MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas Football team has released its 2021 schedule in its entirety with dates, opponents, kickoff times, and locations. The only thing remaining for the pigskin diehards is to wait the 125 days between now and the long-awaited, season-opening action. After seeing its 2020 season canceled due to the pandemic, the stage is now set for a full return to the gridiron as the Muleriders' regular season slate will once again feature a full 11-game Great American Conference schedule.
 
Since 2012, the Muleriders are 32-4 at home inside Wilkins Stadium with unbeaten home schedules in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018. From October 10, 2015 through September 14, 2019, Southern Arkansas won 17-consecutive home games which stood as the longest active streak in Division II. Additionally, SAU has made four trips to the postseason playing in bowl games in 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
 
The Mike McCarty Era begins in Alva, Oklahoma, on Thursday, September 2, in a 6 p.m. kickoff against Northwestern Oklahoma State. Since 2013, when the Rangers joined the GAC, Southern Arkansas holds a 6-1 lead in the series with a 3-1 mark against NWOSU in Alva.
 
Nine days later, the Muleriders are welcomed back to Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field in what will be the first official collegiate football game in Magnolia in 665 days as SAU plays host to Southwestern Oklahoma State in the team's home opener. Since 2011, the Muleriders have won eight of its nine games against SWOSU and are an unbeaten 5-0 at home.
 
Mulerider Football fans are treated to back-to-back home weekends as Southern Arkansas plays host to Harding on September 18 with the University celebrating Family Day. Kickoff against the Bisons is set for 6 p.m. SAU has won two of its past three meetings with Harding, but is just 1-4 against HU in Magnolia since 2011.
 
Southern Arkansas hits the road to close out September and open October as a September 25 meeting at Henderson State (6 p.m.) and an October 2 tilt at East Central (2 p.m.) round out the first five matchups of the season for the Muleriders. The matchup against the Reddies in Arkadelphia will be the fifth since 2013 and the past three road games at HSU have been decided by an average of just over 4.5 points. SAU has come away victorious in its past five matchups against ECU with wins in its last three trips to Ada, including a tight 24-23 decision in October of 2019.
 
The week leading into October 9, the 105^th Homecoming will be celebrated on the campus of Southern Arkansas University and the Muleriders will cap the week-long festivities in a 2:30 p.m. kickoff against Southeastern Oklahoma State. Prior to the Saturday afternoon kickoff the 2021 SAU Homecoming Court will be presented along with the announcement of the 2021 SAU King and Queen. At halftime, Mulerider Athletics will publicly introduce the newest members of the SAU Sports Hall of Fame; the department's 18^th HOF class. Since becoming charter members of the GAC in 2011, the series between the Muleriders and Savage Storm leans slightly in favor of the former at 5-4 with SAU winning its last four matchups against SOSU at home.
 
The next week, Southern Arkansas and its Columbia County faithful will convoy east to make the familiar 38-mile jaunt to Union County for the 12^th playing of the Murphy USA Classic. It will be the tenth appearance all-time for the Muleriders in the neutral site affair and the seventh year in a row that SAU will play in the game. Opposing Southern Arkansas in the 2 p.m. kickoff from El Dorado's Memorial Stadium will be Arkansas Tech which will make its second appearance in the game after matching up against Henderson State in 2013. From 2012-2017, the series between Arkansas Tech and Southern Arkansas stood at 3-3 with the home team winning each game. The Muleriders have won the past two meetings, including a 35-14 win in Russellville in 2019; the program's first against the Wonder Boys on the road in a dozen years.
 
For the first time since the 2002 season, Southern Arkansas will make two trips to Arkadelphia with the second one coming on October 23 at Ouachita. Kickoff from Cliff Harris Stadium is set for 1 p.m. SAU's most recent victory over the Tigers came at the 2015 Murphy USA Classic, while the Muleriders' last road win over OUA was a 44-28 decision in November of 2012.
 
On Halloween Eve, Southern Arkansas returns home to welcome in Oklahoma Baptist for a 2 p.m. start. The Muleriders have never lost to the Sooner State's Bison, however, SAU's unbeaten record was put to the test and came down to the game's final play in their most recent meeting: a September 14, 2019 clash inside Wilkins Stadium that ended with sophomore place kicker Austin Wilkerson nailing a 48-yard attempt as time expired to give the Muleriders a 30-28 victory. That was the program's 200^th victory at Wilkins Stadium.
 
The Muleriders have never lost to Southern Nazarene holding an 8-0 record against SNU. SAU will match up with the Crimson Storm for the ninth time all-time on November 6 in Bethany. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. Compared to the first four meetings, the last four meetings have been much closer in terms of final score as each has been decided by an average of 13.5 points, including a five-point win for the Muleriders at home in 2018.
 
Southern Arkansas' regular season closes out like it has every season since the 2013 campaign: against bitter league rival Arkansas-Monticello in the Battle of the Timberlands. The Muleriders and Weevils meet in Magnolia on November 13 in what will be the 96^th meeting in a series that dates back to 1913. UAM has bested the Muleriders just once in the nine meetings since the two became charter members of the GAC: a 20-17 win over SAU in Monticello to close out the 2018 season and end the Muleriders' chances at making the NCAA postseason.
 
2021 Mulerider Football Schedule
9/2 | at Northwestern Oklahoma State | 6 p.m.
9/11 | vs. Southwestern Oklahoma State | 6 p.m.
9/18 | vs. Harding | 6 p.m. (Family Day)
9/25 | at Henderson State | 6 p.m.
10/2 | at East Central | 2 p.m.
10/9 | vs. Southeastern Oklahoma State | 2:30 p.m. (Homecoming)
10/16 |  vs. Arkansas Tech (El Dorado) | 2 p.m. (Murphy USA Classic)
10/23 |  at Ouachita | 1 p.m.
10/30 |  vs. Oklahoma Baptist | 2 p.m.
11/6 | at Southern Nazarene | 1 p.m.
11/13 | vs. Arkansas-Monticello | 2 p.m. (Battle of the Timberlands)