No. 22 Henderson State (0-0) at East Central (0-0)
Koi Ishto Stadium | Ada, Okla. | 6:00 p.m.
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ARKADELPHIA, Ark.  -  No. 22 Henderson State opens up the 2024 season with a road matchup at East Central on Thursday, September 5, at 6:00 p.m.

STORYLINES: SETTING THE SCENE
No. 22 Henderson State enters the Greg Holsworth era fresh off its first NCAA DII Playoff appearance since 2015. With seven seasons at HSU already under his belt (defensive coordinator and assistant head coach), Holsworth takes over for all-time Reddie wins leader Scott Maxfield. Roughly 70 percent of the starters from last year's playoff team

East Central's John Litrenta takes over as the Tigers' permanent head coach after serving as the team's interim leader in 2023. His ECU squad looks to improve on a 3-8 record from a year ago. Four of the Tigers' 2023 losses were determined by 10 points or less (three by eight points or less). ECU has not lost to HSU at Koi Ishto Stadium since 2018, when the Reddies picked up a 31-10 victory in enemy territory. 

REDDIES REPORT: OFFENSE
Quarterback Andrew Edwards returns after leading the GAC in completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns a season ago. His five GAC Player of the Week Awards tied a conference record, and he also earned Second Team All-GAC honors. The Bentonville native earned his final Player of the Week nod by compiling more than 250 total yards and three scores in the Reddies' first Battle of the Ravine win since 2015.

Tight end Cayden Davis became the first Reddie at his position to ever earn a First Team All-GAC selection after a stellar 2023 campaign. Though he hauled in just 19 receptions on the year, Davis tallied 365 yards for an average of 19.21 yards per catch. Originally from Caddo Mills, Texas, he had three touchdown receptions and also contributed to the run blocking game. Davis will look to build off his D2CCA Second Team All-Region campaign with another big season in 2024.

Running backs Jeremiah Davis and Fredrick O'Donald both look to make an impact on the Reddies' ground game in 2024. Davis, a Montalba, Texas, native, has had at least 400 yards in each of the last two seasons after claiming a spot in the team's running rotation in 2022. O'Donald, entering his senior year, is nearing the 1,000-yard mark for his career. The former North Little Rock Charging Wildcat put up a career-high and team-best 529 rushing yards and 6.7 yards per carry in 2023.

Wide receiver Timieone Jackson left his mark immediately upon joining Henderson in 2023. The Pflugerville, Texas, native hauled in 65 passes for 517 yards and three touchdowns. Prior to that, he accumulated more than 1,500 all-purpose yards in two seasons at Mesa College. With Chris Hatzis finishing up his college career last year, the Reddies will look for Jackson to take on an even larger leadership role this season.

In 2023, Henderson State's offensive line successfully protected an Andrew Edwards-led passing attack that finished first in the GAC in passing yards. Seniors Blaise Smith and Brandon Bishop return at left guard and left tackle, respectively. Former Glen Rose Beaver Andrew Weatherford is also back at right guard. Sophomore Gabe Hernandez will look to have a breakout year for an offensive attack that finished top four in the GAC in total yards and scoring a year ago.

REDDIES REPORT: DEFENSE
Gary Lewis leads on the defensive line after becoming the Reddies' first defensive player to earn All-American honors since 2019. The Second Team AFCA All-American recorded 7.5 sacks last season - the fourth most in program history. A two-time state champion with the Fordyce Redbugs, Lewis is already ranked fifth in career sacks (12.5) after just two full seasons with the program. Now entering his redshirt junior year, the former Fordyce Redbug looks to keep GAC defenses guessing.

Tallying more than 60 tackles in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, linebacker Jakob Neel looks to be a key factor in the Reddies' defensive scheme once again. Neel led HSU with 64 tackles a year ago, contributing four tackles for loss, a sack, and two fumble recoveries in the process. The former Bryant Hornet earned an All-GAC Honorable Mention in 2023, and he'll be looking for more in his senior campaign. 

The talent and experience of Henderson State's secondary should force opposing quarterbacks to think twice before letting the ball fly. Senior defensive backs Tim Jennings and Cameron Thomas have both appeared in at least 10 games a year since debuting for the Reddies as true freshmen in 2021. Jennings has over 100 career tackles, five tackles for loss, and a pick to his credit, while Thomas has 22 pass deflections, three interceptions, and a forced fumble on his own career line. 

Defensive back Colby Crawford led the Reddies with 10 pass deflections in 2023. Appearing in all 12 games last season, Crawford made a career-high nine tackles in Henderson's Battle of the Ravine victory at Ouachita. He also came up with an interception against Southeastern Oklahoma State. 

Though the Reddies return approximately 70 percent of their starters from last season, 2023 reserves such as Trenton Moore, Catrell Wallace, and Bryant Hammond II will look to step up and play a key role in Henderson's 2024 success. 

REDDIES REPORT: SPECIAL TEAMS
Cameron Thomas' kick return average of 27 yards put him just one-tenth of a yard shy of tying the 2023 GAC lead for that category. He returned a kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown against Northwestern Oklahoma State. Devon Adams finished with 8 yards per punt return - an average ranked fourth in the conference.

Kolby King was one of three GAC kickers to tie for first with 11 field goals made last season. He also had two punts of over 50 yards in 2023. Axel Robertson, who had a 55-yard punt against Southwestern Oklahoma State last November, is also available to help with kicking and punting duties. 

