Football 9/13/2022 12:00:00 PM

2022 Football Notes -- Game 3: at Texas Wesleyan

OPENING KICKOFF: Riding a two-game winning streak, the No. 8 OUAZ football team travels to Fort Worth, Texas, to face No. 18 Texas Wesleyan on Saturday. Kickoff at Farrington Field is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central/5 p.m. Arizona.

WATCH: Saturday's game will be broadcast live on the Sooner Sports Network, available on the web at OUAZSpirit.com/watchtexwes. It can also be found on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku devices through the Sooner Sports Network app.

FOLLOW: Live stats will also be available through SIDEARM stats at OUAZSpirit.com/footballstats.

THE SPIRIT: OUAZ will take a 2-0 overall record with them into the trip to Texas. They are also one of three teams in the SAC with a 2-0 record at the moment. The Spirit is 1-0 on the road after a 70-0 win at Lyon in Week One.

THE RAMS: Texas Wesleyan is off to a 3-0 start to move into the NAIA top 25 for the first time since records are available dating back to the 1999 season. The Rams are 2-0 in SAC play and 2-0 at Farrington Field.

THE SERIES: The Spirit is 3-0 all-time against the Rams, including a 45-31 win at Spirit Field last season. OUAZ won the previous meeting in Texas 35-29 with a touchdown in the final minute in the 2018 regular season finale.

2-0 STARTS: With its 2-0 start, OUAZ has now opened a season with two straight wins three times in the program's five seasons. In 2019, the Spirit began with eight consecutive wins, and the 2021 team won the season's first six games. OUAZ won the conference in both seasons and advanced to the NAIA Football Championship Series.

NAIA TOP 25 POLL: OUAZ moved to No. 8 in the first regular season NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll released Monday. It's the highest ranking in program history and up two spots from the No. 10 preseason rank. It is also the 31st consecutive poll to feature the Spirit dating back to the 2019 season. That is the ninth-longest active streak in the NAIA.

SOONER FAVORITES: Having won two of the past three SAC titles, OUAZ was chosen to win the conference again in 2022, according to a poll of the league coaches released on August 1. The SAC coaches awarded the Spirit 79 points with eight first-place votes to achieve the top position.

NEW YEAR, NEW ROSTER: OUAZ has seen 31 players make their Spirit debuts through the first two games of the season. Nine of that group of newcomers made a start in their first OUAZ appearance.

HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE: The Spirit delivered a record-setting performance with 737 yards of total offense at Lyon. It was the first time the team surpassed 700 yards in a game and the sixth with over 600 yards. OUAZ has gained the 10th-most yards in the NAIA since beginning the program in 2018. That comes despite playing at least six fewer games than any of the teams ahead of them on the list. The Spirit is second during the timeframe by averaging 515.5 yards per game.

POINTS ON THE BOARD: The 70 points scored at Lyon marked the sixth time in program history that OUAZ had reached the mark. Since 2018, only Morningside (52.41) and Kansas Wesleyan (46.78) are averaging more points than the 46.47 OUAZ averages. The Spirit has scored 50-plus points in a game 13 times in program history and is on a run of 17 straight games with at least 28 points.

NOT TOO BAD ON DEFENSE EITHER: The Spirit defense made a statement at Lyon with the first shutout in program history. They followed that up by holding SAGU to only 12 points, and the team is currently fifth in the NAIA by allowing 6.0 points per game. The defense is seventh in the country by holding the opposition to 184.5 yards per game.

QUARTERBACK NOTEBOOK: Both Carter Freedland and Isaiah Randalle have taken snaps as quarterback through the first two games. Freedland has started both games, and at Lyon, he became the first new OUAZ quarterback starter since the second game in program history.

• In those two starts, Freedland has gone 26 of 36 for 281 yards and two touchdowns. He ranks fourth in the NAIA with a .722 completion percentage and 58th at 140.5 passing yards per game.

• Randalle took the majority of the snaps against SAGU and, on the season, is 30 of 51 for 359 yards and three touchdowns. His 129.5 rating is 33rd in the country, and he is 43rd in passing yards per game at 179.5

RUNNING BACK NOTEBOOK: Maybe the deepest group on the roster, OUAZ ran for a program record 372 yards at Lyon. Four different backs have carries, with each rushing for at least 75 yards.

• Kristopher Ewens is the team's leading rusher with 187 yards on 35 carries. He is 18th in the NAIA in total rushing yards and by gaining 93.5 rushing yards per game. Ewens has scored a pair of touchdowns and averages 5.3 yards per rush.

• Marcelous Chester-Riley has picked up 92 rushing yards at a 4.8 yards per rush average. His 46.0 yards per game ranks 88th in the NAIA, and he has scored a rushing and a receiving touchdown.

