MAGNOLIA – Records, on records, on records. The (RV) Southern Arkansas Mulerider Football Team tied three individual Great American Conference records as well as broke one of its own offensive records from the program’s modern era. SAU Football moves on to 8-2 in the 2024 season for the second-consecutive season with eight or more wins. The final score between the Muleriders and Rangers of Northwestern Oklahoma State came out at 78-0. After the first quarter, Southern Arkansas held a 20-0 lead, but a 34-point second quarter would have the Muleriders leading 54-0 at halftime. Head Coach Brad Smiley made sure other players got their moment and they shined as bright as they could have, outscoring NWOSU 24-0 in the second half.

Where to begin with the Mulerider Offense, initially led by junior quarterback and four-time GAC Offensive Player of the Week? Southern Arkansas’ offense witnessed 790 yards of total offense, a new program record in the modern era that shattered the old record of 637 yards of offense against Henderson State back in the 2000 season when the Muleriders demolished the Reddies 86-0, the modern era scoring record for SAU Football.

The Blue and Gold’s 78 points tied the Great American Conference’s record for most points scored in game. The 11 touchdowns tied the record for most touchdowns in a contest for the league’s history, as it is just the fourth time in GAC history that a team has recorded 11 endzone trips and is the first since Henderson State defeated McKendree in September of 2013. That’s 11 years since a GAC member has scored 11 touchdowns in game.

Rushing the ball, Southern Arkansas’ offense recorded 403 yards seven rushing touchdowns. Ten Mulerider carried the rock and of those ten, the program’s leading rusher Jariq Scales led the pack with 112 yards on the ground with a long rush of 53 and one touchdown. Of those seven rushing touchdowns, six SAU ballcarriers accounted for those with Barton being the lone rusher with a pair of touchdowns.

Through the air, Southern Arkansas accounted for 387 passing yards with four touchdowns. 12 Muleriders recorded a reception with senior Rasheen Green recording 146 yards on five receptions, along of 52, and one touchdown. Four different members in the Blue and Gold threw a pass for the afternoon contest with Barton leading that group with 247 yards, completing 15 of his 19 attempts, throwing for two touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Adam Parker saw the field the majority of the second half and did not let up on the Rangers as the Natchitoches, Louisiana native completed seven of nine passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. The redshirt freshman stood in the pocket and took a lick from the NWOSU defensive line, but not without throwing over the shallow middle to senior Cole Williams on the crossing route. The senior, making his return from injury, went on for 80 yards to the crib. True freshman Colin Hitchcock completed a pair of passes for eight yards, and while he did not throw in his outing, fellow true freshman Caleb Johnson rushed four times for 49 yards with a long of 41 to the house for six, his first score of his career. Finally, and most certainly not least, in his final game at Rip Powell Field, Matthew Whitten took the handoff from Barton that took the focus off of 10 and had him sneak his way to the endzone where the Princeton, Louisiana native (Whitten) found his quarterback for the score.

Only two of the three records in the Great American Conference have been mentioned, that is because the third came from the Mulerider defense. SAU’ defense allowed just 53 yards total to the Rangers with 55 rushing yards, and yes, -2 passing yards. Those -2 ties both the GAC and Mulerider Football’s program record (1957 vs Arkansas-Monticello).

The Rangers saw the Southern Arkansas side of the field just once, and for one play at that. The NWOSU offense’s one play on the Muleriders’ side of the field resulted in a fumble for a five-yard loss back to their own side of the field.

The Muleriders await the results from around the country as they look to climb that Super Region Three ladder towards their first NCAA DII Playoff berth since 2003.

Southern Arkansas travels to Monticello, Arkansas for the final game of the 2024 regular season as the Muleriders take on the Boll Weevils in the 99^th edition of the Battle of the Timberlands.

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Saturday, Aug. 27
Missouri Baptist at Lyon

Thursday, Sept. 1
Arkansas-Monticello at Southern Nazarene
Missouri State at Central Arkansas
Northwestern Oklahoma at Southern Arkansas
Ouachita at Oklahoma Baptist
Southwestern Oklahoma at Henderson State

Saturday, Sept. 3
Arkansas Tech at Southeastern Oklahoma
Austin at Hendrix
Cincinnati vs. Arkansas
Grambling State at Arkansas State
Harding at East Central
Lane at Arkansa-Pine Bluff
OUAZ at Lyon

Saturday, Sept. 10
Arkansas State at Ohio State
Central Arkansas at Ole Miss
East Central at Arkansas Tech
Henderson State at Northwestern Oklahoma
Hendrix at Washington
Lyon at Wayland Baptist
North American at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Oklahoma Baptist at Arkansas-Monticello
South Carolina vs. Arkansas
Southern Arkansas at Southwestern Oklahoma
Southern Nazarene at Ouachita
Southeastern Oklahoma at Harding

