RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - No. 2 Harding (5-0, 5-0 GAC) and No. 19 Henderson State (5-0, 5-0 GAC) remained undefeated with wins over East Central (4-1, 4-1 GAC) and Southwestern Oklahoma State (1-4, 1-4 GAC). Southern Nazarene (1-4, 1-4 GAC) captured its first win of 2026 against Arkansas-Monticello (1-4, 1-4 GAC) in the first overtime GAC game of the year while Southeastern Oklahoma State (4-1, 4-1 GAC) continued with its conference-best scoring defense as it handled Arkansas Tech (2-3, 2-3 GAC), 35-10. Southern Arkansas (2-3, 2-3 GAC) survived a late Northwestern Oklahoma State rally to win in Magnolia, 30-27, as Ouachita Baptist (3-2, 3-2 GAC) went to Shawnee, Okla., and won the Battle of the Baptists, defeating Oklahoma Baptist (2-3, 2-3 GAC), 35-21.
No. 19 Henderson State 38, Southwestern Oklahoma State 33
Entering the fourth quarter trailing, 27-24, No. 19 Henderson State escaped Southwestern Oklahoma State's upset bid with 14 fourth-quarter points to claim the five-point victory. Leading 31-27, HSU's Markavious Justice picked off SWOSU relief quarterback Reece Deitrick after starter Braxton Etheridge left play briefly with an injury with 8:01 in the fourth quarter. The Reddies established its first double-digit lead of the second half on the ensuing drive with Austin Ledbetter's second touchdown pass of the game after an 8-play, 42-yard drive that took 4:04 off the clock, 38-27, leaving 3:57 remaining in regulation.
Ouachita Baptist 35, Oklahoma Baptist 21
Ouachita Baptist forced a three-and-out on the Bison's opening drive and then proceeded to score on its next two drives for the 13-0 lead after the first quarter. Oklahoma Baptist threatened to storm back in the second quarter after cutting it to six with 6:28 remaining in the first half. Ouachita muffed a punt, giving OKB the ball deep in Tiger territory before Bison quarterback Brady Bricker threw an interception on the first play of the ensuing drive. From there, Ouachita Baptist scored the next 14 points in route to its 35-21 victory.
No. 2 Harding 42, (RV) East Central 21
The No. 2 Bisons got after it quick in Ada in the battle of the unbeatens. Harding's G'Kyson Wright returned the opening kickoff to the East Central 30 yard line before HU scored the first points of the afternoon 37 seconds into game action, 7-0. The East Central defense held its own, forcing a Bisons fumble and then a punt to finish the first quarter trailing seven. After the ECU offense had a turnover-on-downs, another forced fumble by the Tigers kept the orange-and-black in the contest. The Tiger offense and quarterback Sergio Kennedy could not get anything going offensively, however, as Harding finally got back in the endzone late in the first half to take a 14-0 lead into the locker room before remaining unbeaten with the 42-21 victory.
Southeastern Oklahoma State 35, Arkansas Tech 10
Arkansas Tech scored the first three points of the game before Southeastern Oklahoma State held the Wonder Boys scoreless for the next 31:20 of gametime as the Savage Storm went on to open a 21-3 lead midway through the third quarter. Following ATU's first touchdown of the game, an attempt to go deep on a pass from Carter Hensley, SE defensive back Kole McKnight won the 50-50 ball and took it back to the house 77 yards to deliver the nail in the coffin. One final touchdown from Southeastern gave the game its final score, 35-10, as Arkansas Tech was held to just 45 rushing yards.
