GAME NOTES

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The No.14/15 Ouachita Tigers football team enters this weekend's matchup with Southeastern Oklahoma State with an unblemished mark in the 2018 season; the Tigers will look to start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2014.

This will be the 54^th meeting between Ouachita (2-0, 2-0 GAC) and Southeastern Oklahoma State (1-1, 1-1 GAC) with the Tigers holding a commanding 32-17-4 advantage over the Savage Storm in the series. Ouachita has outscored Southeastern 1147-934 over the series and the Tigers boast an 11-4 record when scoring 30 or more points. Since the formation of the Great American Conference, Ouachita holds a 5-2 record over the Savage Storm.

As of late though it has been the Savage Storm that has played spoiler for Ouachita. Southeastern Oklahoma State has won the last two meetings between the schools by a combined 14 points, including a 41-35 win last year in Arkadelphia.

Last season the Tigers comeback effort fell short in the closing moments of the second half. Ouachita gave up 31 first half points to the Savage Storm, but held their opponents to just 10 points after the halftime break. Senior quarterback Austin Warford attempted to will the Tigers to victory last season; Warford finished the game with 316 yards of total offense and produced three total touchdowns in the losing effort. After the loss, the Tigers went on a two game winning streak against East Central and Arkansas Tech.

This season the Tigers are currently riding high on the offensive side of things. In the first two games of the season, the Tigers are averaging 441.0 yards of total offense. The bulk of those yards have come on the ground where the Tigers average a league best 279 yards per game. Ouachita's rushing attack is led by senior running back Kris Oliver (Arkadelphia, Ark.) who has already accumulated 240 yards and a league best 5 touchdowns. The five scores place the senior in a tie for second in the nation, behind Jaymar Anderson of East Stroudsburg.

If Oliver needs a breather then the Tigers can substitute in Shun'cee Thomas (Bossier City, La.) or Brockton Brown (Sheridan, Ark.). Thomas currently has the longest touchdown of the season for the Tigers after a 61-yard touchdown against Southwestern Oklahoma State. Brown has proven to be a bruiser of a back in the first two games for Ouachita. In week one Brown picked up a key third down against Northwestern Oklahoma State to seal the game for the Tigers first win of the season. In the second game of the season, Brown scored the knockout blow against Southwestern Oklahoma State.

When the Tigers need to pass, they have relied on the very efficient Brayden Brazeal (England, Ark.). In his first season at the helm of the Ouachita offense, Brazeal has completed 68 percent of his passes and is currently averaging 162 yards per game.

Brazeal's top target this year has been junior Allie Freeman (Little Rock, Ark.). Freeman is currently averaging 85.50 yards per game and holds the lone receiving touchdown for the Tigers. All-purpose player Drew Harris (Benton, Ark.) has yet to cross the end zone this year after scoring 26 touchdowns a season ago. Senior wide receiver La'Darius McElroy (Ashdown, Ark.) gives Brazeal a large target to throw to on the outside.  McElroy is currently averaging 27 yards per game.

Ouachita's defense came alive last weekend as they held Southwestern Oklahoma State to just eight points last weekend. The Tigers pass rush gave the Bulldogs fits last week as the front seven produced five sacks in the game. In the defensive secondary, Keandre Evans (Junction City, Ark.) and Hayden Lassiter (Warren, Ark.) have been ball-hawks for the Tigers. Evans currently leads the defense with 15 total tackles and Lassiter came away with a five tackle, one interception performance last week against Southwestern Oklahoma.

Southeastern Oklahoma State enters this weekend unsure of their identity. In week one the Savage Storm blew out Southern Nazarene 35-0 but in week two the Savage Storm found themselves on the losing end of a 34-28 defeat to Oklahoma Baptist. It was the first time ever that Southeastern Oklahoma State had lost to Oklahoma Baptist since joining the GAC in 2014.

The Savage Storm currently are averaging 31.50 points per game and 376.5 yards of total offense. Meanwhile, their defense is holding opponents to just 17 points per game and 283.5 yards of total offense.

Kenneth Burks is the Savage Storm leading rusher averaging 118 yards a game and four touchdowns on the ground. Through the air quarterback Austin Skinner is averaging 167.5 passing yards and has thrown for three scores. Jaylen Sims and Felton Hatcher have become the go to receivers for Southeastern this season; both are averaging over 10 yards a reception.

Ouachita and Southeastern Oklahoma State will kick-off tomorrow night at 6 p.m. in Durant, Okla. Be sure to log onto www.obutigers.com to learn all the different ways in which you can follow along with the game tomorrow.