ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - After its fourth straight season-opening victory, Henderson State will hit the road for the first time in the young 2023 season as it heads to Durant, Oklahoma, to take on the Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm Saturday, Sept. 9. Kickoff from Paul Laird Field is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
STORYLINES: SETTING THE SCENE
For the fourth year in a row, Henderson State opened the year 1-0 after defeating East Central in week one of the 2023 season, 41-13, for its largest season-opening victory since 2014. That year, HSU started the season 7-0. The Reddies, who are receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll rankings after week one, will now attempt to begin a season 2-0 for what would also be the fourth consecutive season. Henderson is currently sporting an 11-game winning streak over Saturday's opponent, the Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm, with its last loss coming in 2009. The Reddies lead the all-time series with SE, 26-6.
 
After Thursday's loss against Southern Arkansas, 34-19, Southeastern Oklahoma State is trying to keep from starting out 0-2 for the first time since 2015. The Savage Storm's 19 points against SAU was the fewest points they have scored in a season opener since 2019. Six of Southeastern's last seven losses to the Reddies have come by eight points or fewer. The last time the two teams met in Durant, Oklahoma, Henderson edged out SE, 27-24.
 
REDDIES REPORT: OFFENSE
Henderson's offense outscored East Central 38-6 in the final three quarters of Thursday's season opener, outgaining the Tigers 402-295, despite running two less plays than ECU. The Reddies averaged 6.1 yards per play, including 11 yards per pass attempt. After its opening drive, HSU scored on each of its next six drives, including a touchdown on all three of its second-quarter possessions.
 
Quarterback Andrew Edwards was named the GAC Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for 307 total yards and throwing four touchdowns with a 68.0 completion percentage (17-of-25) in the 28-point rout. The outing marked Edwards' second career four-touchdown game and fourth time to ever register 300 or more total yards. Henderson is now 8-2 in which games Edwards has started.
 
One of the big question marks of the offseason of who would catch passes for Henderson this fall was answered by wide receiver Chris Hatzis. In what was only his 13th game in his three years in Arkadelphia, Hatzis found himself on the receiving end of two of Edwards' four passing touchdowns as the former-Louisiana State University transfer brought in five catches for 79 yards, including a long of 54. Elijah George and Jalen Abraham each contributed a touchdown reception as well. Mesa College-transfer Timieone Jackson led HSU with 84 receiving yards on a team-high seven receptions.
 
Henderson's rushing attack only managed three yards per carry, though head coach Scott Maxfield and his staff stayed committed to running the ball as HSU saw 41 rush attempts compared to just 25 passes. Preseason D2 Football Elite 100 Watch List member Korien Burrell led the way with 60 yards while Edwards served as the team's third leading rusher with 31 yards. Jaquarion Turner, a junior transfer from Stephen F. Austin, ended his Reddie debut with 32 yards on eight carries, along with catching a pass out of the backfield for 15 yards.
 
Last season, Henderson's offensive line allowed 16 sacks through 11 games. Thursday, HSU allowed just one sack early in the first quarter while Edwards was hurried four times. When Henderson and East Central met in Ada, Oklahoma, in 2022, ECU was able to sack quarterback Landon Ledbetter twice for 14 yards. Against Southeastern a year ago, neither HSU signal caller was sacked.   
 
REDDIES REPORT: DEFENSE – SPECIAL TEAMS
After giving up an early touchdown pass on East Central's first possession of the game, the Henderson defense held the Tigers to just six points the rest of the way, including a scoreless second half. Of ECU's 295 total yards, 191 of them came in the first two quarters. The Reddie defense also recorded a fumble recovery and two turnover-on-downs.
 
Henderson's fumble recovery came with 47 seconds remaining in regulation to serve as HSU's only true takeaway of the contest. Linebacker Keegan Stinespring forced the fumble before defensive back Paul Manning scooped it up at the 40 and returned it for HSU's final score of the evening. The defensive touchdown off a fumble was the first of its kind for the red-and-gray since Sheldon Watson returned a fumble to the house in 2016.
 
The Reddies' staunch run defense from a year ago stayed true for the opener in 2023 as HSU held East Central to 71 rushing yards – its fewest rushing yards since last year's season opener against Harding (14). Tiger quarterbacks Traair Edwards and Jaiave Magalei were sacked a combined four times as they lost a total of 36 rushing yards. Running back Miles Davis led the orange-and-black in rushing with 40 yards while Edwards followed with 27.
 
Newcomers Zach Dixon and Fred Lewis made an immediate impact at the linebacker spot as both players tallied five tackles a piece, including half a sack for Dixon, to lead the team. Jakob Neel, last year's tackles leader, claimed four tackles while also recording one and a half tackles for loss. Backup defensive end Trenton Moore additionally made the most of his time, leading the unit with one and a half sacks. Fellow reserve defensive linemen Dylan Ndambuki and Javante Sims got after the ECU quarterback as they both tallied two quarterback hurries.
 
After the Reddies finished 12th in the conference last season in passing yards allowed per game, Henderson gave up just 224 yards through the air against the Tigers, which would have served as the fourth fewest passing yards allowed by HSU all of last season. With the help of safeties coach Donte' Colum and new cornerbacks coach Will Wagner, Henderson issued five pass breakups and only gave up two passes of 20 or more yards all evening.
 