Southern Arkansas 30, Northwestern Oklahoma State 27
43 of the game's 57 points were scored in the first half while all 30 of Southern Arkansas' points came in the first two quarters. Late in the first quarter, Mulerider running back Arkez Gomez saw 96 of his game-high 195 rushing yards on one run for the presumed longest play from scrimmage in SAU history as Southern Arkansas took a 30-13 lead into halftime. All the momentum shifted after the third quarter as NWOSU scored touchdowns on its first two possessions that lasted 11:17 while forcing a three-and-out on each of the Muleriders' two third-quarter possessions to cut the defict to three, 30-27. The Mulerider defense stiffened up in the fourth quarter, however, picking off NWOSU quarterback Jacob Jones twice in SAU territory to retain the victory, 30-27.
Southern Nazarene 40, Arkansas-Monticello 34 (OT)
Arkansas-Monticello either led or was tied for the entire first half, leading by six with 42 seconds left in the second quarter. From there, Southern Nazarene scored the next 13 points to leave UAM playing catch-up. Monticello had a chance to mount a game-winning drive before missing a 40-yard field goal with 68 seconds remaining in regulation. Another missed field goal on the first possession of overtime for the Weevils led to Southern Nazarene scoring a touchdown on its first offensive play of the extra-period as the Crimson Storm captured its first win of 2026.
GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Tre Nichols | Ouachita Baptist | QB | So. | Grand Prairie, Texas
Ouachita Baptist sophomore quarterback Tre Nichols played an extremely efficient four quarters against Oklahoma Baptist to lead the Tigers to the 35-21 road victory. Nichols finished 10-of-14 passing (71.4 percent) for 124 yards and one touchdown while adding a career-high 155 yards and three scores on the ground. Nichols accounted for 125 total yards and two touchdowns in the first 30 minutes to give his team a 20-7 halftime advantage. In the third quarter alone, the Tiger signal caller recorded 98 yards and two scores on the ground to put the game away before eventually winning the Battle of the Baptists, 35-21.
DEFENSIVE
Kole McKnight | Southeastern Oklahoma State | DB | Jr. | Flower Mound, Texas
Southeastern Oklahoma State junior defensive back Kole McKnight helped fortify a dominant Savage Storm defensive effort. Southeastern held Arkansas Tech to a season-low 45 rushing yards and when the Wonder Boys took to the air, McKnight was there with two pass breakups and a 77-yard pick-six. Leading 21-10, Arkansas Tech quarterback Carter Hensley took a deep shot to Brogan Dempsey before McKnight won the jump ball at the Tech 23 yard line, taking it all the way back for six.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Brett Leonardt | Southern Nazarene | K/P | So. | Tarkington, Texas
Southern Nazarene sophomore kicker and punter Brett Leonardt scored 10 points to help claim the Crimson Storm's first win of 2026, going a perfect 4-for-4 on PATs and 2-for-2 on field goals. Trailing 27-21 late in the first half, Leonardt closed the second quarter with a career-long 50-yard field goal before getting the second-half scoring going with a 32-yard kick to tie play at 27. With the game still tied in the fourth, 34-34, Leonardt pinned the Weevils inside their own 15-yard line with a 47-yard punt on what would wind up being UAM's final possession of regulation before SNU took the win in overtime, 40-34.
WEEKLY AWARDS
GAC Offensive Player of the Week
Sept. 7 Sergio Kennedy, East Central
Sept. 14 Sergio Kennedy, East Central (x2)
Sept. 21 Austin Ledbetter, Henderson State
Sept. 28 Andrew Miller, Harding
Oct. 5 Tre Nichols, Ouachita Baptist
GAC Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 7 Jeremiah Jennings, Oklahoma Baptist
Sept. 14 Kahlil Smith, Ouachita Baptist
Sept. 21 Keshaun Jackson, Southwestern Oklahoma State
Sept. 28 Kaleb Walker, Harding
Oct. 5 Kole McKnight, Southeastern Oklahoma State
GAC Special Teams Player of the Week
Sept. 7 Dean Roberts, Harding
Sept. 14 Jeff Regan, Harding
Sept. 21 Nate Stafford, Ouachita Baptist
Sept. 28 Charles Stinson, Arkansas-Monticello
Oct. 5 Brett Leonardt, Southern Nazarene