MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Southern Arkansas prepares for one final ride at Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field for the 2022 season as the Muleriders play host to Southern Nazarene on Senior Day. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.MuleriderAthletics.com. 

WEEK 10 MATCHUP
>>> For the final time in 2022, the Muleriders will take to Rip Powell Field as Southern Nazarene makes its fifth trip all-time to Magnolia.
>>> A win by SAU would ensure that Brad Smiley's Muleriders will finish above .500 at home for the ninth time since the program's first season of play in the Great American Conference in 2011.
>>> Since that inaugural season of GAC action, Southern Arkansas is 37-12 inside Wilkins Stadium and within those 49 games were a then NCAA-best 17-game winning streak.
>>> SAU's nine-straight wins against SNU are the former's longest active win streak against a GAC opponent. The next longest is four-straight wins against both Northwestern Oklahoma and Arkansas Tech. 
>>> Two top eight rushing offenses nationally convene in Week 10 as the Crimson Storm enter ranked fourth at less than a yard from averaging 300 yards on the ground per game, while SAU is eighth and less than four yards off of a 250 weekly rushing yard average.
>>> Prior to kickoff, the Muleriders will honor 10 senior student-athletes that will be playing their final home game inside Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field. 

OF NOTE: SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
>>> The Mulerider offense ranks 11th nationally at 472.3 yards per game which is sparked by a rushing attack that rates 8th in DII at 246.1 yards per game on the ground. SAU is 304 rushing yards from moving into the program's single season top 10.
>>> SAU has been consistent moving the chains all season as the Muleriders' 47.2% conversion rate on third down ranks 17th nationally. The unit's 219 first downs this season rank ninth in DII and second in the GAC.
>>> Redshirt sophomore Jariq Scales is 220 rushing yards from becoming the second back in program history to post two 1,000-yard rushing campaigns.
>>> Junior quarterback OB Jones is in the midst of one of the more impressive dual-threat offensive seasons in program history. Jones has done his part in SAU's rushing attack as his 101 carries have resulted in 594 yards and seven touchdowns. Through the air, the southpaw has completed 126 passes for 1,618 yards and 14 touchdowns for a QBR of 154.46.
>>> Fourteen players have hauled in a pass this season. Junior Dekendrick Bender and sophomore Cole Williams' 26 catches each lead the team, while Bender's 360 yards and three touchdowns are the team-lead. Redshirt junior Kamden Perry matches Bender in TD catches.
>>> Eight Muleriders have recorded 30 or more tackles led by junior linebacker Jacob Berry's 72.0. Grad defender Prince Udenze leads with 7.0 TFL, while senior JD Abrams, redshirt freshman Hunter Hewitt and sophomore Damon LeGrande each have recorded 2.0 sacks as part of SAU's dozen as a unit. The SAU defense has logged 39.0 TFL for 159 yards.
>>> Grad placekicker Austin Wilkerson has connected on seven of eight FGA and made 38 of his 40 XPA. Redshirt sophomore punter Andrew Schreiner is averaging 35 yards per punt, has placed a dozen inside the 20 and has booted five of 50+ with a long of 66.

OF NOTE: SOUTHERN NAZARENE
>>> The Crimson Storm enter with the seventh-best scoring offense in the GAC at just under 30 ppg, but rank last in scoring defense allowing a league-worst 40.9 ppg to opposing offense. 
>>> SNU runs the football 72% of the time and brings the nation's fourth-best rushing offense at 299.4 ypg to Magnolia. 
>>> Southern Nazarene's rushing offense could affectionately be known as the "Gage Porter Experience." The graduate quarterback has literally taken the country by storm with the Storm as he leads DII Football in scoring average (14.4 ppg), total points scored (126), total touchdowns (21), and rushing touchdowns (21), while ranking second nationally in rushing yards (1,443) and rushing yards per game (160.3). He is responsible for 19.8 ppg which ranks fifth in DII, his 7.3 yards per carry is the eighth-best mark and his 160.3 all-purpose yards per game rates 10th. 
>>> Porter is 75 of 124 passing for 994 yards and eight touchdowns to just two interceptions. Fourteen different players have caught a pass. Asa Robertson's 15 catches and 199 yards leads the team.
>>> Elijah Calhoun leads the team with 79.0 tackles. Trenton Smith follows with 75.0. Marcus Sowell's 5.5 TFL paces a team that has recorded 30 tackles for loss totaling 91 yards. The SNU defense has forced ten turnovers this season.
>>> SNU has connected on just two of five FGA. Ryan Reid averages 42 yards per punt.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS
>>> In the first meeting between the two programs, the Muleriders held a 20-14 lead at the intermission. Quarterback Tyler Sykora then delivered four second-half touchdown passes as SAU scored 27 unanswered points over the final two quarters to win 47-14.
 >>> The next year, in the Muleriders' first trip to Bethany, SAU put 66 points on the scoreboard highlighted by four more TD passes from Sykora and two rushing touchdowns from Mark Johnson. Ten players caught a pass that day and SAU did not punt. Southern Arkansas converted six of its nine third down attempts and cashed in for points on all eight trips to the redzone. Defensively, SAU held SNU to 244 yards of total offense.
>>> In 2014, SAU again scored 60+ on the Crimson Storm, but it was the 2018 matchup in Magnolia that nearly saw SNU beat the Muleriders for the first time. SAU jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter, but SNU cut it to 14-10 by halftime. SAU took a 21-10 lead early in the third quarter, but the Crimson Storm answered with a touchdown in the fourth quarter. SAU turned it over twice midway through the final quarter of action to leave the door open, but the defense forced two turnovers as well including a game-sealing INT by Stacy Lawrence to preserve the Family Day victory.

