SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist football is back. OBU will look to embark on history as they'll play host to nationally ranked No.17/19 Ouachita Baptist for the first ever Thursday night home contest at Crain Family Stadium at the Hurt Complex. The clubs will clash for their 11th all-time meeting at 6:00 p.m. on September 1 under the lights.
The Bison have not beat the Tigers since 1939, when they defeated Ouachita 7-6.
Live video of Thursday's contest will be available on
OBUBison.com and fans can listen to the broadcast on the Bison Radio Network with the trio of Todd Miller, John Brooks, and Scott Wanish.
Tickets the game will be sold online only. There will no cash transactions. Additionally, fans are encouraged to visit the
Football Game Day information to view clear-bag policy and tailgating policies.
Game Notes
OPENING KICKOFF
- OBU enters its 2022 campaign following its most successful season in school history that saw the program's first postseason victory in the Fun Town RV Heritage Bowl. The Bison concluded the year with eight wins, the most since its rebirth, and extended its win streak over in-state opponents to 16, which dates back to the 2017 season.
WHERE TO NOW
- The Oklahoma Baptist football team will look slightly different this season without these numbers: 7, 12, 10, 75, and 41. Running back Tyler Stuever, quarterback Preston Haire, wide receiver Josh Cornell, offensive lineman Jake Foshee, and linebacker Josh Arnold have moved on. Three were named All-Americans last season, while the others received conference and regional recognitions. However, a fresh group looks to fill the void on both sides of the ball after a season that saw a team fill the conference and program record books.
VETERAN PRESENCE
- Offensively, the Bison return five starters, including All-American and potential 2023 NFL draft pick wide receiver Keilahn Harris. Harris burst onto the scene in 2021, setting program records for receptions (92) and touchdowns (16), to go along with 1,084 receiving yards. He became the second Bison in school history to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a season. Harris finished ranked second in the GAC in receiving yards (90.3), receptions (7.6) per game, and fourth in Division II in total receptions. Additionally, the speedster made his mark in special teams, breaking the OBU single-season mark for return yards (447) and even returned an 87-yarder against NWOSU. Harris will look to repeat such success behind a veteran presence on the offensive line.
- Senior offensive tackle Zach Frazier and offensive guard Kaleb Butler return with a combined 52 games of experience. The duo's presence led to an offensive passing attack that ranked near the top in Division II last year. Frazier makes the move to left tackle after spending the last two seasons at right guard.
RISING THROUGH THE CRACKS
- Dayton Wolfe, who joined the Bison in the spring of 2022, will take over the reins at quarterback with an elite group of young offensive talent eager to make a name for themselves. Wolfe, a freshman on the field, spent last season playing baseball at Cowley County College in Kansas before making his way to the gridiron. In three years as a starter at Westmoore High School, Wolfe threw for over 7,500 yards and 80 touchdowns while tallying 20 touchdowns on the ground.
- Wolfe will have a deep arsenal at his disposal in addition to Harris, including receivers Julian Clarke, Michael Marshall, and Braden Phipps. Clarke led the trio with 382 receiving yards and a touchdown grab, while Phipps and Marshall caught two touchdowns apiece. In the backfield, freshman Buddy Bizzell and EJ Moore will be a two-headed monster behind a great offensive line. Bizzell and Moore, both highly touted recruits, come to Bison Hill after stellar high school careers at Carl Albert and Rouse.
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
- At each level of the Bison defense, players with plenty of know-how return. On the front line, Taurean Smith and Peter Popoola, each of whom have played in 22 total games the last two seasons, will be counted on. At the outside linebacker spot, Nick Boone, an All-GAC honoree last year, returns having played in 23 career games. Then in the secondary, corner Tyler King and safety Trajan Lands also have seen action in 23 contests.
REPLACING A GIANT
- Gone from this year's roster is program great and 2021 All-GAC Second Team selection Josh Arnold. A season ago, he led the conference in tackles (99) and notched an incredible 17.0 tackles-for-loss. Arnold wound up with the most stops in program history with 395. Who will be looked upon to help replace that output? In addition to the aforementioned Nick Boone, the Bison coaching staff has Jake Landers and Elijah Tomlin at the top of the linebacker depth chart. Both of those guys, each in the sophomore class, saw playing time in 10-plus contests last fall.
ALLEN, CARPIN & LOTT FIRM
- The Bison defensive front has a trio of sophomores – Malik Allen, Nick Carpin, and Xavier Lott – that showed good promise a year ago. Each recorded multiple sacks, with Allen leading the way with 7.0. That group also combined for six quarterback hurries. If they can make a jump in their sophomore seasons, the green and gold's defensive line might be one of the best in the GAC.
