MAGNOLIA- It was a numbers game in Magnolia, as Ouachita Baptist put up an offensive showcase, defeating Southern Arkansas, 52-34, in a Gulf South Conference victory in Magnolia on Saturday.
In all, the Tigers (6-4, 4-4 GSC) produced 553 yards of total offense, including 381 yards rushing and a 296-yard effort from senior quarterback Eli Cranor to defeat the Muleriders (1-9, 1-7 GSC) to close out the 2010 season. Sophomore running back Daniel McGee recorded a game-high 195 yards rushing and three touchdowns on just 19 carries for a 10.3 yards-per-carry average. The Fort Smith native put the finishing touches on the game with an 89-yard touchdown run with 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.Fans in attendance saw both teams combine for 1,038 yards of total offense, as the Tigers produced the second-highest offensive total on the season since Sept. 9 against Nebraska-Omaha (557 yards). In fact, neither team even punted the football until the fourth quarter, as the 86 combined points is the most of the season for a game the Tigers have played in.
With the 15-of-16 passing effort for 172 yards, Cranor became the single-season passing leader for Ouachita, finishing the season with 2,570 yards passing, eclipsing former quarterback Lance Parker’s record of 2,475 yards in 2008. The Russellville native also finished with 513 yards rushing on the season, giving him 3,083 yards of total offense in 2010, also a single-season Ouachita record.
Southern Arkansas jumped on the board first in the opening quarter, taking a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Austin Civita to Damion Atkins with 12:27 remaining in the first.
Ouachita Baptist answered back less than three minutes later, finishing off a seven-play, 60-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run from freshman running back Ricky Brown to tie the game at 7-7 with 9:24 remaining.
The Muleriders drove 54 yards in just 1:43, but had to settle for a 34-yard field goal from Noe Cuevas to take the lead at 10-7 at the 7:35 mark in the first. It would mark the final point where Southern Arkansas held the lead as the Tigers found ways to score for the remainder of the game and hold the lead throughout.
Ouachita sophomore Jason Fowler matched Cuevas’ kick with a successful 26-yard field goal to tie the game at 10-10 with 2:12 remaining in the opening quarter.
After the Tiger defense held for the first time in the game, Cranor went to work, driving Ouachita down the field and finishing the drive on a 12-yard touchdown strike to junior All-GSC tight end Phillip Supernaw for a 17-10 lead with 10:33 left in the half. Supernaw finished the nine-play, 80-yard drive that took 4:14 in time of possession.
The Muleriders matched the score, but with another field goal from Cuevas from 27 yards out to cut the lead to 17-13 with 7:54 left in the second.
McGee followed with the first of his three touchdown runs, with a 12-yard run to give the Tigers a 24-13 lead at the 2:21 mark in the first half.
The Muleriders took to the air to score in just 1:38 of play, finishing the scoring drive on a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyler Sykora to Josh Proffit to make it 24-20.
With just 43 seconds remaining in the half, many people would look for teams to down the football, but a 34-yard return by Nico Hobbs on the ensuing kickoff gave Ouachita possession at the OBU 46. Cranor followed with a connection to Hobbs on a 27-yard pass, combined with a 15-yard face mask penalty moved the ball to the SAU 13. McGee then immediately capped the drive off with a 13-yard touchdown run, giving Ouachita a 31-20 lead that would hold until the end of the half.
To begin the second half, Cranor capped off a 13-play, 78-yard drive to score on a 3-yard run to take a commanding 38-20 lead. The drive took 7:19 off the clock, as the Tigers held the football for an astounding 13:50 in the third quarter to limit opportunities by the Muleriders.
Civita followed with a 49-yard touchdown strike to Carlos Brown, cutting the leading to 38-27 with 6:26 remaining in the third.
Ouachita called Cranor’s number again on the ground, as the senior scored on a 1-yard touchdown run up the middle, capping the second-straight 13-play drive. The score put the Tigers up 45-27 with 14:57 remaining. After a quick stop by the Ouachita defense, McGee scampered 89 yards for the finishing touches on the game, scoring to stretch the lead to 52-27 with 11:57 left.
Harding wouldn’t go quietly, scoring the final touchdown with 4:11 remaining on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Sykora to Brown to set the final margin at 52-34.
The main target on the afternoon for Cranor was sophomore receiver Brett Reece with seven catches for 107 yards, as Reece finished the season as the top receiving target with 825 yards total. Along with McGee and Cranor, Brown finished with seven carries for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, sophomore Augustine Ume-Ezeoke finished with eight tackles, while junior A.J. Williams added six tackles. Seniors Blake Burkett and Bryan Church finished their collegiate careers with five tackles each, as senior Stanley Eduoard added the game’s only interception in the first quarter.
Southern Arkansas found success offensively, totaling 376 yards passing between two quarterbacks, as Civita went 20-of-31 for 278 and two touchdowns, while Sykora added a 5-for-12 for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Carlos Brown was wildly successful running the ball with 101 yards rushing on just five carries. Jacolby Stewart recorded a game-high 11 tackles, while Cameron Davis added a sack in the loss.
Ouachita Baptist finishes the season with their third-consecutive winning season, at 6-4 overall with a 4-4 GSC record.
