October 2nd, 2026 9:00am
Week five has arrived, and the GAC has quickly reached the point of the season where every game seems to have something attached to it. At the top, two of the conference's three remaining undefeated teams meet in Ada, while Henderson State will try to keep pace with a SWOSU team that finally found its footing last week. There are also a pair of 2-2 teams meeting in Shawnee, and a couple of teams still searching for their first conference win.
There is plenty to watch across the league, but here is what each team will need to do to come out on top this week.
Southwestern Oklahoma State (1-3) at Henderson State (4-0)
SWOSU finally got into the win column last week, and it did so in a way that should make Henderson State take notice. The Bulldogs held Oklahoma Baptist to just 126 yards of total offense, then got a strong first start from Braxton Etheridge, who threw three touchdowns without an interception. Now, that defense gets its biggest challenge yet.
Henderson is putting up 550 yards per game, including 272 rushing and 278 passing. That is a major challenge for a SWOSU defense that has otherwise been one of the better units in the conference, allowing just 262 yards per game. The Bulldogs also lead the GAC with 14 sacks, while Henderson has allowed just one all season.
For SWOSU, getting pressure on the Reddies and making them work for every possession will be critical. The Bulldogs cannot afford to let Henderson's offense get comfortable, because the Reddies have shown they can score in a hurry.
For Henderson, the goal is pretty simple: find a way to move the ball against a defense that has made a living creating negative plays. If the Reddies can stay ahead of the chains and continue their success on third down, they can put the SWOSU defense in a difficult spot.
Ouachita Baptist (2-2) at Oklahoma Baptist (2-2)
Two teams sitting at 2-2 meet in Shawnee, but they arrive at this one coming off very different Week 4 experiences.
Ouachita was 23 seconds away from knocking off No. 2 Harding last week, while Oklahoma Baptist was held to just 126 yards by SWOSU. The Tigers showed they can make big plays when they need them, with Tre Nichols' late scramble and 67-yard touchdown pass to Carter McElhany nearly producing one of the biggest upsets of the season.
For OKB, the biggest question is what the offense looks like after last week's performance. The Bison cannot afford another afternoon where the defense is forced to carry the entire team. Getting the offense back into rhythm will be especially important against an Ouachita team that has already shown it can create explosive plays.
Ouachita, meanwhile, has to put last week's heartbreak behind it. The Tigers showed they can compete with one of the best teams in the country, but now they have to bring that same energy to Shawnee. The Tigers need to establish their offense early and avoid allowing OKB’s defense to create the kind of short fields that can change a game.
Harding (4-0) at East Central (4-0)
This is the one everyone has been waiting for. Two 4-0 teams. Two of the GAC's most productive offenses. Two teams that have been among the best in the conference on the defensive side as well. And, perhaps most importantly, this is the first time either team will face another undefeated team this season.
Harding is exactly what you would expect from Harding, leading the nation with 419.3 rushing yards per game while allowing just 63.8 rushing yards per game. The Bisons also have not thrown an interception this season and have scored on all 15 of their trips into the red zone.
But East Central is not simply going to sit back and watch Harding run the ball. The Tigers are averaging 481 yards per game, with quarterback Sergio Kennedy accounting for 321.5 yards of total offense per game. ECU is also converting 60.8 percent of its third downs, one of the best marks in Division II.
For Harding, it will be about doing what Harding does best: control the line of scrimmage, run the football and keep ECU's offense on the sideline.
For East Central, stopping the Bison rushing attack is obviously priority No. 1, but the Tigers cannot afford to become one-dimensional offensively. Kennedy and the rest of the ECU offense will need to keep producing against a Harding defense that has made life extremely difficult for opposing offenses all season.
Arkansas-Monticello (1-3) at Southern Nazarene (0-4)
UAM finally has some momentum after last week's comeback win over Arkansas Tech, while Southern Nazarene is still searching for its first win of the season.
The Boll Weevils showed some major fight last week, coming back from a 17-0 deficit and scoring 30 of the next 33 points. The offense has also continued to produce, with UAM now averaging 381 yards per game after putting up 457 against Tech.
That production will be important again against SNU, but the Weevils also need to find a way to make life harder on opposing offenses. UAM has allowed plenty of yards this season, so getting stops and forcing Southern Nazarene into long-yardage situations will be a major part of this matchup.
For SNU, the offense simply has to find something to build on after being shut out by Southeastern last week. The Crimson Storm showed some early promise against the Savage Storm before Southeastern's defense took over, and they will need to turn those early drives into points this time around.
Arkansas Tech (2-2) at Southeastern Oklahoma State (3-1)
Southeastern has quietly put itself in a pretty good position through four weeks. The Savage Storm are 3-1, sitting alone in fourth place, and they just put together one of the most complete performances of the season in a 35-0 shutout of Southern Nazarene.
The defense has become the identity of this team. Southeastern forced turnovers last week and held SNU to 4-of-15 on third down, while also keeping the Crimson Storm out of the end zone.
Now comes an Arkansas Tech team looking to respond after giving away a 17-point lead to UAM. The Wonder Boys have shown enough offensively this season to make Southeastern work, but they cannot afford another game where turnovers and missed opportunities become the difference.
For Southeastern, continuing to make opponents earn every yard is the key. The Savage Storm have already shown they can create enough explosive plays offensively to put points on the board. If the defense continues to control the game, that puts a lot of pressure on Tech to play clean football.
Northwestern Oklahoma State (0-4) at Southern Arkansas (1-3)
Northwestern is still looking for its first win, but the Rangers have shown some signs of life offensively since that brutal opening week against Harding. They put up 24 first-half points against East Central last week before the Tigers eventually pulled away.
That is the challenge for Northwestern this week: turn those good stretches into a complete four-quarter performance.
Southern Arkansas enters at 1-3 after losing to Henderson State, but the Muleriders' defense gave them a chance against one of the most explosive offenses in the country. SAU held Henderson to 20 points and just 72 rushing yards, despite the Reddies entering the game averaging more than 250 yards on the ground.
For the Muleriders, they need to carry that defensive performance into this matchup while getting more consistency from their offense. For Northwestern, the goal is to avoid the stretches that have allowed opponents to pull away and make sure the offensive production that has shown up in spurts is there for all four quarters.