Muleriders to host Southern Nazarene

Unbeateen and No.17-ranked Southern Arkansas (5-0, 5-0 GAC) welcomes Southern Nazarene to Wilkins Stadium in a Great American Conference matchup Saturday afternoon.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

This will be the seventh meeting all-time between the two programs. In the six previous meetings, SAU came out on top in lopsided decisions with an average margin of victory 33.5 points per game.

The Muleriders are the GAC’s second-best scoring offense (36.8 ppg), league’s fourth-best scoring defense (18.8 ppg) and Division II’s fourth-best turnover margin (1.80).

Southern Nazarene enters play with a 1-4 overall record and a 1-4 mark in the GAC.

The Crimson Storm brings the nation’s fourth-best passing defense to Magnolia, allowing only 123.2 yards through the air per game through the first five weeks of the season.

Southern Arkansas counters with a tough defense as well as the Muleriders own the GAC’s second-best rushing defense (120.4 ypg) and the fifth-best total defense (340.4).

Offensively, the Crimson Storm are averaging league-lows in points per game (13.0) and total offense per game (188.4) with 128.4 of those yards coming on the ground and just 60.0 yards coming through the air.

The Crimson Storm rank seventh in rushing offense and 11th in passing offense. Commanding the offense for the Crimson Storm is senior quarterback Jacob Spady. In five games this season, Spady has completed 21-of-61 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Spady is also the team’s leading rusher with 271 yards on 64 carries and one touchdown.

Defensively, the Crimson Storm are allowing 29.0 points per game and 347.2 yards of total offense per game with 224.0 of those yards coming on the ground and just 123.2 yards coming through the air.

The Crimson Storm’s scoring defense ranks 6th in the GAC and their total defense also ranks 6th. Their passing defense leads the league, while their rushing defense ranks 11th in the league.

SAU redshirt senior quarterback Barrett Renner holds Top-15 marks nationally in passing yards (1,455), passing yards per game (291.0) and passing touchdowns (13) and ranks ninth in the country in completion percentage (66.9%), while one of his favorite targets in redshirt senior wide receiver Karonce Higgins ranks sixth nationally in receiving yards (596) and eleventh in DII in receptions per game (7.2).

GAC standings

OBU..............................5-0

SAU..............................5-0

Harding.........................4-1

SE Okla........................3-2

Ark. Tech.......................2-3

East Central..................2-3

Henderson....................2-3

Okla. Baptist..................2-3

SE Okla........................2-3

UAM.............................1-4

NW Okla.......................1-4

So. Nazarene................1-4

Saturday’s games

Okla. Baptist at Henderson, 2 p.m.; SE Okla. at SW Okla., 4 p.m.; East Central at NW Okla., 4 p.m.; UAM at ATU, 6 p.m.; OBU at Harding, 6 p.m..

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