WONDER BOYS COMMIT FIVE TURNOVERS IN ITS ROAD LOSS
AT THIRD-RANKED NORTH ALABAMA

        FLORENCE, Alabama – Arkansas Tech Football couldn’t overcome five turnovers here Saturday night as the Wonder Boys suffered a 42-17 loss to third-ranked North Alabama in Gulf South Conference action at Braly Municipal Stadium.

Tech, who entered the game with a GSC’s top offense in terms of passing, total yards and scoring, was held to season lows in both points (17) and yards (452) in dropping its record to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the GSC. UNA improves to 6-0 overall and is the lone remaining undefeated team in the league thanks to UAM’s 34-32 home win Saturday over 14th-ranked Ouachita Baptist.

The five turnovers led to 28 UNA points and it is the most turnovers in a game by the Wonder Boys since turning the ball over seven times against Delta State in a 44-13 loss on Oct. 6, 2007.

UNA jumped in front 7-0 late in the first quarter as the Lions drove 66 yards in 11 plays and completed the drive with a 16-yard touchdown from Harrison Beck to T.J. Porter. The drive began after Shante Davenport picked off a pass from senior quarterback Nick Graziano (Moraga, Calif.). The interception ended a streak of 59 consecutive passes without an interception dating to the final play of the West Alabama game.

The Wonder Boys, though, answered UNA’s score and drove 86 yards in 10 plays and tied the game on a 1-yard touchdown run by Graziano just a little under two minutes into the second quarter. On the drive, Graziano had a 32-yard run on a third-and-nine play to keep possession alive for the Wonder Boys and had a 19-yard pass to senior receiver Rolaundo Wright (Sulphur Springs, Texas) and a 13-yard pass to senior receiver Landon Turner (Destrehan, La).

Turner finished the night with seven receptions for 82 yards and has now caught a pass in 17 consecutive games dating back to the second to last game of the 2007 season. In addition, Turner moved into 10th place on the school’s pass receiving yard list with 1,280 career receiving yards.

UNA came right back and retook the lead on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Beck to Kenton Thornton with 11:17 remaining in the first half to push in front 14-7.

On the Wonder Boys next possession, Tech drove to midfield, thanks in part to a 24-yard run by Graziano, but the drive stalled as Quinton Andrews picked off a Graziano pass at UNA’s 40-yard line.

Andrews’ interception led to another UNA score as the Lions drove 60 yards in four plays and pushed out to a 21-7 lead thanks to a 13-yard pass from Beck to Preston Parker, who caught five passes for 90 yards on the night. UNA’s drive was aided by a 43-pass to Mico McSwain and a 26-yard pass to Porter.

The Wonder Boys pulled within 21-10 thanks to a 30-yard field goal by senior kicker Travis Cockerham (Bryant, Ark.) with 2:10 left in the half. Cockerham’s kick completed a 9-play, 70-yard drive. The field goal was Cockerham’s sixth of the season, the most by a Wonder Boy kicker since former Wonder Boy kicker Mark Ewersmann connected on seven field goals during the 2004 season.

With his five points, Cockerham became the 20th Wonder Boy in school history to record at least 100 career points. Cockerham has now scored 104 points in his four-year career and is 19th on the career scoring chart.

After Cockerham’s field goal, UNA extended its lead to 28-10 on its next possession as it used a six-yard touchdown run by Wes Holland with 32 seconds left in the half. On the drive, Beck was 4-for-6 passing for 65 yards.

Tech had one last scoring opportunity in the first half as the Wonder Boys drove 32 yards in five plays following Holland’s score, including a 24-yard pass from Graziano to redshirt freshman receiver Gionni Harris (Fayetteville, Ark.) on a third-and-two play, but Cockerham’s 39-yard field goal attempt as time expired was blocked by UNA’s Albert Russell.

UNA pushed its lead to 35-10 midway through the third quarter thanks to a 24-yard touchdown pass from Beck to Parker, which came four plays after a fumble by Graziano. Graziano’s fumble came three plays after Tech’s defense had held UNA on a fourth down play for its own 34-yard line.

The Lions added to its lead just 55 seconds into the fourth quarter as Beck hit McSwain for a 59-yard touchdown pass to give the Lions a 42-10 lead. The touchdown came two plays after Graziano’s fourth interception of the game. McSwain, who is a transfer from Ole Miss and one of 25 NCAA Division I transfers first-year UNA coach Terry Bowden brought in this season, caught seven passes for a school-record 210 yards.

Graziano, who was named the GSC Offensive Player of the Week last week after throwing for a school-record 403 yards in Tech’s 59-14 win over Arkansas-Monticello, finished the night 20-for-40 passing for 216 yards and carried the ball 10 times for 75 yards and a touchdown. He entered the game leading the league in total offense (335.8 yards/game) and passing (313.2 yards/game).

          Beck finished the night 22-for-40 passing for a school-record 431 yards and he also tossed a school-record five touchdown passes. It was the first time an opposing quarterback tossed five or more touchdowns against Tech since Harding’s Davif Knighton threw seven touchdown passes in 2007.  

Tech completed the game’s scoring on a 4-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman Kevin Puckett (Vilonia, Ark.) to redshirt freshman Roger Jackson (Siloam Springs, Ark.) with 28 seconds left in the game. Puckett’s pass completed a 14-play, 70-yard drive. Puckett finished the night 5-for-10 passing for 59 yards.

For game, UNA gained 496 yards, including passing for 463 yards, but was limited to 33 yards rushing on 23 attempts. Tech gained 173 yards rushing on 41 carries and its three quarterbacks that played passed for 279 yards.

In addition to Graziano’s 75 yards rushing, senior running back Tim Childress (Batesville, Ark.) carried the ball 11 times for 42 yards, while Wright caught four passes for 53 yards and junior tight end Jarrod Martin (Crossett, Ark.) had three catches for 50 yards.

The Wonder Boys will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 10, when they return home to play host to Southern Arkansas in a 6 p.m. contest in Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field. The game will mark Little Techsters Night and also the NCAA’s “Take a Kid to the Game” Night promotion.

          North Alabama Box Score

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