GAME INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH WONDER BOYS 2-3 (2-3 GAC)		EAST CENTRAL TIGERS 4-1 (4-1 GAC)
Saturday, October 10 | 4 p.m. Simmons Bank Field at Thone Stadium | Russellville, Ark. LIVE STATS | WATCH LIVE | LISTEN LIVE | ATU NOTES (PDF)

KICKING OFF
After two-straight weeks playing on the road, the Arkansas Tech football team is set to play consecutive weeks at home, starting first this Saturday against East Central. The game with ECU is also the annual Homecoming game at Arkansas Tech. Last year, the Wonder Boys won their homecoming game against Henderson State, 17-6.
 
THE SERIES      
This will be the 28th meeting all-time between Arkansas Tech and East Central in a series that dates back to 1926. The series has been played in earnest since 2011 as both ECU and Tech were charter members of the GAC. Since 2011, ECU leads 9-5. Overall, ECU holds a 16-11 advantage in the all-time series. This will also be the 16th game played between the two in Russellville and ECU leads in those games, 9-6.
 

---

TECH(NICALLY) SPEAKING
LAST GAME
The Wonder Boys suffered their third-straight loss last week as they fell on the road at Southeastern Oklahoma, 35-10. In that game, the Wonder Boys had their second-straight game with over 300 yards passing, but also lost the turnover battle for a second-consecutive game as well.
 
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Through five games, the Wonder Boys are averaging 22.8 points per game and 372.4 yards of total offense. Their ppg average ranks 10th in the GAC, while their total offense is sixth through week five. Through the air, Tech is averaging 240.2 ypg and ranks second in the GAC. On the ground, the Wonder Boys average 132.2 ypg and ranks 10th.
 
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 1,177 yards on 88-of-131 passing with five touchdowns and four interceptions.
 
On the ground, the Wonder Boys have had 12 different ball carriers. Tracy Daniels currently leads the team in yards and carries with 178 yards on 43 attempts. Daniels is also tied for the team-lead in rushing scores with Feliciano with two. Renaldrick Myles, Myles West, Quinten Murphy and Hensley 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 338 yards on 24 catches. He is tied with Isiah Kendall, Omyry Hickson, Jamarcus Sandidge, Scout Brazeal and John Townsend for the team-lead in receiving touchdowns with one apiece.
 
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Defensively the Wonder Boys are allowing 422.4 yards of total offense and 29.6 points per game through five weeks of the season. Their total defense ranks seventh in the GAC, while their scoring defense is seventh.
 
Individually, the Wonder Boys had 14 players record at least 10 tackles and six with 15 or more.
 
Linebacker Kolbey Ballowe leads the team in tackles with 37 (14 assisted, 23 solo). Brandon Wheeler and Julien Lopez are tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with 2.5. Wheeler also leads the team in sacks with 2.0.
 
As a team, the Wonder Boys' defense has forced three turnovers with all three being interceptions. Sean Berry, Julien Lopez and Anton Pierce had the 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.
 

---

KNOW YO FOE
LAST GAME     
East Central lost their first game of the season last week as they took on No. 2-ranked Harding at home. The Tigers were held scoreless in the first half, but Harding held just a 14-0 lead at the break. ECU would get within a touchdown of the Bisons with a touchdown midway through the third quarter, but Harding quickly answered back with a score of their own and maintained a two-score lead the rest of the way.
 
THE COACH     
The Tigers are coached by John Litrenta, who is in his fourth year overall as the head coach. In his time at ECU, Litrenta is 18-21.
 
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE          
Offensively through five games, the Tigers have the third-ranked scoring offense in the GAC at 33.4 ppg and the third-ranked total offense with an average of 448.2 yards per game. Through the air, the Tigers have passed for an average of 222.4 ypg to rank fifth in the GAC. On the ground, ECU is averaging 225.8 ypg to rank fourth.
 
The leading rusher thus far is Quincy Thompson with 492 yards gained on 85 carries. Thompson is second on the team in rushing touchdowns behind quarterback Sergio Kennedy, who has eight scores. Kennedy is also not far back of Thompson in terms of rushing yards with 413 on 46 carries.
 
In the passing game, the Tigers have been led by Kennedy. He has thrown all but one pass for the Tigers and has 1,112 yards thrown on 85-of-134 passing with seven touchdowns and one interception.
 
The Tigers have four receivers with at least 10 catches and all four have at least 150 yards receiving. The leading receiver is Jonathan Brown with 366 yards on 14 receptions. Brown also leads the team in receiving TDs with three.
 
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE          
Defensively, the Tigers rank sixth in scoring defense at 28.8 ppg while their total defense ranks fifth in the GAC allowing 364.0 ypg of total offense by their opponents. Through the air, ECU ranks second in the GAC at 150.0 average ypg allowed. On the ground, the Tigers allow an average of 214.0 ypg and rank seventh in the GAC.
 
Individually, ECU has 15 players record 10 or more tackles and seven with 15 or more stops. They are led Caden Pickens with 49.0. Pickens also leads the team in tackles for lost yardage at 5.0 and sacks with 3.0.
 
The Tigers' defense has forced nine turnovers through five games with one interception and eight fumble recoveries. Pickens has the team's interception, while Nathaniel Rainey leads the team in fumble recoveries with two.