According to Wayland Baptist football coach
Butch Henderson, the importance of starting a game "fast" can't be emphasized enough. In all but one of the Pioneers' games this season, the team that scored first wound up winning.
Henderson feels that will be an important factor once again when his Pioneers host Oklahoma-Panhandle State Saturday afternoon.
"Our goal this week is to get control of the ballgame early and make some things happen," Henderson said. "As close as all of us are (in the Sooner Athletic Conference), the team that comes out and does something big early can control the ballgame."
While a fast start is always beneficial, the coach said it will take a complete game to defeat the dangerous Aggies.
"We have to play 60 minutes of football to win. Last week (in a 42-7 road loss to Lyon, Ark.) we did not play well in the first half, especially offensively," Henderson said of the game in which the Scots built a 21-0 first-quarter lead. "Thank goodness we started playing defensively in the second quarter and got back on track.
"Our guys really feed off of each other. If the offense is struggling then we need to do something defensively to help them out. If the defense is struggling then we need to do something offensively… ."
The same holds true for special teams, Henderson added.
Saturday's homecoming game kicks off at 2 p.m. at Greg Sherwood Memorial Bulldog Stadium.
The Pioneers (3-4) and Aggies (2-5) are tied for fifth place in the nine-team Sooner Athletic Conference standings, both with 2-3 records. Both teams own SAC wins over Texas College by similar margins (Wayland beat the Steers 40-18 while OPSU won 34-8). The Pioneers' other league win was 24-14 over Southwestern Assemblies of God, while the Aggies' other SAC victory was 34-28 in double-overtime against Texas Wesleyan, the team Wayland faces next weekend in it final road game of the season.
OPSU's conference losses have been to Top 25-ranked Langston (35-14) and Ottawa-Arizona (47-7), as well as last week at Arizona Christian (34-14). The Pioneers have also fallen to both Arizona schools (ACU, 40-27, and OUAZ, 40-21).
Henderson said the Aggies will bring a balanced offense to town, all of it centered around quarterback Tony Brown, a 5-foot-10, 193-pound sophomore from Austin who previously attended West Point.
"They're pretty balanced, and a lot of it is around a quarterback who is able to extend plays," Henderson said of Brown, who is dangerous as both a runner and passer. Brown has completed 46-of-120 passes (38 percent) for 491 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions, while on the ground he's rushed for 741 yards (106 ypg, 5.7 ypc) and six scores.
Henderson said Brown extends plays a lot like the quarterback they faced last week at Lyon.
"A lot of their stuff is based on his ability to read (the defense)," the coach said, adding that Wayland's defense must play solid technique and maintain gap integrity.
Another Brown, Jaishone Brown, is the OPSU QB's top target. The 6-2, 160-pounder has caught 21 passes for 262 yards and two TDs.
"They have a quick passing game, but they also run the ball. So they are able to control and still have the deep strike with tall receivers."
Besides QB Brown, the Aggies' rushing attack features a pair of ball carriers – 5-8, 205-pound George Dominguez and junior receiver Seth Barbarino of Amarillo (River Road) – averaging between 40-45 yards a game and around 5 yards a carry.
Altogether, OPSU averages 183 yards rushing a game, second-best in the conference.
On defense, Henderson said the Aggies line up in "what looks like a 5-1. They'll have six guys in the box all the time and play man-to-man all over the field."
The trick for Wayland's offensive line is protecting the quarterback long enough for receivers to get open.
"Can you get the ball out before they get to you," Henderson said. "They're going to try to eat you."
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