SHAWNEE – After two straight weeks on the road, the Oklahoma Baptist football team returns home for a Saturday night matchup with Southwestern Oklahoma State. Saturday will be OBU's Hall of fame night, which will feature the induction of three former student-athletes. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. inside Crain Family Stadium at the Hurt Complex.
This will mark the 26th all-time meeting between the two clubs. Oklahoma Baptist leads the series with a 14-9-2 record.
Live video of Saturday'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, Scott Wanish, and John Brooks.
Game Notes
OPENING KICKOFF
- OBU is beaming with confidence after securing their first win of the season last Saturday, besting Northwestern Oklahoma State 31-23 in Alva. The Bison used a 17-point fourth-quarter surge and 264 yards on the ground to notch the victory over the Rangers.
STACKING UP AGAINST THE BULLDOGS
- Last week's victory over NWOSU was the 17th straight win over an in-state school and fourth consecutive over Northwestern. OBU looks to have the same success when Southwestern comes to town, having not suffered a loss to the Bulldogs since 2016. However, those wins have not come easy. With the exception of the 35-21 victory in 2019, the games have been decided by eight points or less.
- A pattern of early scoring has been evident in the last four meetings between the two ball clubs. A combined 162 points have been scored in the first half, while 90 points have come in the final 30 minutes of play. In the last two years, the scoring margin between the halves reads 90-24, with the highest scoring coming in the second quarter (48). If this trend holds up, be on the lookout for a shootout in the first half, followed by a defensive battle in the second. In 2017, the SWOSU offense was held to 310 yards, the lowest amount of yards gained in the four-year span. Since then, 362 yards or more have come from either, with OBU holding a 2-1 advantage in the category.
- The OBU defense practically lived in the SWOSU backfield 2021, posting a season-best 10.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. Oklahoma Baptist also jarred five balls loose and recorded an interception to end a stellar night.
TWO-HEADED MONSTER
- Coming into last Saturday, there had only been two other times where a pair of Bison rushed for 100 yards in the OBU Division II era. The first came in 2015 when Jordan Barnes and Stephan Turner rushed for 170 and 116 yards, respectively. It took four seasons for the action to occur again as the duo of Preston Haire (114) and Tyler Stuever (111) eclipsed the 100-yard mark against Southern Arkansas in 2021.
- Freshmen tailbacks EJ Moore and Buddy Bizzell joined the exclusive club last Saturday, rushing for 131 and 100 yards. Bizzell added two touchdowns while Moore reached the endzone once on a 56-yard scamper. Moore averaged 8.7 yards per carry on 15 attempts, while Bizzell averaged 6.3 on 16 totes. The pair became the first freshmen to reach 100 yards in the Division II era of Bison football.
- Furthermore, Moore's 56-yard touchdown was the third-longest rush in the GAC this season and the furthest OBU run since 2019.
A THREAT WITH THE BALL
- OBU offensive coordinator, Daniel Eaton, called on a bit of trickeration against Northwestern last Saturday. To take the lead in the second quarter, wide receiver Keilahn Harris found Dayton Wolfe for a 15-yard touchdown. It was Harris' first passing attempt of his career. He became the first non-quarterback to record a passing touchdown since the program joined the NCAA.
- With 336 receiving yards and 179 return yards this season, Harris has a GAC-best 515 (171.6/g) all-purpose yards. The figure ranks seventh in the nation. He is also third in receptions (19) and receiving yards in the league.
FUMBLIN' AROUND
- Four. That was the number of forced fumbles the Bison defense registered last week at Northwestern Oklahoma State. That total is the most in a single game since joining the GAC. Previously, OBU forced three against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Oct. 28, 2017, and versus Arkansas-Monticello on Sept. 11, 2021.
TOMLIN'S CAREER DAY
- Junior Elijah Tomlin had a night to remember against Northwestern. Not only did he attain a career-high tackle total (9), but the Broken Arrow, Okla., native also became the first Bison player in the Division II era to notch two fumble recoveries in a single game. Those occurred in the second quarter after Tyler King punched the ball loose and in the third on a Peter Popoola force.
A NOTEWORTHY PICK
- Chase Whitebear, OBU's lengthy 6-foot-3 freshman corner, contributed significantly during the Bison's 31-23 win at Northwestern. His stat line: five tackles, two tackles-for-loss, a pass break-up, and a second-quarter interception. The last of those stats, the interception, was significant. It marked just the fourth time since 2015 that an OBU freshman recorded a pick. The three previous occasions: Felipe Alvear against Southern Arkansas on Sept. 29, 2018; Landon Rowlett versus Harding on Sept. 23, 2017 and Ke'Landus Culton against SWOSU on Oct. 20, 2016.
IMPROVEMENT MADE
- OBU's run defense stepped up to the plate against the Rangers after the previous week's games against No. 17 Ouachita and Arkansas-Monticello. The green and gold held the Rangers to 137 yards, a 3.6 yards-per-carry average, and a long of only 17. In the two weeks prior, the Bison had allowed an average of 328 yards and 6.97 yards per carry.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
- Southwestern Oklahoma State comes to Shawnee with an 1-2 (1-2 GAC) record, coming off a 58-48 loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State in Weatherford. After a wild first half with a combined 71 points scored, the Savage Storm outpaced the Bulldogs to claim the shootout victory.
- First-year head coach John Kirkland earned his first victory with SWOSU in week two against Southern Arkansas, 24-20. Kirkland took over the helm after Southwestern went 0-11 in 2021. The Bulldogs have not won more than three games in the last four seasons, posting a 10-35 (.222) record.
- The Southwestern passing attack, led by senior quarterback Tylan Morton, ranks second in the league. Morton has thrown for 791 yards (263.67 yds/g) and a league-best eight touchdowns. He ranks 12th in total offense (870 yds) and 19th for passing yards in Division II. Four SWOSU receivers have over 100 receiving yards: Deshon Moreaux (181), Cameron Hairston (168), Isreal Watson (166), and Jalen Lampley (153). Watson leads the receiving corps with 19 receptions, which is tied for third in the GAC. On the ground, Troy Henderson has 115 yards and one touchdown, highlighted by an 89-yard performance against Southeastern Oklahoma State.
- Defensively, the Bulldogs are giving up 478.7 yards per game, which is fourth most in the conference. They've allowed 13 touchdowns, seven on the ground and six through the air, in three games. Junior defensive back Keldric Martin leads the unit and the GAC with 26 total tackles, averaging 8.7 per contest. He is followed by defensive lineman Christian Toeleiu, who has a team-best 3.0 TFLs to go along with 1.0 sack. SWOSU ranks second in the league in interceptions (4) and third in sacks (7.0).
- Additionally, the Bulldogs are the only team to return a punt for a touchdown in the conference. Lampley took a punt back 67 yards against Henderson in the season opener.
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