MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The boys are back in town, and when the clock hits 12 midnight, it's football time in Magnolia and you can't tell us nothing… the time to ride is now. A matchup that was seen in the Thursday night spotlight a year ago is back in Columbia County on Saturday night and to be played in a flood of blue.
 
The East Central Tigers look for a major bounce back victory after falling to Henderson State at home 17-41. The Muleriders seek improvement from their hard-fought road triumph in Durant by final of 36-31.
 
WEEK 2 MATCHUP
>>> Southern Arkansas and East Central match up together for the two squads 25th meeting all-time as the Muleriders lead the series 15-9 against the Tigers.
>>> Last year's meeting became the talking point of the conference as the two met for lone Thursday night matchup in Week Two of the regular season. All eyes from the Great American Conference were locked in the action taking place in Ada, Oklahoma on September 7, 2023. Much like the lead-up to this campaign's matchup, SAU comes off a hard-fought victory against Southeastern Oklahoma while ECU was given its first defeat of the season to Henderson State.
>>> In the 24th meeting, East Central jumped in front of the Muleriders and quick as the group held a 0-17 lead over SAU at the break. Over the next 30 minutes (plus overtime), Southern Arkansas erased the deficit using two touchdowns in the final seventy-five seconds of regulation which were sandwiched between a recovered onside kick, forced overtime and never flinched en route to a 24-17 win in the extra action.
>>> Prior to last fall, the Muleriders have been the victims of the Tigers as East Central claimed two victories in a row against Southern Arkansas.
>>> Since becoming a charter member of the Great American Conference in 2011, week two of football season has been kind to the Muleriders as Southern Arkansas has accounted for a record of 10-2 over the last 12 campaigns.
>>> SAU's two losses in week two have both been afflicted by schools of the Sooner State as East Central defeated the Muleriders in 2014 (40-47) and SWOSU overcame Southern Arkansas in 2022 (20-24; Smiley's First Year).
>>> Both losses were delivered to SAU while on the road, Southern Arkansas is undefeated at home on week two since 2011, which includes a pair of nationally recognized Harding groups.
 
LAST WEEK | W, 36-31 at SE
>>> In last week's outing, the Muleriders entered Durant, Oklahoma with the largest chip on their shoulder since 2017, the last preseason SAU was selected in the top-three of the GAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
>>> The eagerness for battle on the gridiron showed vividly as each squad repping their own shades of blue and gold were set for the highest-ranked matchup amongst the league according to the preseason coaches poll.
>>> Southeastern held control for the vast majority of the first half as they led by as much as 14 (7-21) and went into the half up 14-24.
>>> Thankfully, a collegiate football game is 60 minutes and not 30 as the Muleriders accounted for 22 unanswered points to start the second half against a worn-out defense for the Savage Storm as the Southern Arkansas depth starting to come into play.
>>> Junior Judd Barton started his campaign for the conference's offensive player of the week as he secured the lead for SAU with an 82-yard toss down the sideline to the senior running back Kadyn Roach for six.
>>> Accounting for one broken up pass, a tackle for loss, and nine total tackles (six solo | three assists) was the senior defensive back out of Bossier City, Melvin Smith Jr. All of 2023, Smith Jr. recorded 29 solo tackles while also having 36 in his sophomore year. The senior is five shy from 100 solo takedowns in his career.
 
