense forced a three-play, negative nine-yard drive by ECU that took 2:08 and once the offense got the ball back, Southern Arkansas ran out the clock behind the hard running of redshirt freshman Kor'Davion Washington who finished with 140 yards on 27 carries with a touchdown and a long run of 48 yards to go along with one catch for 11 yards.  

Mallory finished 13-of-21 passing for 202 yards and the aforementioned touchdown to Small who was the Muleriders' leading receiver with 97 yards on three snags. Redshirt senior Jared Lancaster caught five passes for 70 yards. Redshirt senior Malik Preston totaled 11 tackles to lead the team and sophomore Brock Floyd followed with nine.

The Tigers gained the momentum early as a muffed punt by the Muleriders following an ECU three-and-out on the game's opening drive set the Tigers up at the SAU29 where ECU would score on the next play to take a 7-0 lead with just under two minutes into the opening quarter.

After a big 53-yard reception on the next Tiger drive set the ECU offense up at the Mulerider six-yard line; the SAU Defense held the Tigers to just a yard and forced two incompletions which led to a 22-yard field goal from Simmons and put ECU up 10-0 halfway through the first quarter.

The lone first half score for the conference's second-highest scoring offense came with 3:22 remaining in the second quarter as a three-yard plunge from redshirt sophomore Dennis Daniels cut into the 10-point first half deficit.

Simmons would connect on his second 22-yard field goal of the afternoon as time expired in the first half to give East Central a 13-7 lead at the intermission.

The Muleriders ran just 25 first-half plays for 141 yards as 19 rushing attempts totaled 96 yards. SAU surrendered 228 first-half yards to the ECU Offense on 39 plays.

For the game, SAU totaled 379 yards at 6.3 yards per play and overcame a pair of special teams turnovers to improve to 7-1 on the season.

Southern Arkansas turns its attention to the 11th Annual Murphy USA Classic where the program will appear for the ninth time overall and for the sixth consecutive season. Awaiting the Muleriders in Union County will be No. 5 Ouachita; defending Great American Conference Champion and current GAC leader at 8-0. Kickoff from El Dorado's Memorial Stadium is set for 2 p.m. Live coverage links available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.
 
Print Friendly Version