KING ON THE FIELD
- As a sophomore last season, Tyler King ranked tied for fourth in the GAC with seven pass break-ups. He also added two picks. The 6-foot-4 junior, designated as the team's field corner, will be a crucial piece for this year's defense. After the loss of Jay Jordan, who had a team-high three interceptions in 2021, King will look to be one of the main contributors on the edge for this Bison squad.
WHAT'S YOUR SCHEME
- Back in April, the Bison coaching staff added a new defensive coordinator: Gabe Eliserio. He previously worked at Southeastern Oklahoma State. During his one-year stint with the Savage Storm, he helped orchestrate a 35-21 road win at No. 5/6 Ouachita on Nov. 6. In that contest last season, Eliserio and SE's defensive staff held the Tigers, a team that was averaging over 300 rushing yards per game, to 177. What could that mean on Thursday night for OBU's defense? That's something Bison fans should keep an eye out for.
LAST TIME OUT
- The last time the Bison were on the field, they made history. The 2021 squad became not only the first team in OBU history to not only reach the postseason, but win in it as the Bison defeated UT Permian Basin 24-21 in the FunTown RV Heritage Bowl last December. Behind a huge offensive day, Preston Haire and Tyler Stuever etched their way further into the record books. Haire broke the all-time GAC single-season record for total touchdowns (44) and career completions (1,059). Stuever became the all-time leading rusher in Bison history after a 150-yard performance. Oklahoma Baptist racked up 181 passing and 187 rushing yards en route to 368 yards of total offense. Conversely, the Bison defense held the Falcons to 18 yards on the ground, a season-low in yards allowed in 2021. Haire threw for 181 yards and rushed for another 43, including two total scores. Cornell recorded 72 yards and a score, while Keilahn Harris hauled in five balls for 17 yards.
- Defensively, linebacker Josh Arnold led his squad for the last time, recording eight tackles. Arnold's day included 3.0 TFLs and a team-high 2.0 sacks for 15 yards. Nick Boone was OBU's second-leading tackler, finishing with six tackles with 1.5 TFLs, while Brandon Spencer recorded five tackles.
- After a first quarter that featured one score, the Bison found the endzone twice in the second courtesy of Cornell and Stuever. By the break, OBU held a 17-7 lead. Oklahoma Baptist carried their hot streak into the second half as a Haire scamper tied the contest 24-7. In the fourth, UTPB scored 14 to make things interesting, but the Bison defense held on to claim the 24-21 victory.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
- Ouachita Baptist enters Thursday ranked No. 17 and 19 in the nation, according to the 2022 D2Football.com and AFCA Preseason Polls, after posting a 9-2 (9-2 GAC) record in 2021. Last year marked the program's 13th consecutive winning season and its seventh season with a least nine wins. OUA was picked to finish second in the Great American Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Tigers return 14 all-conference performers, including two All-American selections. 10 of 11 starters return on offense, and six return on defense.
- OUA boasted the second-best defense and third-best offense in the GAC last season. The stingy Tiger defense held their opponents to 18.7 points per game and posted 20 sacks. Ouachita will look to replace the bulk of their defense, including inside linebacker Hayden Lassiter and 2022 sixth-round NFL draft pick cornerback Gregory Junior. Still, the Tigers get back their leading tackler in linebacker Terrell Gibson. Gibson recorded 63 stops last fall. On the backend, junior defensive back Kenta Jones returns after leading his squad and ranking third in the GAC in pass breakups (10). In the trenches, junior defensive lineman Anthony Freeman, who finished third in the GAC in tackles-for-loss (14.5), will anchor a defensive line that produced 37.0 TFLs a season ago.
- Much is to be said about the powerful Ouachita rushing attack that ranked second in the GAC in 2021. The duo of All-American running back TJ Cole and Kendel Givens return to the backfield after recording a combined 2,273 yards and 40 touchdowns. Cole, a senior, enters 2022 on pace to eclipse the 3000-yard career rushing milestone after ending his junior season with 2,314 career yards. Givens' 23 rushing touchdowns in his freshman campaign ranked fourth in the nation and was the second-highest total in program history.
- The last time the two met, the Tigers outlasted the Bison in a 38-31 brawl that went down to the wire. Oklahoma Baptist recorded 481 yards of offense, behind a spectacular performance from receiver Keilahn Harris. He managed 15 receptions for 121 yards and two scores. The Bison went toe-to-toe with Ouachita from the start, as the two traded advantages until the third quarter, when OUA took the lead and never looked back. OBU made a final push in the dwindling minutes of the fourth, but an interception sealed the deal on the Tigers' 12-yard line to decide the game.
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