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Game Notes: The 99th Battle of the Ravine

The 99th Battle of the Ravine
(RV) Henderson State (8-2) vs. #25 Ouachita Baptist (8-2) 
GeoSurfaces Field at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium | Arkadelphia, Ark. | 1:00 p.m. 
Live Video | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- The 99th Battle of the Ravine is scheduled for Saturday, November 14th. One of the most infamous rivalries in college athletics, the intra-city game has always been a back-and-forth affair, with Ouachita Baptist holding a slight lead over Henderson State (47-45-6). 

The Reddies enter the game with hopes of the Division II playoffs; the team sits 11th in the Super Region 4 NPI rankings. The four conference champions and four highest-ranked at-large teams will receive bids to the playoffs, which begin on Saturday, November 21st.

Tickets for this week's game can be found here.

REDDIES REPORT: OFFENSE 

Sophomore Jordan Walker started his third game of the season for the Reddies, replacing an injured Austin Ledbetter. The Bryant native was 17-of-24 passing for 172 yards and a touchdown, and he also ran the ball 11 times for 38 yards and a score.

The Reddies provided a balanced offense in Saturday's game, rushing for the most yards as a team in the past four weeks. The rushing attack moved into eighth place in the conference with Saturday's performance.

HSU boasts the second-best total offense in the GAC and the 11th-best in Division II. The Reddies gain 467.2 yards per game, a league-best 283.5 of which come via the pass. The team also attacks efficiently, with the two quarterbacks helping Henderson to an efficiency rating of 169.3, second-best in the league and 12th nationally.

Henderson continues to boast two of the top-ten passing quarterbacks in the league. Austin Ledbetter ranks second in the conference with 14 passing touchdowns, while Jordan Walker ranks eighth with eight touchdown passes. The duo ranks seventh and eighth with 96 and 88 points responsible for, respectively. 

Sophomore receiver Maddox Davis looks to solidify his place as the best receiver in the GAC with another strong game this week. The Benton native leads the league with 6.1 receptions per game and is second-best in the conference with 831 yards and six touchdowns.

REDDIES REPORT: DEFENSE

Henderson continued its dominance on third down in Saturday's win in Ada. The Tigers were just 3-of-12 on third-down attempts. The Reddies remain second in the GAC and 33rd in Division II in third-down defense, allowing just a 33.3 percent conversion rate.

HSU made its second defensive touchdown of the season on Saturday, when GAC Defensive Player of the Week Jackson Byerley intercepted a pass from East Central's Sergio Kennedy and returned it 42 yards for a score. Byerley's pick-six was the first by a Reddie this season, and it was the first defensive touchdown since an Amarion Pulliaum scoop-and-score in the week two win against Oklahoma Baptist.

Byerley's interception was the ninth by a Henderson State player in 2026. The nine takeaways through the air rank fourth in the conference, trailing league-leading Southeastern Oklahoma by just four.
Henderson boasts the fourth-best defense in the GAC and the 66th-best in Division II. The Reddies allow just 345.5 yards per game, and have been outgained by opposing offenses just three times this season, including Saturday's win at East Central.

Henderson boasts the fourth-best defense in the GAC and the 66th-best in Division II. The Reddies allow just 345.5 yards per game, and have been outgained by opposing offenses just three times this season, including Saturday's win at East Central.

REDDIES REPORT: SPECIAL TEAMS 

Henderson's punt return defense has been a strong suit on special teams this season. The Reddies allow just 4.6 yards per returned punt. Conversely, the team ranks sixth in the conference in punt return yardage, returning 7.76 yards per return.

The Reddies also have had their aggression pay off on multiple kicks and punts by opposing teams. HSU is second in the league in both blocked kicks and blocked punts, with four kicks and two punts being rejected by the Reddie front.

THE OPPONENT: OUACHITA BAPTIST

Ouachita Baptist enters Saturday's game ranked 10th in the Super Region 4 NPI rankings. The Tigers, like the Reddies, have an outside shot of making the Division II playoffs with a win and some help within the region.

The Tigers are the least penalized team in the GAC and the seventh-best nationally at avoiding penalty yardage. OBU has only been penalized to a total of 401 yards this season on 51 penalties. Their 5.1 penalties per game ranks 20th in the nation. 

OBU's offense is predicated on the run game; the team ranks third in the GAC with 230.7 yards per game gained on the ground, led by quarterback Tre Nichols, whose 663 rushing yards rank seventh in the conference. Running back Chris Henley, Jr. and Nichols rank second and third in the league with 12 and 11 rushing touchdowns, respectively.

Ouachita's passing offense ranks ninth in the GAC, throwing for 178.6 yards per game. Meanwhile, their pass defense allows opposing teams to throw for 218.2 yards per game, which ranks 11th in the conference. That being said, Ouachita Baptist ranks third in the league with 10 interceptions, which is 49th-best in Division II.

The Tiger special teams unit is a dangerous one: Ouachita is the only team in the Great American Conference with multiple kickoff returns for touchdowns. Carter McElhany and Nate Stafford each have a return touchdown this season, with McElhany collecting the fourth return touchdown of his career.

THE COACHING MATCHUP 

Reddie coach Greg Holsworth sits alone in seventh place all-time with 24 wins as head football coach. He passed Bo Sherman with a week-six win over NWOSU and holds the highest win percentage of any coach in program history (minimum five games). Holsworth is just two games behind sixth all-time, held by Clyde Berry (26-14).

Todd Knight took over the Ouachita Baptist football program ahead of the 1999 season, and has led the team to at least a share of seven GAC championships, as well as six different Division II playoff appearances. 

LIVE STATS AND ADDITIONAL LIVE COVERAGE

Live video coverage of Saturday's game will be provided for free on the Henderson State Sports Network, presented by Oaklawn. Dylan Connolly and Cortez Akins will be on the call, and the game is produced by Reddie Digital Media. Visit hsusports.com/coverage to view live stats and video coverage.
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Players Mentioned

Jackson Byerley

#22 Jackson Byerley

LB
6' 2"
Sophomore
Maddox Davis

#2 Maddox Davis

WR
5' 9"
Sophomore
Austin Ledbetter

#18 Austin Ledbetter

QB
6' 1"
Fifth Year
Amarion Pulliaum

#8 Amarion Pulliaum

DE
6' 3"
Sophomore
Jordan Walker

#13 Jordan Walker

QB
6' 0"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Jackson Byerley

#22 Jackson Byerley

6' 2"
Sophomore
LB
Maddox Davis

#2 Maddox Davis

5' 9"
Sophomore
WR
Austin Ledbetter

#18 Austin Ledbetter

6' 1"
Fifth Year
QB
Amarion Pulliaum

#8 Amarion Pulliaum

6' 3"
Sophomore
DE
Jordan Walker

#13 Jordan Walker

6' 0"
Sophomore
QB