There’s the Battle for the Little Brown Jug (Michigan vs. Minnesota), the Egg Bowl (Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss.), and The Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn). But the oldest rivalry in Division II Football is the Coleman Dairy Battle of the Ravine between Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University. It’s a series which began in 1895 and will resume Saturday, Nov. 7 at A.U. Williams Field with the opening kickoff set for 1:30 p.m.
The rivalry features two institutions that are separated by Arkansas Highway 7. Henderson State’s Carpenter-Haygood Stadium and Ouachita Baptist’s A.U. Williams Stadium are a mere 500 yards apart. It has been said so many times it is almost trite, but it still bears repeating one more time: for sheer excitement, for dramatic finishes and for almost unbearable tension, few things in sports can be compared to a Henderson State-Ouachita Baptist football game.
There are not many rivalries as old or rich in tradition as the Henderson State vs. Ouachita Baptist “Battle of the Ravine.” It is the oldest rivalry among current NCAA Division II institutions. After 82 games played between these two fine institutions, the series is tied 38-38-6.
The first game played between the two institutions was in 1895 when then Ouachita College beat Arkadelphia Methodist College, 8-0 on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28. The second meeting between the two institutions did not occur until 1907 in the first sanctioned game of the series. The Reddies beat the Tigers and went on to claim the Arkansas State Championship.
The Reddies went on to win the next six meetings. The game was traditionally played on Thanksgiving, and both teams made it their homecoming game. The series discontinued in 1951 after Henderson State won 54-0 and the pranks that went along with the series got out of control.
The series did not resume until 1963 with the Reddies winning 28-13. The series continued uninterrupted until 1993 because of Henderson State’s move to the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference.
After a three-year hiatus, the series began again in 1996 as OBU moved to the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference. OBU joined the GSC in 2000 and an eight-year GSC schedule had already been put into place. GSC schools do not play everyone in the league due to the number of teams. Henderson and OBU did not play in 2004 or 2005 because the two institutions rotated off the conference schedule.
The Reddies won two of the last three meetings over the Tigers including an 18-0 shutout in 2007 at OBU. The Tigers defeated the Reddies 43-36 in 2008 at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium. Of the 82 meetings between the two institutions, the game has been decided by a touchdown or less 36 times, with OBU having the advantage in close games 18-12-6.
Overcoming adversity is what the Reddies have attempted to do all season. After losing their starting quarterback, one of the top running backs in the GSC, several offensive linemen, the Reddies find themselves on a 3-game losing skid.
Kenard Springer has become the workhorse in the backfield rushing for 625 yards on 132 carries. Springer had a career-best 171 yards against Harding. Nick Hardesty has taken over at quarterback completing 66 of 124 passes for 976 yards and eight scores. Chris Evering is Henderson’s top receiver with 28 catches for 555 yards and five scores, while Michael Buse has 20 receptions for 203 yards.
Antonio Leak and Brian McKnight continue to lead the Reddie defensive unit. McKnight has 45 tackles while Leak has a team best 12.0 stops for lost yardage.
Ouachita Baptist will be attempting to end a four-game GSC losing skid after falling last week to West Alabama 52-49.
The Tigers have the top rushing team in the league averaging 192.8 yards per game.
KJ Johnson is the GSC’s premier running back averaging 116.7 yards per game, Johnson has scored 11 rushing touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Eli Cranor is dangerous every time he touches the ball. Cranor has thrown for 1750 yards and 12 touchdowns, while rushing for 230 yards and one score.
Jeremy Young and Jaime Harris are the top two receivers for the Tigers. Young has 58 catches for 758 yards for an average of 94.8 yards per game. Harris has 19 receptions for 436 yards and three scores.
The Tiger defense is pretty stout as well. OBU is second in the GSC in total defense allowing just 304.3 yards per game while opponents are averaging just 20 points per contest.
The Tigers also lead the league in quarterback sacks with 24 thanks to Jerry McNeil and Bryan Church. McNeil has 40 tackles, 11.5 stops for lost yardage including 7.5 sacks, while Church has 38 stops, with 14.0 tackles for lost yardage and he has 3.0 sacks. Denszell Brown leads the team with 54 tackles followed by Tyler George with 52.
