SOUTHERN ARKANSAS - MCMURRY HEART OF TEXAS BOWL FOOTBALL GAME NOTES


HEART OF TEXAS BOWL
Saturday's game will be the inaugural NCAA Division II Heart of Texas Bowl, pitting Southern Arkansas against McMurry at 7 p.m. in Copperas Cove, Texas, at Copperas Cove High School's Bulldawg Stadium.
 
The Heart of Texas Bowl has existed for a number of years as a junior college game and is adding the Division II game this year, which will be played in conjunction with the 12th annual junior college bowl that features the Navarro Bulldogs and the Georgia Military Bulldogs at 11 a.m.
 
The bowl is sponsored by C.H.A.M.P.S., Communities Helping Americans Mature Progress and Succeed, a school-based program aimed at educating students about the dangers of the abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol, and was founded by Copperas Cove Head Coach and Athletic Director Jack Welch.
 
THE SERIES
Saturday's inaugural NCAA Division II C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl will be only the second meeting between Southern Arkansas and McMurry, coming 56 years after their only previous engagement in 1956.
 
The Muleriders traveled to Abiliene, Texas, for their next to last game of that season, dropping a 20-13 decision to the War Hawks.
 
BOWLING HISTORY
Saturday's Heart of Texas Bowl will be Southern Arkansas' first appearance in a bowl game since the 1990 Aztec Bowl in Mexico City when they defeated the Mexican All-Stars 41-31.  They played then John McNeese (La.) Junior College (McNeese State) to a 0-0 standstill in the 1947 Cajun Bowl in Lake Charles, La., and defeated then Eastern Oklahoma A&M (Eastern Oklahoma State) 41-12 in the 1948 Papoose Bowl in Oklahoma City, Okla.
 
COMMON OPPONENTS
The Muleriders and War Hawks had two common opponents this season in Texas College and Southern Nazarene.  SAU opened the season September 8 with a 56-0 shutout of Texas College in Tyler, Texas, while McMurry blanked them 53-0 November 3 at home in Abilene, Texas.  Southern Arkansas won 47-14 against Southern Nazarene in their homecoming game October 20, and the War Hawks pulled out a 22-19 decision at a neutral site in Grand Prairie, Texas, October 6.
 
SYKORA THE RECORD SMASHER
Southern Arkansas junior quarterback Tyler Sykora shattered the Mulerider record book this year, setting five career school marks, six season records, including five of his own, and tying one of his own single-game records.  
 
Depending on his passing performance Saturday, he's also on pace to set the new season record for completion percentage, which he currently holds (.605) from last year.
 
The southpaw currently owns 15 school records, including five career, seven season, and three single-game records.
 
Sykora currently holds the SAU career marks in passing attempts (769), completions (456), yards (6,052) and touchdowns (54), and yards of total offense (5,956).  He has season passing records in attempts (356), completions (221), yards (3,081), completion percentage (.605) and touchdowns (30), and in total offense - plays (385) and yards (3,065).  His single-game records include passing yards (520) and touchdowns (5), and total yards of offense (482).
 
JOHNSON CHASES 1,000
Mulerider junior running back Mark Johnson is close to another 1,000-yard rushing season, needing 140 yards Saturday to accomplish the feat for a second consecutive season after totaling 1,009 yards in 2011.