SAU has Record Day, but Loses 37-24 to Arkansas Tech

By: Houston Taylor

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Southern Arkansas (1-5, 1-4 GSC) limited the fourth-ranked total offensive team in the country to 397 yards, but fell 37-24 to Arkansas Tech (4-2, 2-2 GSC) Saturday on Buerkle Field at Thone Stadium.

The Mulerider defense gave itself a chance in holding the Wonder Boys to over 100 yards below its average of 500.4 yards a game. SAU countered on the offensive side with an explosive passing game that set multiple school records and a second-best mark in another category.

Southern Arkansas pulled within 14-10 on a 28-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Austin Civita (Newbury Park, Calif) to sophomore receiver Raphyael Tyson (Paris, Texas) with 35 ticks left in the first half. But ATU scored 16 unanswered points in the third quarter for a 30-10 advantage that the Muleriders could never overcome.

Tech got two touchdown scores from their defense to help put the game away, the first on a 75-yard fumble recovery return from linebacker Brandon Wright at 1:32 in the second to put the Wonder Boys up 14-3. Free safety Tario Dansby added the final dagger with a 60-yard interception return off Civita for a score at 3:01 in the third for the 30-10 margin.

The teams were scoreless through the first quarter with SAU getting on the board first at 10:10 in the second on a 30-yard field goal from Noé Cuevas (Pasadena, Texas). ATU bounced back with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Nick Graziano to Landon Turner at 6:13. Southern Arkansas later drove to the Arkansas Tech 16, but Civita was hammered as he dropped back to pass and Wright scooped up the loose ball for the 75-yard return and the 14-3 margin.

Tyson’s touchdown grab then got the Muleriders to within four to end the half.

The Wonder Boys started their third quarter scoring spree on a 5-yard run from Tim Childress at 12:10; got a 22-yard field goal from Travis Cockerham at 8:39; and Dansby’s 60-yard interception return ended it.

ATU was on the verge of adding to its consecutive scoring streak in the fourth, with the ball on SAU’s 3-yard line, but senior defensive end Devin Alexander (Henderson, Texas) threw Cody Burns for a three-yard loss and jarred the ball loose with red-shirt tackle Chester Owens (Hot Springs) recovering for Southern Arkansas at the six.

The Muleriders couldn’t do anything on the ensuing drive, but after getting the ball back at their own seven off Arkansas Tech’s punt, Civita hit Tyson on the first play for a 93-yard touchdown with six minutes left to play. It stands as the second longest touchdown connection in SAU history, behind only a 96-yard pass between former quarterback Josh SanFilippo (Jacksonville, Fla.) and running back D.D Holyfield (Hope) in 2005, also against the Wonder Boys.

That got Southern Arkansas to within 30-17, but ATU responded with its own aerial display, a 59-yard touchdown pass from Graziano to Frantz Simeon at 4:51. The Muleriders ended the scoring with Civita hitting red-shirt freshman receiver Travarus Brown (Longview, Texas) for a 12-yard score with 46 seconds left.

SAU held Graziano’s high-powered passing game to 307 yards and gave up just 90 yards rushing for Tech’s total of 397. Southern Arkansas put up 417 yards of offense, all through the air, as they were a woeful minus-2 on the ground.

Civita actually threw for 419 yards, completing 36 passes in 64 attempts, all three efforts setting new individual and team single-game Mulerider records. The total passing yards snapped a 16-year old mark of 352 yards by Cory Scarborough (Garland, Texas) against East Central (Okla.) in 1993, and the team mark of 358 yards against Central Arkansas in 1991. Civita’s 36 completions bests J.J. Carrell’s (Pearl River, La.) 29 in the Central Arkansas game and the combined team total of 33 in that contest; and his 64 passes snaps a 23-year old record of 52 by Cody Vanderford (Sulphur Springs, Texas) against Southeastern Oklahoma State in 1986 and beats the combined team total of 53 in the ’91 Central Arkansas game.

Including Civita’s six rushing attempts, he also sets the school record of 70 total plays in a game, breaking the 58 by Vanderford in the ’86 game. Civita fell just shy of setting the mark for total offense in a game, finishing with 389 because of his minus-30 rushing due to being sacked four times.

Tyson and red-shirt freshman Rodney Brown (Crossett) were the main recipients of Civita’s generosity, hauling in 10 catches apiece, both second-best in a single game in SAU history. Tyson’s 202 receiving yards is also the second most by a Mulerider, while Brown’s catches went for 106 yards.

Red-shirt freshman running back Carlos Brown (Pittsburg, Texas) had 10 carries for 24 yards and sophomore running back Isaac Roseborough (Leesville, La.) two for four for Southern Arkansas’ only positive rushing yards in the game.

Junior defensive tackle Cedric Thornton (Star City) once again paced the Mulerider defense, posting a game-high 10 tackles, six unassisted, including 3.5 for minus-10. Senior linebacker Maurice Thornton (Bruce, Miss.) added eight tackles, four solo, with one for a one-yard loss, while sophomore cornerback Don Unamba (Arlington, Texas) finished with six tackles and broke up a game-high four passes.

SAU hopes to build from their performance as they prepare to host Ouachita Baptist next Saturday amidst Homecoming and Hall of Fame activities. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at Wilkins Stadium, with the Homecoming queen and court festivities taking place prior at 2 p.m. The seventh class of the Southern Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame will be introduced at halftime.

Photos by Aaron Morris