SWOSU football took its first homecoming win in 7 years when they defeated ECU this past Saturday, 38-14. The last homecoming win SWOSU football had was back in 2017 when they won 20-17 against SNU. This win against ECU was not a close one; the Bulldogs got out to an early lead and never let off.
With this being a homecoming game, a lot was riding on a win. Bulldog football wanted to give the crowd and students a team to be proud of, and they did just that. They came out with a fire under them. This was one of the best SWOSU football games I have been to. They worked together play-after-play, and everyone could see it. I spoke with sophomore Emily Rain after the game and asked her ‘What her thoughts were about this year’s homecoming game’ and she stated, “Compared to last year, it was much better. This new coach seems to be rebuilding this program into something good. I hope they can keep winning.” I agree with her completely. This program is turning around, and everyone is seeing it.
During the game, Dawgs football had some amazing plays. ECU came out scoring first, but SWOSU fired right back and didn’t let up. A few minutes into the first quarter, MJ Rivers passed 34 yards to receiver Isaac Norris to score the first touchdown of the game. This was the spark for the Dawgs and the crowd. It wasn’t super high energy until that play, from the players to the stands, you could feel the joy of completing that pass. This wasn’t the only touchdown of the evening. MJ Rivers went on to complete 13 out of 15 of his passes for a total of 227 yards and 4 touchdowns. MJ couldn’t have done any of this though without his defense behind him. The Dawgs’ defense had two interceptions to get the ball back for their offense. They also had over 4 sacks this game. They were not letting ECU reach the endzone. The game ended in a 38-14 win for SWOSU.
During halftime, since this is SWOSU’s Homecoming game, they announced the winner for Homecoming king and queen. There were six candidates this year with that being Hannah Badgett, Boone Hardaway, Coby Skelton, Taylor Jones, Otto Heden, and Cameron Turner. And the winners were two Bulldog athletic members, Cameron Turner with Volleyball as our Queen and Otto Heden with Golf as our King. They put in the work to get the votes, and the crowd was ecstatic when they were announced. I got a second to speak with Cameron Turner after the game and asked her ‘How she feels to be SWOSU’s homecoming queen’, she stated, “I never expected this. I feel so loved by everyone and couldn’t be happier.”
This was an amazing day all around for SOWSU. From the game and the events going on, you couldn’t ask for more. This win by the Dawgs puts them at the most wins in 3 years, tying their 2022 record, 4-4. If they can carry this win to next Saturday when they face Arkansas Monticello, they could have their first winning record since 2015. They face Monticello on November 1st at 2 pm in Arkansas. You can always watch the stream and support your fellow Bulldogs wherever you are.
