SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist is back at home on Sept. 28 when it hosts East Central at 6 p.m. at Crain Family Stadium. Saturday's game-day sponsor is Vision Bank. Plus, the Bison are partnering with Vision Bank and Legacy Parenting Center to collect diaper and wipe donations as a part of National Diaper Drive Week.
The Bison Sports Network's Todd Miller, Scott Wanish and John Brooks will be on the call of the game with airtime beginning at 5:30 on KGFF.com.
Bring on the Tigers
The ninth D2 meeting between East Central and Oklahoma Baptist comes on Sept. 28 inside Crain Family Stadium at the Hurt Complex. OBU has won four of the last five games, including last year's 23-15 weather-delayed victory in Ada. That contest featured a near three-hour rain and lightning delay at Koi Ishto Stadium. While the green and gold have won the recent matchups, the Tigers have done well in Shawnee. ECU is 3-1 on Bison Hill and two seasons ago, won 34-20.
Bouncing Back on Offense
The Bison have high hopes offensively this week against East Central. That expectation comes after a recent two-game stretch where not much went right. Over the last two games, OBU was held under 200 yards of total offense against both Harding and Southeastern Oklahoma State. That marked the first time in the D2 era that OBU did not eclipse 200 yards of offense in consecutive contests. Plus, in last week's affair at Southeastern, the Bison did not convert any of their 10 third-down attempts. That marked the first time in 82 D2 contests that the green and gold did not convert on third down.
Defensive Pressure
Southeastern didn't throw much last week in Durant. In fact, the Savage Storm attempted just 19 passes from quarterback Cergio Perez and reached 118 passing yards. That said, in those 19 dropbacks, the Bison failed to bring the quarterback down. That marked the third straight game that the OBU defense did not record a sack. The last time that happened was the 2017 campaign from Sept. 30 against Southern Arkansas to Oct. 21 versus Ouachita.
Game Planning vs. ECU
So far through three contests, OBU ranks 12th in the GAC averaging 54.7 rush yards per game. The team is also seventh in passing yards (149.7). A week ago, the Bison tried to get things going on the ground but couldn't break through versus the Savage Storm. Fast forward to Saturday. East Central gives up 250 rushing yards per game, which is 11th in the league. Will the Bison try again and attain an edge from their ground attack? Stay tuned.
A Career Night
Senior safety
Brandon Spencer II had a career outing last week at Southeastern. His 13 tackles were a personal-high, besting a total of eight he attained last season against Southern Arkansas. The Little Elm, Texas native also recorded an interception. That marked the second straight year he intercepted a Southeastern pass. It was also his fifth career pick which he returned 37 yards. This season, his 20 tackles are fourth on the team and he's one of two players (
Scooter Baker) to have recorded an interception.
Speaking of Defense
Did you know that the Bison are the only team in the Great American Conference with three players ranked in the top-seven in tackles?
Scooter Baker ranks fourth with 29 stops while
Brayden Johnson and
Jylun Spence rank sixth and seventh, respectively, with 27.
Steady Hands
Nick Harris pulled in three more catches against Southeastern last week, boosting his season number to 15. That total ranks third in the GAC. Harris is also the only Bison receiver to have collected 10-plus catches so far. The Dallas, Texas native is averaging nearly 8.0 yards per catch this fall with a long of 27. Harris also averages 39.0 receiving yards per game, ninth-best in the league.
Worth Mentioning
East Central has been very good on pass defense in recent weeks. Southern Arkansas completed just 5-of-17 attempts against the Tigers and during last Saturday's game with Southwestern Oklahoma State, the Bulldogs were 11-of-18. The 16-of-35 passing total equals a pass completion percentage of 45.7 given up by ECU's secondary. Through three contests, the Tigers have allowed 136.3 passing yards per game, third-best in the GAC.
Keep An Eye On
Running back Myles Featherston and receiver K.J. Peoples are, statistically, ECU's best offensive threats. In the backfield, Featherston ranks tenth in the GAC averaging 67.3 rush yards per game. He has a long rush of 33 yards and averages 6.1 yards per carry. As for Peoples, a senior from Waco, Texas, his nine catches are a top-ten mark in the league and he's averaging 11.8 yards per catch. Peoples had a six-catch, 73-yard performance on Sept. 14 against Southern Arkansas.
