October 30th, 2026 8:00am
Harding remains the only unbeaten team in the Great American Conference, but the race behind the Bisons continues to tighten. Henderson State enters Week Nine as the only one-loss team in the league at 7-1, while East Central, Ouachita Baptist and Southeastern Oklahoma State all sit at 6-2. Southwestern Oklahoma State has also built momentum with back-to-back wins and now looks to reach .500.
Ouachita Baptist (6-2) at Northwestern Oklahoma State (0-8)
At 6-2, Ouachita has won four straight and remains unbeaten on the road at 4-0. The Tigers have also been one of the conference's most productive teams during their current winning streak, putting together a balanced attack while consistently creating separation defensively.
Northwestern Oklahoma State enters at 0-8, but the Rangers have shown they can produce offensively. Northwestern scored 37 points against Southern Nazarene last week and has a chance to create problems if it can establish that production early.
The biggest challenge for the Rangers will be slowing an Ouachita offense that has been rolling for more than a month. Northwestern needs to limit explosive plays, win on early downs and avoid giving the Tigers short fields.
Ouachita, meanwhile, needs to avoid allowing Northwestern to turn the game into a shootout. Establishing the run, controlling possession and forcing the Rangers into difficult third-down situations will be important.
For the Tigers, the goal is to make sure there are no Halloween tricks waiting in Alva as they chase a fifth straight win.
Southeastern Oklahoma State (6-2) at Henderson State (7-1)
The biggest game of the week takes place in Arkadelphia, where Southeastern Oklahoma State travels to face Henderson State in a matchup between two teams near the top of the conference.
Henderson enters at 7-1 and is the only one-loss team remaining in the GAC. The Reddies lead the conference and rank eighth nationally in total offense at 485.8 yards per game. They are also one of only four Division II teams ranked in the top 25 nationally in both rushing and passing offense.
Quarterback Austin Ledbetter has been one of the league's most efficient passers, completing 70.2 percent of his attempts while leading the GAC with a 190.7 passing efficiency rating. He is averaging 270.5 passing yards per game.
Maddox Davis has been Ledbetter's leading target, with 645 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Henderson has also received production from Michael Jones, Taylin Paskel and Jerrale Powers.
Southeastern brings the GAC's top scoring defense into the matchup. The Savage Storm allow just 16.3 points per game and have forced 17 turnovers, including a conference-leading 11 interceptions. They have allowed just five passing touchdowns all season.
The Storm's offense will rely heavily on quarterback Levay Duncan and the running game. Duncan is averaging 39.1 rushing yards per game and has seven rushing touchdowns, while Southeastern averages 28 points per contest.
This matchup could come down to whether Henderson can maintain its offensive production against Southeastern's defense. The Reddies need to protect the football and find ways to create explosive plays without giving the Storm extra possessions.
Southeastern needs to make Henderson work for every yard, force third downs and continue its strong work against the pass. If the Savage Storm can create turnovers, they could give their offense valuable opportunities against a Henderson defense that has forced 14 turnovers of its own.
For Henderson, the stakes are clear. A win keeps the Reddies alone in second place. A loss would pull them into the crowded group of teams sitting at 6-2.
Arkansas-Monticello (1-7) at Southwestern Oklahoma State (3-4)
Southwestern Oklahoma State returns home for Homecoming looking to make it three consecutive victories.
The Bulldogs enter at 3-4 and have built momentum with back-to-back wins. Their recent success has included improved offensive consistency and the ability to control games with the football.
SWOSU also has a chance to reach .500 with a victory, giving the Bulldogs another opportunity to build momentum heading into the final weeks of the season.
Arkansas-Monticello enters at 1-7 and will be looking for answers after a difficult stretch. The Boll Weevils have averaged 385.1 yards of total offense per game, with running back Dave Alston leading the rushing attack at 104.9 yards per game.
Quarterback Drew Forkner has also provided production through the air, giving UAM the ability to attack in multiple ways when its offense is operating efficiently.
SWOSU's priority will be slowing Alston and preventing the Boll Weevils from establishing the run. If the Bulldogs can create long-yardage situations, they can put more pressure on UAM's passing game.
The Boll Weevils need to avoid the mistakes that have plagued them throughout the season while giving Alston opportunities to establish himself early. Defensively, UAM will have to find a way to slow a SWOSU offense that has found a rhythm over the past two weeks.
Arkansas Tech (3-5) at Southern Nazarene (2-5)
Arkansas Tech heads to Bethany looking to get back on the right foot after losing five of its last six games.
The Wonder Boys are 3-5 and have continued to show they can compete in close games, but they need to find more consistency as the regular season winds down. The challenge against Southern Nazarene will be putting together four quarters of productive football.
Southern Nazarene enters at 2-5 after producing its highest-scoring performance of the Division II era. The Crimson Storm scored 60 points against Northwestern Oklahoma State and rushed for 540 yards in the victory.
That offensive performance gives SNU plenty of momentum entering Saturday. The Crimson Storm will look to establish the run and create the explosive plays that allowed them to put up 60 points last week.
Arkansas Tech needs to prevent those big plays while getting its own offense back on track. The Wonder Boys need to establish their rushing attack, protect the football and finish drives when they move into scoring territory.
For SNU, the challenge is proving last week's offensive explosion was more than a one-night treat. Maintaining its rushing production and avoiding turnovers will be important against a Tech team looking to end a difficult stretch.
East Central (6-2) at Southern Arkansas (2-6)
The Tigers enter at 6-2 and remain one of the conference's most productive offenses. Quarterback Sergio Kennedy continues to be the centerpiece, giving East Central the ability to make plays through both the air and on the ground.
Kennedy's versatility has been a major part of East Central's success. The Tigers need to keep him involved while limiting the mistakes that can give opponents opportunities.
Southern Arkansas enters at 2-6 and will be looking to protect its home field against one of the conference's top teams. The Muleriders have shown an ability to move the football, but they need to find more consistency finishing drives.
East Central needs to respond quickly after its loss and avoid allowing another opponent to control the game late. Protecting the football and creating explosive plays will be especially important on the road.
Southern Arkansas needs to make Kennedy work for his production. Limiting the big play and forcing East Central to sustain long drives would give the Muleriders their best opportunity to stay within striking distance.
Harding (8-0) at Oklahoma Baptist (3-5)
The Bisons are 8-0 and average 427.9 rushing yards per game with 45 rushing touchdowns through eight games. Andrew Miller enters Saturday after tying Harding's career record for rushing touchdowns with his 66th last week. He also needs just 20 rushing yards to reach 1,000 yards for the third consecutive season.
Oklahoma Baptist enters at 3-5 and has lost its last two games. The Bison offense features a two-quarterback system with Jason Ceniti and Brady Bricker, while wide receiver Jacob Trimble leads the GAC with 733 receiving yards.
One of Oklahoma Baptist's biggest strengths is special teams. The Bison lead Division II with eight blocked kicks and have blocked four punts this season. That could be an important factor against a Harding team that has not allowed a blocked kick or punt.
For Oklahoma Baptist, creating opportunities on special teams and finding a way to slow Harding's rushing attack will be key. The Bisons need to protect the football and avoid giving Harding extra possessions.
Harding will look to control the line of scrimmage and continue its unbeaten run. For the Bison, Saturday presents an opportunity to use their special teams as a Halloween trick against one of the nation's top teams.