THE OPPONENT: EAST CENTRAL
Given John Litrenta's defensive background, it's not too hard to see why his ECU squad finished in the top half of the GAC in points allowed a season ago. Though the Tigers' defense allowed the fourth-most total yards to their opponents, a "bend, but don't break" attitude helped East Central limit the damage on the scoreboard. 

Of the Tigers' eight All-GAC selections from a season ago, only cornerback Gio Waller is back. The senior leads a secondary that finished third in the GAC with 1,742 passing yards allowed in 2023. 

ECU's defense forced eight fumbles in 2023, giving them a total tied for fourth in the GAC. This season, however, the Tigers would like to improve their efficiency in recoveries. Despite its success in poking the ball free, East Central's defense only managed to recover three fumbles last year - the fewest of any team in the conference. 

Traair Edwards was scheduled to return after splitting time with Jaaive Magalei at quarterback last year, but he is currently not slated as the Tigers' starting quarterback. Appearing in eight games, Edwards completed 72 of his 118 passing attempts for 675 yards, four touchdowns, and two picks. In the 2023 season opener against Henderson, he threw for a season-high 194 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Sergio Kennedy is listed as the probable starter for ECU in 2024. 

The Tigers return none of their top three receivers from last season, meaning that fresh faces will have to step in ECU's air attack. Tight end Jackson Allen looks primed to be one of those leaders. Allen, who recorded his sole touchdown of 2023 against Henderson, has the most receiving yards of any returner on ECU's 2024 squad (180 yards). He was one of only two receiving targets to appear in all of the Tigers' 11 games last year. 

With the departure of All-GAC running backs Miles Davis and David Hall, ECU's run game will have a completely new look. Of the Tigers' top six rushers from last season, only Traair Edwards (fourth with 62 yards) remains. Transfer Myles Featherston is ECU's probable RB1 after recording over 1,600 career rushing yards in four seasons at Hardin-Simmons. Former UNLV Rebel Andrew Wimmer also looks to log touches at tailback. 

East Central finished fourth in the conference with an average of 11.1 yards per punt return last season. Graduate student Dior Scott was responsible for every punt return in 2023, meaning that a new Tiger will have to step up on special teams in 2024. Deqavius Bowens and Andrew Wimmer are among the top candidates to take Scott's spot. 

Reece Conner averaged 40.5 yards per punt en route to finishing as one of the league's top five punters a season ago. He had the third-most punts of 50 yards or more in the GAC (11), and he also ranked in the top five in punting average for the second consecutive season.

THE COACHING MATCHUP
Henderson State's Greg Holsworth is entering his first year as head coach, while East Central's John Litrenta is starting his first year as permanent head coach after spending the 2023 season as the Tigers' interim coach. There is significant overlap between the two men: both played linebacker in college, both are first-time head coaches, and both previously served as defensive coordinators for the programs they now lead. Litrenta enters the year with a 3-8 record as head coach, while Holsworth is set to earn his first win/loss decision as a head coach in the 2024 season opener. 

The Reddies have won nine of their 12 GAC meetings with East Central, with ECU's last victory in the series being their 31-10 win over Henderson at Koi Ishto Stadium in 2022. Prior to that game, the Tigers had not defeated the Reddies at home; their other two wins in the series came at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in 2015 and 2017. Overall, the Reddies have a 3-1 road record in the series.

THE LAST MEETING
East Central opened up the scoring in its 2023 meeting with the Reddies with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Traair Edwards to C.J. Moore. The Tigers led 13-10 at the midway point of the second quarter. From there, it was all Reddies: Henderson State closed the game with 31 unanswered points to avenge their loss to ECU. 

Andrew Edwards gave a taste of the special season to come by going 17-for-25 for 276 yards and four touchdowns through the air. He added 31 yards on the ground to eclipse 300 total yards in a performance that earned him the first of his five GAC Player of the Week Awards for the year. 

Timieone Jackson paced the Reddies' receiving corps with 84 yards on seven receptions. Chris Hatzis caught two of Edwards' two touchdowns, while Elijah George and Jalen Abraham each collected a score through the air. Jackson, Hatzis, George, and Abraham accounted for 261 of Henderson's 276 receiving yards on the night. 

C.J. Moore led all receivers from both teams with 101 receiving yards. He provided one of the Tigers' two scores, with the other belonging to Jackson Allen. Dior Scott added 53 receiving yards, and Kylin Mathis added 24 of his own. Of the Tigers' top four receivers from last year's game, only Allen and Mathis remain. 

Defensive back Paul Manning recovered a fumble forced by linebacker Keegan Stinespring and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown with less than a minute to go in the game. That fumble was the only turnover committed by either team in the game. 

Trenton Moore led the Reddies' pass rush with 1.5 sacks on the game. Jakob Neel, HSU's tackle leader for the season, also had 1.5 tackles for loss against ECU.

Kolby King went a perfect five-for-five on extra points and added field goals from 22 and 25 yards out. He also recorded a 37-yard punt to pin the Tigers back at their own two-yard line.

LIVE STATS AND ADDITIONAL LIVE COVERAGE
Visit hsusports.com/coverage to access live stats and additional live coverage of Thursday night's game.