Saturday, Sept. 17
Arkansas State at Memphis
Arkansas-Monticello at Henderson State
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Oklahoma State
Central Arkansas at Idaho State
Hendrix vs. Howard Payne
Missouri State vs. Arkansas
Ouachita at Arkansas Tech
Southern Arkansas at Harding

Saturday, Sept. 24
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M
Arkansas State at Old Dominion
Arkansas Tech at Arkansas-Monticello
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alcorn State
Central Arkansas at Southeast Missouri
Harding at Ouachita
Henderson State at Southern Arkansas
Oklahoma Panhandle at Lyon

Saturday, Oct. 1
Alabama at Arkansas
Arkansas-Monticello at Southwestern Oklahoma
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Southern
Austin Peay at Central Arkansas
East Central at Southern Arkansas
Lyon at Langston
Oklahoma Baptist at Harding
Ouachita at Northwestern Oklahoma
Southeastern Oklahoma at Henderson State
Southern Nazarene at Arkansas Tech
Trinity at Hendrix
ULM at Arkansas State

Saturday, Oct. 8
Arkansas at Mississippi State
Arkansas Tech at Oklahoma Baptist
Harding at Southern Nazarene
Henderson State at East Central
Hendrix at Millsaps
James Madison at Arkansas State
Lindenwood at Central Arkansas
Lyon at Arizona Christian
Northwestern Oklahoma at Arkansas-Monticello
Southern Arkansas at Southeastern Oklahoma
Southwestern Oklahoma at Ouachita
Texas Southern at Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Saturday, Oct. 15
Arkansas at BYU
Arkansas State at Southern Miss
Arkansas-Monticello at Ouachita
Central Arkansas at Kennesaw State
Henderson State at Harding
Sewanee at Hendrix
Southern Arkansas at Arkansas Tech
Texas College at Lyon

Sunday, Oct. 16
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Alabama A&M

Saturday, Oct. 22
Arkansas State at Louisiana
Arkansas Tech at Henderson State
Centre at Hendrix
Harding at Arkansas-Monticello
Ouachita at Southern Arkansas
SAGU at Lyon

Saturday, Oct. 29
Arkansas at Auburn
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Florida A&M
East Central at Ouachita
Henderson State at Southern Nazarene
Hendrix at Birmingham-Southern
North Alabama at Central Arkansas
Northwestern Oklahoma at Harding
South Alabama at Arkansas State
Southeastern Oklahoma at Arkansas-Monticello
Southern Arkansas at Oklahoma Baptist
Southwestern Oklahoma at Arkansas Tech

Saturday, Nov. 5
Arkansas Tech at Northwestern Oklahoma
Arkansas-Monticello at East Central
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Grambling State
Central Arkansas at Eastern Kentucky
Harding at Southwestern Oklahoma
Liberty at Arkansas
Lyon at Louisiana Christian
Oklahoma Baptist at Henderson State
Ouachita at Southeastern Oklahoma
Rhodes at Hendrix
Southern Nazarene at Southern Arkansas

Saturday, Nov. 12
Arkansas Tech at Harding
Central Arkansas at Stephen F. Austin
Hendrix at Berry
Lyon at Texas Wesleyan
Ole Miss at Arkansas
Ouachita at Henderson State
Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Southern Arkansas at Arkansas-Monticello
UMass at Arkansas State

Saturday, Nov. 19
Arkansas State at Texas State
Jacksonville at Central Arkansas
LSU at Arkansas

Thursday, Nov. 25
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alabama State

Friday, Nov. 26
Arkansas at Missouri
Troy at Arkansas State

The post 2022 Arkansas college football composite schedule appeared first on ArkansasSports.Net.

JONESBORO – Former Arkansas State running back and All-America return specialist Alan Lamar and tight end Ross Painter were named Wednesday to the 2022 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society.

The Hampshire Honor Society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers.  A total of 1,559 players from 313 schools qualified for membership in the Society’s 16th year.

A-State has now had 31 players receive the honor all-time, including multiple selections each of the last three years.  The Red Wolves had a school-record five student-athletes earn the recognition in 2015.

A graduate transfer from Yale, Lamar’s lone season with the Red Wolves in 2021 saw him collect First Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors and earn All-America recognition as a return specialist from Pro Football Focus (PFF), Pro Football Network (PFN), Phil Steele and Sports Info Solutions (SIS).  He earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Yale and is currently pursuing his master’s in sport administration from Arkansas State University.

Painter spent the last four seasons as a member of the A-State football team, posting his first career touchdown in 2021. An A-State Athletics Director’s Honor Roll member, he earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Arkansas State University in December of 2020 and is currently pursuing his master’s in sport administration.

