GAME INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH WONDER BOYS 4-6 (4-6 GAC)	#2/#2 HARDING BISONS 10-0 (10-0 GAC)
Saturday, November 14 | 2 p.m. First Security Stadium | Searcy, Ark. LIVE STATS | WATCH LIVE | LISTEN LIVE | ATU NOTES (PDF)

KICKING OFF
The final game of the 2026 season is here for the Arkansas Tech football team, and they will close out the second year under head coach Roy Thompson on the road at No. 2-ranked Harding. The Bisons will be looking to cap an unbeaten regular season for the second-straight year and the fourth time in program history. The Wonder Boys are looking to prevent that, and in the process, halt the nation's second-longest active home winning streak (29 games) and the second-longest active conference winning streak (25 games).
 
THE SERIES      
This will be the 62nd meeting all-time between Arkansas Tech and Harding in a series that dates back to 1928. After that initial meeting, the two did not play again until 1960, but played annually as conference foes in the AIC until 1995 when both teams made the jump to NCAA DII. The series renewed for the 1996 and 1997 seasons, but it wasn't until 2000 that the two became annual conference rivals once more.
 
In the time since their transition to DII, Harding leads the series 17-8. Since both teams joined the GAC in 2012, Harding leads 11-1. Overall, the series is tied 31-31.
 

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TECH(NICALLY) SPEAKING
LAST GAME
The Wonder Boys suffered a heart-breaking loss at the final buzzer in their home finale of 2026 as Oklahoma Baptist kicked a game-winning field goal to upend Tech, 34-31.
 
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Through 10 games, the Wonder Boys are averaging 31.2 points per game and 409.8 yards of total offense. Their ppg average ranks fourth in the GAC, while their total offense is fourth through week 10. Through the air, Tech is averaging 209.5 ypg and ranks sixth in the GAC. On the ground, the Wonder Boys average 200.3 ypg and ranks fourth.
 
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 14 of Tech's passes. He has thrown for 2,045 yards on 154-of-219 passing with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions.
 
On the ground, the Wonder Boys have had 16 different ball carriers. Tracy Daniels currently leads the team in yards and carries with 650 yards on 116 attempts. Daniels also leads the team in rushing scores with eight. Felciano and Kollin Robinson are next in rushing TDs with four while Renaldrick Myles, Jamarcus Sandidge, Myles West and Hensley follow with two rushing scores.
 
In terms of receiving, Tech has 17 players with at least one reception. JD Decausmaker currently leads the team in yards and receptions with 517 yards on 39 catches. He also leads the team in receiving TDs with three. Jamarcus Sandidge and Trey Nelson are next with two while Isiah Kendall, Omyry Hickson, Scout Brazeal and John Townsend each have a one receiving touchdown apiece.
 
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Defensively the Wonder Boys are allowing 442.1 yards of total offense and 29.8 points per game through 10 weeks of the season. Their total defense ranks ninth in the GAC, while their scoring defense is sixth.
 
Individually, the Wonder Boys had 11 players record at least 20 tackles and three with 50 or more.
 
Linebacker Kolbey Ballowe leads the team in tackles with 70 (32 assisted, 38 solo). Julien Lopez and Bennett Roberts lead the team in tackles for loss with 6.0. Brandon Wheeler and Jay Morman are tied for the team-lead in sacks with 2.0.
 
As a team, the Wonder Boys' defense has forced 12 turnovers with nine being interceptions and three being fumble recoveries. Sean Berry leads the team in interceptions with three. Berry is also responsible for two of the team's three fumble recoveries and has scored a touchdown on both plays.
 
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     
Harding is coming off a 76-0 shutout win over Southern Nazarene in their most-recent game played. That score matched the Bisons' season-opening game against Northwestern Oklahoma. The win also secured the out-right GAC Regular Season Championship for the Bisons, their fourth-straight and fifth in the last six seasons.
 
THE COACH     
The Bisons are coached by Roddy Mote, who is in his first season as head coach at Harding. Mote is no stranger to Harding, however, as he had returned to his alma mater in a full-time capacity in 2016 where he was the linebackers coach. The following year, Mote became the Bisons' defensive coordinator, a position he held until becoming head coach.
 
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE          
Offensively through 10 games, the Bisons have the top-ranked scoring offense in the GAC at 49.9 ppg and the top-ranked total offense with an average of 502.6 yards per game. Through the air, the Bisons have passed for an average of 50.5 ypg to rank 12th in the GAC. On the ground, Harding is averaging 452.1 ypg to rank first.
 
The leading rusher thus far is Andrew Miller with 1,112 yards gained on 193 carries. Miller also has a team-leading 20 touchdowns on the ground. The second-leading rusher is quarterback Malik Young with 853 yards on 111 carries. Jeff Regan is second on the team in rushing touchdowns behind Miller with 11.
 
At quarterback, Young is 12-for-23 for 313 yards with three touchdowns with one interception.
 
Harding has had eight receivers with at least one reception are led by Brady Barnett with five catches. He also has the most yards with 161. Barnett is tied for the team-lead in touchdown receptions with Mabry Verser with two.
 
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE          
Defensively, the Bisons rank first in scoring defense at 15.0 ppg while their total defense ranks first in the GAC allowing 243.7 ypg of total offense by their opponents. Through the air, Harding ranks third in the GAC at 161.4 average ypg allowed. On the ground, the Bisons allow an average of 82.3 ypg and rank first in the GAC.
 
Individually, Harding has six players record 20 or more tackles and two with 50 or more stops. They are led Jordan Mays with 57.0. Kaleb Walker lead the team in tackles for lost yardage at 11.0 and in sacks with 8.5.
 
The Bison's defense has forced 18 turnovers through 10 games with 12 interceptions and six fumble recoveries. Cory Dean leads the team in interceptions with four, while Grayson Lewis leads the team in fumble recoveries with two.