ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- Henderson State returns to the road for what could be its biggest challenge of the young season. The Reddies are looking to break a four-game losing skid against Southern Arkansas, including last year's 24-21 home loss. The two schools have played consistently close, with five of the last six games being decided by a touchdown or less.

REDDIES REPORT: OFFENSE 
The Reddie offense continues to pace Division II: Henderson is the only school in the nation to rank in the top ten in both passing (10th) and rushing offense (9th). Slippery Rock falls just shy of this feat, leaving the Reddies as the lone team in the country to rank as high in both categories.

HSU has yet to surrender a quarterback sack in its first three games of the season. The Reddies and top-ranked, defending national champion Ferris State are the only teams in the country that have yet to be sacked.

Despite the lowest scoring output of the season in last week's win, the Reddies still rank third nationally with 53.9 points per game of scoring offense. Only Slippery Rock (58.0) and Harding (55.0) score more points per game than Henderson.

The offense has come up clutch in third-down situations so far this season: HSU converts 63 percent of its third downs, second best in the nation behind Kutztown (75 percent).

Defending GAC Offensive Player of the Week Austin Ledbetter continues to lead the Henderson offense by example. The fifth-year quarterback ranks second in the country in passing efficiency, fifth in completion percentage, and 13th in total offense.

REDDIES REPORT: DEFENSE 
The Reddie defense has hung its hat on its ability to defend the pass: the team ranks 28th in the country in passing yards allowed, ceding just 158.3 yards per game through the air. The team has five interceptions on the year, good for 13th-best in the nation.

The aforementioned five interceptions is part of a nation-leading plus-eight turnover margin. The Reddies have also recovered five fumbles on the season, including one recovered for the team's lone defensive touchdown of the season to date.

Senior edge Mulumba Wa-Kalonji has been beyond problematic throughout the early season: he averages almost a sack and nearly 1.5 tackles for loss per game from the defensive line.

REDDIES REPORT: SPECIAL TEAMS 
The Reddie return game has been one of the best in the country. HSU ranks eighth in Division II in average kickoff return yardage at just under 30 yards per game. Taylin Paskel is fifth-best in the country with a 36-yard return on average kickoffs; the explosive Paskel has yet to return a kick for a touchdown this season, but has had multiple 40-plus yard returns through just three games.

Fifth-year kicker Ryan McDonnell is the second-highest scoring kicker in the league through the first three weeks. The Irishman is averaging 8.4 points per game with his leg.

THE OPPONENT: SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
Due in part to two losses in the first three weeks of the season, Southern Arkansas does not rank in the top 100 in either scoring offense or scoring defense. The Mulerider offense ranks 105th in Division II with just 22.7 points per game, while the defense is allowing 37 points per game, which ranks 134th in the nation.

The SAU offense has traditionally been more run-heavy, and 2026 has been no different. The Muleriders rank 40th in the country, rushing for 193 yards per game; four of the five players who have carried the football have run for over 100 yards cumulatively, while four different players have rushed for a touchdown this season. The running back room is led by senior Arkez Gomez, who has rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns this season.

Southern Arkansas continues to employ a two-quarterback system, with returner AdamParker and true freshman Drew Davis splitting snaps. Parker has played in all three games, throwing for 290 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions; Davis has seen action in two games so far, completing 75 percent of his passes for 130 yards and a touchdown.

The SAU defense has been susceptible to the run this season, allowing 300.3 yards per game on the ground. Harding's offense ran for 449 yards against the Muleriders last week.

SAU has been good this season at avoiding penalties; the team has only been flagged 14 times this season, good for 11th-best in the country and second-best in the GAC, trailing only Arkansas-Monticello.

THE COACHING MATCHUP 
Reddie coach Greg Holsworth continues to move up the all-time coaching ranks, tying for eighth in school history in wins (19) with last week's win. Sixth on the all-time list is not out of the question this season, as a 10-win campaign would tie Holsworth with Clyde Berry with 26 wins as head coach.

Brad Smiley is in his fifth season at Southern Arkansas. Since 2022, Smiley has led the Muleriders to the fourth-most wins in the GAC, behind Harding, Ouachita Baptist, and Henderson State. He came to Magnolia from Northwestern State (LA), where he served as offensive coordinator and had spent time as head coach at Trinity Valley Community College and as an assistant at Tulane.

LIVE STATS AND ADDITIONAL LIVE COVERAGE 
Visit hsusports.com/coverage to view live stats and video coverage. Streaming of this game will be on the GAC Sports Network; single-game passes are available for $15. For those traveling to Magnolia, please note that only credit and debit cards are accepted at the ticket booths, but cash and cards are both acceptable at concession stands.