SE Set for Homecoming Showdown with SWOSU

DURANT, Okla. – No. 23 Southeastern returns home for a big Homecoming matchup with long-time in-state rival Southwestern Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. on Oct. 7 at Paul Laird Field.
 
The Savage Storm enter the homecoming battle with a 5-0 record on the season, having climbed into the national rankings for the first time since the 2007 season.
 
The Savage Storm are also in search of their fourth-straight homecoming victory after downing Southern Nazarene a year ago 45-14. Of note, the last time the Storm faced off with SWOSU in the friendly confines of Paul Laird Field was the 2015 homecoming contest, a game won by SE by an 8-0 margin.
 
The 2017 Savage Storm come into the meeting ranked second in the GAC in scoring offense as well as scoring defense, averaging 38.2 ppg, while allowing just 20.0.
 
Those numbers were narrowed slightly as the Storm survived its closest test of the season thus far as Joel Carlos nailed a 32 yard field goal with one second remaining to lift SE to a 30-27 win at Northwestern Oklahoma State.
 
The Southeastern offense is leading the league with 447.6 yards per outing, while the defense leads the nation in turnover margin at plus-11 over five games.
 
Rashod Polk leads the rushing attack with 437 yards on the ground after turning in a 201 yard effort a week ago, his second-straight 100-plus yard outing.
 
Rollin Kinsaul has racked up 561 yards through the air and six touchdowns, while both he and Austin Skinner tossed TD passes a week ago.
 
Jaylen Sims has hauled in a team-best 18 passes and three scores, while Drake White has a team-high 252 yards on 14 grabs.
 
Troy Parker has paced the defense with 31 tackles and an interception, while a total of seven players have picks and seven others have a fumble recovery.
 
Carlos earned GAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his heroics in last week's win and on the year has connected on 8-of-10 field goals and all 22 PAT kicks, while punting for an average of 38.9 yards with 13 of his 23 punts pinning opponents inside their own 20 yard line.
 
SWOSU comes into the weekend with a 2-3 record on the season after a shootout victory over East Central a week ago.
 
Offensively, Casey Freeman has completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 1,061 yards and six touchdowns, with Jared Rayburn being his top target with 26 catches for 230 yards and two TDs.
 
Karltrell Henderson leads the Bulldog rushing attack with 288 yards on 66 carries, while Cedric Cooper has a team-best three touchdowns.
 
The SWOSU defense is allowing 33.8 yards per game, but has forced 12 turnovers, while the offense is putting up 21.2 points per contest.