Punt returner Devon Adams delivered two big returns to give HSU's offense a boost, beginning with a 39 yard return late in the first quarter. With Henderson trailing 7-3, the defense forced its first three-and-out before Adams took one back to the East Central six yard line. The offense punched it in for six three plays later. Overall, Adams saw three punt returns for 48 yards in his debut as the starting punt returner.
 
Kicker Kolby King from Kilgore College made two of his three field goal attempts Thursday night, hitting from distances of 22 and 25 yards, while connecting on all five of his extra points. King's first field goal gave Henderson its first points of the 2023 season. King operated as Henderson's one-man band for all kicking duties, delivering eight kickoffs for an average of 51.9 yards per boot and one punt of 37 yards, landing it inside the ECU 20 yard line.
 
SCOUTING SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE
Southeastern Oklahoma State trailed by just one at halftime against Southern Arkansas in Thursday's season opener, 17-16, but the Savage Storm were outscored 17-3 in the second half for the 34-19 loss. The Muleriders, who were the sixth best rushing team in all of NCAA Division II last season, put 241 rushing yards on SE compared to its own 49 yards. Southeastern did hold the edge through the air, 211-117, despite throwing two interceptions.
 
Turnovers were an issue for Southeastern as SE gave the ball away three times – two interceptions and one fumble – while SAU saw zero turnovers. Quarterback Bryce Fields was responsible for all three giveaways, putting the ball on the turf on the second play of the game. The Savage Storm defense bailed Fields out on Southern Arkansas' ensuing drive, blocking SAU's 27-yard field-goal attempt to keep the score at 0-0. Fields ended his day with 239 total yards and two passing touchdowns.
 
One of those touchdowns went to 2022 All-America wide receiver Marquis Gray, catching four passes for a game-high 121 yards, including a long of 62 which resulted in his one score. Dating back to last season, Gray has surpassed 100 receiving yards in three of his last four appearances, including a 10-catch, 179-yard performance against Emporia State in last season's Farmers Bank and Trust Live United Bowl. Gray finished 2022 with 79 receptions for 1463 yards and 17 touchdowns in 12 games.
 
Southeastern's rushing attack was stifled the entire night, only managing 49 yards. Newcomer Nate Omayebu III, who rushed for 1232 yards and seven scores in 13 games for Angelo State last season, managed just 25 yards on 12 carries against the Muleriders. Fields served as the Savage Storm's leading rusher with 28 yards. Playing heavily against his rushing stats was the fact that Fields got sacked five times for 24 yards and was hurried an additional seven times.
 
Defensively, SE was able to garner a bit of a pressure on dual-threat quarterback OB Jones, sacking him three times while tallying seven tackles for loss. Defensive back Tyveon Williams and linebacker Donoven McKnight each contributed eight tackles to lead the defensive effort while Williams added a half tackle for loss. Linebacker Braeden Winters inflicted the most damage in the Muleriders backfield, recording two tackles for loss to go with his seven take-downs.
 
Wide receiver Kaleb Whitley caught one pass for 12 yards along with getting one carry for a yard against SAU, but the 2022 Second Team All-GAC selection did his most damage in the return game. Whitley had three kickoff returns for a total of 85 yards, including a long of 43. Last season, Whitley returned one kickoff for a touchdown and had a season-high 96 kick return yards against Arkansas Tech.
 
THE COACHING MATCHUP
Henderson State head coach added to his hold on being the all-time winningest head coach in HSU football history, reaching win number 126 after defeating East Central in the 2023 season opener, 41-13. Maxfield has never lost to Southeastern as GAC opponents and has only lost to them once in his 17 years in Arkadelphia.
 
Southeastern Oklahoma State head coach Bo Atterberry spent five years as the Savage Storm's head coach from 2014-18. After moving to the high school coaching ranks, Atterberry now returns ahead of the 2023 season for what will be his sixth year at Southeastern. Atterberry, who has never beaten Henderson State, has a 33-24 record while serving as the head coach at Southeastern.
 
THE LAST MEETING
Henderson State survived a halftime deficit in Arkadelphia, coming back and defeating Southeastern Oklahoma State, 31-23. The Reddies scored 14 fourth-quarter points to come away with the eight-point victory. After starting out with Edwards under center, HSU turned to Landon Ledbetter to lead the team for the second half as he finished with 84 passing yards, 103 rushing yards and two total touchdowns.
 
As a team, Henderson managed to do just about whatever it wanted on the ground, tallying 235 rushing yards. Running back Korien Burrell carved up the Savage Storm defense for 119 yards on eight attempts for 14.9 yards per carry. Jeremiah Davis was able to give Burrell a breather on his big day from scrimmage for 14 yards on seven carries. Through the air, Xavier Malone caught five passes for 163 yards and two scores – one from both Edwards and Ledbetter.
 
353 of Southeastern's 447 yards came through the air as the Savage Storm matched HSU's rushing attack with their aerial attack. Former SE quarterback Daulton Hatley completed 36 of his 54 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns while Gray tormented the HSU secondary all afternoon, catching 13 passes for 154 yards and being on the receiving end of both Hatley's touchdowns. Former Reddie linebacker Jacob Greenfield was able to pick off Hatley once while Deldric Shields came up with three pass breakups.  
 
WHERE TO LISTEN
The game will be broadcast and available by the Henderson State Sports Network on KDEL 100.9 FM and KVRC 1240 AM in Arkadelphia, KWPS 99.7 FM in Hot Springs, KYXK 106.7 FM in Gurdon, and KZYP 104.1 FM/1310 AM in Malvern. Coverage begins one hour prior to kickoff.