Week 7 Football Notes

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys football team will return to the friendly confines of Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field this Saturday for the team's toughest challenge to date, a 2 p.m. tilt against the No. 6 Henderson State Reddies.

The Reddies (6-0, 6-0 Great American Conference will put a 29-game regular-season winning streak on the line this weekend, while the Wonder Boys (3-3, 3-2 GAC) are undefeated at home.

In the brief history of the Great American Conference, Henderson State has been the dominant program. The Reddies have qualified for the GAC playoffs the last two season behind a potent offense led by quarterback Kevin Rodgers. The two-time GAC Male Athlete of the Year and 2013 Harlon Hill finalist has been the gold standard for signal-callers in the GAC, and this year has the Reddies averaging 49.0 points per game.

Amazingly enough, that offensive production rates as a decline from the previous two years' average, when the Reddies averaged over 50 points per game – 50.4 in 2012 and 53.2 last season. However, Henderson State has more than made up for that with dramatic improvement on the defensive side of the football.

Where the Reddies gave up over 20 points per game the last two years, this year's Henderson State squad has allowed a stingy 14.8 points per contest, allowing opposing
offenses just 284.5 yards per game.

Meanwhile, the Reddies have moved the ball down the field seemingly at will, averaging 521.2 yards per game.

In a season that has seen Henderson State pick up blowout wins over Southern Nazarene, Southeastern Oklahoma, and Northwestern Oklahoma, the Wonder Boys also picked up a dominant 27-10 over Division I FCS foe Nicholls State. HSU topped East Central 44-27 in a game that was far closer than the final score would indicate, while last week, Southwestern Oklahoma's defense held HSU to 28 points, the first time that the Reddies have scored under 30 points against a GAC foe since the Reddies' last GAC loss, a 17-13 setback to SWOSU on September 17, 2011.

Those two contests mark the only time that the Reddies have been held under 30 points in a GAC contest since the founding of the league.

Meanwhile, the Wonder Boys also bring a markedly improved defense to the game this weekend.

Logan Genz and Wesley McKinney have provided the backbone of one of the top linebacker units in the GAC. With 72 tackles, including 10 for loss, Genz leads the Wonder Boys while McKinney is second with 46 stops.

As a unit, the Wonder Boys rank third in the GAC in total defense (332.8 yards per game), and rank in the top-ten nationally in tackles for loss (4^th, 10.3 per game) and passes intercepted (8^th with 11). McKinney (2), Shai Kobayashi (2), and Trevon Gooden (3) have combined for seven of Tech's 11 interceptions, while Justin Martin has racked up 11 quarterback hurries on the year – three less than all opponents have managed against the Wonder Boys.

While the Wonder Boys' offense has struggled at times this season, the Tech passing game found some success against Southern Arkansas. Dennis Robertson completed 23 of 48 passes for 257 yards and two scores, while also picking up 15 yards on the ground. Jermaine Merdock and Devin Patterson provided a solid one-two combination at receiver, both catching seven passes as Merdock had 90 receiving yards and Patterson added 67.

Saturday's game will be carried on 100.9-FM (KWKK) in Russellville. Live video and statistics will be available at www.arkansastechsports.com.