Today’s GAC capsules

Arkansas Tech Coach Raymond Monica
Arkansas Tech Coach Raymond Monica

SE OKLAHOMA STATE AT ARKANSAS TECH

WHEN 2 p.m. Central WHERE Thone Stadium, Russellville RADIO KCJC-FM, 102.3 in Russellville INTERNET ESPN3; arkansastechsports.com

RECORDS SE Okla. State 6-3 in Great American Conference; Arkansas Tech 7-2 in GAC COACHES Bo Atterberry (26-17 in fourth season at SE Okla. State, 67-45 in 10 seasons overall); Raymond Monica (30-24 in five seasons at Tech, 75-58 in 12 seasons overall)

SERIES Arkansas Tech leads 11-5-1

LAST MEETING SE Okla. State won 36-31 last season

COMMENTS Arkansas Tech will enter its second-to-last game of the season with a shot at earning at least a share of the program’s first Great American Conference championship since the league was formed in 2011. SE Oklahoma State is tied with Harding for second place, and Tech will play Harding next week. … SE Okla. State has lost three consecutive games. … Junior defensive back Larry Bridges is tied for second in the GAC with 4 interceptions. … Tech’s scoring offense

(42.4 points per game) is tops in the GAC and ranks 10th in NCAA Division II. It will face SE Okla. State’s defense, which ranks sixth in the conference in points allowed (26.2 per game).

EAST CENTRAL (OKLA.) AT HARDING

WHEN 2 p.m.

WHERE First Security Stadium, Searcy RADIO KVHU-FM, 95.3 in Searcy

INTERNET harding-sports.com

RECORDS East Central 2-7 in Great American Conference; Harding 6-3 in GAC

COACHES Tim Mc-Carty (48-63 in 11 seasons at East Central, 68-89 in 15 seasons overall); Paul Simmons (6-3 in first season at Harding and overall)

SERIES Harding leads 12-3

LAST MEETING Harding won 35-7 last season

COMMENTS After starting the season 0-3, Harding is now one game behind a two-way tie for the lead in the Great American Conference. … The Bisons’ top rushing game in NCAA Division II

(351.7 yards per game) has 4 players with over 400 yards and 3 players with over 5 rushing touchdowns. Freshman running back Cole Chancey leads the team in rushing yards (710) and has 8 touchdowns. … East Central freshman running back Ontario Douglas leads the GAC with 917 yards and 7 touchdowns. Douglas’ 101.9 yards per game rank 30th in D-II. … ECU junior wide receiver Trinity Benson is third in the GAC in both receptions per game (5.1) and receiving yards per game (64.3).

OUACHITA BAPTIST VS. SOUTHERN ARKANSAS

WHEN 2 p.m.

WHERE Memorial Stadium, El Dorado RADIO KVMZ-FM, 99.1 in Magnolia; KHTE-FM, 96.5 in Little Rock; KUOA-AM, 1290 and FM, 97.7 in Siloam Springs; KAMD-FM, 97.1 in Camden; KZNG-AM, 1340 and FM, 105.5 in Hot Springs; KNAS-FM, 105.5 in Nashville; KQOR-FM, 105.3 in Mena

INTERNET obutigers.com; muleriderathletics.com

RECORDS Ouachita Baptist 7-2 in Great American Conference; Southern Arkansas 6-3 in GAC

COACHES Todd Knight (98-93 in 19th season at Ouachita Baptist, 126-125-2 in 25th season overall); Bill Keopple (49-44 in eight seasons at Southern Arkansas and overall)

SERIES Ouachita Baptist leads 37-35-1 LAST MEETING Ouachita Baptist won 40-37 (4 OT) last season

COMMENTS Ouachita Baptist redshirt senior quarterback Austin Warford was named Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Week after accruing 252 total yards and 4 touchdowns in a 55-21 victory over Arkansas-Monticello last week. … Last season’s game ended after four overtimes, when kicker Cole Antley, now a junior, kicked the game-winning 36-yard field goal. … Southern Arkansas was selected to win the GAC in the preseason predictions, but the Muleriders dropped out of a four-way tie for first after their 36-30 loss to Henderson last week. … SAU junior quarterback Barrett Renner leads the GAC in yards passing per game (263.4), which ranks 18th in NCAA Division II.

HENDERSON STATE AT ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO

WHEN 3 p.m.

WHERE Cotton Boll Stadium, Monticello RADIO KYXK-FM, 106.9 in Arkadelphia; KHBM-FM, 93.7 in Monticello

INTERNET muleriderathletics.com; uamsports.com

RECORDS Henderson State 5-4 in Great American Conference; Arkansas-Monticello 5-4 in GAC

COACHES Scott Maxfield (93-47 in 13th season at Henderson State, 122-59 in 16 seasons overall); Hud Jackson (24-50 in sixth season at UAM and overall)

SERIES Henderson State leads 47-30-2 LAST MEETING Henderson State won 45-17 last season

COMMENTS Both teams have an outside shot for a share of the Great American Conference title, which would require plenty of help across the league this weekend. … Henderson graduate senior defensive end Sam Johnson is tied for second in the GAC with 5½ sacks and is third in the GAC with 13½ tackles for loss. … UAM senior wide receiver Jalen Tolliver leads the GAC in total receptions

(54), receiving yards (888) and receiving touchdowns (12). … Henderson senior quarterback Evan Lassiter needs 49 passing yards to become the fifth player in school history to reach 3,000 career

NCAA DIVISION II

PLAYOFF QUALIFICATIONS

The top seven teams from each super region qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs. However, if one of the top seven teams did not win its conference championship, it can be replaced by a team within the super region that did win its conference championship. Still, that replacement team must be ranked at least ninth in the super region. If there is no other conference champion ranked at least ninth, that top seven team will remain in the playoffs.

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Paul Simmons

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KAREN E. SEGRAVE

Ouachita Baptist University Head coach Todd Knight

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/JIMMY JONES

Henderson State head football coach Scott Maxfield

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