ALVA, Okla. – For a third-straight season, the Arkansas Tech football team is off to a 2-0 start after they beat Northwestern Oklahoma on the road on Thursday night by a score of 34-29.
The Wonder Boys were the first on the scoreboard as they found the endzone on the game's opening possession. The cap on the 8-play, 75-yard drive was a 2-yard plunge by
Quentin Murphy. Earlier in the drive, the Wonder Boys found success on the ground and had a pair of big rushing plays preceding the score with
Omyry Hickson having a 20-yard rush and
Lathan Boone a 19-yard run.
NWOSU answered back on their opening drive and scored a touchdown of their own. That drive initially was stalled at the Tech 18-yardline and the Rangers elected to attempt a 35-yard field goal. That kick was missed, but the drive continued on a running into the kicker penalty.
After capitalizing on the penalty, the Rangers successfully went for two points and led 8-7.
The Wonder Boys and Rangers would each have one more possession in the first quarter with Tech's ending on a lost fumble and NWOSU's on a three-and-out immediately following. The ensuing drive by Tech was methodical and carried the game into the second quarter.
On the 11
th play of that drive and ninth-consecutive rush,
Tracy Daniels punched the ball in from a yard out to make it 14-8.
The Wonder Boys would force a second missed field goal attempt by NWOSU, this time without a penalty and proceeded to march down the field and kick a field goal of their own from 26 yards out with only 25 seconds left in the first half.
The Rangers connected on a big pass play on the first play of their subsequent drive, giving them eyes on potentially scoring a touchdown. After getting the ball to the Tech 28-yardline, the Rangers had 2
nd-and-10, but with only a few seconds remaining, they elected to try another field goal, this one from 45 yards out.
Trey Howard got a great jump off the corner and blocked the attempt. It would be hauled in by
Brenden Bennett at the Tech 33-yardline and then returned the rest of the way for a touchdown to end the half. The score did not stand, however, as the Wonder Boys were flagged for a hold on the return, placing the ball at the NWOSU 27-yardline for a final untimed down.
The Wonder Boys would line up for a 44-yard field goal and
Fernando Ventura was true on the try, making it 20-8, Tech at the break.
The second half did not start out well for the Wonder Boys as consecutive 15-yard personal foul penalties on the kickoff and first play of the drive, set the Rangers up with 1
st-and-10 from the Tech 39-yardline. One play later, NWOSU threw a touchdown to get within five points, 20-15.
The two teams would trade touchdowns over the remainder of the game as the lead for the Wonder Boys yo-yoed between 12 and five points.
The first 12-point lead of the second half saw
Jamarcus Sandidge catch a 6-yard pass from
Carter Hensley with 8:08 left in the third quarter while the second came with 2:45 to go in the third on a 13-yard run by Renaldrick Myles.
After the Myles score, the Wonder Boys forced a punt from NWOSU and began to march the ball deep into Ranger territory looking for a put-away score but were stopped on 4
th-and-2 from the NWOSU 25-yardline with 10:55 to play in the game.
A big scramble run by the NWOSU quarterback put the Rangers just outside the redzone at the Tech 22-yardline. The Wonder Boys then forced the Rangers into a 4
th-and-2. An illegal formation penalty pushed the Rangers back five yards, but they were still able to convert, throwing a 19-yard passing touchdown to once again get within five points of the Wonder Boys, this time with 6:48 to play.
Tech then had their first three-and-out drive of the game, giving the ball back to the Rangers, down five with 5:11 left on the clock.
The Rangers would work the game clock to the two-minute timeout but were faced with 4
th-and-14 from the Tech 31-yardline following a big sack from
Brandon Wheeler. On that fourth down attempt, the Rangers launched a ball into the back corner of the far endzone and had a player in the area, but the throw fell incomplete, all but giving the Wonder Boys the win with 1:49 left on the clock.
Tech would still need to secure at least one first down, however, as the Rangers had their full complement of timeouts.
Myles West's name was called upon to get that first down and the senior tailback did so on just two carries, going for seven on his first tote and then four on the second.
NWOSU would use only one timeout with West getting the first down on the second carry. West would gain 15 more yards on the ground on two more carries to bring the game to its conclusion. The Houston, Texas native would end with a career-high 86 yards rushing on 13 carries.
The Wonder Boys will now return home and prepare for a home game against Ouachita Baptist on Saturday, September 19. Kick-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. from Simmons Bank Field at Thone Stadium. That day will also be Family Day on the campus of Arkansas Tech and Party at the Plaza tailgating will start at 3 p.m.
