ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- Henderson State was upset on Senior Day by Southeastern Oklahoma last week, despite outgaining the Savage Storm by more than 150 yards. The Reddies led at the half, but never led again after a third-quarter touchdown run by SEOSU's Levay Duncan.

East Central was on the cusp of the top-25 two weeks ago before consecutive losses to Southwestern Oklahoma and Southern Arkansas brought the Tigers back down to earth. ECU still features Sergio Kennedy, a third-team All-GAC selection from a season ago, as well as the fifth-best offense in the GAC.

REDDIES REPORT: OFFENSE 

Henderson's offense continues to move the ball up and down the field. The Reddies remain atop the GAC in total offense, gaining 484.7 yards per game. That number ranks eighth nationally, with four of the seven teams above HSU playing in Super Region 4, arguably the toughest region in Division II football. 

The Reddie passing offense is still putting up impressive numbers, leading the GAC with 295.9 yards per game through the air. Henderson boasts two of the league's top ten passing quarterbacks: Austin Ledbetter ranks first in passing yards per game (285.4) and passing touchdowns (14), as well as second in passing yards (1,998). Sophomore Jordan Walker is eighth in passing touchdowns (7), 10th in passing yards per game (73.9), and 11th in passing yards (665).

A key to the Henderson offense has been its ability to continue drives by getting first downs. The team leads the conference in first downs gained with 210, 16 more than second-place Harding. That stat alone puts the Reddies at the league's third-best time of possession, holding the ball for over 31 minutes per game.

Henderson will look to improve its luck running the ball this week. The Reddies struggled against the impressive rush defense of Southeastern Oklahoma, dropping to eighth in the league with 188.8 yards per game on the ground.

REDDIES REPORT: DEFENSE

The Henderson defense, despite its second-half struggles against Southeastern, has been incredibly efficient in forcing opposing offenses off the field. The Reddies rank second in the conference and 39th nationally, holding opponents to a 34.2 percent success rate in third-down conversions.

The back end of the Reddie defense continues to make opposing teams rethink their offensive strategy. HSU ranks 16th in the country, allowing just over 158 yards per game through the air. Henderson has also shown its ability to force turnovers, ranking fourth in the GAC with eight interceptions.

While the pass defense has proven to be the superior side of the Reddie defense, the team has shown flashes of stopping the run game as well. HSU ranks fifth in the conference in rush defense, allowing 180.4 yards per game. The team is fourth in the league in total defense, yielding 339 yards per game to opponents.

Henderson will look to force a turnover for the first time in three weeks on Saturday. The team had forced at least one turnover in each of the team's first seven games before back-to-back games without gaining the offense an extra possession.

REDDIES REPORT: SPECIAL TEAMS 

Henderson's special teams unit allowed its only touchdown of the season in last week's loss to Southeastern Oklahoma. The team is the third-best punting unit in the GAC, allowing just 4.6 yards per return.

Kicker Ryan McDonnell was 2-of-3 in field goal attempts in Saturday's loss, with all three attempts coming in the game's second quarter. The fifth-year made his first two attempts (from 28 and 45 yards), but he missed a 36-yard attempt as time expired in the game's opening half.

THE OPPONENT: EAST CENTRAL

East Central comes into Saturday's game off a somewhat shocking 45-17 loss at Southern Arkansas last week. The Tigers managed just 164 yards on 49 offensive plays while allowing 425 yards on 62 plays.

Despite last week's tepid performance, the Tiger offense is still the fourth-best in the GAC; the team gains 408.4 yards per game, 215.8 of which comes through the air. 

Tiger quarterback Sergio Kennedy is second in the conference in points responsible for; this stat accounts for an average of points directly scored by the player. It includes, in Kennedy's case, nine rushing touchdowns, 13 passing touchdowns, and one two-point conversion, a total of 134 points.

The ECU defense is the best in the GAC at defending the pass. The Tigers allow 154.1 yards per game, which ranks 12th nationally despite just three interceptions. 

East Central's offensive line is arguably its strongest unit. The front line allows the second-fewest sacks and tackles for loss in the Great American Conference. Surprisingly, the Tigers are just sixth-best in the league in rushing offense, running for 192.7 yards per game on the ground.

THE COACHING MATCHUP 

Reddie coach Greg Holsworth sits alone in seventh place all-time with 22 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).

John Litrenta is in his fourth year as the head coach at East Central. The Orland Park, Illinois native was named interim coach in the fall of 2022 before having the interim tag removed after the 2023 season. Litrenta led the team to a tenure-best 6-6 record last season, including an appearance in the First Americans Bowl against Northeastern State.

LIVE STATS AND ADDITIONAL LIVE COVERAGE
 
Visit hsusports.com/coverage to view live stats and video coverage. This week's game will stream for a fee on the GAC Sports Network via the link above.