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There’s the Battle for the Little Brown Jug (Michigan vs. Minnesota), the Egg Bowl (Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss.), and The Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn). But the oldest rivalry in Division II Football is the Coleman Dairy Battle of the Ravine between Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University. It’s a series which began in 1895 and will resume Saturday, Nov. 7 at A.U. Williams Field with the opening kickoff set for 1:30 p.m.
The rivalry features two institutions that are separated by Arkansas Highway 7. Henderson State’s Carpenter-Haygood Stadium and Ouachita Baptist’s A.U. Williams Stadium are a mere 500 yards apart. It has been said so many times it is almost trite, but it still bears repeating one more time: for sheer excitement, for dramatic finishes and for almost unbearable tension, few things in sports can be compared to a Henderson State-Ouachita Baptist football game.
There are not many rivalries as old or rich in tradition as the Henderson State vs. Ouachita Baptist “Battle of the Ravine.” It is the oldest rivalry among current NCAA Division II institutions. After 82 games played between these two fine institutions, the series is tied 38-38-6.
The first game played between the two institutions was in 1895 when then Ouachita College beat Arkadelphia Methodist College, 8-0 on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28. The second meeting between the two institutions did not occur until 1907 in the first sanctioned game of the series. The Reddies beat the Tigers and went on to claim the Arkansas State Championship.
The Reddies went on to win the next six meetings. The game was traditionally played on Thanksgiving, and both teams made it their homecoming game. The series discontinued in 1951 after Henderson State won 54-0 and the pranks that went along with the series got out of control.
The series did not resume until 1963 with the Reddies winning 28-13. The series continued uninterrupted until 1993 because of Henderson State’s move to the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference.
After a three-year hiatus, the series began again in 1996 as OBU moved to the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference. OBU joined the GSC in 2000 and an eight-year GSC schedule had already been put into place. GSC schools do not play everyone in the league due to the number of teams. Henderson and OBU did not play in 2004 or 2005 because the two institutions rotated off the conference schedule.
The Reddies won two of the last three meetings over the Tigers including an 18-0 shutout in 2007 at OBU. The Tigers defeated the Reddies 43-36 in 2008 at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium. Of the 82 meetings between the two institutions, the game has been decided by a touchdown or less 36 times, with OBU having the advantage in close games 18-12-6.
Overcoming adversity is what the Reddies have attempted to do all season. After losing their starting quarterback, one of the top running backs in the GSC, several offensive linemen, the Reddies find themselves on a 3-game losing skid.
Kenard Springer has become the workhorse in the backfield rushing for 625 yards on 132 carries. Springer had a career-best 171 yards against Harding. Nick Hardesty has taken over at quarterback completing 66 of 124 passes for 976 yards and eight scores. Chris Evering is Henderson’s top receiver with 28 catches for 555 yards and five scores, while Michael Buse has 20 receptions for 203 yards.
Antonio Leak and Brian McKnight continue to lead the Reddie defensive unit. McKnight has 45 tackles while Leak has a team best 12.0 stops for lost yardage.
Ouachita Baptist will be attempting to end a four-game GSC losing skid after falling last week to West Alabama 52-49.
The Tigers have the top rushing team in the league averaging 192.8 yards per game.
KJ Johnson is the GSC’s premier running back averaging 116.7 yards per game, Johnson has scored 11 rushing touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Eli Cranor is dangerous every time he touches the ball. Cranor has thrown for 1750 yards and 12 touchdowns, while rushing for 230 yards and one score.
Jeremy Young and Jaime Harris are the top two receivers for the Tigers. Young has 58 catches for 758 yards for an average of 94.8 yards per game. Harris has 19 receptions for 436 yards and three scores.
The Tiger defense is pretty stout as well. OBU is second in the GSC in total defense allowing just 304.3 yards per game while opponents are averaging just 20 points per contest.
The Tigers also lead the league in quarterback sacks with 24 thanks to Jerry McNeil and Bryan Church. McNeil has 40 tackles, 11.5 stops for lost yardage including 7.5 sacks, while Church has 38 stops, with 14.0 tackles for lost yardage and he has 3.0 sacks. Denszell Brown leads the team with 54 tackles followed by Tyler George with 52.
