MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Two 25-plus yard touchdown passes from junior
Hayden Mallory to redshirt senior
Jared Lancaster coupled with a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior
Lorenzo Watkins highlighted a 21-point attack in the game's first 17 minutes for the Southern Arkansas Muleriders on Saturday afternoon in the team's week 5 Great American Conference matchup with Southwestern Oklahoma State. The Muleriders (4-1, 4-1 GAC) would add 21 more points, including short fourth quarter touchdown runs from redshirt sophomore
Dennis Daniels and redshirt freshman
Kor'Davion Washington to top the Bulldogs.
Washington's score was set up by redshirt senior
Stacy Lawrence's 19-yard interception return.
Late in the first half, true freshman
OB Jones scored on a three-yard run as the Muleriders led 28-0 with 1:52 to play before intermission. The Bulldogs (2-3, 2-3 GAC) scored with 37 seconds remaining in the first half, but missed the two-point conversion as SAU carried a 22-point lead into the break.
It was nearly as balanced of an offensive performance as it could be for head coach
Bill Keopple's Muleriders as Southern Arkansas churned out 232 yards on a collective 45 rushes, while passing for 223 yards. Mallory was extremely efficient as he finished 14-of-17 for 226 yards with the aforementioned scoring strikes to Lancaster as well as a 76-yard bomb to redshirt sophomore
Micah Small. Small finished with a career-best 102 yards on four catches.
Washington was the leading rusher for the Muleriders as he carried 18 times for 88 yards. Daniels averaged 7.9 yards per carry on ten totes. Redshirt senior
SirCharles Perkins finished with 108 all-purpose yards including 66 via kickoff returns.
Lawrence led the defense with seven total tackles, while four other players recorded at least five stops. Stout defensive effort from the Mulerider front seven resulted in just 97 rushing yards for SWOSU on 24 attempts.
Southern Arkansas begins a heavy Oklahoma portion of its 2019 schedule and the Muleriders prepare for their longest road trip of the season; a trek to Alva to take on Northwestern Oklahoma State. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 12.