NOTABLES: SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
>>> Entering week two 1-0 is something the Muleriders have been able to claim nine of the last 12 home-openers.
>>> Much like a season ago, Southern Arkansas' depth outlasted the Savage Storm as nearly the entirety of the second half was run by THE Blue & Gold for the Muleriders sixth-consecutive season-opening victory dating back to 2018.
>>> That streak continues as Southern Arkansas has yet to lose a season-opener since being on the road in Russellville, Arkansas against (RV) Arkansas Tech (L, 21-28 | 8/31/17).
>>> That second half that SAU controlled was led by the newest leader of the Southern Arkansas offense, Judd Barton.
>>> Barton's performance nearly carried him just 11 yards shy of 100 yards rushing as well as tossing the pigskin for 208 yards and a pair of touchdowns. After his first start in the Mulerider uniform, Barton was selected as the Great American Conference's Offensive Player of the Week.
>>> In the junior's first collegiate start, seven Muleriders received the ball through the air, with only one wideout acquiring more than two, the Angelo State transfer Rasheen Green. Green recorded nine receptions for 62 yards and a long of 18.
>>> The Southern Arkansas running game looked as strong as ever as the backfield saw three rushers with 60+ yard days as well as a deeper lineup at the running back position with.
>>> While he may not be wearing number eight anymore, he is still looked at as a leader on the field as Elvin Calhoun leads the team in sacks with his one for 11 yards.
 
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS: BY THE NUMBERS
679 - the number of days since Mulerider Football has taken a loss inside Wilkins Stadium at RIP Powell Field. It has been since Head Coach Brad Smiley's inaugural season in Magnolia that Southern Arkansas has fallen in a home contest. November 5, 2022 marks the most recent Mulerider defeat as SAU dropped to Southern Nazarene 44-49 in a barn-burner of a competition. Since that day... Mulerider Football has gone 12-2 and won its first NCAA-era postseason contest.
 
252 - the yards produced on the ground by the Muleriders last week in Durant, Oklahoma. Southern Arkansas' running game ranked 14th in NCAA DII as well as third amongst all groups in the Great American Conference. SAU accounted for three rushers with at least 60+ net yards on the ground per rusher. The three Muleriders to-do so were Jariq Scales (97), Judd Barton (89), and Kadyn Roach (68).
 
22 - the points scored by the Muleriders without an answer from the Savage Storm on Thursday night in Durant, Oklahoma. Down 14-24 at halftime, Southern Arkansas came out of the locker room with a bit of momentum gained leading into the 20-minute break as they held SE to a field goal to end the half. SAU grabbed whatever little bit of momentum they had and took off running, literally, with as the troupe scored 22-unanswered to go up 36-24 and ended the night with a 36-31 road victory.
 
10 - the jersey number of the Mulerider who claimed Coach Smiley's sixth GAC player of the week honor while at Southern Arkansas. Judd Barton became the second quarterback under Smiley to earn the league's offensive player of the week award since OB Jones claimed it twice in 2023. Prior to Jones, Hayden Mallory in 2019 was the most recent Mulerider to earn offensive player of the week in the league. All three came against the Southeastern Oklahoma Savage Storm.
 
NOTABLES: EAST CENTRAL
>>> The Tigers of East Central, picked ninth in the GAC Preseason Coaches Poll, began their season in Koi Ishto Stadium where they received their third-consecutive home-opening loss and sixth-consecutive season-opening loss.
>>> Last week in Ada, Oklahoma, ECU was overwhelmed by a dynamic offensive and defensive power in Henderson State as the Tigers have had to open their last four campaigns against the Reddies or the Bisons out of Harding.
>>> The offense presented by East Central primarily came on the ground as the group rushed for 135 yards and were held under 100 yards passing.
>>> The Tigers lone form of scoring came on the ground attack as ECU accounted for a pair of touchdowns both from the signal caller, Sergio Kennedy.
>>> Kennedy's rushing performance saw the redshirt freshman tote the rock 10 times in which he recorded 52 yards gained, but only ended with 19 net yards as he lost 33 in the contest. The quarterback did however record a long rush of 42 in the contest against the Reddies.
>>> Kennedy managed to complete just eight of his 24 pass attempts that brought his yards to 95 while also throwing three interceptions and being sacked once.
>>>The Tigers leading tackler from the week one outing was Darian Williams, a senior defensive lineman from San Diego, California.
>>> Williams accounted for a shared sack with teammate Seth Aguilera for six yards.