GAME INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH WONDER BOYS 4-5 (4-5 GAC)		OKLAHOMA BAPTIST BISON 3-6 (3-6 GAC)
Saturday, November 7 | 2 p.m. Simmons Bank Field at Thone Stadium | Russellville, Ark. LIVE STATS | WATCH LIVE | LISTEN LIVE | ATU NOTES (PDF)

KICKING OFF
The penultimate game of the 2026 season is here and is also the final home game for the Arkansas Tech football team as they host Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday afternoon. The Wonder Boys will be looking to finish their home slate with a winning record for a second-straight year as they enter the game 2-2 this season at Simmons Bank Field at Thone Stadium.
 
THE SERIES      
This will be the 14th meeting all-time between Arkansas Tech and Oklahoma Baptist in a series that dates back to 1927, but the series did not begin in earnest until 2015 when Oklahoma Baptist restarted their football program and joined the Great American Conference. Overall, Tech holds an 8-4-1 advantage and are 7-3 since the two became conference foes.
 

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TECH(NICALLY) SPEAKING
LAST GAME
The Wonder Boys bounced back in a major way from a heart-breaking defeat on the road the week prior at nationally-ranked Henderson State with a dominating 47-3 victory on the road at Southern Nazarene this past Saturday afternoon.
 
In that game, the Wonder Boys eclipsed 500 yards of total offense for the second time this year, registering a season-high 503 yards. The offensive attack by the Wonder Boys was nearly a perfect balance as well as they ran for 233 yards and passed for 266. They were also extremely efficient averaging 8.2 yards per play on the 61 offensive snaps they took.
 
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Through nine games, the Wonder Boys are averaging 31.2 points per game and 406.2 yards of total offense. Their ppg average ranks fourth in the GAC, while their total offense is fifth through week nine. Through the air, Tech is averaging 211.0 ypg and ranks sixth in the GAC. On the ground, the Wonder Boys average 195.2 ypg and ranks fifth.
 
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 13 of Tech's passes. He has thrown for 1,849 yards on 141-of-204 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 611 yards on 102 attempts. Daniels also leads the team in rushing scores with eight. Feliciano is next in rushing TDs with three while Renaldrick Myles, Kollin Robinson and Hensley follow with two rushing scores. Myles West, Jamarcus Sandidge, and Quinten Murphy each have one rushing touchdown.
 
In terms of receiving, Tech has 17 players with at least one reception. JD Decausmaker currently leads the team in yards and receptions with 502 yards on 38 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 410.4 yards of total offense and 29.3 points per game through nine weeks of the season. Their total defense ranks eighth in the GAC, while their scoring defense is sixth.
 
Individually, the Wonder Boys had nine players record at least 20 tackles and three with 50 or more.
 
Linebacker Kolbey Ballowe leads the team in tackles with 65 (29 assisted, 36 solo). Julien Lopez leads 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 11 turnovers with eight being interceptions and two being a fumble recoveries. Sean Berry, Julien Lopez and Anton Pierce are tied for the team-lead in interceptions with two. Jackson Jennings and Kylan Crite have the other two picks. 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     
Oklahoma Baptist is coming off a 48-10 loss at home against No. 2-ranked Harding and have lost their last three games overall as well. In the game against Harding, Oklahoma Baptist got on the board first with a 37-yard field goal early in the first quarter and then held the Bisons off the board until late in the opening period. After that score, however, Harding scored four more unanswered touchdowns to go up 34-3 early in the second half.
 
THE COACH     
The Bison are coached by Chris Jensen, who is in his 14th year as the head coach at Oklahoma Baptist after being tasked with revitalizing the previously-defunct program in 2013. The first two seasons under Jensen saw the Bison compete as members of the NAIA before transitioning to NCAA Division II and the Great American Conference in 2015. Overall, Jensen is 52-90 as head coach. His best season at the NCAA level came in 2021 as he led the Bison to an 8-4 record and a postseason win in the Fun Town RV Heritage Bowl.
 
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE          
Offensively through nine games, the Bison have the 11th-ranked scoring offense in the GAC at 22.2 ppg and the 11th-ranked total offense with an average of 316.2 yards per game. Through the air, the Bison have passed for an average of 217.6 ypg to rank fourth in the GAC. On the ground, OKB is averaging 98.7 ypg to rank 11th.
 
The leading rusher thus far is Devan Daniels with 255 yards gained on 76 carries. Justin Pascone is next in yards with 248 on 61 carries and leads the team in rushing touchdowns with four.
 
In the passing game, the Bison have split time between Jason Ceniti and Brady Bricker. Ceniti is 88-for-140 for 1,156 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. Bricker is 67-for-107 for 713 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions.
 
The Bison have had 17 different receivers with Jacob Trimble and Nick Harris leading the way, each with over 40 receptions. Trimble has the most yards with 814 on 47 catches and the most touchdowns with five. Harris has 441 yards receiving on 42 receptions and three touchdowns.
 
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE          
Defensively, the Bison rank ninth in scoring defense at 34.6 ppg while their total defense ranks ninth in the GAC allowing 419.3 ypg of total offense by their opponents. Through the air, OKB ranks seventh in the GAC at 174.2 average ypg allowed. On the ground, the Bison allow an average of 245.1 ypg and rank 10th in the GAC.
 
Individually, OKB has 11 players record 20 or more tackles and six with 45 or more stops. They are led Brady Luff with 69.0. Jeremiah Jennings and Jordan Garcia are tied for the team-lead in tackles for lost yardage at 6.0. Jennings leads the team in sacks with 5.0.
 
The Bison's defense has forced 16 turnovers through nine games with five interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries. George Getanda leads the team in interceptions with two, while Brady Brewer and Garcia lead the team in fumble recoveries with two.