ARKADELPHIA -- Ouachita Baptist nearly struck the perfect offensive balance to remain perfect this season.
Ouachita finished with 479 total yards -- 239 rushing and 240 passing -- in a 38-28 Great American Conference comeback victory over Southern Arkansas on Saturday afternoon at Cliff Harris Stadium.
Ouachita (8-0, 8-0 GAC) equaled its best start since 1914 and can clinch a share of its second conference title in four seasons with a victory next Saturday at Arkansas-Monticello.
"The record is not as important as what we want to do -- that's to win a conference championship," Tigers Coach Todd Knight said.
Ouachita, ranked No. 13 in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25, trailed 21-17 at halftime before controlling the final quarter behind special teams and a fierce pass rush.
Senior quarterback Kiehl Frazier scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 9-yard run with 14:54 remaining, then scored on a 5-yard run with 9:38 to play.
Senior Etauj Allen gave the Tigers a 38-21 lead by returning a punt 50 yards for a touchdown with 7:53 remaining.
The return gave Allen 355 punt return yards this fall, a single-season school record.
SAU senior quarterback Si Blackshire's fourth touchdown pass of the game pulled the Muleriders (4-4, 4-4) within 38-28 with 7:20 to play.
But Blackshire was sacked twice on SAU's next-to-last possession.
The Muleriders, trailing 24-21, were at the Tigers' 31 when Blackshire fumbled after being sacked by junior defensive end Waymon Johnson. Senior defensive end Kyle Lamothe's recovery led to Frazier's 5-yard touchdown run six plays later.
"As good as Southern Arkansas was today, I thought our kids overcame our own mistakes in the first half," Knight said. "We got a great pass rush in the second half, and our offense made some really, really good plays. Special teams came alive as well."
Blackshire completed 22 of 40 passes for 415 yards. Senior wide receiver Zikerious Ware had 6 receptions for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns, including an 18-yarder to pull SAU within 38-28.
The Muleriders finished with 514 total yards -- just above their GAC-leading average -- but had 3 turnovers and were penalized 13 times for 134 yards.
SAU managed 99 yards rushing.
"We've got to do a better job running the football," Muleriders Coach Bill Keopple said. "Obviously, Ouachita executes very well offensively and does a nice job."
Frazier finished 12 of 23 passing for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also rushed 14 times for 39 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Sophomore tailback Brandon Marks ran 13 times for 98 yards and caught 2 passes for 45 yards and 1 touchdown.
Ouachita outgained Southern Arkansas 302-250 in total yardage in the first half, but trailed 21-17 at halftime.
The Tigers were stung by several special teams mistakes, including two missed field-goal attempts and failing to field a kickoff near their 25.
SAU needed only four plays to cover 70 yards on its opening possession to take a 7-0 lead -- Blackshire's 40-yard touchdown pass to Ware with 12:28 remaining in the first quarter.
Frazier threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Spencer Knight, the coach's son, with 4:33 remaining in the first quarter to make it 7-7.
Ouachita took a 14-7 lead when Frazier threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Marks, who ran a wheel route down the sideline, with 9:01 left in the first half.
The Muleriders countered with touchdown passes of 15 yards from Blackshire to freshman wide receiver Jonathan Weisheit with 4:16 left in the first half and 37 yards to freshman wide receiver Sidney Moore 14 seconds later.
Moore's touchdown came one play after SAU recovered a fumble at the Ouachita 22 when the Tigers failed to field a sky kick.
Ouachita cut the deficit to 21-17 when senior Matthew Ehasz kicked a 26-yard field goal with 1:13 remaining in the first half.
Ehasz missed a 29-yard attempt, which would have given the Tigers a 17-7 lead, with 7:23 left in the second quarter.
Ehasz also missed a 37-yard attempt on the final play of the first half when the kick hit the left upright.
"I'm proud of the kids and the way they overcame the mistakes," Todd Knight said. "They did a good job."
HENDERSON STATE 49, ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO 7
Henderson State responded well to a task it hadn’t faced in three seasons.
Coming off its first regular-season loss since Oct. 29, 2011, the Reddies (8-1, 7-1) gained 563 total yards, forced 3 turnovers and had 8 sacks in a victory over Arkansas-Monticello (2-6, 2-6) in Arkadelphia.
