RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech football team held a field goal lead at halftime and were tied with Arkansas-Monticello through three quarters of play, but 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter by UAM was too much to overcome for Tech as they lost by a score of 27-20 on Saturday night out at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field.
 
The visiting Boll Weevils (2-2, 2-2 GAC) got scoring started in the game with 4:17 left in the first quarter as Devontae Dean capped a nine-play, 68-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run. The Wonder Boys (0-4, 0-4 GAC) answered back on their ensuing drive with a methodical 13-play drive that carried the game into the second quarter.
 
The final play on that 5:12 drive was a two-yard direct snap to Jordan Edington. The rushing score for the former high school QB turned college tight end was the second of his career.
 
Neither team was able to generate much offense in that second quarter following the early Tech score as the two teams combined for seven punts. The last of those punts gave the Wonder Boys the ball back at their own 37-yardline with 1:26 remaining in the half.
 
Tech QB Jack Lindsey began that drive with three-straight completions to bring the ball to the UAM 36-yardline. A personal foul by UAM on that final pass play in the sequence pushed the ball 15 yards deeper into Boll Weevil territory and put the Wonder Boys 1^st-and-10 from the UAM 21.
 
Following two rushing plays that brought the clock down to just two seconds, the Wonder Boys called a timeout to set up a 34-yard field goal try by Jesus Zizumbo. The junior kicker was true on the try and sent the Wonder Boys into the locker room with a 10-7 lead.
 
After forcing the Wonder Boys to punt on their first drive of the second half, UAM cashed in their first drive with a touchdown to go up 13-10. That scoring drive encompassed 11 plays and 85 yards. The margin following the TD remained three points as UAM had a bad snap on the extra point try.
 
Nearly the remainder of the third quarter clock would be eaten up by the Wonder Boys on their ensuing possession as they used up 6:23 of game time before knotting the game up at 13-all on a 24-yard field goal by Zizumbo.
 
After the Boll Weevils and Wonder Boys traded punts to start the fourth quarter, the game turned in favor of UAM on their second drive as they scored a go-ahead touchdown with 7:56 left in the fourth quarter.
 
On their ensuing possession, the Wonder Boys were marching down the field and pushed the ball all the way to the UAM 12-yardline. On 3^rd-and-9 from that spot, however, the Boll Weevils came away with a game-altering interception that was returned 77 yards for a touchdown, giving UAM a 27-13 lead with 3:28 left to play.
 
Despite the turnover, the Wonder Boys' offense came right back out and after three pass plays that totaled 60 yards, Tech was once again deep in UAM territory. Three plays later, the Wonder Boys punched in a score by Caleb Batie from two yards out with 1:24 left on the clock, bringing the game back within a single touchdown.
 
The Wonder Boys would lineup to attempt an onside kick, but the try was recovered by UAM and returned deep into Tech territory allowing the Boll Weevils to kneel on the ball and close out the game.
 
Tech will now prepare to hit the road next Saturday as they will travel to Bethany, Okla. to take on Southern Nazarene. The game with the Crimson Storm will be the first afternoon kickoff for the Wonder Boys as kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.