Fifth in a series previewing the six Arkansas teams in the Great American Conference.
ARKADELPHIA -- Quite a bit has changed since Devin Price stepped onto the campus at Ouachita Baptist four years ago.
The most noticeable difference is Cliff Harris Stadium, the 3-year-old grandstand long sought by program supporters. Behind the scenes, Price and his Tigers teammates have gotten to use an expanded and updated weight room, opened before last season, and now a glitzed-up team meeting room opened this summer.
At a glance
OUACHITA BAPTIST
MASCOT Tigers
COACH Todd Knight (112-119-2 in 24th season overall, 84-87 in 18th season at OBU)
LAST SEASON 7-4 overall, 7-4 Great American Conference
OFFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH WR Allie Freeman
DEFENSIVE PLAYER TO WATCH DL Waymon Johnson Jr.
NOTEWORTHY Kris Oliver, a redshirt freshman running back from Arkadelphia, won the Don Hansen Division II Freshman of the Year award last season after rushing for 1,176 yards and 19 touchdowns. … Freeman was second in the GAC in rushing yards per game, while quarterback Austin Warford was sixth at 71.3. Their 178.2 combined rushing yards per game were more than any other league duo. … The Tigers have three returning starters on the offensive line, but are expected to start redshirt freshmen tackles in twins Cori and Justin Gooseberry. … Intercepted just five passes last season, the last in the conference. … Led the GAC in punting average (37.6 yards) and field goals (12 of 14) and punter Shelton Wooley and kicker Cole Antley return.
Price, a senior safety from Ruston, La., enjoys the new perks, which have come in large part thanks to private donations. Now, he wants OBU's success on the field to keep pace with the infrastructure improvements around the team.
"I see it as something more to play for, honestly," Price said. "I feel like we've got to work twice as hard just to let people know that their money is not going to waste. We value everything they give to us."
Ouachita Baptist has been one of the most consistent teams in the Great American Conference, entering this season trying to extend its streak to nine consecutive winning seasons. Two years ago, the Tigers broke through to go 10-1, win a GAC title and reach the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time. But they dipped to 7-4 last year, with losses in three of their first six games and then a season-ending loss to rival Henderson State.
Price, senior defensive lineman Waymon Johnson Jr. and junior quarterback Austin Warford all said last year's results aren't good enough. So, while backed by institutional and fan support, the Tigers aimed this summer to be more efficient in the passing game and to create more turnovers on defense. Both were mainstays in OBU's 2014 season.
On offense, Warford completed only 53.4 percent of his passes with 9 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, but he and Kris Oliver (1,176 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns) combined to lead a rushing attack that gained 253.8 yards per game, third in the GAC. Warford gained 784 yards and scored 6 touchdowns while he and Oliver combined for 341 carries, more than 66 percent of the team's season total.
OBU Coach Todd Knight, in his 18th season at his alma mater, doesn't see that changing. His Tigers have been at their best in recent years with dual-threat quarterbacks.
"It's really our personality right now," Knight said. "We would adjust to whatever. If we've got a drop-back QB, we would do what we needed to do. But we do like the balance, and we do like the quarterback that is mobile."
Oliver, an Arkadelphia native, finished second in the GAC with 106.9 yards rushing per game and tied for first with 19 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman. It was enough to surprise even Knight, who has known Oliver since he was in elementary school, coached him on summer baseball teams and let him spend some time as an OBU ball boy.
"He did go a little bit more and a little bit better than I thought he would," Knight said. "Not that I didn't think that he would do it, but that he did it early."
With Warford, Oliver, receiver Ke'Vontae Pope and three starters on the offensive line returning, Knight is hopeful for an improved offense that went from 37.7 points per game in 2014 to 32.5 lat year.
"Where are we? I don't know," he said. "But we've got a good group to coach."
Defensively, the Tigers ranked fourth in scoring (25.7 points allowed per game), but they were eighth against the pass (234.6 yards per game) and their 12 turnovers forced were the second lowest total in the league.
That's been a focus this summer, Johnson said, supported by defensive coordinator Paige Anders, who preaches "PTS," or "pursue, tackle, strip."
"Pursue with passion, tackle violently and strip with discipline," Johnson said. "We do those things and we'll be fine."
OBU was 3-3 after the first six weeks last year, before a run of four consecutive victories and a season-ending loss to Henderson State, when it had the ball three times with a chance to win in the fourth quarter but came up short.
"I felt like we were playing good, solid football," Knight said. "Our best? Probably not. Looking forward to seeing if we can achieve that this year."
Sports on 08/31/2016