Bison Face Weevils in Saturday Road Tilt

Oklahoma Baptist (2-2) at Arkansas-Monticello (1-3) 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1 Convoy Leslie Cotton Boll, Monticello, Arkansas Bison Radio Network | Live Stats | Live Video | Tweets | Game Notes

MONTICELLO, Ark. – Oklahoma Baptist makes its first football trip to Monticello for a Saturday matchup with Arkansas-Monticello. Kickoff is at 3 p.m.
 
Saturday's game can be heard on the Bison Radio Network, which includes flagship station KGFF AM-1450 and 100.9 FM, Chrome 93.5 FM in Tulsa and El Patron 98.5 FM in Oklahoma City. The game also is available online at OBUBisonLive.com and on the iHeart radio network.
 
The Bison remain No. 1 in the NCCAA after beating East Central last week. Only one NCCAA team, Northwestern Minnesota, is unbeaten this season. The NCCAA rankings are based on the Massey Rating system, which grades teams based on strength of schedule.
 
The Bison can get above .500 for the first time since joining the Great American Conference with a victory at Monticello. The Boll Weevils need to pick up wins to avoid their eighth consecutive losing season.
 
OBU is 2-6 on the road all-time in the GAC and looking for their first two-game road win streak since starting 2014 when they scored victories at Southwestern Kansas and St. Mary (Kan.).
 
The Bison boast the No. 1 rusher in the Great American Conference in 5-9, 170-pound sophomore Isaiah Mallory. Mallory earned co-Offensive Player of the Week in the GAC for his record-setting performance at East Central. He carried for a school-record 236 yards and scored two touchdowns.
 
He and Jacob Ellis, who rushed for 211, are the only two backs to reach 200 yards and both were road games. Mallory has a chance to become the first Bison to reach 100 yards in four consecutive games. He currently shares the record with Jordan Barnes, who rushed for 100 yards in three straight in 2014. Barnes currently owns the record for most 100-yard rushing games in a season at four in 2014.
 
While Mallory was tearing up the ground game, quarterback Dezmond Stegall was quietly tying a Bison record with 20 completed passes. Blake Woodard also completed 20 passes in a game in 2014. Woodard's 20 came in the season opener at Southwestern (Kan.).
 
Stegall has completed passes to 14 different Bison receivers this season, if you include the two-point conversion pass to Reece Gilbert. In the one pass he didn't throw this year, Stegall was the intended receiver.
 
Josh Pettijohn racked up 109 yards receiving last week on six catches. It was the first 100-yard day for a Bison receiver since Cagney Roberson's 111 at SNU last November.
 
Linebacker Levi Jennings had 15 tackles last week at East Central to up his average to 11.2 per game, which is second in the Great American Conference. His 15 tackles last week was the most since Zach Bishop posted 16 against Southwestern Oklahoma State last season.
 
OBU defensive lineman Dennis Nguyen leads the Great American Conference with six tackles for loss this season through five games. His four last week at East Central was a league-best this season.
 
Arkansas-Monticello is 1-4 after a 57-7 loss to Harding last week.
 
Quarterback Cole Sears leads the Boll Weevils with 1,018 yards passing, including 30 passes to Jalen Tolliver for 479 yards and seven touchdowns in five games. Imani Riley leads the ground game with 288 yards this season.
 
Linebacker C.J. Hawkins has a team-high 18 tackles this season.
 
Bison Coach Chris Jensen's win at East Central was the 16th of his 3-plus seasons at OBU. That ties him for third on the coaching list with W.W. Nicklaus. The next milestone is Eddie Hurt's 19.