Kevin Rodgers completed 28 of 36 passes for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns without an interception, while Darius Davis caught 6 passes for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns and ran for a score and Zann Jones caught a 5-yard touchdown pass for the Reddies, who bounced back from a 28-24 loss to Harding last week.
Rodney Bryson gave the Division II No. 14 Reddies a 7-0 lead with an 8-yard run in the first quarter that capped a 92-yard drive. Rodgers connected with Davis for touchdown passes of 16 to 63 yards to make it 21-0, and his 45-yard pass to Dustin Holland made it 28-7 at halftime.
Hunter Leppert completed 17 of 28 passes for 132 yards and his 17-yard pass to Jalen Tolliver with 36 seconds left in the second quarter made it 21-7. But JaVante Mack returned the ensuing kickoff 34 yards to the Arkansas-Monticello 49, and two players later Rodgers connected with Holland to make it 28-7.
Jaquan Cole scored on a 9-yard run, Davis scored on an 8-yard run and Jones’ 5-yard pass came from backup Dallas Hardison to cap the Reddies’ scoring.
Eight different Henderson State players were credited for sacks, and it totaled 16 tackles for loss while holding Arkansas-Monticello to 261 total yards and 112 yards rushing.
HARDING 51, SE OKLA. STATE 6
Ahmad Scott scored on a 48-yard run to jumpstart a Harding blowout in which it ran for 467 yards and six different players ran for scores at First Security Stadium in Searcy.
Romo Westbrook rushed for 121 yards on 14 carries and 1 touchdown, while Alapeti Magalei ran for 11 yards on 8 carries and 1 score. Jason Oller, Zach Shelley and Matthew Tenison each scored rushing touchdowns for the Division II No. 17 Bisons (7-1, 7-1).
Harding’s defense forced five turnovers — four interceptions and one fumble recovery — while holding Southeastern Oklahoma State (5-4, 4-4) to 281 total yards, including 81 yards rushing. Frank Herbert intercepted two passes, while Benjamin Shields and Dennis Buckner each came up with interceptions for the Bisons, and Trendall Stevenson recovered a fumble.
After Scott’s run gave Harding a 7-0 lead, Shelley scored from 9 yards out, Oller scored on an 11-yard run and Darious Lane returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-0. The Savage Storm’s only score came on Ryan Polite’s 9-yard pass to Layton Dworaczyk to make it 28-7 at halftime.
EAST CENTRAL (OKLA.) 15, ARKANSAS TECH 0
Arkansas Tech was held to 161 total yards and East Central Oklahoma’s balanced attack was enough for a Great American Conference victory at Thone Stadium in Russellville.
The Wonder Boys (3-6, 3-5) were held to 47 rushing yards on 36 attempts and quarterback Dennis Robertson completed 14 of 35 passes for 114 yards and 1 interception while being held without a touchdown. It was Arkansas Tech’s first home shutout since losing 30-0 to Valdosta State on Nov. 8, 2003.
The teams played to a 0-0 tie at halftime before JoJo Snell gave East Central a 7-0 lead with a 72-yard run with 12:24 left in the third quarter. David Massuere then made a 20-yard field goal to go up 10-0 at the end of the third quarter and Spencer Bond’s 1-yard run capped the scoring for the Tigers (6-2, 6-2).
SOUTHERN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
CENTRE 35, HENDRIX 26
Max Mazza caught 11 passes for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns to help Centre College negate Seth Peters’ 366 yards passing in a victory over Hendrix (5-3, 2-2) on Saturday at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium in Conway.
Two of Mazza’s touchdowns came in the second quarter as Centre (8-0, 4-0) extended a 7-3 lead to 28-6 at halftime.
Mazza’s 55-yard catch from Heath Haden made it 14-3. After Hendrix’s Steve Crenshaw’s 36-yard field goal made it 14-6, Amoh Kumengisa ran for a 3-yard score before Mazza’s 14-yard touchdown reception.
Peters, who completed 30 of 41 passes and threw 2 touchdowns without an interception, ran for a 10-yard touchdown and Ben Luedtke caught a 52-yard pass from Peters to get Hendrix within 28-20 in the fourth quarter. Mazza then caught his a 7-yard touchdown to make it 35-20.
Casey Caton caught 6 passes for 187 yards for Hendrix.
Sports on 11/02/2014