• Tyerell Sturges-Cofer rushed for 86 yards, four touchdowns, and had two 2-point conversions at Lyon. His four TDs tied for the program record, and his 28 points set a new record. The performance earned him the SAC Offensive Player of the Week award.

• Michael Green II has run for 76 yards on nine carries while scoring once.

RECEIVER NOTEBOOK: OUAZ has seen 11 different receivers/tight ends make a catch this season, with nine having at least three grabs.

• Donovahn Jones has a team-leading 159 receiving yards on nine receptions. He is 48th in the NAIA in yards and 34th in yards per game. At 17.7 yards per catch, Jones is 21st in the nation and his two touchdowns sit 25th nationally.

• Devone Humphrey also has nine receptions after making seven grabs on Saturday against SAGU. He has turned those catches into 67 yards.

• Richard Montello had six catches for 77 yards in his season debut against SAGU on Saturday.

• Roman Sahagun has scored a pair of touchdowns on his four receptions for 67 yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK: The Spirit ran out the same stariting five on the offensive line for the second consecutive week. The group has helped the Spirit average 562.0 yards per game and just 39 yards of loss.

• Elijah Boyd-Volakis has started 19 consecutive games dating back to the 2019 season. During that time, he has been named First Team All-Sooner twice, and last season was a Second Team NCCAA All-American.

• Having last started in 2019, Tofiga Liaiga has started the first two games this season and now has 12 career starts. He has appeared in 32 games during his OUAZ career.

• David Sanchez III has started both games at center, with Zach Woltz and Harvey Gonzalez also starting the past two games. All three are new starters on the Spirit line this season.

DEFENSIVE LINE NOTEBOOK: The defensive line has helped OUAZ control the line of scrimmage and allow just 184.5 yards per game.

• David Sow is third in the team with nine tackles while making a team-best 3.5 tackles-for-loss. He ranks 48th in the NAIA in TFLs, and those have accounted for 10 yards of loss by the opposition.

• Seth Ham has seven tackles and 2.5 TFLs.

• Elias Guerrero lll has tallied 2.5 sacks to lead the team and rank 15th in the nation.

LINEBACKER NOTEBOOK: The most experienced position group on the team, the linebacker core has seen four players record at least five tackles through the first two games.

• Scott Bonham Jr. leads the Spirit with 13 tackles, including 10 assisted tackles. He made seven stops against SAGU on Saturday. Bonham has added 2.5 TFLs for four yards of loss.

• Brandon Tomerlin Jr. has notched 12 tackles, and a team-best nine solo stops. The OUAZ all-time leader in tackles is now 23 shy of 200 for his career.

• Matthew Kuhlmann recorded five tackles and one pass breakup.

• Josh Gutierrez has picked up five tackles and one TFL.

DEFENSIVE BACK NOTEBOOK: The defensive backfield has been a key contributor to the defense that is allwoing 11.5 passing yards per game and 4.3 yards per attempt.

• Eric Holman had two interceptions against SAGU and is now tied for the lead in the NAIA with three picks. That was the third multi-interception game in program history. Holman also has seven tackles and 0.5 TFLs.

• James Randolph III has recorded four tackles and a pass breakup.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK: OUAZ has some of the top kickers in the NAIA on the roster, along with solid kick returners.

• Landon Reeves scored 13 points and was named the NAIA Special Teams Player of the Week following the win over SAGU. He tied the program record with three field goals while converting all four PAT chances.

• Sahagun is 22nd in the NAIA, averaging 25.0 yards per kick return and 15th at 9.8 yards per punt return.

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Players Mentioned

#44 Scott Bonham Jr.: LB; 6' 1"; Graduate Student

#79 Elijah Boyd-Volakis: OL; 6' 3"; Graduate Student

#5 Marcelous Chester-Riley: RB; 5' 7"; Graduate Student

#8 Carter Freedland: QB; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#77 Harvey Gonzalez: OL; 6' 3"; Junior

#98 Elias Guerrero lll: DL; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#40 Josh Gutierrez: LB; 5' 10"; Senior

#2 Seth Ham: DL; 6' 5"; Senior

#6 Eric Holman: DB; 6' 1"; Junior

#14 Devone Humphrey: WR; 6' 2"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#44 Scott Bonham Jr.
: 6' 1"; Graduate Student
: LB

#79 Elijah Boyd-Volakis
: 6' 3"; Graduate Student
: OL

#5 Marcelous Chester-Riley
: 5' 7"; Graduate Student
: RB

#8 Carter Freedland
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: QB

#77 Harvey Gonzalez
: 6' 3"; Junior
: OL

#98 Elias Guerrero lll
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: DL

#40 Josh Gutierrez
: 5' 10"; Senior
: LB

#2 Seth Ham
: 6' 5"; Senior
: DL

#6 Eric Holman
: 6' 1"; Junior
: DB

#14 Devone Humphrey
: 6' 2"; Senior
: WR