New Look Bulldogs Eager for Opening Night Win
August 22, 2005
Weatherford, Oklahoma - Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s impatient wait to start to the 2005 football season is over Thursday, Aug. 25 as the Bulldogs host instate rival Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Milam Stadium.
Much has changed at SWOSU since the two foes squared off last year with the Aggies ending a lengthy series losing streak with a 21-7 win. Most notably of course is the coach, Ryan Held, who led OPSU to the upset win, is now chief-in-charge of the SWOSU football sidelines.
Held has rallied truckloads of enthusiasm and support energizing a coaching staff, the players and a campus community eager to back a winner. To this end, SWOSU has scrapped its heavily worn, decade-old football uniforms in favor of a new contemporary-styled, modern look that is sure to be a crowd and player pleaser.
“We’re really excited about what we’ve accomplished here in such a short amount of time,” Held said. “The uniforms, the attitude and the player’s themselves are all different. It’s time to see if it’s made a difference on the football field. We think we have.”
The projected outcome will most likely reveal itself early if the sharpened SWOSU offense is able control the clock and move the ball down the field.
Freshman quarterback Steve Day will get first opportunity after winning the starting job in just 12 days of practice, his first as a collegian. Day, who threw for over 1,700 yards and 23 TD’s at Edmond Santa Fe, has shown a nice touch on his passes and looks amazingly comfortable at the position considering his youth.
Day’s progress will be aided by two veteran senior wide receivers -- Chase Pratt and Danny Howard -- who together have caught passes for nearly 2,000 yards combined. Both are strong targets and a threat to score once they get the ball.
Day and his offensive teammates will be challenged by the Aggies’ defense that again will be the team’s strength. All but one starter is back from last year’s unit that limited SWOSU to 197 yards of total offense and no offensive score a year ago.
On offense is where OPSU has the most questions with the departure of quarterback wizard Ty Sellers the school’s all-time total offensive leader. The Aggies have only two quarterbacks on their 52-player roster --both freshman.
Brandon Warner won the job in fall drills and also has two solid pass catchers on the outside in Shane Black and James Stephens.
Defensively, SWOSU should be good, maybe even great. All four starting defensive lineman return, including pre-season All-American candidate Terry Joiner. The LSC sack leader last season with 11, Joiner was voted as the LSC North Pre-season Defensive Player-of-the-Year.