Tech vs. HSU Game Notes

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — It will be a big day of football in Arkadelphia, Arkansas Saturday, and while a pair of ranked teams play across the street, the game involving Arkansas Tech will be just as important.

The Wonder Boys (4-0, 4-0 Great American Conference) head south to face Henderson State (3-1, 3-1 GAC), in a matchup of two teams receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association poll and looking to jump into the top 25. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. at Henderson's Carpenter-Haygood Stadium.

"There's going to be some exciting stuff going on in Arkadelphia, Arkansas this weekend," coach Raymond Monica said. "There's two top-25 teams on one side of the street [Harding at Ouachita Baptist] and two teams trying to get in the top 25 on the other side of the street. So, if you want to talk about small-college football in Arkansas, you're talking about Arkadelphia this week. You're going to see some good football there Saturday."

Tech, 4-0 for the first time since the 2005 season, will have to go back farther than that date to get to the last time the Reddies won this matchup at home. Although Henderson has won the last four games in the series, the Wonder Boys have won three straight and six of seven in Arkadelphia, and haven't lost to HSU there since the 2002 season. Tech leads the overall series 43-40-4.

After thwarting a game Southern Arkansas outfit last week in a 44-21 victory, the Wonder Boys will go up against one of the top defenses in the league Saturday. The Reddies allow just 17.0 points and 327.0 yards per game, and the 74.0 rushing yards allowed per game is the top number in the GAC, stealing that honor from the Wonder Boys in a week's time. Also, despite allowing 253.0 yards through the air, Henderson makes opposing quarterbacks think twice, picking off 12 passes so far.

Tech will counter with the league's top scoring offense and second-best rushing attack. Averaging 45.0 points and 300.2 yards on the ground per game, the Wonder Boys run the ball an average of 60.8 times per game, led by Brayden Stringer, who is second in the conference with 93.8 rushing yards per game after running for 115 yards on just 16 carries against the Muleriders.

Quarterback Arsenio Favor, who collared his second GAC Offensive Player of the Week award after throwing for 224 yards and rushing for four touchdowns, boasts a 148.0 passer efficiency, completing two-thirds of his passes for 180.8 yards a game. His 10 rushing touchdowns are the second-most in the league.

"Defensively, you're going up against a different type of unit facing the 3-4," Monica said. "It's something different than we've seen in the course of the year. They do a very good job with it, both on the front and the back end. They have a lot of players that move around, and they don't miss tackles."

The Tech defense remains at or near the top in nearly every statistical category, allowing just 14.8 points, 264.8 total yards, 94.2 rushing yards and 170.5 passing yards per game. They also allow just 15.8 first downs, and a 31-percent conversion rate on third downs, and have forced eight turnovers.

After a 15-stop effort last week, Logan Genz is up to 11th in the GAC, averaging 7.2 per game, and has 1.5 sacks. Cua' Rose, who had a stellar performance with 13 tackles and two interceptions against SAU, is averaging 5.2 stops, and is second in the league with seven pass breakups and tied for first with three picks. Nick Akins has posted 18 tackles on the season, four of them for a loss.

For perhaps the first time in half a decade, the HSU offense isn't putting points up at will, but they still average 27.2 and can move the ball through the air or on the ground. Quarterback Dallas Hardison averages 207.0 yards passing, and Jaquan Cole chips in with 86.5 rushing yards.

"Offensively, Henderson has a very good offensive line, and their running backs have looked good," Monica said. "And they always have some really good wideouts, some guys that can run. They've been more balanced than they have in the past, and the quarterback's doing a good job of getting the ball in their playmakers' hands."

The game, which is the Wonder Boys' final roadtrip in Arkansas, will be broadcast live on 102.9 FM (KCJC) in Russellville. Live video, audio and statistics will be available at www.arkansastechsports.com.