MAGNOLIA, Ark. - The Mike McCarty Era begins for the Southern Arkansas Muleriders on Thursday night in Alva, Oklahoma as the Muleriders make their longest trip of the regular season for the Thursday night's opener against the Rangers and in the process end a 635-day hiatus as the highly anticipated return of Great American Conference football.

>>> Since 1911, first-year head coaches are 9-10 all-time in their Mulerider debut. McCarty leads the 103rd team in the history of the Mulerider Football program into the 2021 season. Since becoming an NCAA member in 1996, Southern Arkansas is 15-9 in season openers with an 8-5 mark in season-opening road games. In the team's nine seasons in the GAC, the Muleriders are 6-3 in season openers having won five of their previous six.

>>> Southern Arkansas was tabbed to a fifth-place ranking in the GAC Preseason Coaches Poll. It marked the fifth straight season that the program has landed in the top five of the early rankings and it was the seventh time to earn a top five preseason nod since 2011. The Muleriders were last in action on December 7, 2019 as that year's team closed out the season in the Heritage Bowl. It has been 21 months since SAU has taken to the gridiron in a countable contest. SAU hosted Mississippi College in a spring scrimmage.

>>> Dan Gregory, the longtime "Voice of the Muleriders", begins his 40th season in the role and his 25th as lead play-by-play of SAU Football.

>>> The Muleriders ranked fifth in scoring offense and sixth in total offense two years ago. Senior QB Hayden Mallory finished his first campaign as a starter ranking third in pass yards average with the second-best passing efficiency rating.

>>> Redshirt freshman Jariq Scales and freshman Blake May get the nod at tailback, while sophomore Dekendrick Bender, senior Desmond Jones, redshirt junior Micah Small and junior Brock Price provide familiar targets for Mallory. Steven Taylor and Austin Patricia return after All-GAC seasons in '19 and are joined up front by Trevor Matheson, Marshall Poppenhusen and Ryan Mareno. The five started a combined 39 games on the offensive line in 2019.

>>> Defensively, all-region selection Brock Floyd provides stability in the secondary and leadership for the entire unit. Sophomores Del Kristoffer Wade and Onyei Orupabo add experience on the back end. Up front, veterans Demoni Boyd and Deno Rogers help anchor the front seven that will look to benefit from the play of redshirt freshmen David Walker (DL) and Gavin Roe (LB) after ranking third in the GAC in total defense and fourth in scoring defense in 2019.

>>> The Muleriders are in good hands, or rather a good foot, with junior Austin Wilkerson back to handle the place kicking duties. An all-region selection in 2019, he nailed 15-of-16 FG and 44-of-44 on PAT.

>>> Northwestern Oklahoma, voted preseason No. 9 in the GAC, is coming off a 4-7 campaign in 2019 under current HC Matt Walter that included back-to-back wins over Southern Nazarene and Southwestern Oklahoma State to close the year. The Rangers return one All-GAC performer from 2019: senior offensive lineman Sunday Deng. Josh Evans takes over as NWOSU's passing game coordinator after previously serving as QB/WR coach.

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS BY THE NUMBERS
73 The number of freshmen and redshirt freshmen on SAU's 2021 roster which nearly doubles the combined number of sophomores, juniors and seniors. Six seniors suit up for the Muleriders this fall: QB Hayden Mallory, OL Steven Taylor and WR Desmond Jones on offense and DL Demoni Boyd, LB Cameron Gonzaque and DB Merrick Nicholas.
19 The number of Mulerider head football coaches that preceded Mike McCarty who was announced as the 20th leader of the program on November 12, 2020. The Oregon native carries over 30 years of collegiate coaching experience at multiple stops along the DI, DII and JUCO levels, which includes 22 years as an offensive coordinator.
5 The number of All-GAC selections from the 2019 season that return for Southern Arkansas after a 21-month, pandemic-induced hiatus. First-teamers and all-region honorees Brock Floyd (DB) and Austin Wilkerson (K) headline the group, while honorable mention selections OB Jones (QB/ATH), Steven Taylor (OL) and Austin Patricia (OL) make up the offensive honorees.