WONDER BOYS FALL IN ITS GSC OPENER AT WEST ALABAMA, SNAPPING THREE-GAME WINNING STREAK

        LIVINGSTON, Alabama – Arkansas Tech Football opened the Gulf South Conference portion of its schedule here Thursday night by suffering a disappointing 35-30 loss to West Alabama in front of 4,898 fans at Tiger Stadium on the “GSC-TV Live” Game of the Week.

With the loss, Tech falls to 2-1 overall (0-1 GSC) on the season and saw its three-game winning streak dating to last season snapped. In addition, the loss snapped a 10-game winning streak against the Tigers and also snapped a six-game winning streak in GSC openers for the Wonder Boys. UWA improves to 3-0 overall (1-0 GSC) for the first time since the 2006 season and the seventh time in school history.

In Thursday’s game, Tech outgained UWA, 538 to 405, but the Tigers outscored the Wonder Boys 14-6 and gained 179 of its 258 rushing yards in the second half to post its first win over Tech since 1996. For the game, both teams combined to run a combined 142 plays and gain a combined 943 yards in the game that lasted a little more than three hours.

Tech led 24-21 at the half thanks to scoring on four its six first half possessions, including having three drives over 60 yards, including a 10-play, 87-yard drive that led to Tech’s final score of the half.

The Wonder Boys wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard as they drove 44 yards in six plays on its first possession and completed the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass from senior Nick Graziano (Moraga, Calif.) to senior receiver Frantz Simeon (Belle Glade, Fla.) just a little over four minutes into the game. On its second possession of the game, Tech drove 69 yards in 10 plays and completed the drive with a 22-yard field goal by senior kicker Travis Cockerham (Bryant, Ark.) to increase its lead to 10-0.

Simeon, the reigning GSC Special Teams Player of the Week, finished the game with 199 all-purpose yards as he returned six kickoffs for 144 yards and added two punt returns for 11 yards and caught four passes for 44 yards.

UWA, though, came right back and scored on the ensuing kickoff thanks to an 89-yard return for a touchdown by Terry Allen with 3:27 left in the opening quarter to drop Tech’s lead to 10-7.

Tech pushed its lead to 17-7 just four seconds into the second quarter on a 2-yard plunge by junior running back Cody Burns (Pine Bluff, Ark.). The touchdown by Burns was his team-leading third of the season.

The Tigers responded to Tech’s scoring drive and drove 87 yards in five plays, completing the drive with a 31-yard touchdown run by Dameon Baylor to pull the home team within 17-14 with 12:32 left in the first half.

UWA took advantage of a Tech turnover on a fumble by senior receiver Landon Turner (Destrehan, La.) deep in UWA territory to take its first lead of the game as it drove 76 yards in eight plays following the fumble and completed the drive with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Deon Williams to Randy Lowery with 9:20 left in the half. The scoring play gave UWA its first lead at 21-17.

The Wonder Boys, though, responded to UWA’s score by driving 87 yards in 10 plays on the next possession and completed the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by senior running back Tim Childress (Batesville, Ark.) with 4:05 left in the half to give Tech a 24-21 lead. Childress, who sat out last Saturday’s game against Incarnate Word nursing an injury, finished the game with a game-high 104 rushing yards.

In the first half, both teams combined for 507 total yards of offense, including Tech collecting 307 yards of offense on 38 plays.  

          UWA retook the lead on its first possession of the second half as it drove 95 yards in nine plays and completed the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run by Baylor to take a 28-24 lead. Baylor’s scoring run came one play after Gary Johnston faked a punt fourth down and ran nine yards for a first down.

          On Tech’s ensuing possession, they moved the ball 32 yards to UWA’s 23-yard line before the drive stalled and the Wonder Boys were forced to punt.

          The Tigers extended its lead to 35-24 just four minutes into the fourth quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Roosevelt Ross. Ross’ run came four plays after Williams scrambled for a 52-yard gain to Tech’s 2-yard line.

Williams, the reigning GSC Offensive Player of the Week, finished the game with 83 rushing and 147 passing yards as he was 12-for-22 with one touchdown and no interceptions. In addition to Williams, Ross led UWA with 95 rushing yards, while Gerald Worsham caught five passes for 84 yards in the win.

          Following UWA’s scoring drive, the Wonder Boys came back and drove 67 yards in a 11 plays and pulled within 35-30 following a 6-yard touchdown pass from Graziano to Turner, but the two-point conversion attempt failed. Turner finished the night with eight receptions for 140 yards and is now standing in 15th place on Tech’s career pass receiving yard list with 1,121 yards. It was the third time in his last four games that Turner has gained 100 or more receiving yards.

          After forcing UWA to punt on its next possession, Tech drove 23 yards in five plays, but Turner dropped a third-down pass and Childress was stopped for no gain on a fourth down play.

          Graziano finished the game 21-for-39 for 293 yards and had two touchdowns and two interceptions. In the first half, Graziano was 12-for-16 for 157 yards.

          In addition to Childress, Burns finished the game with 64 yards rushing, while sophomore running back Joby Hills (Carencro, La.) gained 58 yards on 12 carries.  

          Tech will now take 16 days off before returning to action on Saturday, Sept. 26 when the Wonder Boys host Arkansas-Monticello in a 6 p.m. GSC contest in Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field. The game will conclude Family Day activities on the Tech campus.

          West Alabama Box Score

-- Tech Athletics --