ARKANSAS TECH SET TO OPENS ITS 94TH FOOTBALL SEASON THURSDAY AT HOME AGAINST NORTHEASTERN STATE

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech is set to open its 94th season of intercollegiate football here Thursday when the Wonder Boys host Northeastern State in the 2008 season opener for both teams in Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field. Kick-off for Thursday’s opener is set for 7 p.m.

Thursday’s season opener will mark the earliest opener for Tech at home since opening the 2004 season on Aug. 26 against Northeastern State. Tech won that opener 52-28 over the RiverHawks, who were then known as the Redmen.

Tech, who returns 15 starters and 41 lettermen from last season’s 5-5 campaign, is excited to finally get the chance to play against someone other than themselves.

“Everyone is to the point where its time to play a real game,” Tech Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Steve Mullins said. “We’re playing a quality opponent on Thursday in Northeastern State and it should give us a good measuring stick as to where we’re at as a football team.”

Mullins said he and his coaching staff don’t know what to expect in Thursday’s opener from NSU as the RiverHawks have brought in a new head coach and have changed both of their offensive and defensive schemes from what they ran last season.

“We’ve been trying to decide what offensive and defensive schemes NSU is going to play,” Mullins said. “We don’t have a lot of information about them. I expect we’ll be making a lot of adjustments in the first quarter and most of the first half.”

During the offseason, NSU hired Kenny Evans as its coach to replace fifth-year coach John Horner, who resigned at the end of last season after leading the RiverHawks to a 3-7 overall and a 3-2 mark in the Lone Star North Division. The 3-7 mark was NSU’s fifth consecutive losing season.

Evans’ first NSU team returns 13 starters, including eight on defense and welcomes back receiver Jarrett Byers, who missed the final eight games last season due to injury. Byers is the program’s all-time leading receiver with 1,846 yards and has caught 20 career touchdown passes.

“They have a lot of starters back on defense and have played us extremely tough the last few years,” the 12th-year Tech coach said. “On offense they have a new scheme, but they have several outstanding offensive performers back.”

Among the key returners for the RiverHawks on defense is senior defensive back Broderick Mondy, who was the Lone Star Conference’s North Division Defensive Player of the Year last season and has been named a Preseason All-American by several publications and sophomore linebacker Johnny Evans, who was named the LSC North Division Freshman of the Year in 2007. While on offense, NSU returns senior receiver Jarrett Byers, who is the program’s all-time leading receiver with 1,846 yards and has scored 20 touchdowns and junior running back Josh Lewis, who gained 870 yards on 187 carries and had 1,173 all-purpose yards a season ago. Byers sat out the final eight games last season nursing an injury.

“Mondy is on every All-American list and they’re talking about him being drafted high in next year’s NFL Draft. Cole (Barthel) and Justin (Ray) have to be aware of where he is at all times,” the Tech coach said.

Thursday’s game is first of three consecutive Thursday night contests for the Wonder Boys and Mullins said he is excited about tomorrow’s opener.

“With it being Labor Day weekend coming up, this is a tremendous opportunity to give all of our new students a chance to experience a game in Thone Stadium,” Mullins added. “We have a lot of exciting things planned on the plaza for this season and I want to thank our administration, most notably (Tech SWA and Volleyball Coach) Kristy Bayer and (Assistant to the President for University Relations) Susie Nicholson for all their hard work in adding to our game day atmosphere this season.”

While defense appears to the be the strength of NSU’s squad in 2008, offense looks to be Tech’s strong suit this season as the Wonder Boys return eight starters, including three offensive linemen (senior tackle Shannon Dixon, senior tackle Jeremy Ashcraft and junior center Torrence Wright), a majority of their skill position players from last season and senior All-American punter Michael Podobnik (Frankfort, Ill.), who led all of NCAA Division II in punting with a 45.2 yard average. The 45.2 yard average set both a new single-season Tech and GSC record.

Among the key offensive returners are senior quarterback Cole Barthel (Decatur, Ala.), senior quarterback/receiver Justin Ray (Benton, Ark.), senior receiver Tracey Stiger (Russellville, Ark.), junior receiver Rolaundo Wright (Sulphur Springs, Texas), junior receiver Landon Turner (Destrehan, La.) and junior running back Tim Childress (Batesville, Ark.). Stiger enters this season just 45 receptions shy of the school’s all-time mark of 141 held by Rick Thone (1968-71).

While the offense returns eight starters this season, Tech’s defense brings back only four starters and will begin the season with a lot of inexperience as 10 of the 22 players on the two-deep roster have never taken a snap at Tech.

“Our defense has some talent, but they just need to continue to develop confidence and chemistry as a unit,” the Tech coach said.

          Thursday’s game will mark the 40th meeting all-time in the series that dates to 1924. Tech, who trails the all-time series, 19-18-1, enters Thursday’s match-up having won five straight games in the series, including posting a 20-13 win last season in Tahlequah, Okla. Last season’s win followed Tech’s 33-32 win in Russellville in 2006. NSU’s most recent win in the series came in 2002 when the RiverHawks posted a 9-7 win over the Wonder Boys in Russellville.

          “I think this is a great series for both teams,” the 12th year Tech coach said. “We are both geographically close; it is a regional game and is financially good for both institutions.”

Tech is 55-36-2 all-time in season openers and have won four straight openers, all of which have come at the hands of the RiverHawks. Tech hasn’t won five straight season openers since winning five straight from 1958-62.

Following Thursday’s game, Tech will return to action on Thursday, Sept. 4, when the Wonder Boys travel to Warrensburg, Mo., to face Central Missouri in a 7 p.m. contest. The contest is the second of three consecutive Thursday night games for the Wonder Boys.

Northeastern State Game Notes

-- Tech Athletics --