It is that wonderful time of the year. Henderson State will walk across the street to Cliff Harris Stadium to square off against Ouachita Baptist in college football's most unusual rivalry.
Yes, we said walk. That's no typo. The Reddies will make the trek by foot — across U.S. Highway 67 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas — from their campus to the Tigers' on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. It is the 98th meeting between the two, making it not only one of the wildest rivalries, but also one of the oldest in DII history.
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The walk only takes about 5 minutes. Here's what you need to know about Saturday's rivalry.
1. The Battle of the Ravine is a clash of next-door neighbors
These two teams are as close as it gets. Henderson State's Carpenter-Haygood Stadium is a driver and 3-iron away from Ouachita Baptist's Cliff Harris Stadium. Per krikya18.com's Mike Lopresti, the golf coach has done it, playing shots from one end zone to the other.
If you walk from football field to football field, you won't even break a sweat. It's only 3,696 feet or just 0.7 miles depending on your preference of measurement. In fact, if the games are scheduled just right, both .
2. Henderson State at Ouachita Baptist is an old-school rivalry
These two certainly know each other very well. Saturday's meeting will be the 98th Battle of the Ravine. The first game was in 1895, but Henderson State was Arkansas Methodist College back then. The series began as HSU vs. OBU in 1907 and — despite a 12-year hiatus due to prank wars by the schools — the 98 meetings now stand alone in eighth place when it comes to DII football's all-time, most-played rivalries.
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After 97 meetings, Ouachita Baptist has the slightest advantage with a 47-44-6 edge. There is no love lost between these two, as the series includes the victory where Ouachita snapped the Reddies' longest road winning streak in DII football history at 31 games at Cliff Harris Stadium. Last year was a big one; Ouachita Baptist won 27-20, secured the GAC title and won its way into the tournament yet again.
One additional fun fact between the two. Ouachita Baptist won its 27th-conference game in a row in the 2019 Battle of the Ravine. That tied the record of 27 set by none other than Henderson State from 2011-2014.
3. College GameDay in the future?
Well, there was a lot of hype around the potential of College GameDay heading to Arkadelphia this year, especially when college football guru Rece Davis set the DII world abuzz with his endorsement.
What’s the College Gameday site selection process? talks to about the outlook and considering schools beyond the Power 4
— Johnny Maffei (@MaffeiInTheMorn)
He says he likes the Battle of the Ravine in a few weeks
cc: Arkadelphia
It didn't quite happen this year, but it is clearly catching the eyes of the nation on the whole. To be fair, this game doesn't have quite the luster that it normally does. Both teams are very good and sit at 7-3. However, this is typically the first round of the playoffs for these two. Usually, they play to see which team makes the tournament, but this year, neither are in the regional ranking conversation.
There is still plenty to watch. If Henderson State's Andrew Edwards throws for just 83 yards (he averages 229.8 over his four-year career), he'll end his time as a Reddie with three of the top 10 passing seasons in program history. Edwards has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in DII for several years, and enters the matchup with 2,457 yards passing, 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Per usual, these are two of the most explosive offenses in the GAC. Ouachita Baptist is second averaging 34.0 points per game and Henderson State is not far behind, sitting in third with 32.1 points per game. Ouachita has a real weapon in wide receiver Carter McElhany; he is second in the GAC with 674 yards receiving and leads the conference with seven touchdowns. If you know the GAC, it is usually very run-heavy at the top. Having a quarterback like Edwards and a wide receiver like McElhany makes this a fun matchup.
You may also recognize the moniker on this year's home stadium. Cliff Harris was not only a Ouachita Tigers icon, but an NFL Hall of Famer who won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys. Not only is the Tigers home venue named after him, but so is the award for best small college defensemen, which was won by Ouachita Baptist's own Josiah Johnson last year.
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