GAME INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH WONDER BOYS 3-4 (3-4 GAC)		#19/#23 HENDERSON STATE REDDIES 6-1 (6-1 GAC)
Saturday, October 24 | 1 p.m. Carpenter-Haygood Stadium at GeoSurfaces Field | Arkadelphia, Ark. LIVE STATS | WATCH LIVE | LISTEN LIVE | ATU NOTES (PDF)

KICKING OFF
The Arkansas Tech football team is set to hit the road for the first of two-straight games away from Simmons Bank Field at Thone Stadium on Saturday and will play at nationally-ranked Henderson State. The Reddies enter the game 6-1 overall and ranked No. 19 in the AFCA Top-25 and #23 in the D2Football.com Top-25. Kick-off for the game is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
THE SERIES      
This will be the 98th meeting all-time between Arkansas Tech and Henderson State in a series that dates back to 1920. Remarkably, the all-time series has Henderson with a slight 48-45-4 lead. Playing almost annually as conference opponents in the AIC and GSC, Tech and HSU also became charter members of the GAC in 2011. In that time span, HSU leads the series 11-2. Dating back to when both schools made the jump to NCAA DII in 1995, HSU holds a 17-12 lead.
 

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TECH(NICALLY) SPEAKING
LAST GAME
The Wonder Boys capped a two-game home stretch with a 37-27 win against Southern Arkansas this past Saturday. The win snapped a four-game losing skid for the Wonder Boys and gave them their first win over SAU since 2017.
 
In that game, Tech raced out to a 20-0 lead over SAU and then scored the final 10 points of the game to secure the 37-27 win. A big key to success for Tech in that game was the running game as they racked up 370 yards on the ground and averaged 7.9 yards per tote.
 
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Through seven games, the Wonder Boys are averaging 29.6 points per game and 403.7 yards of total offense. Their ppg average ranks fifth in the GAC, while their total offense is fourth through week seven. Through the air, Tech is averaging 204.9 ypg and ranks fifth in the GAC. On the ground, the Wonder Boys average 198.9 ypg and ranks sixth.
 
Carter Hensley, Dominic Feliciano, Quentin Murphy and Lathan Boone have all taken snaps at QB for the Wonder Boys, but Hensley has been the starter and has thrown all but seven of Tech's passes. He has thrown for 1,410 yards on 109-of-165 passing with seven touchdowns and six interceptions.
 
On the ground, the Wonder Boys have had 14 different ball carriers. Tracy Daniels currently leads the team in yards and carries with 495 yards on 79 attempts. Daniels also leads the team in rushing scores with eight. Renaldrick Myles, Dominic Feliciano and Hensley are next with two rushing TDs. Myles West, Kollin Robinson, Jamarcus Sandidge, and Quinten Murphy each have one rushing touchdown.
 
In terms of receiving, Tech has 14 players with at least one reception. JD Decausmaker currently leads the team in yards and receptions with 391 yards on 27 catches. He is tied for the team-lead in receiving TDs with Jamarcus Sandidge with two. Isiah Kendall, Omyry Hickson, Scout Brazeal and John Townsend are next in receiving touchdowns with one apiece.
 
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Defensively the Wonder Boys are allowing 443.1 yards of total offense and 33.3 points per game through seven weeks of the season. Their total defense ranks ninth in the GAC, while their scoring defense is ninth.
 
Individually, the Wonder Boys had 18 players record at least 10 tackles and four with 20 or more.
 
Linebacker Kolbey Ballowe leads the team in tackles with 54 (23 assisted, 31 solo). Julien Lopez leads the team in tackles for loss with 4.0. Brandon Wheeler leads the team in sacks with 2.0.
 
As a team, the Wonder Boys' defense has forced six turnovers with all six being interceptions. Sean Berry leads the team in interceptions with two. Julien Lopez, Jackson Jennings, Kylan Crite and Anton Pierce have the other four picks.
 
COACH THOMPSON
Roy Thompson enters his second season as head football coach at Arkansas Tech after spending the previous nine at GAC-rival Ouachita Baptist as the Tigers' defensive coordinator.
 
