[October 27, 2007]

Contact: Houston Taylor, SID

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Southern Arkansas senior fullback Tony McDonald bulled his way up the middle for an eight-yard touchdown with 1:14 remaining and the Muleriders held off a furious last-second rally from Arkansas Tech to pull off a wild, offensive shootout in a 56-49 win Saturday at Buerkle Field at Thone Stadium.

The two teams combined for 105 points and 1,114 yards of total offense, as SAU finished with 555 yards and the Wonder Boys piled up 559. It was the most a Southern Arkansas team has been involved in since an 86-27 win at Henderson State in 2000 when Southern Arkansas had 702 yards of a combined 1,091 in that game. The Muleriders’ 56 points was the most scored since a 52-21 win against Arkansas-Monticello in 2005. SAU also got themselves in the record book with the win, with 96 total plays in the game which bettered the mark of 90 set three times previously, the most recent in a season-ending 35-23 win over Henderson State in 2005.

ATU almost sent the game into overtime, when following McDonald’s touchdown, Tech went from their own 20 to the Southern Arkansas 12. With five seconds left and fourth down, quarterback Justin Ray rushed and stretched across at the near corner of the end zone, but Mulerider defensive back Daren Lewis forced him to step out at the three to preserve SAU’s win as time expired.

Combining for 15 touchdowns, the two teams literally see-sawed back and forth as Southern Arkansas scored on eight of 17 possessions and the Wonder Boys hit on seven of 17. Remarkably, ATU had only one scoring drive over a minute, their first that took 2:13 and gave them a 7-0 lead at 7:06 in the first quarter when Ray hit Tracey Stiger from six yards out. It covered 49 yards in nine plays. The teams traded touchdowns the rest of the half. The Muleriders came back in the first with a nine-play, 60-yard drive and knotted it at 7-7 on quarterback Josh SanFilippo’s 10-yard pass to Steven Ashley with 2:57 left. Arkansas Tech squeezed another TD in as time expired in the quarter when Ray hit Herb Grigsby for a 26-yard score for a 14-7 lead.

Five touchdowns were scored in a little over five minutes of play in the second quarter, and since it was Southern Arkansas’ turn, they used a nine-play, 77-yard drive in 3:41 to tie it at 14 on Ryan Sworn’s 20-yard scamper at 5:17. Forty-five seconds later, Ray’s 45-yard pass found Stiger in the end zone for a 21-14 lead at 4:25. The Muleriders then went 65 yards in seven plays, evening it on a 26-yard Sworn run with 1:24 remaining. SAU coach Steve Quinn then opted for a perfectly executed “Lake Wilhelmina roll” onside pooch that kicker Noe΄ Cuevas fell on, but unfortunately it only traveled nine yards, giving the Wonder Boys possession at the Southern Arkansas 39. Six plays and 55 ticks later, Ray pushed in from two yards out for a 28-21 ATU lead at 0:29. But the Muleriders weren’t finished, moving 66 yards in five plays, and after a timeout with one second on the clock, Keundric Loucious completed the drive from a yard out to knot it up 28 all at the half. SanFilippo had pass completions of 27 yards to Ashley, 14 to Mario Coleman, and 11 to Michael Chatman in the drive, and SAU was aided by a Tech 13-yard personal foul penalty.

Southern Arkansas struck first in the third, using an 11-play, 58-yard drive for their first lead in the game when Ashley ran in from three yards out at 7:51. That lasted all of 36 seconds as Ray had completions of 25 and 41 yards and then Tim Childress’ two-yard scamper evened it at 35 at 7:15.

The final stanza was another five-touchdown scramble with the Muleriders seemingly taking advantage first when cornerback Roland Perkins picked off his fifth pass of the season in the end zone to prevent an ATU score on the first play of the quarter, but two plays later SanFilippo was intercepted by Joe Bryant who returned it to the SAU seven. Ray rushed in from there on the first play for a 42-35 lead at 13:53.

Southern Arkansas then moved the ball 52 yards in 11 plays entirely on the ground, culminated by Chris Metcalf’s five-yard touchdown run at 8:44 to tie it yet again. After forcing an Arkansas Tech four-and-out, the Muleriders moved to the Wonder Boy 40 where SAU survived a couple of scares. On second and eight, SanFilippo’s option pitch went awry, but he was able to fall on it for the recovery back at the 46. Facing third and 14, his pass was picked off by Tario Dansby at the ATU 15, but Chatman knocked the ball loose and Coleman covered it at the 11. A holding penalty backed Southern Arkansas to the 21, and then SanFilippo rewarded Coleman with a 21-yard touchdown strike to give the Muleriders the lead at 5:26.

Stiger then set Tech up in great shape with a 41-yard kick return to the SAU 48. R.J. Vanhook took it from there, rushing for 10, and then the final 38 for the Wonder Boy score with 4:41 remaining.

Southern Arkansas’ eventual winning touchdown drive began then, covering 70 yards in eight plays and eating up 3:21 off the clock. Key plays of the drive came with the Muleriders facing third and one at the 50, where Ashley got free for a 43-yard jaunt to the seven. Metcalf then took the handoff and had the ball knocked out by Matt Kitchens, but Loucious recovered at the eight. After an ATU timeout, McDonald took care of the rest, before Ray’s last gasp fell short for Arkansas Tech.

SAU held a mammoth advantage in time of possession for the game, keeping the ball for 41:11 to the Wonder Boys’ 18:49. Southern Arkansas was eight of 18 on third-down conversions, most of them long, and was perfect in the red-zone, converting on all seven opportunities, while Arkansas Tech was four of seven. Of Southern Arkansas’ 555 yards, 336 came on the ground and 219 through the air. ATU finished with 239 yards rushing and 320 passing for their 559.
SanFilippo (81) and Ashley (80) combined for 161 rushing yards, SanFilippo’s coming on 20 carries, while Ashley had 10, and Sworn finished with 78, also on 10 totes.
Despite the loss, Ray was magnificent for Tech, ending with 479 yards of total offense, 159 rushing and 320 passing, combining for five touchdowns. He had 14 carries, two for TD’s, and was 22 of 48 passing for three touchdowns.

SanFilippo was 15 of 33 throwing for 219 yards and the two TD’s. Ashley had six receptions for 84 yards, and Coleman got four for 72. Stiger led the Wonder Boys with eight catches for 138 yards and the two scores.

Clarence Wright averaged 27.2 yards on six kick returns for the Muleriders, including a 43-yarder, while Stiger averaged 29.0 on three, including the 41-yarder. Ashley’s 22-yard kick return gave him a total of 186 all-purpose yards in the game.

Linebacker Steven Dauenhauer led the SAU defense with 10 tackles, seven unassisted, including 1.5 for loss. Lewis finished with eight tackles, five solo, including an assisted tackle for loss, and forced a fumble and had an interception. Zach Noel had 12 stops for ATU, six solo, including 1.5 for loss, and broke up a pass. Kitchens and Dansby added 11 tackles each.

Southern Arkansas snapped a five-game losing streak with the victory, moving to 3-6, and 2-5 in Gulf South Conference play, while Arkansas Tech falls to 5-4 and 3-4.

The Muleriders get a long rest as they are off next week before wrapping up the season at home November 10, hosting Henderson State in a 2 p.m. kickoff.