DURANT, Okla. - You can't win them all until you win the first one. Beginning his third season with the Muleriders, Coach Brad Smiley opened up the first outing for Southern Arkansas with that exact mentality as SAU went into Durant, Oklahoma and calmed the Savage Storm with an intense turnaround in the second half of play. 

2012, that was the last season that the Muleriders were able to overcome Southeastern Oklahoma while in Durant. Twelve years later, that streak is over after Southern Arkansas' 36-31 triumph over the Storm on their own Paul Laird Field. With the victory, the Mulerider have now beaten SE in back-to-back seasons for the first time as members of the Great American Conference. 

As expected, the Southern Arkansas ground game stood out amongst the box score as the backfield accounted for three 60+ yard rushers that included Jariq Scales toting the rock 21 times for 97 net yards and a long rush of 28. Carrying the ball on 13 occasions was the quarterback, Judd Barton, who accounted for 89 net yards and a long of 50. The Magnolia, Arkansas native, Kadyn Roach, recorded eight carries that resulted in 68 net yards and a long of 38, but also proved to be a threat through the air as he brought in a pass down the sideline from Barton that went 82 yards to the house and pushed SAU passed the Storm for the first time in the contest. 

Defensively, the Muleriders had all the pieces to lockdown the Savage Storm offense, but were still working on putting them together in the first half as SE put up 17 points on SAU in the second period while also having made their way to the endzone once in the first quarter. The second half was all the Mulerider defense as Southeastern sent out backup QB Cergio Perez to take the snaps with the injury of Luke Hohenberger on the last play of the first half with an Elvin Calhoun sack. Before leaving the game, Hohenberger accounted for seven completions on 14 attempts for 168 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Perez in the second half completed ten of his 19 passes for just 100 yards and no scores. The ground game was not in the Storm's favor either as they had seven ball carriers account for just 107 net yards rushing. 

Southeastern Oklahoma came out fast and ready for this matchup as the Savage Storm jumped out on the Muleriders early and often with a quick stop to the SAU offense to then be followed by a Storm TD. 

Southern Arkansas came right back and put its own seven on the board with a Barton ten-yard touchdown pass to his receiver, Jakarion Lockett to tie the contest. 

Southeastern obtained the ball back off the kickoff, but were held up to a three-and-out that looked to give the Muleriders the life they needed to take control of the matchup. 

The SAU offense reentered the field of play after the 18-yard Scales punt return and attempted at getting the running game moving with sophomore-back Arkez Gomez. The true sophomore could not find the break he needed and on third down and nine, Barton tossed the ball over to the near sideline looking for grad-transfer wide receiver Rasheen Green and was picked off by Michael Hookfin to shift the momentum back in favor of SE. 

After the start of the second quarter, Southeastern used a pair of penalties to advance the ball down the field and end their drive with a seven-yard rushing touchdown to go up 7-14. 

Both groups were held up to a pair of punts for four-consecutive drives. Southern Arkansas' defense looked as if they were going to prevent another scoring drive by the Savage Storm offense as the group was held to a 3rd & 6. Hohenberger would then attempt a completion shy of the yard to gain as the ball was well-defended by defensive back Braeden Wade. However, the SE offense caught a break with the defended pass bouncing directly toward Storm receiver Victory Taylor with nothing but green grass ahead of him for a 65-yard score to increase the SE lead by another seven (7-21). 

In order to keep heads high and spirits lifted, Southern Arkansas desperately needed a score of any kind before heading to the locker room for the break. Following a nine-yard reception by Seth Johnson, Barton took the rock himself for a 50-yard gain down to the Southeastern 7-yard line. Roach then carried the ball for two, then five yards to the crib to bring life to the SAU sideline. 

With 1:11 left in the half, the Savage Storm offense came out slinging the ball down the field with a 38-yard pass to bring SE to the Mulerider five. After a pair of incomplete passes, senior defensive tackle, Elvin Calhoun, broke through the O-line's defenses and brought down Hohenberger for the team's lone sack of the game. Southeastern then kicked a field goal to end the half as the squads headed to the lockers with the game at 14-24. 

The Muleriders controlled the vast majority of the second half as they held Southeastern to an immediate three-and-out to start the half. A 28-yard Scales rush for a touchdown soon followed as the senior standout broke multiple tackles to make his way to the endzone for his first score of the game. After the missed point-after attempt, the score sat at 20-24. For the remainder of the period, the defenses held up the offense to enter the final quarter of play.

SAU ended the third with a 3rd & 7 rush of four which led out the field goal unit to start the fourth with a made field goal by redshirt-freshman Daniel Gauna. (23-24)

After another three-and-out by Dionte Dean's defense, Kyle Washington's offense came out and caught fire in no time as Roach slipped out to the SAU sideline for a reception from Barton that went for 82 yards to the crib and gave the Muleriders their first lead of the night. To make it a seven-point contest, the offense remained on the field, but failed the two-point conversion. 

A 63-yard kickoff from Jay Todd Baker soon followed, but ended in a Mulerider-possessed football as defensive back Donovan Adkins popped the ball free from the returner which was then recovered by linebacker Steven Adair. 

Three plays later, Jariq Scales took the ball for five yards up the middle to widen the gap to a 12-point lead in favor of the Muleriders. (36-24). 

Both offenses would stall out to see the ball end up with the Storm once more that saw Southeastern bring the ballgame back within one score to 36-31. Gomez would attempt the following kickoff return from the SAU three that would end up on the SAU ten. The Muleriders then started the drive on their own five after a delay of game penalty, but that did not slow down the offensive line and the Mulerider ground game.

A few first downs on the ground and a victory formation performed by Barton later, Southern Arkansas claimed its first victory in Durant since 2012 by a final score of 36-31. 

The Muleriders are back in action this next Saturday inside Wilkins Stadium to open all home events in Magnolia versus the East Central Tigers, September 14.