RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech football team found a way to go 1-0 in their season-opener at home against Southwestern Oklahoma on Thursday night, beating SWOSU 26-20.
The opener for both the Wonder Boys and Bulldogs played out much like a typical opener might as each team had its share of miscues. There were a total of six turnovers and a pair of unsuccessful extra point attempts, but no significant momentum was gained enough for either Tech or SWOSU to run away with the game.
After the Bulldogs scored the game's first touchdown at the 9:48 mark of the first quarter, the Wonder Boys responded with a touchdown of their own, a three-yard run by QB
Carter Hensley, as the clock expired on the opening period. The point-after attempt would be blocked however by SWOSU, keeping them in the lead.
About midway through the second quarter, SWOSU forced a second fumble takeaway and took possession at the Tech 49-yardline and 7:33 on the clock. The Bulldogs would get the ball down to the Tech 10-yardline where it was 3
rd-and-6. The drive stalled on the next play as the Wonder Boys allowed just a two-yard pass completion, forcing the Bulldogs to settle for a 25-yard field goal attempt.
The kick was good and the Bulldogs led 10-6.
On the ensuing kickoff, spark plug
Omyry Hickson returned the ball 33 yards to the Tech 45-yardline. After a couple of penalties pushed the ball back to the Tech 43-yardline, the Wonder Boys got the game's first chunk play, scoring a 51-yard TD pass from Hensley to
Isiah Kendall. The initial pass to Kendall was caught at the SWOSU 48-yardline and then he did the rest, finding the endzone.
The Bulldogs and Wonder Boys then traded interceptions late in the second quarter, sending the game to the half with Tech leading 13-10.
Third quarter action saw a defensive struggle as only three points were scored on a 41-yard field goal make by the Bulldogs at the 1:43 mark, tying the game at 13-all.
In the fourth quarter, the Wonder Boys made a monster play on defense, coming away with their third interception of the game. This time it was
Anton Pierce who picked off the pass at the SWOSU 38-yardline and then returned the ball 21 yards to the SWOSU 17-yardine.
Three plays later, the Wonder Boys were back in the endzone, this time on a two-yard rush up the middle by short-yardage QB specialist,
Dominic Feliciano.
SWOSU had an answer for that score and went on to engineer a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive that ate up 5:41 of the clock, tying the score at 20-all with 6:22 to play.
The Wonder Boys matched SWOSU in a quality possession and after nine plays, were inside the SWOSU 5-yardline at the 2-minute timeout of the second half. At the time, SWOSU had a pair of timeouts and could stop the clock multiple times if the Wonder Boys were unsuccessful in scoring.
That would not be a factor, however, as
Tracy Daniels scored from four-yards out on the first play out of the 2-minute timeout, leaving 1:56 left on the clock. Unfortunately, the size of a lead Tech would have to defend the final two minutes of game time was just six points as the point-after attempt missed wide right.
Now, SWOSU had a chance at a final drive that could win the game with a touchdown and subsequent point after. And they would come very close to that score as they got the ball inside the Tech 30-yardline after converting a 4
th-and-11 from their own 47-yardline.
After calling their third and final timeout with 1:21 left, the Bulldogs were inside the Tech 5-yardline thanks to a 24-yard pass. Unable to get out of bounds on the play, the Bulldogs were forced to spike the ball to preserve game time, which was now at 15 seconds.
With no timeouts to allow for a run play to be called, SWOSU would take three-straight shots into the endzone for that tying score, but all three fell incomplete, bringing a heart-stopping end to the final drive of the game.
After SWOSU turned the ball over on downs, the Wonder Boys went into victory formation to seal the win.
The Wonder Boys will now prepare to hit the road for their next game at Northwestern Oklahoma. That contest is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start on Thursday, September 10.
