ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Ouachita Tigers football team earned their 500^th win in program history with a 48-28 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State. Quarterback Austin Warford gained 412 yards of total offense and accounted for three touchdowns, while Kris Oliver scored three rushing touchdowns on 110 yards. The Tigers put up 560 yards of total offense in the game.

Ouachita scored on their opening drive to take a 3-0 lead after Cole Antley connected on a 27-yard field goal.  Southwestern Oklahoma answered with a 16-yard touchdown pass on their first drive to take a 7-3 lead. With 4:10 left in the opening quarter, Ouachita went 78 yards on eight running plays, culminating with a six-yard touchdown run by Kris Oliver. Ouachita led Southwestern 10-7 at the end of the first.

Southwestern Oklahoma opened the second quarter with a 10-play drive resulting in a touchdown, a two-yard run. The 14-10 lead would be the last lead of the game for the Bulldogs. Ouachita answered with another long drive, this time 12 plays for 76 yards. Oliver punched it in from five yards out to give the Tigers a 17-14 lead.

On the ensuing Southwestern drive, Devin Price picked off SWOSU quarterback Marc Evans on the SWOSU 22-yard line. Oliver carried it in for his third rushing touchdown of the half, putting Ouachita up 24-14. The defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing Bulldog possession. With just under 20 seconds remaining in the half, Warford hit Allie Freeman with the deep ball, going 45 yards on the touchdown reception. The Tigers led 31-14 at the half.

The Tigers finished the first half with 351 yards of total offense, while holding Southwestern Oklahoma to 138.

Southwestern opened the second half with a touchdown drive, cutting the Ouachita lead to 10. Neither team did much with the football on their next possessions, until the Tigers got the ball with 6:02 remaining in the third quarter. On the fifth play of the drive, Warford went deep again on a second and five pass play, finding Jerry Moorehead running free on the near sideline. The touchdown reception went for 54 yards and put the Tigers up 38-21.

Devin Price picked off his second pass of the game on Southwestern's first possession of the fourth quarter. He returned it 39 yards, setting up a 27-yard field goal for Antley. With the Tigers up 41-21, SWOSU's Sheldon Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for the score. Ouachita's Warford answered with a 76-yard touchdown run on the opening play of Ouachita's next drive.

Ouachita's defense would force Southwestern to turn the ball over on downs on their last two possessions, giving Ouachita their 500^th program win by a final of 48-28. The victory also reclaimed the Paul Sharp Cup for the Tigers. 

The Tigers will travel to Alva, Okla. next Saturday, Sept. 24 to face Northwestern Oklahoma State.