MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Week 5 is upon the Great American Conference and for Southern Arkansas that means a trip back into the Sooner State for a 2 p.m. kickoff against East Central from Norris Field on Saturday, October 2. They are all big in the GAC, but Saturday's matchup sees the Tigers welcome in their toughest opponent this season, while the Muleriders are looking to climb back into the league race. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com. 

>>> SAU makes its second trip into Oklahoma this season looking to snap a two-game losing streak and build on its four-game win streak in the state against an upstart East Central squad that is 3-1 to start a season for the first time since 2015. The Muleriders are 2-2 through Week 4 for the first time since the 2017 campaign.

>>> The Muleriders are averaging over 435 yards of total offense per game. SAU has produced three games with more than 425 yards and are coming off a 577-yard performance in last weekend's shootout with Henderson State. The 577 yards are the most for the Muleriders since September 29, 2018; a Week 5 affair at Oklahoma Baptist that has since been dubbed the "Shootout in Shawnee" which saw, among other things, SAU rack up 611 yards of offense.

>>> Scoring points has not been a problem for the Muleriders. In both wins and last week's loss, SAU scored 40+ including a season-high 49 points at HSU. It is the first time since the 2013 season that Southern Arkansas has eclipsed the 40-point mark in three of the team's first four games. That season, SAU went for 50 in each of the first two weeks, before dropping 47 points on NWOSU in Week 4.

>>> After holding their first two opponents under 70 yards rushing, SAU has allowed over 200 yards on the ground although the previous two opponents, Harding and Henderson State, are both nationally-ranked and positioned first and second in rushing offense in the GAC. ECU is averaging 153 yards rushing at around 33 attempts per game, while their ground game output has come against three of the league's bottom six teams in rushing defense.

>>> Southern Arkansas has a developed a knack for taking away the football in the air. The Muleriders have picked off six passes, the second-most in the GAC, totaling 107 yards and a touchdown. ECU has thrown seven interceptions this season and is completing under 49% of its pass attempts.

>>> IT'S BEEN A WHILE
Last weekend's shootout in Clark County saw several individual and team statistical performances that we haven't seen in quite some time. SAU had a 200-yard rusher for the first time since 2013, recorded 30+ first downs for the first time since November of 2017 which was the last time they ran 80+ offensive plays. It was the first four-interception game for the Mulerider defense since 2015.

>>> HEAVY ON THE SCALES
If ya got 'em, lean on 'em. That is what Southern Arkansas has done on the ground as redshirt freshman running back Jariq Scales has literally carried the load for the Muleriders through four games.The Arkansan ranks fifth in Division II in rushing yards with 544 at a per game average of 136.0 which leads the Great American Conference. He has scored four times on the ground and is averaging 6.2 yards per carry. In the loss to HSU, Scales topped the 200-yard mark for the first time in his career.

>>> SMALL IN A BIG WAY
There has been nothing small about redshirt junior wide receiver Micah Small's performance so far this season. He leads the team with 25 catches for 389 yards and six touchdowns. His six scoring grabs ranks fourth nationally and his marks in receptions per game and receiving yards per game are both top 30 in Division II.

>>> FEATURED FIRSTS
Several firsts took place last Saturday. To name a few, senior quarterback Hayden Mallory tossed for career-highs in yards (376), completions (30) and attempts (52). Freshman Cole Williams recorded career-bests in catches (9) and yards (108), while Scales' aforementioned rushing performance was a career outing. Redshirt sophomore Del Kristoffer Wade, sophomore Onyei Orupabo and redshirt freshman Jalen Davis all caught the first interceptions of their careers.

>>> YOUNG HITTERS
Four Muleriders have 25 tackles this season. It is a career-best effort for three of those players. Redshirt freshman Gavin Roe's 17 solo stops as part of his 25 tackles are the best on the team. Orupabo follows with 16 solo stops within his 25 tackles and freshman Rayvon Ingram has recorded 25 tackles with 15 of his coming unassisted. Junior Brock Floyd rounds out the defenders with 25 tackles and he is the lone Mulerider with 10+ assisted and unassisted tackles, a sack, an interception and a forced fumble this season.

SAU BY THE NUMBERS
61 - The amount of games in-between SAU's last four interception performance and last Saturday's four-pick outing at Henderson State. The Muleriders nabbed four UAM passes in the regular season finale of the 2014 campaign. Four interceptions by the SAU defense has happened one other time in the program's GAC tenure: at East Central in 2012.
35 - The number of games with 500+ yards of total offense by the Muleriders since joining the GAC in 2011.
18 - The number of wins, including the season opener, that the Muleriders have claimed in the state of the Oklahoma since playing its first conference game in the state in 2011. SAU crosses state lines having won four-straight against Sooner State foes in Oklahoma.
6.5 - Average yards per play by the Mulerider offense which is currently the second-best average since 2011 matched by the 2017 offense and a tenth of a yard back of the 2012 team that averaged 6.6 yards per play.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS VS. ECU
>>> In their most recent meeting, Southern Arkansas needed ten fourth-quarter points to move past the Tigers 24-23 to improve to 7-1 on the season. Hayden Mallory connected with Micah Small on a 67-yard strike to pull SAU to within two points of the ECU lead and Austin Wilkerson nailed a 35-yard FG attempt with under six minutes to play to give SAU the win.
>>> In the 2012 meeting, SAU battled the Tigers and the weather as an hour and 45 minute delay led to the third and fourth quarters being played straight through with no halftime. It was SAU that came away with a 19-0 shutout victory of the Tigers who threw four interceptions; two to future All-American and current CFL standout Don Unamba. SAU snapped the Tigers home win streak of 10 games which dated back to their 2010 season.
>>> SAU opened up their 1997 campaign in Ada and the 37-9 victory would be the first victory in a season that would see the Muleriders claim a share of the Gulf South Conference regular season title.