The 2024 college football season could not have started off any better for the Arkansas side of the Great American Conference.
Defending national champion Harding University picked right back up from where it left off last December with a dominating win to notch the program’s 16th-consecutive victory dating back to the beginning of last season. The Greg Holsworth era at Henderson State kicked off with a lopsided win, while neighboring rival Ouachita Baptist won its 17th-straight season opener. Additionally, Arkansas Tech survived an overtime thriller to win its first season opener since 2017, Arkansas-Monticello won convincingly and Southern Arkansas took advantage of a strong fourth quarter for a road win in a complete six-game sweep of the Oklahoma GAC teams.
Week 1 Results
Arkansas-Monticello 34 Northwestern Oklahoma State 7
Arkansas Tech 44 Oklahoma Baptist 41 (OT)
No. 1 Harding 59 Southern Nazarene 0
No. 22 Henderson State 41 East Central (Okla.) 17
No. 17 Ouachita Baptist 42 Southwestern Okla. State 3
Southern Arkansas 36 Southeastern Okla. State 31
K Jay Todd Baker (Magnolia), Southern Arkansas, Sophomore
Baker averaged 55.4 yards per kickoff, including three touchbacks, in Southern Arkansas’ 36-31 win over Southeastern Oklahoma.
LB Bruin Barnes (Hamburg), Ouachita Baptist, Junior
Barnes logged 7 total tackles, including 2 for loss with a sack, in Ouachita’s 42-3 win over Southwestern Oklahoma.
QB Demilon Brown (Rivercrest), Arkansas – Monticello, Redshirt Senior
Brown missed the back half of last season with an injury and did some good things in his return during UAM’s 34-7 win over Northwestern Oklahoma, completing 18 of 34 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown.
WR Joyrion Chase (Marion), Arkansas Tech, Redshirt Senior
Joyrion led the Wonderboys with 119 yards on 6 receptions in Arkansas Tech’s 44-41 overtime thriller over Oklahoma Baptist.
DB Kolbi Crawford (Bentonville), Henderson State, Redshirt Junior
Crawford led the Reddies with 7 total tackles, including 6 solo, in Henderson’s 41-17 win over East Central University (Okla.).
DB Ty Dugger (Harding Academy), Harding, Junior
Dugger logged a team-leading 2 tackles for loss, including a sack, in Harding’s 59-0 win over Southern Nazarene (Okla.). Dugger also returned 3 punts for 50 yards with a long of 24.
QB Andrew Edwards (Bentonville), Henderson State, Redshirt Junior
Edwards completed 14 of 24 passes for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with adding 24 yards on the ground, in Henderson’s 41-17 win over East Central University (Okla.).
ATH Braden Jay (Cabot), Harding, Junior
Jay hauled in a 21-yard touchdown and rushed twice for 57 yards in Harding’s 59-0 win over Southern Nazarene (Okla.).
DB Josiah Johnson (Pulaski Academy), Ouachita Baptist, Senior
Johnson led the Tigers with 11 total tackles, including 5 solo, and also nabbed an interception in Ouachita’s 42-3 win over Southwestern Oklahoma.
QB Cole Keylon (Harrison), Harding, Junior
Keylon rushed for 2 touchdowns and passed for another, on only two attempts, in Harding’s 59-0 win over Southern Nazarene (Okla.).
DL Gary Lewis (Fordyce), Henderson State, Redshirt Junior
Lewis collected 6 total tackles, including 5 solo and a team-leading 3 for loss, plus forced a fumble, in Henderson’s 41-17 win over East Central University (Okla.).
QB Eli Livingston (Batesville), Ouachita Baptist, Senior
Livingston completed 8 of 10 passes for 195 yards and 3 touchdowns in Ouachita’s 42-3 win over Southwestern Oklahoma. Livingston also led the Tigers in rushing with 91 yards, plus a score on the ground.
WR Carter McElhany (Greenbrier), Ouachita Baptist, Sophomore
McElhany hauled in 2 catches for 59 yards and a touchdown, plus returned 2 kickoffs for 47 yards with a long of 26.
Andrew Miller (Harding Academy), Harding, Sophomore
Miller rushed for 129 yards on 6 carries that included an 88-yard touchdown scamper in Harding’s 59-0 win over Southern Nazarene (Okla.).
RB Fred O’Donald (North Little Rock), Henderson State, Senior
O’Donald led the Reddies with 141 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns in Henderson’s 41-17 win over East Central University (Okla.).
WR Kadyn Roach (Magnolia), Southern Arkansas, Senior
Roach hauled in an 82-yards touchdown pass, plus averaged 8.5 yards per carry with a score Southern Arkansas’ 36-31 win over Southeastern Oklahoma..
RB Jariq Scales (Osceola), Southern Arkansas, Senior
Scales rushed for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns in Southern Arkansas’ 36-31 win over Southeastern Oklahoma. Scales also returned 3 punts for 29 yards with a long of 18 and returned a kickoff 27 yards.
LB Jyrin Steward (El Dorado), Arkansas Tech, Junior
Steward collected 7 total tackles, including a team-leading 3.5 for loss, in Arkansas Tech’s 44-41 overtime thriller over Oklahoma Baptist. Steward also broke up a pass and forced a fumble.
K/P Logan Tymeson (Bentonville), Arkansas Tech, Sophomore
Tymeson averaged 61.3 yards on seven kickoffs, plus averaged 40 yards on two punts including one downed inside the 20-yard line in Arkansas Tech’s 44-41 overtime thriller over Oklahoma Baptist.
Week 2 Schedule
Arkansas Tech (1-0) at Southern Nazarene (0-1) (Okla.)
Arkansas-Monticello (1-0) at Southwestern Okla. State (0-1)
East Central (Okla.) (0-1) at Southern Arkansas (1-0)
Harding (1-0) at Oklahoma Baptist (0-1)
Ouachita Baptist (1-0) at Northwestern Okla. State (0-1) (Thurs.)
Southeastern Okla. State (0-10) at Henderson State (1-0)
(Cover photo courtesy of Harding University Athletics)
Kyle Sutherland is a journalist and podcast host (Arkansas Preps Weekly) for The Natural State Sports Network. His written work has been featured in outlets including the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Best of Arkansas Sports and Hooten’s Arkansas Football. He is also the color commentator for 103.7 The Buzz’s high school football Game of the Week. Email Kyle at kyle@naturalstatesports.com.