2021 East Central Tigers football team

2021
East Central Tigers football
2021 East Central Tigers football
Conference	Great American Conference
Record	7–4 (7–4 GAC)
Head coach	Al Johnson (4th season);
Offensive coordinator	Kris McCullough (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	No-huddle spread option
Defensive coordinator	John Litrenta (2nd season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Koi Ishto Stadium
	Seasons ← 2020 2022 →

2021 Great American Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 10 Harding $^	10	–	1	11	–	2
Henderson State	9	–	2	9	–	2
No. 23 Ouachita Baptist	9	–	2	9	–	2
SE Oklahoma State #	8	–	3	9	–	3
Oklahoma Baptist #	7	–	4	8	–	4
East Central	7	–	4	7	–	4
Arkansas–Monticello	5	–	6	5	–	6
Arkansas Tech	4	–	7	4	–	7
Southern Arkansas	4	–	7	4	–	7
NW Oklahoma State	2	–	9	2	–	9
Southern Nazarene	1	–	10	1	–	10
SW Oklahoma State	0	–	11	0	–	11

$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – bowl participant (Oklahoma Baptist - Heritage Bowl, SEOSU - Live United Texarkana Bowl) Rankings from AFCA Poll

The 2021 East Central Tigers football team represented East Central University (ECU) in the 2021 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Great American Conference (GAC). The Tigers were led by fourth-year head coach Al Johnson. The Tigers finished the season with a record of 7–4 to finish tied for fifth in the GAC. The team played its home games at Koi Ishto Stadium in Ada, Oklahoma.

On March 17, 2022, Johnson was hired to be the running backs coach for the Wisconsin Badgers.^[1]^[2] Offensive coordinator Kris McCullough would be named the Tigers' interim head coach before being promoted to full-time head coach in the middle of the following season.^[3]^[4]

Preseason

GAC coaches poll

The GAC coaches preseason poll was released on August 3, 2021. The Tigers were predicted to finish sixth in the conference.^[5]

Predicted finish	Team
GAC coaches poll
1	Ouachita Baptist
2	Harding
3	Henderson State
4	Oklahoma Baptist
5	Southern Arkansas
6	East Central
7	Arkansas–Monticello
8	Arkansas Tech
9	Northwestern Oklahoma State
10	Southwestern Oklahoma State
11	Southeastern Oklahoma State
12	Southern Nazarene

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance
September 4	6:00 p.m.	at No. 22 Harding	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	L 0–28	3,500
September 11	6:00 p.m.	Arkansas Tech	Koi Ishto Stadium Ada, OK	W 13–10	0
September 18	8:15 p.m.	Southern Nazarene	Koi Ishto Stadium Ada, OK	W 40–13	3,071
September 25	6:00 p.m.	at Northwestern Oklahoma State	Ranger Field Alva, OK	W 20–17 ^OT	6,500
October 2	2:00 p.m.	Southern Arkansas	Koi Ishto Stadium Ada, OK	W 38–17	3,114
October 9	2:00 p.m.	at No. 9 Henderson State	Carpenter–Haygood Stadium Arkadelphia, AR	L 24–59	3,016
October 16	6:00 p.m.	Oklahoma Baptist	Koi Ishto Stadium Ada, OK	L 20–47	2,115
October 23	2:00 p.m.	at Southwestern Oklahoma State	Milam Stadium Weatherford, OK	W 44–34	402
October 30	2:00 p.m.	No. 6 Ouachita Baptist	Koi Ishta Stadium Ada, OK	L 28–43	3,114
November 6	2:00 p.m.	at Arkansas–Monticello	Cotton Boll Stadium Monticello, AR	W 35–10	0
November 13	2:00 p.m.	at Southeastern Oklahoma State	Paul Laird Field Durant, OK	W 30–28	2,132
Homecoming Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Schedule source:^[6]

Game summaries

At No. 22 Harding

East Central Tigers at No. 22 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	0	0	0	0
No. 22 Bisons	21	0	7	0	28

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

Date: September 4
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny, 93 °F (34 °C)
Game attendance: 3,500
Referee: Ron Standridge
Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter

HAR – Cole Chancey 6-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 13:02. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:39.
HAR – Omar Sinclair 72-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 11:49. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:13.
HAR – Cole Chancey 1-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 0:44. Bisons 21–0. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 7:33.

