ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - It was another slow start for the Oklahoma Baptist football team and this time, the Bison could not recover, as they fell to the fifth-ranked Ouachita Baptist Tigers 42-14 on Saturday afternoon at Cliff Harris Stadium.
Despite the scoring differential, the Bison finished with 373 total yards to Ouachita's 415. OBU went 258 yards through the air alone, but Ouachita gashed the OBU defense for 341 yards on the ground. The Bison was 9 of 13 on third down and 2 of 3 on fourth down while finishing with 23 first downs. However, Ouachita was an incredible 13 of 14 on third down with the only miss coming on a kneel down.
Ouachita had four possessions in the first half and scored touchdowns on all four possessions, using a potent rushing attack while mixing in minimal passing. The Tigers converted on numerous third downs throughout the first half to keep drives alive and increase their lead.
OBU had four possessions in the first half as well and got into Ouachita territory three times including deep inside the red zone two of those times. However, the Bison opportunities turned into nightmares with turnover on downs, an interception in the endzone, and the clock running out to end the half.
Things only got worse for OBU in the third quarter as they fumbled the ball away, giving it back to Ouachita who proceeded to score again and make it 35-0 early in the third.
OBU got the ball back and went on an impressive 18-play, 82 yard drive that was an impressive grind-it-out type of drive down the length of the field.
Tyler Stuever capped the drive with a score from seven yards out to get the Bison on the board.
That drive took 8:02 and took the game into the fourth quarter as Ouachita added another score to make it a 42-7 game. OBU answered again, this time very quickly as
Preston Haire connected with a streaking
Joshua Cornell who took it 78 yards to the house to make it a 42-14 game.
Ouachita ran out the clock with their rushing attack, ending the game in less than two hours and 30 minutes.
Haire finished 21 of 41 for 258 yards and a score on the day while
Isaiah Mallory rushed 11 times for 46 yards. Stuever added nine carries for 41 yards while Haire also carried nine times for 24 yards. Cornell was the top target again with seven catches for 143 yards and a touchdown while
Keilahn Harris and
Shae Garner each caught three passes.
For the second straight week, the opposing quarterback did not throw an incompletion as Brayden Brazeal with 7 of 7 for 74 yards. Brockton Brown rushed 10 times for 86 yards and two scores while TJ Cole added seven carries for 86 yards and a piar of touchdowns. Shun'cee Thomas added 17 carries for 77 yards and two scores.
Defensively,
Josh Arnold led the Bison with 10 tackles while
Myles Russell added nine tackles and a tackle for loss. Oshae Pruitt added eight tackles and two quarterback hurries while KeAndre Evans had seven tackles and three pass break ups.
OBU moves to 3-4 on the year after a tough stretch against the two nationally ranked teams in the GAC and will return to action next weekend for Homecoming as they welcome in Arkansas-Monticello to Crain Family Stadium at the Hurt Complex at 2 p.m.
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