BETHANY, Okla. – Tied at 21-all with 4:25 left in the second quarter, the Arkansas Tech football team turned the game on its ear quickly and emphatically as they went on to score 23 points before the end of the first half. That dominant sequence proved to be just enough as Tech withstood a furious second half comeback effort by Southern Nazarene and closed out with a 51-41 victory.
 
The aforementioned game-changing sequence started after Southern Nazarene tied the game at 21-all with 4:25 remaining on the clock in the second quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, SNU tried to catch the Wonder Boys (1-4, 1-4 GAC) off guard and lofted a short kick that was successfully fair caught by CJ Palmer at the Tech 40-yardline.
 
Within three snaps, the Wonder Boys were down to the SNU 24-yardline thanks to a 12-yard pass competition to Tyler Polk, a nine-yard rush by Caleb Batie and a pass interference penalty by SNU. On the very next play, Wonder Boy quarterback Jack Lindsey connected with Brennon Lewis for a 24-yard passing TD to cap a quick 3-play, 60-yard drive that needed less than a minute.
 
The Wonder Boys then got the ball back shortly after as they came away with a huge force fumble and recovery. Monte Toney was involved on both ends and returned the fumble to the SNU-17 yardline to set the Wonder Boys up once again.
 
Tech wasted little time in making that turnover payoff as Lindsey completed a pass to his tailback Batie who got the ball all the way down to the SNU 1-yardline. Lindsey had the first crack at the short yardage score but was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. Batie's number was then called on the direct snap and he was able to punch it in and put the Wonder Boys up 35-21.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, the Crimson Storm (0-5, 0-5 GAC) return man attempted to bring the ball out from a few yards into his own endzone and only made it to his own six-yardline. That set the stage for a Wonder Boys safety as Matthew Minnix applied pressure on the SNU quarterback who was forced to the throw the ball away but did so in the endzone and with no receivers in the vicinity to force the safety.
 
Not only did that add two points to the Wonder Boys total, but it gave them the ball right back following a free kick with 1:01 left before the half.
 
The Wonder Boys would keep their foot on the gas and with 11 seconds left, connected on a 40-yard passing score from Lindsey to Drew Wade. That would give the Wonder Boys a 44-21 lead at the break; amazingly just over four minutes prior, they were tied at 21-all with the Crimson Storm.
 
SNU would receive the ball first in the second half after deferring on the coin toss. The Crimson Storm's drive later stalled and the Crimson Storm were forced to punt.
 
On the ensuing possession, the Wonder Boys took to the ground to run some clock and eventually found themselves in the endzone following a 24-yard rush by Ron Thompson. That score made it 30-staight points for the Wonder Boys scored in just under 10 minutes of game action. It also pushed their point total over 50 marking the first time that has happened since 2017 when the Wonder Boys hung 66 points on Northwestern Oklahoma. Earlier that same year, Tech scored 52 on Southern Nazarene.
 
The Crimson Storm would find some footing from there and held the Wonder Boys off the scoreboard the remainder of the game. While the defense was settling in, the SNU offense took advantage and made the game much more competitive that it appeared it would be as they scored 20 unanswered points of their own to bring the game to its final score of 51-41 in favor of the Wonder Boys.
 
The Wonder Boys will now return home and prepare for a home game against the offensively potent Oklahoma Baptist Bison. Kick-off for the Saturday, October 9 game is scheduled for 2 p.m. out at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field. That game is also "Kids Day Out" and all children in grades Kindergarten – 12^th grade will receive free tickets to the game.