RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech football team took care of business in their first home game of 2025 by shutting out Northwestern Oklahoma, 44-0 on Thursday night out at Simmons Bank Field at Thone Stadium.
The home shutout was the first since 2016 when Tech blanked Southern Nazarene, 46-0, in the season-opener that year. It was also the first under new head coach
Roy Thompson.
While the defense obviously shined for the Wonder Boys, their offense got the game off to the best start possible as freshman running back
Bryson Roland would score a rushing touchdown on the game's first offensive play. In all, it was a 63-yard run by Roland that ended in his first collegiate score.
Roland would go on to score a second touchdown in the second quarter, this time on a 13-yard pass from
Jack Dawson. That Roland TD made it 20-0, Wonder Boys with just over five minutes left in the first half. Tech would add a 34-yard field goal from
Logan Tymeson right before the end of the half, giving the Wonder Boys a 23-0 lead at the break.
The next Tech score would not come until late in the third quarter when Dawson connected with speedster
Carldell Sirmons for a 64-yard pitch-and-catch.
In the fourth quarter, the Wonder Boys put an absolute exlimation mark on the game with a pair of pick-sixes. The first was a 38-yard return by
Diego Sanchez at the 8:26 mark, while the second was a 66-yard return by
Tyrique Jones with 1:58 left.
The Wonder Boys will now prepare for their next challenge, a road game at Ouachita Baptist on Saturday, September 20. Kick-off for the game is slated for 7 p.m from Cliff Harris Stadium.
