After two weeks of games we have had upsets and narrow escapes with several wild finishes. There are several ways you can view all this. The three most prominent views are: first, the GAC is becoming more competitive top-to-bottom. That means every week is an adventure as anybody is capable of beating anybody. Second, the top teams in the GAC are down, which means there will be a lot more closer finishes this year. Third, some whole or partial combination of the previous two. One thing is for certain, if the season continues to play out the way it has the past two weeks we are in for an interesting season to say the least.

Note: All games are on Saturday, September 19. All times are Central.


Arkansas Tech at Arkansas-Monticello---6pm
Arkansas Tech has taken care of business the past two weeks. The Wonder Boys had Oklahoma Baptist down 43-0 at halftime. The defense has not skipped a beat and the offense so far this year has made leaps and bounds.

Arkansas-Monticello traded big plays and scores with Southwestern Oklahoma last week until a bit past the midway mark in the second quarter. The Boll Weevils were unable to counter the Bulldogs adjustments and Southwestern pulled away for good.

Arkansas Tech has executed at the level one would expect from a top tier team against teams that are considered bottom tier. Arkansas-Monticello has been in each game at the beginning and then sometime in the first half the wheels have come off. If the Wonder Boys continue to execute at the level they are, they will roll early and they will roll big.



Southern Nazarene at East Central---6pm


Oklahoma Baptist at Southeastern Oklahoma---6pm


Ouachita Baptist at Southwestern Oklahoma---6pm


Henderson State at Northwestern Oklahoma---7pm
Henderson State looked like they were beginning to put East Central on the ropes early in the second quarter when they led 21-7 and had a great drive going. They looked like the Reddies of old. Then they threw an interception and East Central got two quick scores to even the game. After two weeks the Reddies look like an offensive yo-yo, up one moment, down the next. The defense has given up over 400 yards the last two weeks and the secondary has been picked apart easily. The good news: the run defense looked better; they did not need 8 around the box to consistently stop East Central.

Northwestern Oklahoma looked great in week 1 and then looked horrible in week 2. The offense struggled to gain any traction. They only had 91 total yards at halftime and ended the game with only 222 total yards. The Rangers only made it to the red zone three times, one of those trips came off a short field due to a Southern Arkansas turnover.

Henderson is looking to right the ship. Northwestern is trying to prove they are no longer a bottom tier team. Something has got to give. The Reddies will need to consistently get pressure on the Rangers quarterback or else he will pick their secondary apart. Northwestern makes this closer than expected for a while, but Henderson eventually pulls away and gets the win.



Game to Watch
Harding at Southern Arkansas---6pm
Keys to this game:



Last week: 3-3
Season: 8-4


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