FOOTBALL SET TO OPEN PRESEASON PRACTICE ON WEDNESDAY

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech is set to begin preparations for the 2008 football season on Wednesday, Aug. 6.

Tech, who will kick-off the 2008 season on Aug. 28 at home against Northeastern State at 7 p.m., is looking to rebound from last season’s 5-5 mark with 14 returning starters, including eight on offense. Among the key offensive starters returning are senior quarterback Cole Barthel (Decatur, Ala.), senior receiver Tracey Stiger (Russellville, Ark.), senior receiver/quarterback Justin Ray (Benton, Ark.), senior offensive tackle Jeremy Ashcraft (Marshall, Texas) and junior center Torrance Wright (Sulphur Springs, Texas). In addition to those offensive returners, Tech returns Preseason All-American Michael Podobnik (Frankfort, Ill.) at punter. Last season, Podobnik, who was a consensus All-American selection, set a new Tech single-season record with a 45.2 yard punting average, which also led all of NCAA Division II.

“This is a great time of year,” Wonder Boys Head Coach and Athletic Director Steve Mullins said. “I’m hopeful that our players improved over summer while they were at home and come in ready to go.”

After going through physicals, meetings and the issuing of equipment on Wednesday, the 130 players Mullins expects on campus for fall camp will hit the practice field on Thursday for its first workout of the fall. The NCAA allows teams to begin fall practice 21 days prior to its first scheduled contest, which this season is scheduled for Aug. 28.

“Preseason practice should be a lot better this year than last year since we have more experienced players returning and our coordinators have had a year to put their system in place,” the 12th-year Tech coach said.

Last season, Tech brought in Scott Preston as the offensive coordinator and promoted Benyard Jones as the defensive coordinator.

While the offense returns eight starters, Tech’s defense brings back just four starters from a year ago and has a question mark along the defensive line as only one starter, senior defensive tackle R.C. Wallace (Beebe, Ark.) returns.

“We need to find some starting positions along the defensive line heading into fall camp,” the Tech coach said. “Our linebackers and defensive backs have more experience, but we need to develop some chemistry and depth on the defensive side of the ball.”

Mullins said that offense has several question marks despite the return of eight starters. On the offensive line, Tech returns three of five starters, but will have two new guards this season that are talented, but lack game experience, according to Mullins. In addition to the new guards on the offensive line, Mullins said he is looking to develop depth at tailback and receiver and also develop a tight end.

“We have some tailbacks and receivers returning that have experience, but we’re looking to develop some depth as we will play three tailbacks and 10 receivers this season,” Mullins added.

Tech will need to wait four days until donning full pads, which they will do on Sunday, Aug. 10. In addition, Tech will alternate once again this season between one-a-day and two-a-day practices leading up to the first day of fall semester classes on Aug. 20. Once school begins, the team will practice every day beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Mullins said that he and his staff will conduct two scrimmages during fall camp, with the first scrimmage scheduled for Aug. 16 at 3:15 p.m. and the second scrimmage is slated for Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. The second scrimmage will serve as a dress rehearsal for the first game. Both of the scrimmages, as well as the practices, are open to the public and will be held at Thone Stadium in Buerkle Field and on the practice fields adjacent to the stadium. (Click here for the fall camp practice schedule)

“We have had to make some adjustments to our practice field this season due to the construction on the visitor’s side of the stadium,” Mullins said.

The construction on the visitor’s side is building a new press box behind the visiting stands to accommodate the “GSC-TV Live” television crew and radio from the visiting teams.   

 Other Tech Football News:

* - Tech Director of Corporate and Athletic Relations Kelly Davis and Tech Sports Information Director Ben Greenberg have announced that the first of three Green and Gold Luncheons scheduled for the 2007-08 school year will be on Monday, Aug. 25 at Russellville’s Western Sizzlin on 1105 E. Main. The luncheon is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. and will feature preseason previews of Tech’s fall sports by Mullins, Tech Volleyball Coach Kristy Bayer and Tech Cross Country Coach Tom Aspel. For more information on the luncheons, please contact Courtney Clarke in the Green and Gold Office at (479) 968-0337. The second luncheon, which will feature a preview of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, has yet to be scheduled. The third luncheon will serve as a preview of Tech’s spring sports and a wrap-up of the basketball season.

* - Davis also announced that in addition to the three Green and Gold Club luncheons at Western Sizzlin, the club will once again hold its third annual Chicken Dinner for its members on Tuesday, Aug. 12 beginning at 5 p.m. under the home stands at Thone Stadium in Buerkle Field.

* - Mullins announced that he is scheduled to serve this season again this season on the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) NCAA Division II All-American Committee, which will select the association’s 25-member Division II All-America team at the end of the year and he will also once again serve this season on the NCAA Regional Ranking Committee.

* - For the fourth consecutive year, River Valley Radio and KWKK (100.9 FM), the official radio broadcast home of Tech Athletics, will air Tech Talk, a one-hour program dedicated to Tech Athletics. This year’s Tech Talk program can be heard each Monday night beginning at 6:30 p.m. The show will be held on location each Monday during the fall and winter sports season at Jim’s Razorback Pizza on South Arkansas Ave., in Russellville. The first Tech Talk show, which is hosted by Johnny Story, is scheduled for Aug. 25. The show will also be broadcast live on the internet at http://athletics.atu.edu.

* - For the seventh consecutive season, Sam Strasner, who serves as Tech’s Director of Communications for University Relations, will return to the microphone as the “Voice of the Wonder Boys” on all radio broadcasts. Strasner will be joined in the booth on football broadcasts for the fourth straight year by Davis.

* - The Wonder Boys enter the 2008 season with 506 all-time wins, which is 10th on the all-time winningest NCAA Division II list. Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest NCAA Division II program with 622 wins, while Tuskegee is second with 599 wins. In addition, Tech is tied with Central Arkansas (62-40) as the second winningest team in Arkansas since 1999 as the Wonder Boys have a 62-35 record. Arkansas leads the list with 66 wins as the Razorbacks are 66-46 over that same span.

* - Mullins enters the 2008 season as the fifth winningest and second winningest active coach in the GSC with 71 victories. Current West Alabama and former North Alabama coach Bobby Wallace is the winningest active and second winningest coach on the list with 90 victories. 

  -- Tech Athletics --