MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The (RV) Muleriders head back to the plains of Oklahoma for the first time since opening week in the Great American Conference when Southern Arkansas made its journey to Durant, Oklahoma to face the Southeastern Oklahoma Savage Storm in a Thursday night contest. The Blue and Gold is back in Oklahoma for another midweek battle against the Oklahoma Baptist Bison in Shawnee.
 
WEEK 6 MATCHUP
>>> The (RV) Muleriders have just two more trips into the state of Oklahoma as they prepare to meet the Bison in Shawnee for just the fourth time since Oklahoma Baptist began its NCAA Division II Era in 2015.
>>> Similar to OBU's rival Southern Nazarene, the Bison have just one victory against the Muleriders, which came inside Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field.
>>> The last, and only current, time that Southern Arkansas had fallen to the Bison, came just prior to the Brad Smiley Era in Magnolia.
>>> Two campaigns ago, when the Muleriders made their latest trip to Shawnee, Southern Arkansas came out on top in a big way for year one under Smiley. SAU ran away with the contest after the second quarter and defeated the Bison 52-20.
>>> Last season in Magnolia, SAU scheduled Oklahoma Baptist for Homecoming for the first time since OBU's inaugural season in the NCAA.
>>> Southern Arkansas smothered the herd in the last go-around with the series' second-largest difference with a Mulerider 63-24 victory at home.
 
LAST WEEK | W, 49-21 vs SNU
>>> Last week's contest saw a full 60 minutes from the Muleriders' offense and defense as Southern Arkansas took care of the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm's return to Magnolia since the group defeated the Muleriders at home in 2022.
>>> The SAU offense rattled off multiple big that either brought the Muleriders within the redzone or resulted in a score for the Blue and Gold in Saturday's Homecoming contest.
>>> Both Matthew Whitten and Seth Johnson each brought down a long touchdown reception as Whitten came by Barton's long of a 64-yard toss to the senior tight end. Johnson's reception for six was delivered by redshirt freshman quarterback Adam Parker who threw for a game, and season, high 85-yard bomb to the senior wideout. Parker's heave is the longest throw since OB Jones tossed for an 89-yard TD against SNU in 2022. The RS-FR's throw is also the sixth-longest pass play in the program's history.
>>> The Mulerider defense forced three more turnovers last week, making them the team with the sixth-best turnover margin in the nation (1.60).
 
NOTABLES: SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
>>> Two games in a row now, the Muleriders have defeated opponents by at least four scores since dropping their battle with the now #10/12 Ouachita Baptist Tigers two weeks ago.
>>> In the last two games, Southern Arkansas has scored more points than in its first three as the most points totaled by the Muleriders in those first three contests was 36, now 49 with the most recent victory.
>>> The passing game for the Muleriders looks as if it has found life with production from junior quarterback Judd Barton really showing. The Alexandria, Louisiana native in the last two game has tossed for 456 yards on 35 completions (48 attempts). Over the course of games 1-3, Barton has just produced just 469 yards passing on 40 completions (73 attempts).
>>> In last week's contest, while he may not have led the team in rushing, he did not need to as senior running back Jariq Scales needed just 32 rushing yards in order to be the first Mulerider to ever exceed 4,000 rushing yards in a career. He earned 50 and now sits at 4,014.
 
NOTABLES: OKLAHOMA BAPTIST
>>> The Bison have gotten off to a bumpy start as they have begun their 2024 season at 1-4, with the group's lone victory coming two weeks ago against in-state opponent East Central (20-10).
>>> Oklahoma Baptist is coming off quite the lopsided loss as they return home for the Thursday night lights after being overwhelmed by (RV) Henderson State 52-7.
>>> While they may have not won many of their contests, the OBU Bison have proven to very disciplined as they have recorded the fewest amount of penalty yardage in the league with just 216 thus far (16th nationally).
>>> At the same time, the Bison average just 43.30 penalty yards per outing, which ranks 10th nationally (Minot State | 29.33).
>>> The Oklahoma Baptist offensive line has been fairly sufficient as they rank amongst the top-half of the conference in tackles for loss allowed per game (6.20).
>>> OBU's Darius Melton is the Great American Conference's leader in kickoff return yards as the sophomore has put together 422 return yards and ranks eighth in the country.
 
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS | BY THE NUMBERS
332 - the yards through the air that junior quarterback Judd Barton threw for in the contest on Saturday against Southern Nazarene. Barton's passing yardage was the most by a quarterback that has played for Brad Smiley in the Blue & Gold. The yardage is also the most by a QB since Hayden Mallory in a shootout with Henderson State (9/25/21).
90 - the percentage of success that the Mulerider offense has shown in the redzone this season. In last week's contest, Southern Arkansas went 5-6 in the redzone with all five of the successful trips ending in the endzone.  This season, SAU is 18-20 in the redzone with 2 field goals, 6 passing touchdowns, and 10 rushing touchdowns. The Blue and Gold ranks 16th in the nation for their redzone percentage. and second in the GAC. (OUA | 90.5).
11 - the number of turnovers the Mulerider defense has forced so far into the 2024 campaign. In the league, Southern Arkansas is tied for third in turnovers gained with #1/1 Harding and Northwestern Oklahoma State. In the country the three rank 16th nationally. SAU's turnover margin remains the best in the conference as the Muleriders have only given up three turnovers thus far and have a margin of 1.60 (6th nationally).
4 - the number of schools from the Sooner State that have been able to defeat a Brad Smiley-led Mulerider club. The third-year head coach has not been defeated by an Oklahoma program since his first season as head coach of the Muleriders. Smiley and his troupe are riding a 9-game winning streak against Oklahoma schools.