Football Preview: Bullard Panthers vs. Center Roughriders
Bullard is 0-4 against Center since September of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The Bullard Panthers will be playing at home against the Center Roughriders at 7:30 p.m. Center took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Bullard, who comes in off a win.
Having struggled with four losses in a row, Bullard finally turned things around against Rusk on Friday. They came out on top against the Eagles by a score of 28-19.
A big part of Bullard's win came down to the chemistry between Crew Bowman and his top target Hendrix Smith. Bowman rushed for 48 yards and two touchdowns while Smith picked up 36 receiving yards. Bowman is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last three games he's played dating back to last season.
Bullard didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Smith and Hudson Hykel. Hykel also set a new season high mark in total tackles with eight. Bullard got some further help from Trey Martin: he forced a fumble and made 14 total tackles (1.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Center's undefeated season came to an end after five games on Friday. They were outmatched by Carthage on the road and fell 59-21. The defeat continues a trend for the Roughriders in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now lost seven in a row.
Bullard's victory bumped their record up to 2-4. As for Center, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 5-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Bullard has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 157.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Center struggles in that department as they've been averaging 168.5. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Bullard came up short against Center in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, falling 40-33. Can Bullard avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
