BETHANY, Oklahoma – A second-half surge secured the 29th consecutive conference victory for the 11th-ranked Ouachita football team on Saturday, a 41-3 road win over Southern Nazarene.
The Tigers (2-0) scored 28 points in the second half, while keeping SNU (0-2) off the board. The Tigers defense held strong throughout the game, only allowing 35 yards of offense by the Crimson Storm. The Tigers had a total of eight tackles for a loss in the win for a combined loss of 48 yards.
The Ouachita defense was responsible for the first score of the game. After the Tigers turned the ball over on a fumble at the SNU one-yard line, the Crimson Storm fumbled it right back. This time, it was scooped up by Ouachita’s Rovell Carter in the endzone for a touchdown with 7:22 remaining in the first quarter. Terrell Gibson was there to force that fumble.
SNU got on the board for its only score of the game midway through the second quarter on a 32-yard field goal that was set up by a botched punt attempt by Ouachita inside its own 20-yard line.
It was all Tigers from that point.
Freshman Kendel Givens scored the first of what ended up being three rushing touchdown in the win with 2:12 remaining in the half to give his team a 13-3 lead at the break.
The Tigers poured it on in the second half with 21 points in the third quarter, including two more short rushing touchdowns by Givens and a 29-yard touchdown pass to Connor Flannigan from quarterback Grant Allen.
Hunter Swoboda was responsible for Ouachita’s final score, a four-yard touchdown rush with 11:44 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Givens ended the game with 16 carries for 114 yards and three scores, averaging out to just over seven yards per touch. TJ Cole finished with 21 carries for 99 yards.
Defensively, Hayden Lassiter picked up his first interception of the season, the seventh of his four-year career.
The Tigers return to Arkadelphia for their next contest, which is next Saturday, September 18 against Arkansas Tech. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Cliff Harris Stadium.
Top photo: Former Lumberjacks Hayden Lassiter(left) and Keemontrae McKnight(right) after Ouachita Baptist’s win over Southern Nazarene Saturday. Courtesy of Heidi Lassiter
