Week 2 Game Notes

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys football team will hit the road for its first road game of the 2014 season, as Tech faces off against Southwestern Oklahoma in Weatherford, Okla. this Saturday.  Kickoff from Fast Lane Field is set for 6 p.m.

Coming off an impressive 33-14 win over Northwestern Oklahoma, the Wonder Boys benefitted greatly from a pair of big plays. Quarterback Dennis Robertson connected with Jermaine Merdock on a 98-yard touchdown strike with less than two minutes to play, breaking the previous Tech record of 96 yards set in 1981.
Amazing as it is, that play was not even the longest play of the contest, as back in the first quarter, Jabyes Cross took a kickoff four yards deep in the end zone and returned it for a touchdown, making an official 100-yard return.

It was a big play that came immediately after Northwestern Oklahoma scored the first contests of the game, and according to Wonder Boys head coach Raymond Monica, it was an absolutely vital score.

"The big one that jumps out at you is Jabyes Cross' 100-yard kickoff return," said Monica. "He's a tremendous athlete, and you saw it on the field with the way he broke tackles, and we needed that play. We didn't do a good job on coverage earlier, giving up a screen pass, and that can be corrected. We have to learn from some mistakes. Defensively, we played extremely well in the red zone."

Indeed, the Wonder Boys were solid in the red zone, as they held the Rangers to 0-for-2 on scoring opportunities inside the 20. No red zone stop was more crucial than the one midway through the fourth quarter. Tech held a 27-14 lead, and the Rangers had driven downfield, taking advantage of a personal foul penalty and a pass interference penalty on back-to-back plays to move from a third down situation on the NWOSU 38 to a first and 10 on the Tech 33.

After the Rangers were knocked back to a third-and-long, a 34-yard completion gave NWOSU a first-and-10 on the Tech four-yard line. The Rangers made it to the one-yard line, but would make it no farther as Logan Genz came up with a big stop on fourth-and-goal to end the drive.

Two plays later, Robertson found Merdock for the record-setting reception that pushed the Tech lead to the final 33-14 margin.

NWOSU was limited to 313 yards of total offense, but the two scoring plays were long opportunities as Jarion Tudman opened scoring on a 29-yard pass from Reid Miller, and then later scampered for a 75-yard score in the third quarter.

"We didn't fill the gaps and we gave up a big run," said Monica, "but overall the defense is where it needed to be, and getting turnovers combined with our red zone defense was what we needed to win the game."

The Tech defense forced four Rangers turnovers, as Wesley McKinney had a pair of interceptions, Trevon Gooden added another, and Bruce Livingston recovered a fumble in the winning effort. Meanwhile, the Wonder Boys' offense was successful at taking care of the ball, allowing just two turnovers. That, combined with good field position to start the majority of the drives in the game, allowed Robertson and the Tech offense to have a successful contest.

In his first contest with the Wonder Boys, Robertson completed 12 of 29 passes for 226 yards and two scores. Monica was pleased with the effort of his quarterback.

"Dennis is getting better and better," said Monica. "He's a student of the game. I think a couple throws he'd like to have back but that's part of the learning process and he'll probably be better this week compared to his first week."

The challenge Robertson and the Wonder Boys face this week is a different one, as they prepare to face a Southwestern Oklahoma team that surrendered 486 yards of total offense and 42 points to a Harding squad that continues to receive votes in national polls.

With the intricacies of Harding's option-based attack enough to cause fits for any opposing defense, Monica knows that the Bulldogs' performance against the Bisons is not necessarily an indicator of how SWOSU will perform on the defensive end this weekend.

"They played a very good and physical Harding team," said Monica. They gave up some plays and we know they'll work on that and correct them this week."
Last season, the Bulldogs came into Russellville and took a 28-17 victory over the Wonder Boys. With that fresh in his mind, Monica knows that SWOSU presents a formidable challenge to his Wonder Boys squad.

"They're a very similar team to the one we faced last year, but they're breaking in a new quarterback (Ryley Claborn), and living life after Dustin Stenta," said Monica, referring to the Bulldogs' four-year starter who rewrote the school's record books and completed his eligibility last season. "It's difficult replacing a guy who started as many games as he had."

Still, the Bulldogs' sophomore signal caller had success prior to SWOSU, and after a redshirt year in 2012, saw some action in relief of Stenta throughout the season, impressively completing 8-of-9 passes for 61 yards and a score against Henderson State last season.

In his first action as the Bulldogs' starter, Claborn completed 22 of 41 passes for 190 yards against a stifling Harding defense that held SWOSU to just seven rushing yards.

With week one in the rear-view mirror, Monica knows that the teams' opening-week performance will have little bearing on the game to be played this Saturday, as both teams will make numerous adjustments leading up to kickoff, saying "just as we're getting better and working on things this week, they will be too, and they're going to get better also."

The play-by-play description of Saturday's game will be carried live on 100.9 FM (KWKK) in Russellville, while live statistics, audio, and video of the contest will be available through www.arkansastechsports.com.