BETHANY, Okla. – The East Central University football team picked up another Great American Conference victory Saturday night, taking down Southern Nazarene, 35-24, on the road in Bethany.
The Tigers used a strong second-half push to pull away, scoring 28 points after halftime while responding each time the Crimson Storm threatened to shift the momentum.
With the win, ECU moves to 3-0 for the first time since 1983 and continues its strong start to the 2026 season.
ECU found itself in an early hole after Southern Nazarene opened the scoring with a touchdown with 4:06 remaining in the first quarter. The Tigers continued to battle through the opening half before finally breaking through late in the second quarter.
ECU put together a 14-play, 82-yard drive that lasted more than six minutes, with
Austin Bowen finishing the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run with 44 seconds remaining before halftime.
Gabriel Ogura's extra point tied the game at 7-7 heading into the break.
The Tigers came out of halftime with renewed momentum, taking their first lead of the night on their opening possession of the third quarter. ECU marched 42 yards on eight plays before
Sergio Kennedy found the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown run to put the Tigers ahead, 14-7, with 10:50 remaining in the quarter.
Southern Nazarene answered almost immediately with a 79-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14-14, but ECU responded once again.
Just over six minutes later, Kennedy broke into the end zone for the second time in the quarter, scoring on a 12-yard touchdown run to put the Tigers back in front, 21-14, with 4:33 remaining in the third.
The back-and-forth battle continued, as Southern Nazarene answered with a touchdown to tie the game at 21-21 with 1:55 remaining in the third quarter.
ECU once again responded to open the fourth quarter. Bowen capped a 72-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run just 1:54 into the period, giving the Tigers a 28-21 advantage.
Southern Nazarene cut into the ECU lead with a 28-yard field goal with 7:17 remaining, bringing the Tigers' advantage to 28-24. ECU then delivered its biggest response of the night.
The Tigers put together a 13-play, 74-yard drive that took 5:37 off the clock, with Kennedy finishing the possession with an 8-yard touchdown run with 1:32 remaining. Ogura's extra point extended ECU's lead to 35-24.
The Tigers finished the night with 442 yards of total offense, including a season-high 269 rushing yards, while holding a nearly 10-minute advantage in time of possession. ECU's rushing attack accounted for all five of the Tigers' touchdowns, as the Tigers continued to find ways to answer throughout the night.
Quincy Thompson led the Tigers' rushing attack with a career-high 146 yards on 27 carries, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.
Sergio Kennedy added 72 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries while
Austin Bowen also found the end zone twice, rushing for 39 yards on eight carries.
Kennedy completed 15-of-26 passes for 173 yards, with
Conner Combs providing the Tigers' longest reception of the night at 40 yards.
Kaden Jones added two catches for 56 yards, while
Rodney Searles II recorded three receptions for 24 yards.
Defensively,
Caden Pickens led the Tigers with 10 total tackles, while
Tyler Masters added seven tackles.
Treveon Tutt recorded four tackles, while
Nathaniel Rainey and
Quenjon Moore each added three tackles and a tackle for loss. Rainey also forced a fumble, while
Lane Johnson,
Dylan Garrison, and
Elyon White each recorded a pass breakup.
Lukas Bryant recovered the Tigers' lone fumble of the night.
