ARKADELPHIA, Ark.- Although it seems like just yesterday that the Ouachita Tiger football team were kicking off the 2012 season, they will play their ninth game of the season this week, as they host the Muleriders of Southern Arkansas. For the 11 seniors on the Ouachita football team, all of which have been a pivotal part of the program's success in the last four years, it will be the last home game of their careers.
 
QUARTERBACK SITUATION
The Tigers are starting Benson Jordan this week following his 27-of-32 performance through the air in last week's game against East Central. It will mark his first start since Ouachita's third game of the season against Arkansas Tech, when he went down with a shoulder injury. He has split time with wide receiver-turned-quarterback Ty Towers since then, but after last week, it appears that Jordan is going to be taking on a full-time role.
 
Southern Arkansas enters the game with Tyler Sykora listed as their starting quarterback. Sykora has been a sensational piece of the Mulerider offense this season, posting 2,321 yards and 22 touchdowns in his eight games as a starter. He is currently completing 60.8 percent of his passes, posing a huge threat to the Tiger defense. Sykora is just one of a number of threats for SAU though, but more on that later.
 
RUNNING THREATS
Ouachita has really focused on the run game this season, with the duo of Chris Rycraw and Steven Kehner taking on the majority of the work out of the backfield. Rycraw has recorded 875 yards and seven touchdowns to this point, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Kehner has registered 358 yards and two touchdowns en route to a 5.8 yard per carry average. Both are going to have to bring their hard hats to the game on Saturday, as they line up against a Southern Arkansas defense that is only giving up 100 yards per game to opposing running offenses.
 
The Muleriders have found a nice complement to Sykora with running back Mark Johnson. Johnson has picked up 767 yards and eight touchdowns in seven games so far this season, averaging five yards per carry. The Tiger defense enters the game with a defense that holds opposing run offenses to just 122 yards per game though, so Johnson is going to rely heavily on his offensive line as he faces off against the Tigers.
 
WIDE RECEIVERS GALORE
Ouachita and Southern Arkansas both enter this weekend's games with a number of receivers who might be called upon during the game. The Tigers' leading receivers to this point are Brett Reece and Drew White.  Reece leads the team in receiving yards, with 544 yards and seven touchdowns on 34 receptions. White has 34 receptions as well, picking up 439 yards and four touchdowns. Jalen Jones and Peyton Tolliver are both legitimate threats though, with 19 and 18 receptions so far this season respectively.
 
Southern Arkansas enters with a similar situation, as they have four receivers who have recorded 200 or more yards this season. Leading their receiving corps is Rafael Thomas, who has currently racked up 619 yards and eight touchdowns on 38 receptions. Jack Brown has actually caught more balls than Thomas, with 44 receptions, but has recorded 458 yards and a touchdown so far this season. Other leading receivers include the likes of Montel Hardman and Carlos Brown, who have recorded 403 and 252 yards respectively.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS TO THE RESCUE
The Tigers' special teams units have been instrumental in their success so far this season, with kicker Jason Fowler and punter Clark Gaddis performing admirably. Fowler broke the all-time scoring record for the Ouachita football program last week at East Central and has converted on seven of his eight field goal attempts this season with a long kick of 39 yards. Although he doesn't score any points, Gaddis is just as important. So far this year he has averaged 41.3 yards per punt, putting the opponent inside their own 20 yard line nine times. He also has two punts over 50 yards this year.
 
The Muleriders look to kicker Jacob Carpenter and punter Kyle Tobler to handle their special teams duties. Carpenter has converted on three of his four field goal attempts so far this season, but isn't called upon very often. Tobler has struggled so far this year, as he only averages 32.6 yards per punt, but he has a long of 52 yards.
 
BROTHERLY LOVE
Along with this weekend's game being the last for the seniors, it is a first in the short history of the Great American Conference. Ouachita's Drew White and Southern Arkansas' Brooks White mark the first pair of brothers to ever start a game on opposing teams in the conference. Last year, Brad and Austin Smithey became the first pair of brothers to play against each other, when Southwestern Oklahoma State and Harding faced off, but they did not start.
 
RECOGNIZING THE SENIORS
Senior's on this year's Tiger football roster consist of 12 players and two team managers. The seniors on this year's squad include linebacker Augustine Ume-Ezeoke, quarterback Casey Cooper, kicker Jason Fowler, linebacker Landon Freeman, defensive end Ugo Nkalari, defensive end Dennis Stratton, linebacker Johnathan Frink, center Hunter Soper, offensive lineman Garrett Sykes, wide receivers Peyton Tolliver and Brett Reece and defensive lineman Sam Dunnam. The senior team managers this year are Justin Kirst and Johnathan Stone.
 
The Tigers are scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, with senior day recognition beginning at 12:45 p.m.
 
-Josh Fink, Sports Information Director