Second quarter

No scoring plays

Third quarter

HAR – Cole Chancey 24-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 4:06. Bisons 28–0. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:51.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Statistics	ECU	HAR
First downs	9	16
Total yards	146	374
Rushing yards	48	333
Passing yards	98	41
Turnovers	5	2
Time of possession	22:54	37:35

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
East Central	Passing	Kenny Hrncir	11/25, 98 yards, 4 INT
	Rushing	Ontario Douglas	13 rushes, 45 yards
	Receiving	Jackson McFalane	2 receptions, 23 yards
Harding	Passing	Preston Paden	2/3, 41 yards
	Rushing	Cole Chancey	17 rushes, 102 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Roland Wallace	1 reception, 32 yards

Arkansas Tech

Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys at East Central Tigers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Wonder Boys	0	3	0	7	10
Tigers	3	3	7	0	13

at Koi Ishto Stadium, Ada, Oklahoma

Date: September 11
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny, 90 °F (32 °C)
Game attendance: 0
Referee: Tommy Little
Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter

ECU – Garret Clark 27-yard field goal, 9:48. Tigers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 4:35.

Second quarter

ATU – Jesus Zizumbo 26-yard field goal, 13:44. Tied 3–3. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 5:58.
ECU – Garret Clark 28-yard field goal, 9:00. Tigers 6–3. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 4:37.

Third quarter

ECU – Ontario Douglas 5-yard run (Garret Clark kick), 12:19. Tigers 13–3. Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:29.

Fourth quarter

ATU – Brandon Hunter 3-yard run (Jesus Zizumbo kick), 5:23. Tigers 13–10. Drive: 16 plays, 94 yards, 7:29.

Statistics	ATU	ECU
First downs	16	21
Total yards	232	418
Rushing yards	164	289
Passing yards	68	129
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	26:39	33:21

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Arkansas Tech	Passing	Jack Lindsey	12/25, 68 yards, INT
	Rushing	Caleb Batie	17 rushes, 98 yards
	Receiving	Tucker Kennedy	3 receptions, 22 yards
East Central	Passing	Kenny Hrncir	11/23, 129 yards, INT
	Rushing	Ontario Douglas	29 rushes, 170 yards, TD
	Receiving	Chris Shaw	2 receptions, 50 yards

References

^ Temple, Jesse (March 17, 2022). "Wisconsin names Al Johnson, former Badgers center, new running backs coach". The Athletic. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ Potrykus, Jeff (March 28, 2022). "Former Wisconsin center Al Johnson ecstatic to be coaching Badgers". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ Hummer, Chris (October 21, 2022). "Meet 27-year-old Kris McCullough, the youngest head coach in college football". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ "McCullough Looks to Future as ECU's Head Football Coach". ECU. October 27, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ "OUACHITA VOTED AS #theGAC2021 FOOTBALL PRESEASON FAVORITE". August 3, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
^ "2021 Football Schedule". Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[1] Temple, Jesse (March 17, 2022). "Wisconsin names Al Johnson, former Badgers center, new running backs coach". The Athletic. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[2] Potrykus, Jeff (March 28, 2022). "Former Wisconsin center Al Johnson ecstatic to be coaching Badgers". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[3] Hummer, Chris (October 21, 2022). "Meet 27-year-old Kris McCullough, the youngest head coach in college football". 247 Sports. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[4] "McCullough Looks to Future as ECU's Head Football Coach". ECU. October 27, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[5] "OUACHITA VOTED AS #theGAC2021 FOOTBALL PRESEASON FAVORITE". August 3, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2023.

[6] "2021 Football Schedule". Retrieved December 17, 2023.

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