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ALVA, Okla. –Northwestern Oklahoma State University football looks to get back on track Saturday afternoon as the Rangers travel to Durant, Oklahoma to face longtime foe Southeastern Oklahoma State.
Saturday's game will mark the first afternoon contest on the Northwestern schedule with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. from Paul Laird Field. Southeastern leads the all-time series against the Rangers, 42-30-2, in the third longest series for Northwestern behind East Central and Southwestern Oklahoma State.
The Rangers are looking for their first win on the road against Southeastern since Nov. 2, 1996, when they knocked off SOSU 17-3. During the 1995 season, Northwestern was also victorious over then No. 3 Southeastern at Ranger Field.
Last week, Northwestern was on the road at Southern Arkansas, 27-14. The two teams entered halftime locked in a defensive battle, tied at seven, before the Muleriders scored 13 unanswered points to break the game open. It was the first time since Northwestern became an NCAA Div. II member it entered halftime tied with an opponent.
Northwestern's defense continued to show its strength at Southern Arkansas as Dakota Driskill led the Rangers with 15 tackles. The redshirt junior has been credited with 52 total tackles this season, ranking him second in the nation after week five.
Fellow linebacker Maurice Wright Jr. is also in the top 20 national in total tackles at No. 19 with 45 tackles. Senior defensive end Jimmie Pace has recorded four sacks in the last two weeks of play, tops in the Great American Conference.
On the outside, Aharon Barnes and Erick Cook are tied for third in the league in passes defended as each corner has an interception and five pass breakups in 2018.
The Rangers offense will have its work cut out for them for the second straight contest as the Southeastern defense enters the game allowing just 18.2 points per ball game and an average of 283 yards, the third lowest average in the conference. By contrast, the Rangers are collecting nearly 400 yards a game of offense.
For the latest news and updates on NWOSU Football, follow @NWOSUAthletics on TWITTER or visit www.riderangersride.com.