SAU BY THE NUMBERS
0 -The number of quarterbacks that have thrown for 1,700 yards and rushed for 700 yards in a single season in program history. Jones could become the first. The electric dual threat finds himself just 82 yards away from 1,700 for the season and 106 yards away from the 700-yard rushing mark. Since the 2000 season, only two other quarterbacks have thrown for more than 1,100 yards and rushed for more than 670 in a single season. In 2001, Ted Williams rushed for 682 yards on 151 carries with six touchdowns and passed for another 1,178 yards and ten scores. Three years later, Damian Melancon carried for 671 yards and nine touchdowns and passed for 1,666 yards and 15 touchdowns. Melancon's '04 campaign is currently the standard among dual threat SAU QBs. 
10 -The number of Mulerider Football players that will play one final game inside Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field on Saturday. Wide receivers Ean Beek (Katy, Texas), Trent Franklin (Haynesville, Louisiana) and Micah Small (Magnolia, Texas) along with offensive linemen Austin Patricia (Forney, Texas), Marshall Poppenhusen (Cypress, Texas) and Seth Rinke (Spiro, Oklahoma) make up the senior student-athletes on the offensive side of the football. Defensive ends JD Abrams (Columbia, Louisiana), Garrett Roberts (Brusly, Louisiana) and Prince Udenze (Forney, Texas) represent the defense, while placekicker Austin Wilkerson (Dallas, Texas) is the lone specialist. The ten Muleriders will be honored on the field pregame with their family present. 
47 -If Southern Arkansas can win out, the Muleriders would finish at 6-5 marking the 47th season since 1946 (post WWII) that an SAU squad finished .500 or better. It would be the eighth season of at least six GAC wins in the Muleriders' 11 playing seasons in the conference. 
65.2 -Completion percentage for junior quarterback OB Jones. The southpaw is 126-of-193 for 1,618 yards and 14 touchdowns. The percentage is currently the third-best in a single season in program history and the best among quarterbacks not named Barrett Renner. His 14 touchdown passes are currently the 12th most in a single season by a Mulerider quarterback. Jones is 382 yards away from a 2,000-yard passing campaign which would be the 11th straight season a Mulerider arm has eclipsed that mark.
245 -The number of rushing yards needed by redshirt sophomore running back Jariq Scales to reach 2,500 for his career which would make him just the sixth back in program history to accomplish the feat. The Osceola native is currently eighth on the all-time list with 2,255 career rushing yards. If Scales was to record his 11th career game with 100+ rushing yards on Saturday, he would slide into seventh on the career rushing list.

SCHEDULE QUICK HITS
WEEK 1 >>> SAU opened a new era under Smiley by setting a single-game program record for points scored in a season opener. The Muleriders improved to 8-3 in season openers as a GAC member, has won four straight season openers and is unbeaten in its last ten home openers...WEEK 2 >>> The Muleriders slipped up on the road in Weatherford. Winds gusting upwards to 35 mph and drizzling rain made it a difficult night in the southwest corner of the Sooner State in what was the first road test of the season...WEEK 3 >>> SAU went toe-to-toe with the nationally-ranked Bisons for a half. Harding used a ten-play, 75-yard scoring drive on its first possession of the third quarter and the lead would expand from there. Grad placekicker Austin Wilkerson's 36-yard field goal on SAU's final offensive drive of the first half tied him for the most FGs in program history with 40...WEEK 4 >>> SAU tossed for 308 yards and three touchdowns, had two more drives end with interceptions inside the ten and connected with ten different receivers as redshirt sophomore Jariq Scales led with career-highs in receptions (7) and receiving yards (84). The Muleriders won on third down converting eight of its 13 opportunities, while holding the #24-ranked Reddies to just 3-for-10 on third downs. A muffed punt that extended the go-ahead drive for SAU and a stiff defensive stand on an HSU fourth down late served as the difference...WEEK 5 >>> Scales totaled 195 all-purpose yards on 26 touches, junior linebacker Jacob Berry recorded 15 total tackles and grad placekicker Austin Wilkerson became the program's all-time leader in field goals made, but East Central utilized several big plays and took advantage of a handful of Mulerider turnovers to earn its first win in Magnolia since 1996...WEEK 6 >>> SAU trailed by just a touchdown at the half, but fell behind 28-7 entering the fourth quarter of play in Durant. All but out, the Muleriders engineered a late rally that included three scoring drives under the final three minutes of play, but came up just short to the Savage Storm...WEEK 7>>> Wilkerson became the program's all-time leading scorer with his seventh extra point of the afternoon, Scales became just the 11th Mulerider to record 2,000 career rushing yards and SAU rushed past Arkansas Tech and several patches of unruly weather to top the Wonder Boys 49-33 in the 85th meeting between the two programs...WEEK 8>>>SAU pulled to within 11 points of the Ouachita lead entering the fourth quarter of play, but the Tigers, led by TJ Cole, finished strong with three touchdowns from the back in the final 15 minutes to win handily in El Dorado...WEEK 9>>>Junior QB OB Jones was an efficient 17-of-19 passing for 247 yards and a touchdown and carried for three more scores as SAU recorded a 50+ point outburst for the fourth time this fall. Melvin Smith Jr. recorded four breakups against one of the nation's top wideouts in Keilahn Harris and limited the all-purpose savant to just 76 yards and a late touchdown...