Football | 10/23/2018 3:35:00 PM

Goodwell, Okla.—The Panhandle State football team notched an important Sooner Athletic Conference victory last week, with a 21-14 win over a talented Arizona Christian team. This week they face another tough SAC opponent as they travel to Waxahachie, Texas to take on the 5-3 Southwestern Assemblies of God University Lions on Saturday, Oct. 27.

Acknowledging the team achievement from Saturday's performance, Head Coach Russell Gaskamp stated, "I was impressed with the resiliency we showed this week. By no means did we play a perfect game, but it was good to see us be a tougher, more physical team." Gaskamp spoke specifically on the quarterback position adding, "Martez [Vrana] did not have his best outing, but I think it was a great learning game for him. He was not happy with his performance, and he has shown his desire to improve in practice this week. I hope to see more consistency on the offensive side of the ball this week."

The Lions boast an impressive offensive unit that is listed No. 8 in the nation for Scoring Offense, averaging 39 points per game on the season. Under the steady leadership of senior quarterback CJ Collins, SAGU sits second in the national standings for Pass Offense. Collins ranks No. 2 in Passing/Game across all NAIA quarterbacks, totaling 2,684 yards over eight games played this year.

Gaskamp approaches this week's matchup with a heightened awareness of SAGU's offensive talent. "We know how good CJ [Collins] is and how proficient they are with the pass game." Foreseeing the battle ahead Gaskamp expounds, "We know how good their offensive personnel is, which will present a challenge for our defense; our offense has to help them out this week." A huge key to the Aggies' success at SAGU will also be clock control and keeping their proficient offense off the field. "We will need to stop the run and make them as one-dimensional as possible," says Gaskamp.

The Darkside Defense, under the leadership of Coordinator LeMarcus Gibson, is currently ranked No. 6 in the NAIA for Rush Defense/Game. Gaskamp feels this will be a key factor in this week's contest against the Lions commenting, "Part of what it takes to be successful at this point in the season is stopping the run and being able to run the ball offensively. We did a good job of both against Arizona Christian and we will need to do the same thing at SAGU." The head coach continues, "I can't say enough about what Coach Gib has done with the defensive group. We are banged up on that side and have had to play guys in different roles, and they have really stepped up and done their jobs." He singled out two particular contributors noting, "We have had good consistent play from senior linebacker Jawan Purifoy and sophomore defensive back De'Adryelle Fites. They really played well last week." Panhandle's defense can add extra pressure on the Lion's seasoned QB as the No. 13-ranked team for Sacks in the country, averaging 2.8 sacks per game.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. with live video streaming available via an online link posted at opsuaggies.com. The team returns to Anchor D Stadium to host their final home game of the season on Saturday, Nov. 3 against Texas College. The annual Panhandle State Chili Cook-off also takes place that day along with a pre-game concert by Jackson Tillman in the Tailgate Zone; senior athletes will be recognized on the field prior to kickoff. Tickets and tailgate space may be reserved online under the Fan Central Tickets tab on the athletics website. Those wishing to participate in the Chili Cook-off can also register online by Nov. 1 at opsu.edu.