SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist (0-2 GAC) welcomes Northwestern Oklahoma State (0-2 GAC) to Crain Family Stadium on Sept. 20 for a 7 p.m. Great American Conference matchup.
This contest, the tenth all-time matchup between the Bison and Rangers, is presented by Vision Bank.
Todd Miller, Dave Myrick and John Brooks will be on the call of the game which can be watched via the Bison Sports Network. Below you'll find notes on both teams.
Vaughn's Career Night
It seemed every one of redshirt freshman
Garrett Vaughn's catches this past Saturday versus Henderson State were highlight-reel moments. He hurdled over a defender on one play; notched a midfield snag over another Reddie defender; he also had a tough, ball-behind-his-body catch near the south end zone. Bottom line: Vaughn made his presence felt. The 5-foot-9, 165-pounder from Bixby ended his fourth career game with the Bison with six catches for 111 yards, both career-highs. He currently ranks sixth in the GAC with 58.0 receiving yards per game.
Whitebear's Good Too
Senior cornerback
Chase Whitebear was sensational too this past weekend. He finished with nine tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception. For his efforts against the Reddies, he was named Great American Conference Defensive Player of the Week. That was his second career honor. In his career, the stout, 6-foot-3 defensive back has been a part of three, multiple-turnover games. In 2022, he had a forced fumble and recorded an interception against Northwestern Oklahoma State. A season later, Whitebear had a pick and fumble recovery versus Southeastern Oklahoma State. Here in 2025, the Haslet, Texas native ranks third in the GAC in tackles (19) and sixth with two passes defensed.
That Interior Presence
Along the defensive front,
Jahden Brown was a strong force against Henderson. He had eight tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss, a sack and a blocked field goal. Through two games, Brown is tied for third in the league with 2.5 TFLs. Plus, the Hewitt, Texas native's 1.5 sacks are currently a top-50 NCAA mark.
Whoa Nelly!
He was a linebacker last year. Now?
Haydn Thornton plays tight end in the Bison offense, and he's got touchdown catches in each of the first two games. That ranks him tied for first in the Great American Conference and 32nd nationally.
Since the Bison joined the NCAA Division II ranks in 2015, Thornton is only the fourth designated tight end to haul in multiple receiving touchdowns. In 2022, Sam Sharp caught a pair and a year later,
Haven Lysell notched two scores. Eli Paul holds the OBU D2 record for most receiving touchdowns by a tight end with three in 2019.
NCAA Stat Updates
The NCAA released its week-three statistical update and there are two categories that really jump out for the Bison: forced fumbles and red zone defense. OBU has an impressive five players that have forced a fumble. That ranks 19th in the country. Those players:
Maddux Boyd,
Bryson Cornelious,
Brady Luff,
Robert Waters Jr., and Whitebear. If the Bison stay on their current pace of 2.5 forced fumbles per game, they'll smash the 2015 record of 11 forced fumbles which that Bison defense attained a decade ago.
As for the team's defensive presence inside the 20-yard line,
Tyler Roberts' unit is ranked 29th out of 135 teams. They have kept opponents out of the end zone nearly 63 percent of the time.
Not Again
The real negative so far for the Bison has been turnovers. They coughed up the ball four times at Southern Arkansas and then did so again last week versus Henderson State. With eight total miscues, which include seven interceptions by OBU quarterbacks, the team ranks 144th out of 156 teams in D2.
The Series with Northwestern
Until last year's 30-28 defeat at Northwestern, the Bison had reeled off five straight wins in the series over the Rangers. Those came by average scores of 37.4 to 25.6 and helped OBU attain a 6-3 series advantage over their opponent from Alva.
One shouldn't expect scores like that come Saturday night in Shawnee, though. Northwestern has scored just one touchdown through 23 offensive drives this fall. As for the green and gold, they have scored four times through 23 drives as well.
Coach's Thoughts
HC
Chris Jensen: "I believe they are better than their record or the stat column suggests. They have good athletes and do a good job of getting them the ball in space. They play hard on defense and can create difficulties for their opponents to sustain drives. It is very important for us to have a great week of practice and to execute at a high level."
OC
Daniel Eaton: "We are the last team they beat so they are going to come in with confidence. We need to not beat ourselves and play fast against them. They pursuit to the football well."
DC
Tyler Roberts: "Northwestern's offense has a good wide receiver corps that can create dynamics. They have one of the better guards in the GAC that is a returning starter from 2024. They challenge you by using a lot of different formations."
About Northwestern Oklahoma State
Through two games, Northwestern Oklahoma State is 0-2 after losing its opener to Harding 49-7 and last week's matchup to Arkansas Tech 44-0.
The Rangers' offense has faced early challenges, totaling only 318 yards over two games while still looking for their first rushing or passing touchdown. Over 23 offensive drives, they have punted a whopping 19 times. Plus, Northwestern's longest drive of the season was an 11-play, 43-yard drive in last week's third quarter against Arkansas Tech which ended in an interception.
Ezequiel Luna has been a bright spot on offense, amassing 74 yards on the ground at 4.1 yards per carry.
Northwestern's receiving corps is led by Henry Wilson Jr. He's got four catches for 62 yards with a long reception of 34.
With the lack of offensive firepower thus far, Jacob Jones has punted 12 times with an average of 30.33 yards per punt.
Of note, Northwestern has allowed two blocked punts heading into week-three action. That total is worst in the nation, of 154 teams in the NCAA database.
Defensively, NWOSU has allowed 46.5 points per game and 468.5 yards per game, leaving much to be desired. Though, the Rangers did play the nation's number-one scoring team in Harding (52.0 PPG) and the 22nd-ranked squad in Arkansas Tech (38.0 PPG).
Aiden Lewis has the lone Rangers touchdown on an 80-yard scoop and score against Harding. He also ranks third in the GAC with 9.0 tackles.
Lorenzo York Jr. has been making plays in the Northwestern secondary. His three pass break-ups rank 30th in Division II and second in the league.
