BY: Dixon C. Land
ADA, OKLA.—Devin Price intercepted a pass in the end zone on the final East Central Oklahoma Drive Thursday Night as Ouachita defeated ECU 31-24.
“That was a big play. We didn’t even know if Price was going to play two days ago,” said Head Coach Todd Knight. “He busted through the injury and really grew up a little bit tonight.”
Ouachita scored ten points in the third quarter. Kris “KO” Oliver scored from eight yards out with 11:32 remaining in the third quarter and Cole Antley nailed a 46-yard field goal at the 5:30 mark.
East Central scored three times in the second half—two touchdowns and a field goal. Rocky Moore completed passes to David Moore and Juwan Dotson (31-yards and 2-yards, respectfully) in the third quarter and David Massuere hit a field goal to tie the game at 24 with just over 10 minutes to play.
Ouachita answered the tying field goal when Oliver glided in from four yards out to take a go-ahead score of 31-24 with 6:56 remaining.
“On the road, against a good football team: that was a huge win for us,” Knight said. “I thought our guys rose to the occasion. We talked about adversity all week and I think our guys came out and played to that tonight.”
East Central scored just once in the first half. With 2:15 left in first quarter, David Moore found Rocky Moore in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Ouachita scored twice in the second quarter, the first coming off a six-yard touchdown pass from Austin Warford to Ke’Vontae Pope on a slant pattern. The Tigers scored again seven minutes later when Oliver punched in a run from five yards out. At halftime, Ouachita led 14-7 over East Central.
Ouachita recorded 23 first downs on the night, holding to their typical balanced attack with 215 total rushing yards and 221 passing yards. They also led the possession time with just over 34 minutes.
Austin Warford finished the night completing 15 of 27 passes for 221 yards and a touchdown. Kris Oliver, gained 112 yards on 22 carries and scored three times. Ke’Vontae Pope and Evian Hill each gained over 80 yards receiving. Pope caught the long Ouachita passing touchdown from Warford.
Oliver’s first touchdown of the night was his first as a Ouachita Tiger. Oliver, just a freshman, split time tonight with Brandon Marks, who suffered a minor injury but is expected to be okay.
“At first I couldn’t believe it and everybody came up to me after the run and congratulated me,” Oliver said. “We have the motto ‘Finish Empty’ and that’s what I was trying to do tonight.”
The Tigers play Southeastern Oklahoma State at Cliff Harris Stadium next Saturday night, September 12. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
