• Central and Northeastern State are two of the state’s four 0-6 teams. (Northwestern and Southern Nazarene are also in that group.) But consider the schedule.
It’s already well known that the MIAA is one of the toughest (probably the toughest) football conference in Division II. Two of the last four national champions are MIAA league members – Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State.
So imagine that the first six teams on the schedule – and UCO and NSU have faced the same six opponents – have one loss among them all.
That’s right. The teams that the Bronchos and RiverHawks have taken on in the first six games have a combined 31-1 record.
Yes, 0-6 is not optimal. But it’s not been an easy road.
OPSU coach Russell Gaskamp and the Aggies. Photo courtesy OPSU Sports Information.
• OPSU has made quite a showing in the last two contests and on both sides of the ball.
The Aggies’ offense put 103 points on the board in the two victories. Caleb Holbrook threw for 695 yards and seven touchdowns, with a rushing touchdown to go with that. Chris McClendon averaged more than 100 yards rushing per game and had two rushing TDs and two receiving TDs.
The defense has been solid as well, logging a shutout on Saturday against Texas College. Tabbed the Darkside Defense, the Aggies forced six turnovers in the two games and allowed the TC Steers only two plays in Aggie territory in the second half Saturday.
• A couple of teams in the state picked up the first win of the season in advance of a meeting between the two in a couple of weeks.
Oklahoma Baptist defeated Southwestern (Texas), 42-21, marking the first victory for the program since 1940. The Bison never trailed and took the lead for good late in the first half when Nyko Symonds reeled in a 52-yard TD pass, the second passing touchdown of the day for Cale Grauer. Darryl Fields rushed for 151 yards and earned Offensive Player of the Week honors for the Central States Football League.
Langston took down Southwestern Assemblies of God, 41-17, on the road of course, as the Lions have played their first five games away from Anderson Stadium. It was by far the Lions’ best offensive outing of the season, compiling nearly 500 yards of total offense. Freshman QB Mark Wright, Jr. was 20 of 29 passing with no interceptions and threw two touchdowns and ran for two more.
• When Oklahoma fell to Texas in the Red River Rivalry, the state lone remaining undefeated team took a loss. It was, however, against a school from the Lone Star state, the only state which Okla. schools have played more than once and have a winning record against in 2013.
As of Oct. 12 vs. Everyone else
Arkansas 5-19
Colorado 1-3
Indiana 1-0
Iowa 0-2
Kansas 4-8
Kentucky 0-1
Louisiana 1-2
Montana 0-1
Mississippi 1-0
Missouri 0-4
Texas 10-9
West Virginia 1-1
OVERALL 24-50