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF’s National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year.  The program further strengthens the organization’s leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes at the 771 college and universities with football programs nationwide.  The initiative has now honored 14,640 student-athletes since its inception.

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ARKADELPHIA – D2Football.com has released its annual Elite 100 team with a pair of representatives from Ouachita Baptist University making the list.

Junior running back TJ Cole and senior cornerback Gregory Junior both earned a spot on the Elite 100 Second Team.

Cole adds this to an already full list of honors for the 2021 season. The Texarkana, Texas native was named to the All-Great American Conference First Team, the D2CCA All-Region Second Team, and the AFCA All-America First Team.

During the 2021 season, he broke the GAC single-season rushing record with a final total of 1,530 yards on 236 carries. That total ranks third on the Ouachita single-season charts. Cole was responsible for 18 touchdowns this past season, and finished the year with nine games out of 11 with at least 100 yards. He is on pace to eclipse the 3,000-yard career rushing milestone in 2022.

Junior is recognized as one of the best cover cornerbacks in the nation. The Crossett, Arkansas native helped Ouachita be the top pass defense in the GAC this season. The All-GAC First Team selection finished the year with 46 tackles, seven pass breakups, and was responsible for one safety.

Junior has accepted an invitation to participate in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in the last week of January. This is the premier postseason all-star game for draft-eligible college football players.

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SEARCY – For the seventh time since 2012, the Harding football finished the season ranked in the American Football Coaches’ Association Top 25. The 2021 team landed 10th in the final poll, its third time to finish in the top 10.

Harding went 11-2 this season and won the Great American Conference championship with a 10-1 conference record. The Bisons advanced to the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the fifth straight season and reached the second round of the playoffs after defeating Washburn 30-14.

Harding’s highest postseason finish came in 2016 and 2017 when the Bisons were No. 6 in the final poll.

The only other GAC team in the top 25 was Ouachita Baptist at No. 23.

MasseyRatings.com had Harding No. 6 in its final ratings. D2Football.com has not released its final poll.

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RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Following one of the best receiving performances in school history against UAM, Henderson State’s L’liott Curry was named Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

Curry was simply unstoppable against the Boll Weevils and finished the night with 10 receptions for a career-high 228 yards and four touchdowns. The senior from Guthrie, Okla. pulled in touchdown catches of 6, 48, 58, and 62 yards in the 58-18 win.

His 228 receiving yards were the fourth-most in a single game in school history and his four touchdowns marked only the second time in the last 20 years that a Reddie receiver has pulled in four or more touchdown passes.

Curry, who was a 2021 Preseason All-American by multiple publications, has lived up to that billing so far and leads the GAC with 416 receiving yards. He is second in the league with five touchdowns and is averaging a conference-best 138.7 yards per game. The GAC weekly award is the second of Curry’s career at Henderson and is the first for a Reddie this season.

The Reddies (3-0) face their toughest test of the season this Saturday night when they host rival Southern Arkansas at 6 p.m. inside Carpenter-Haygood Stadium and Ruggles Field.

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GAC Communications

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the league’s second Football Player of the Week awards of the 2021 season. Oklahoma Baptist’s Preston Haire earned the Offense accolade; Southern Arkansas’ Gavin Roe and Demarcus Williams claimed the Defensive and Specials Teams honors.

GAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Preston Haire, Oklahoma Baptist, QB, Sr., Trophy Club, Texas

Haire reached multiple milestones in the Bison’ 45-20 win against Arkansas-Monticello. With his 378 passing yards, he surpassed 9,000 passing yards and 10,000 yards of total offense for his career. He completed 36-of-50 passes and his four touchdown passes gave him 80 as a Bison.

GAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Gavin Roe, Southern Arkansas, LB, Fr., Haughton, Louisiana

Roe led the Mulerider defense with a game-high 10 tackles in the 42-27 victory against Southwestern. Roe added an interception in the fourth quarter as SAU held an eight-point lead and had SWOSU driving across midfield. SAU extended its win streak against SWOSU to six games overall and six straight in Magnolia.

GAC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Demarcus Williams, Southern Arkansas, RS, Fr., Marshall, Texas

Williams returned four kickoffs a total of 124 yards as the Muleriders rallied in the second half for a 42-27 home win against Southwestern Oklahoma State. His long return of the day, a 62-yard run back opened the second half. Two of his returns set up SAU touchdowns.

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JONESBORO – Arkansas State wide receiver Corey Rucker was named the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after posting nine receptions for 138 yards and three touchdowns during the Red Wolves’ season-opening 40-21 victory over Central Arkansas.

Rucker was tabbed the league’s offensive player of the week for the second time of his career, also earning the recognition last year following A-State’s season finale against ULM.  Dating back to that game, the second-year freshman has posted a combined 18 receptions for 448 yards and seven touchdowns over his last two games played.

