WONDER BOYS OPEN 2008 FOOTBALL SEASON WITH HARD-FOUGHT HOME VICTORY OVER NORTHEASTERN STATE

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech opened its 94th season of intercollegiate football here Thursday by posting a 22-3 win over Northeastern State in front of 6,303 fans in Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field.

The win marked the fifth consecutive year that the Wonder Boys opened the season with a victory, its longest such streak since winning five openers in a row from 1958-62.

Tech, who trailed 3-2 at the half thanks to a 43-yard field goal by NSU’s Jared Homer, used an outstanding defense and an offense that gained 192 yards and scored three touchdowns in the second half to post its sixth straight win over the RiverHawks and even the all-time series at 19-19-2. For the game, Tech’s offense gained 344 yards on 78 plays.

“Our defense played outstanding tonight, to hold an excellent offensive team like NSU to just a field goal, that is a tremendous effort on their part,” Tech Head Football Coach Steve Mullins said. “In addition, I thought our offense made an adjustment at halftime and came out and executed better and was able to score some points.”

Mullins said NSU is a very good defensive football team and they deserve some of the credit for holding our offense down most of the night.

“Defensively, NSU is very good,” the 12th-year Tech coach said.

Entering Thursday’s opener, Tech returned eight starters on offense, while the RiverHawks returned eight starters on defense, so the contest turned to Tech’s defense that returned only four starters from a year ago.

“I thought NSU did a good job on defense,” Wonder Boys senior quarterback Cole Barthel said following the game. “We can learn from this performance and come back and fight next week.”

Barthel, one of Tech’s eight returning starters on offense, finished the night 29-for-46 passing for 249 yards, but had three interceptions, one of which led to NSU’s only points on Homer’s field goal.

          Tech opened the game’s scoring in the second quarter on a safety as NSU quarterback Kaelin Woods was tackled in the end zone by sophomore defensive end Norman Bell (St. Paul, Minn.). The safety came one play after senior Nick McCaskill (Camden, Ark.) pinned his pouch punt at the RiverHawks 4-yard line.   

“That was a great punt by McCaskill to put the punt inside the 5-yard line,” Mullins said. “That play seemed to hype our team up and then we go out on the next play and get a safety.”

NSU took the lead at the half on Homer’s 43-yard field goal, which came seven plays after Barthel threw his second interception of the game.

In the third quarter, Tech finally scored its first offensive touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run by Barthel, but the two-point conversion play failed and Tech held an 8-3 lead. Barthel’s score completed a 10-play, 71-yard drive by the Wonder Boys. The big play in the drive was a 31-yard pass from Barthel to junior receiver Landon Turner (Desterhan, La.).

The Wonder Boys increased its lead to 15-3 just 90 seconds into the fourth quarter on a 6-yard run by redshirt freshman running back Joby Hills (Carencro, La.) and the extra point by junior kicker Travis Cockerham (Bryant, Ark.). Hills’ run completed a 13-play, 54-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes to complete.

On NSU’s ensuing possession, the RiverHawks drove 48 yards in 10 plays and reached Tech’s six-yard line, but failed to capitalize when quarterback Kenny Davis was sacked for an eight-yard loss by junior nose guard Matt Riser (Jacksonville, Ark.) and Homer missed on a 30-yard field goal attempt.

Following that possession, Tech closed out the game’s scoring as they drove 80 yards in 14 plays and scored its third touchdown of the half on a 3-yard pass play from Barthel to junior tight end Darryl Adams (Warren, Ark.) with 2:28 left in the game.

Senior receiver Tracey Stiger, who was one of the three Wonder Boys who were named Preseason All-Gulf South Conference selections, had a big night offensively as he caught nine of Barthel’s 29 completions for 92 yards and two returns for 25 yards. On Tech’s final scoring drive, Stiger caught a 19-yard pass from Barthel on a 4th-and-11 play.

“We tweaked a protection at halftime and that seemed help our offense. I also thought we committed more to running the ball in the second half,” Mullins said when asked what adjustments his offensive coaches made at halftime.

In addition to Barthel and Stiger, junior running back Tim Childress (Batesville, Ark.) finished the night with 48 yards rushing on eight carries, while Turner caught three passes for 54 yards and senior receiver Justin Ray (Benton, Ark.) caught five passes for 32 yards and gained six yards rushing on one carry.

NSU, who finished the game with 287 yards of offense, was led offensively by John Kelly’s 91 yards rushing on 20 carries. In addition to Kelly, NSU’s three quarterbacks combined to go 18-for-29 for 157 yards and had two interceptions, while NSU’s receiving duo of Jarrett Byers (8-45 yards) and Damien Henderson (3-72 yards) caught 11 passes for 117 yards in the loss.

The Wonder Boys return to action on Thursday, Sept. 4, when they travel to Warrensburg, Mo., to face Central Missouri in a 7 p.m. contest. The game marks the second of three consecutive Thursday contests to open the season for the Wonder Boys. UCM opened its 2008 season with a 29-9 win Thursday at home over Minnesota State-Mankato.

Tech-NSU Box Score

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