SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist (6-3) earned its third straight victory in dominant fashion with a 28-7 triumph over Arkansas-Monticello (2-7) on Saturday afternoon inside Crain Family Stadium.
The Bison overcame the rainy elements of today to improve its record to 6-3, guaranteeing a winning season and erasing the sour taste of what came about a year ago.
For 19 seniors, it was the last time to play in front of the Bison faithful. This year, OBU posted a 4-1 record in Shawnee, its best in the Division II era.
Oklahoma Baptist held the Boll Weevils to a season-low 149 yards of total offense, the fewest yards allowed in program history. UAM charted a mere 23 yards through the air and 126 rushing yards.
OBU recorded 9.0 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, and forced two fumbles. They recovered both of those fumbles, too. Scooter Baker notched a career-high 19 tackles, including 16 assisted and one TFL. Jake Landers also hit double digits in stops, pairing a career-best 13 tackles with a team-high 2.5 TFL and a sack.
Brett Karhu collected a sack to break the single-season Bison (DII era) sack record held by Robert Lolofie (2018-21), bumping his total to 10.0. He added five tackles and an assist on a tackle-for-loss.
Offensively, OBU turned in 259 yards, highlighted by 146 passing yards from Aidan Thompson. He completed eight passes and threw two touchdowns to go along with 34 yards on the ground. Thompson also threw an interception. Buddy Bizzell led the backfield with 43 yards, while Aaron Smith recorded his second touchdown of the year.
Wideout Nick Harris racked up 75 yards and a score, charting his third-straight game with a touchdown. Haven Lysell-Stewart also hauled in a score, his second of 2023.
What started as a back-and-forth game quickly turned with a 30-yard connection from Thompson to Lysell Stewart to put OBU ahead 7-0.
It wasn't until the near three-minute mark of the second stanza that UAM answered, as an Arlie Lee rushing score capped an eight-play, 31-yard drive.
Oklahoma Baptist responded on its next series as Thompson lofted a pass to Harris, who evaded multiple defenders before reaching paydirt. Then, the Bison reached home again, as Smith churned into the end zone from one yard out just before halftime to give the OBU a 21-7 advantage.
In the third quarter, defensive back Tainique Taylor added insurance with a 54-yard punt return. It was the first returned touchdown of his career.
Other defensive notables included an eight-tackle performance from Chase Whitebear and six stops courtesy of Nick Carpin. Xavier Lott also charted a sack for a second-straight game and forced a fumble, while Rian Fields posted five tackles and 1.5 TFL.
Next week, Oklahoma Baptist travels to Arkansas for a matchup against Ouachita Baptist, a team they've never beaten. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Cliff Harris Stadium in Arkadelphia.