The Yazoo City, Miss., native posted all three of his touchdown catches, which were only shy of tying his own school record, in the second half to help the Red Wolves overcome a 7-6 halftime deficit and pick up the 19-point victory.  His 138 receiving yards were the second most of his career, while his nine receptions tied his personal best.

Rucker’s first touchdown catch covered 34 yards and extended A-State lead to 20-7, and his next two covered eight and 33 yards.  He increased his career numbers to 25 receptions for 591 yards and eight touchdowns, which are four shy of tying the ninth most in school history.

The Red Wolves won their season opener for the first time since 2018 and now turn their attention to Memphis, facing the Tigers this Saturday, Sept. 11, at 6:00 p.m. at Centennial Bank Stadium.

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SEARCY – On the night senior Cole Chancey became the Great American Conference’s career rushing leader, Harding’s defense also had a memorable game as the 22nd-ranked Bisons shut out East Central, 28-0, before 3,500 fans at First Security Stadium.

Chancey, a native of Commerce, Ga., rushed 17 times for 102 yards and three touchdowns. He has 3,775 rushing yards, surpassing Ouachita Baptist’s Kris Oliver, who had 3,763 yards from 2015-18.

Chancey scored on runs of 6 yards and 1 yard in the first quarter and broke the record on a 24-yard touchdown run with 4:06 left in the third. It was his 15th career 100-yard rushing game and fifth with three or more touchdowns.

Harding’s defense recorded its seven opening-night shutout since the Bisons restarted their football program in 1959. The last shutout was 20-0 over Southern Arkansas in 2010. The 28-point margin was Harding’s second-largest shutout behind only a 39-0 victory over Lane in 1992.

Harding’s defense forced five turnovers, including four interceptions. Chancey’s first touchdown came after East Central (0-1) fumbled the opening kickoff. The Bisons took over at the East Central 16 and needed four plays before Chancey pounded through the middle of the East Central line to put the Bisons up 7-0 with 13:02 left in the first quarter.

After an East Central three-and-out, junior transfer Omar Sinclair took a pitch and raced down the Harding sideline, hurdling a pile of would-be tacklers and cutting across the field for a 72-yard touchdown. It was only his second carry as a Bison and gave Harding a 14-0 lead only 3:11 into the game. Sinclair carried four times for 92 yards.

The first of Harding’s four interceptions led to the team’s third first-quarter touchdown. Senior linebacker Shedrick Robinsonlaid out haul in his first career interception, giving the Bisons the ball at the Harding 44. A 13-play drive resulted in Chancey powering in from a yard out on 4th-and-goal.

Harding (1-0) has outscored its opponents 368-99 in the first quarter under head coach Paul Simmons.

Sophomore Ahmad Butler’s first career interception came in third quarter and gave the Bisons possession at the East Central 27. Two plays later, Chancey found a hole up the middle and found his way into the GAC record book with his third touchdown.

Harding’s defense limited East Central to only 48 rushing yards and 98 passing yards. The 146 total yards were the fewest by a Harding opponent since Southwestern Oklahoma had 135 yards in 2018.

Harding will play the first of two consecutive road games next Saturday against Southeastern Oklahoma in Durant. The Savage Storm won its opener 38-20 at Arkansas Tech on Thursday in Russellville.

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JONESBORO – With the Arkansas State football team’s first season under new head coach Butch Jones set to kickoff in just under a month, the Red Wolves reported for fall camp Thursday at the Centennial Bank Athletics Operations Center.

Jones and his staff will lead an A-State squad that features 60 returning lettermen and over 50 newcomers through its first of 15 fall-camp practices on Friday afternoon.  The Red Wolves will conduct a pair of scrimmages August 14 and 21, while also holding its annual Media Day Aug. 19, before classes at Arkansas State University begin on Aug. 24.

“Our players have worked exceptionally hard since the conclusion of spring football,” Jones said.  “Everyone in our organization is looking forward to the start of camp and continuing the process of improving each and every day.  We must display consistency every practice to make those improvements as we continue our preparations for the season.”

A-State, which was predicted to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division according to the league’s preseason coaches poll, will kickoff its 2021 campaign on Sept. 4 with a home game against Central Arkansas.  Hosting Memphis a week later, the Red Wolves will begin their season with back-to-back games at Centennial Bank Stadium for the first time since 1987.

Jones, A-State’s 31st all-time head coach, takes over a program that posted a 4-7 record in 2020, but had previously posted nine consecutive bowl-game appearances and won five Sun Belt Conference championships between 2011-19.

Between Athlon Sports, Phil Steele’s, College Football News and Pro Football Focus, 13 different A-State players this season have received preseason All-Sun Belt Conference recognition.

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