In his first year at Tech, Thompson led the Wonder Boys to their first winning season since 2017, going 7-4 in the regular season. That breakout year also saw the Wonder Boys make postseason play for the first time since 2017 as they received an invitation to play in the Heritage Bowl Powered by Riot against West Texas A&M.
 
Shortly after being named as the new head coach at Arkansas Tech, Thompson was lauded by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) as the 2024 Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year for his efforts that season while at Great American Conference rival, Ouachita Baptist.
 
On the coaching staff a total of 12 years at Ouachita, Thompson spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons as the co-Defensive Coordinator before taking over the reins fully starting with the 2018 season. 
 
Over that seven-year stretch (2020 was not played due to COVID-19), Ouachita has had three seasons in which its points allowed per game were under 20.0, ranking it in the top-10 nationally in DII. The other three seasons, the highest points allowed in a season was 20.7 points per game. Over that same stretch, Thompson's defensive unit allowed under 320.0 yards per game four times, ranking in the top-35 nationally.
 
Thompson's time at Ouachita also yielded a ton of championship hardware as well as NCAA postseason experience. Out of the eight seasons played with Thompson on staff, Ouachita won the GAC championship five times and reached the NCAA playoffs each of those seasons as well, with the most recent being in 2024. Of those five conference titles, three saw the Tigers go unbeaten in the regular season.
 

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KNOW YO FOE
LAST GAME     
Henderson State is coming off their first loss of the season as they lost an unbeaten showdown on the road with No. 2-ranked Harding this past Saturday. The Reddies held a brief one-point lead against Harding with 6:49 left on the first-quarter clock, but less than a minute later, Harding scored a touchdown and did not look back, eventually beating HSU 46-16.
 
THE COACH     
The Reddies are coached by Greg Holsworth, who is in his third year as the head coach at Henderson State after taking over the reins from legendary head coach Scott Maxfield in 2024. Holsworth is no stranger to the Reddie Football program, as he joined the staff in 2017. Prior to ascending to head coach, Holsworth was the Reddies' defensive coordinator. As head coach, Holsworth is 22-7.
 
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE          
Offensively through seven games, the Reddies have the second-ranked scoring offense in the GAC at 38.0 ppg and the top-ranked total offense with an average of 493.7 yards per game. Through the air, the Reddies have passed for an average of 272.9 ypg to rank first in the GAC. On the ground, HSU is averaging 220.9 ypg to rank fourth.
 
The leading rusher thus far is Chris Ganaway with 414 yards gained on 48 carries and a pair of touchdowns. Myron Thrash is next in yards gained with 277 and leads the team in rushing attempts with 55 while also being tied in touchdowns with backup quarterback Jordan Walker with five.
 
In the passing game, the Reddies have split time between Austin Ledbetter and Jordan Walker. Ledbetter has played in all but one game and thrown 1,298 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions on 78-of-113 passing. Walker has played in all seven games and started last week against Harding. Overall, he has thrown for 612 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions on 49-of-79 passing.
 
The Reddies have four receivers with at least 10 catches and three of those have at least 300 yards receiving. The leading receiver is Maddox Davis with 585 yards on 43 receptions. Davis also leads the team in receiving TDs with five.
 
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE          
Defensively, the Reddies rank fourth in scoring defense at 21.0 ppg while their total defense ranks fourth in the GAC allowing 342.9 ypg of total offense by their opponents. Through the air, HSU ranks fourth in the GAC at 149.1 average ypg allowed. On the ground, the Reddies allow an average of 193.7 ypg and rank fifth in the GAC.
 
Individually, HSU has 18 players record 10 or more tackles and eight with 20 or more stops. They are led Reuben Ingram with 34.0. Mulumba Wa-Kalonji leads the team in tackles for lost yardage at 6.0 and sacks with 3.5.
 
The Reddies' defense has forced 14 turnovers through seven games with eight interceptions and six fumble recoveries. Kenny Mosley leads the team in interceptions with two, while Leo Morris and Jackson Byerley are tied for the team-lead in fumble recoveries with two.