WEATHERFORD, Oklahoma – The eighth-ranked Ouachita Baptist University football team opened the 2023 season on Thursday night on the road with a 38-14 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State.
The win gives the Tigers their 16th consecutive season-opening victory and their seventh straight win in the Paul Sharp Cup against the Bulldogs.
The Tigers needed more than 10 minutes to find a rhythm offensively with three-and-outs on the first two offensive series of the game. At the 4:09 mark of the first quarter, quarterback
Riley Harms found receiver
Keemontrae McKnight on a slant pattern over the middle of the field, and then then McKnight scampered 19 yards for the first Ouachita touchdown of the season. It was a warm welcome back for McKnight, who missed all of the 2022 season with injury.
From there it was all Tigers, offensively and defensively, for the rest of the first half with Ouachita holding a 28-0 lead at the break, all scoring coming on passing touchdowns. Harms connected with
Jeremiah Turner on a fade pattern with Turner making a diving catch in the endzone for a 24-yard score at the 11:34 mark of the second quarter.
Kendel Givens scored on a 13-yard catch from Harms at the 1:56 mark of the second quarter. Harms and McKnight hooked up again in the final seconds of the first half for an 11-yard score.
In the second half,
Gabe Goodman gave the Tigers a 31-0 lead with a 24-yard field goal on his only attempt of the game. SWOSU found the scoreboard for the first time with 4:36 remaining in the third and scored its other touchdown on a fumble recovered in the endzone. In between, Givens found the endzone on the ground on a two-yard score.
Defensively, the Tigers kept the Bulldogs off balance throughout the game and ended up with six sacks in the win, led by
Chance Taylor with 1.5 for a loss of 12 yards combined.
Jax Miller,
Matthew Burton,
Joey Ortego,
Melvin Kumwenda, and
Braylen Butler also had quarterback takedowns in the win. The defense also combined to hold SWOSU to just less than 200 yards of total offense, most coming in the second half when the Tigers were up by four scores.
Josiah Johnson led the Tigers in total tackles with 10.
Offensively, the Tigers racked up 436 yards of total offense on 79 plays and led the Bulldogs in first downs 27-12. Harms finished the game 18-for-29 through the air for 283 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Harms also led the Tiger rushing attack with eight carries for 46 yards.
Connor Flannigan led the receiving corps with seven five receptions for 126 yards.
The Tigers have more than a week to prepare for its week two opponent, Northwestern Oklahoma State at home on September 9.
