Coming off of two straight losses to Ouachita Baptist and Arkansas-Monticello, football took on East Central on Saturday evening. Looking to add to the win column for the first time in the 2023 season, the Dawgs’ offense came out slow, being outscored 3-0 through the first two quarters.
Making his first start for SWOSU in 2023, quarterback Calvin Cloud and running back Dexter Brown shared reps at quarterback throughout the second half, implementing wildcat formations into the offense. Adding Brown into the offense proved successful for the Dawgs, scoring 13 unanswered following an ECU touchdown run.
Leading 13 to 10, the squad forced ECU into a field goal situation on fourth down, but an offsides call gave ECU new life, where a touchdown strike put them ahead 17 to 13.
Throughout the fourth quarter, the two teams could not get a lot going on offense, punting the ball repeatedly until an eventual ECU 17-yard touchdown run iced the game, leading to the Tigers’ 24 to 13 victory.
The loss moves the Dawgs to a 0-3 record for the 2023 campaign, a spot they were last in during the 2021 season in which they finished without a win. With a lot of time to improve, the team looks to get on track next week when they take on Southern Nazarene in Bethany, OK. The Dawgs haven’t beaten the Crimson Storm since 2019, but they own the series all time, boasting an 8-3 record against SNU.
The matchup kicks off next Saturday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m.
