WONDER BOYS FALL ON THE ROAD IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
AT CENTRAL MISSOURI

        WARRENSBURG, Missouri – Arkansas Tech concluded the non-conference portion of its 2008 schedule here Thursday night by dropping a 49-13 decision to Central Missouri in front of 5,400 fans at Walton Stadium.

Tech, who fell to 1-1 on the season, couldn’t overcome a 21-point second quarter by the Mules as the Wonder Boys saw its seven-game non-conference winning streak snapped. Tech, who opened the season with a 22-3 win last Thursday at home over Northeastern State, hadn’t lost a non-conference game before Thursday’s loss since falling 27-12 to Midwestern State to open the 2003 season.

"They (UCM) outplayed us offensively and in the kicking game tonight," Tech Head Football Coach Steve Mullins said following the game. "Overall, they were the better team."

UCM, who is ranked 24th in this week’s D2Football.com poll and received 36 votes in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Poll, opened the game’s scoring by taking its opening possession 40 yards and scoring on a 10-yard pass from Eric Czerniewski to Glenn Milner.

The Mules (2-0 on the season) increased its lead 14-0 just a little under three minutes into the second quarter on a 5-yard run by Milner. Milner’s run completed a 10-play, 79-yard drive for the Mules.

Tech, though, needed just 32 seconds to respond as senior quarterback Cole Barthel (Decatur, Ala.) found junior receiver Landon Turner (Destrehan, La.) alone in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown pass. Turner’s score came one play after Barthel connected with senior receiver Tracey Stiger (Russellville, Ark.) for a 44-yard gain. The 44-yard pass reception was Tech’s longest offensive play of the season.

Offensively, Tech finished the night with 400 yards on 58 plays as Barthel was 13-for-26 passing for 227 yards, but had two interceptions. Turner caught four passes for 99 yards, while Stiger, who has now caught a pass in 20 consecutive games, had six catches for 74 yards and junior running back Tim Childress (Batesville, Ark.) had 10 carries for 69 yards.  

Stiger’s 74 receiving yards moved him into 12th on the school’s all-time receiving yard chart with 1,194 career yards.

UCM pulled out to a 21-7 lead with 5:56 left in the second quarter on an 18-yard touchdown pass to Edgar Givens from Czerniewski and then went into halftime with a 28-7 lead following a 6-yard touchdown pass from Czerniewski to Milner.

The Mules opened the third quarter with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Damond Berry and then added another score on a 9-yard run by Milner. Milner added his fifth score of the game on another 9-yard run with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. Milner became the first player to score five touchdowns against Tech since Arkansas-Monticello’s Roy Watkins scored six touchdowns in 1991.

Tech closed the game’s scoring on a seven-run touchdown run by senior quarterback/receiver Justin Ray (Benton, Ark.) with 41 seconds remaining in the game. Ray’s run completed a 12-play, 84-yard drive that lasted a little over four minutes. Ray finished the night with 62 yards rushing and caught three passes for 54 yards.

Milner finished the night with 137 yards rushing on 18 carries and caught four passes for 28 yards for the Mules, while Givens caught three passes for 89 yards. Czerniewski was 17-for-25 passing for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the win.  

While Tech’s offense gained 400 yards, the Mules finished the game with 498 total yards, including rushing the ball 42 times for 249 yards.

The Wonder Boys will return to action on Thursday, Sept. 11, when they open up Gulf South Conference play at home against West Alabama. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field and the game will be broadcast live on television as part of the “GSC-TV Live” Game of the Week package on CSS (Charter Sports Southeast) and Cox Sports. Cox Sports can be seen locally in Russellville on SuddenLink Cable channels 2 and 119.  

Central Missouri Box Score

-- Tech Athletics --