SHAWNEE – The tenth all-time meeting between Oklahoma Baptist (0-1) and Henderson State (1-0) takes place on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. inside Crain Family Stadium at the Hurt Complex.
OBU is coming off a week-one defeat at Southern Arkansas (49-14) while the Reddies earned a 48-13 victory over Southern Nazarene.
The Bison Sports Network's Todd Miller, Dave Myrick and John Brooks will have the call of the game beginning at 6:30 p.m. Below you'll find notes on both squads.
Strength by Force
Following the conclusion of last week's contest at Southern Arkansas, there was an impressive stat accomplished by the Bison defense: four forced fumbles. Does that seem like a lot? Well, it is. In fact, that number matched the most forced fumbles in a game in OBU's Division II era. Previously in the 2022 season, the Bison defense forced four fumbles at Northwestern Oklahoma State on Sept. 17, 2022.
Cornerback
Chase Whitebear had one of those forces three years ago and he added another, this one at the goal line on SAU's first drive, last week. Plus,
Bryson Cornelious,
Brady Luff and
Maddux Boyd added the others last Thursday night in Magnolia.
Making a Difference
Newcomers
Caleb Giles and
Colt Humphrey, along with Luff, all made significant contributions last week against the Muleriders. For Giles, a sophomore transfer from Texas Lutheran, he posted a team-high 11 tackles which is the second-ranked mark in the GAC. Luff, who made his first career start last week, posted nine stops which were a career-high and added 2.0 tackles-for-loss. As for Humphrey, a transfer from Southeastern Oklahoma State, he also notched nine tackles with a pair of TFLs.
Multi-Threat Options
Another newcomer, graduate transfer running back
Deuce Wise, added a lift for the Bison offense. He carried 11 times for 39 net yards and hauled in a career-high six passes for 40 yards. Plus, wide receiver
Nick Harris had a career-long 18-yard rush in the first quarter and by game's end, pulled in four catches for a team-best 67 yards. That included a 27-yard catch in the third quarter.
NCAA Stat Updates
The Bison notched 287 passing yards last week with
Chad Mascoe II registering 281 of those. That total is best in the GAC and is slotted 19th nationally. Plus Mascoe completed 78 percent of his throws; that's good for fourth in the country.
On the defensive end, OBU's 6.0 tackles-for-loss is the third-best mark in the conference and 53rd nationally out of 153 schools. Luff and Humphrey are tied for 17th nationally with 2.0 TFLs apiece.
Trouble Spots
Turnovers proved costly for OBU. They committed four, and Southern Arkansas scored touchdowns on each of them, including a 99-yard pick-six late in the fourth. Since the start of Division II play in 2015, the Bison have been in 15 games where they committed at least four turnovers. Only one of those did they win: On Oct. 17, 2015, the Bison turned it over six times against Northwestern Oklahoma State but still managed to escape Alva with a 41-38 victory.
Reversing the Trend
Defending the run is a top priority for the Bison defense heading into week two. Over the last five games dating back to last season, opponents have averaged 223 yards per contest, a 5.6 yards-per-carry average and totaled 13 rushing touchdowns. Last week, Southern Arkansas dialed up 304 yards, the sixth-best total in Division II.
The Series with Henderson
Specifically, we're looking at the games taken place between the Bison and Reddies in Shawnee. In 2023, it was 27-14 HSU; In 2021, HSU won on a last-second field goal 36-34; In 2017, the Reddies edged the green and gold 14-13. In total, over six games, the average point margin was 5.2 points. While OBU is 0-9 all-time against Henderson State, its performances on Bison Hill have left the team thinking 2025 could be a different story.
Coach's Thoughts
HC
Chris Jensen: "They have brought in some good looking players to compliment their returners. They are well coached and play hard. It is a great opportunity for us to play another top team in our conference, and I know our players will be ready for the challenge."
OC
Daniel Eaton: "Probably one of the most athletic defenses in all of Division II. They do one of the best jobs recruiting to their scheme and finding guys that play fast and hard."
DC
Tyler Roberts: "Henderson State has the best QB in the conference (Andrew Edwards) who can make plays with his arm and legs. They also have one of the best tight ends in the country in Cayden Davis. He can press you vertically and block at an elite level. We're very excited about facing off with one of the top offenses in the conference."
About Henderson State
Henderson State started this season 1-0 after a 48-13 win against Southern Nazarene University.
HSU's offense was phenomenal both on the ground and through the air, amassing 393 yards in last week's win. The Reddies' defense was on the same page and forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter.
After an 8–3 campaign, Greg Holsworth enters his second season looking to build on a debut that set program records for first-year wins and marked Henderson State's best winning percentage in nearly 100 years.
Henderson State returns two key playmakers: Jody Easter, who ranked third nationally with three kickoff return touchdowns, and quarterback Andrew Edwards, who led the GAC in passing touchdowns (27), yards (2,539), and efficiency (156.9).
Taylin Paskel is one of nine players in the country with a punt return touchdown. Last week versus SNU, he took one 80 yards to the house early in the fourth quarter
On the defensive side of the ball, the Reddies must replace Cameron Thomas, who finished 11th in the nation in interceptions per game (0.5). After the week one contest with Southern Nazarene, Ryan Hampton ranked sixth in the nation with 2.5 tackles-for-loss.
Edwards' favorite red-zone find is also returning. Cayden Davis made history as Henderson State's first All-American tight end, earning D2CCA second-team honors along with Don Hansen honorable mention recognition.
Among some of the key statistics for the Reddies, they are the national leader in team passing efficiency defense (42.55) and fourth in turnover margin (+3.0)
HSU's defense is also 15th nationally in total defense. Last week against Southern Nazarene, that unit gave up 242 yards. Lastly, Henderson is slotted 22nd in Division in time of possession (33:50) and teams sacks (3.0). During last season's game with the Bison, HSU dialed up a pair of sacks as well 7.0 tackles-for-loss.
