Setting the Scene: Fourth-Annual Battle of the Timberlands
Today's game is the 91st-meeting all-time and 59th-consecutive between the Southern Arkansas Muleriders and the Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils, but perhaps even more important is the fact that today marks the fourth time that the two teams will meet with the Battle of the Timberlands Trophy at stake. Since the heated South Arkansas gridiron rivalry began awarding a trophy at the end of the annual clash in 2012, the Battle of the Timberlands trophy has known only one residence; Magnolia. The Muleriders have won each of the first three games in which the trophy was up for grabs and in doing so, the Muleriders are averaging 46.7 ppg while limiting the Boll Weevils to 25.3 ppg; an average margin of victory of 21.3 ppg for the Muleriders.
 

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About Arkansas-Monticello
SCHEDULE
The Arkansas-Monticello football team enters play this weekend with a 1-9 overall record and a 1-9 mark in the Great American Conference. The Boll Weevils have lost four-straight games after picking up their lone win of the season to this point, a 51-10 victory over Southern Nazarene. In those last four games, UAM is averaging just 9.5 points per game, but two of those losses were by a combined six points.

THE COACH
The Boll Weevils are coached by Hud Jackson, who is in his fifth season at Arkansas-Monticello. In his time on the UAM sidelines, Jackson has amassed a 14-39 record. Twice Jackson has led the Boll Weevils to 5-6 campaigns in 2011 and in 2013. Prior to becoming the head coach at UAM, Jackson was an assistant head coach at the University of Central Arkansas for six years. In the 14 years prior to his time at UCA, Jackson had a successful coaching career in the high school ranks of Louisiana.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Offensively, the Boll Weevils are averaging 20.6 points per game and 376.3 yards of total offense per game as well with 285.4 of the yards coming through the air and the remaining 90.9 yards being gained on the ground. Their points per game average and rushing offense ranks 11th in the GAC while their passing offense ranks fourth in the league. 

Under center for the Boll Weevils is senior QB Hunter Leppert.On the year, Leppert has completed 179-of-347 passes for 2,610 yards and 20 touchdowns. His 261.0 passing yards per game average ranks fifth in the GAC and his 20 passing TDs ranks fifth as well.

On the ground, the Boll Weevils are led by Jeremy Jackson as he had rushed for 416 yards on 78 carries and has found the endzone a team-best three times.

In terms of receiving, the Boll Weevils have had six receivers haul in 20 or more passes. Leading the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns is Cody Bordelon. On the year, Boredelon has caught 41 passes for 643 yards with six touchdowns. Right behind Bordelon in yards and touchdowns is Jalen Tolliver as he has 664 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Trevon Smith also has five receiving TDs.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Defensively, the Boll Weevils are allowing 35.8 points per game and 412.9 yards of total offense per game with 232.3 of the yards coming on the ground and the remaining 180.6 being gained through the air. Their scoring defense ranks 10th in the GAC while their total defense ranks eighth in the league. On the year, the Boll Weevils have forced seven turnovers with four being interceptions and three being fumble recoveries.

THE SERIES
This will be the 91st meeting all-time between the Muleriders and the Boll Weevils in a series that dates back to 1913. Since 1956, these two teams have met annually, making this week's game the 59th-consecutive game. In the all-time series, SAU holds a 54-35-1 lead and since 1970, the Muleriders have doubled-up UAM going
30-15. Additionally, half of those wins for SAU have come since the 1997 season as the Muleriders are 15-3 over the Boll Weevils in that time.
 

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SAU News and Notes
"It's Our Time"
With the departure of several household names within the Great American Conference ranks including the starting quarterbacks at Harding, Henderson State, and Ouachita, it appears that landscape that has been the top of the GAC over the last three-to-four years may be in for a shakeup in 2015. While the Muleriders are among those that will feature a new starting quarterback, head coach Bill Keopple feels that his 2015 team may be the most talented team in his tenure and feels that this year is when the Muleriders make their move to assert themselves as the class of the GAC; rallying his team on a single mantra since spring ball; "It's Our Time."

.500 or Better Four Years Running
After an 8-3 record in 2012 secured the first winning season at SAU since 2005, the Muleriders have continued their winning ways and have now strung together four-straight non-losing seasons as they enter play with six wins among their 11-game slate this year. Since the beginning of 2012, SAU has won 25 games and sports a winning percentage of 61%.

Fountain of Youth
After losing over 25 seniors a year ago, the Muleriders appear to have found the ever-elusive fountain of youth heading into the 2015 season as an overwhelming majority of the roster will be underclassmen. This season, the Muleriders will field only 20 upperclassmen with 12 of those being seniors. While the Muleriders will be young in terms of experience, they figure to be a talented bunch all the same. Listed among the preseason two-deep, the Muleriders have 28 underclassmen that are projected to either be a starter or backup in 2015.

Relying on Renner
Coming into the 2015 season, the Muleriders knew they were going to have to replace a record-setting and All-GAC quarterback for the second time in as many years and they also knew the new signal-caller was going to be a redshirt freshman as SAU had only two redshirt freshmen QBs returning the roster. What maybe they didn't know was the kind of production they were going to get from the position, especially early in the season. After 10 games and 10 starts from Barrett Renner, the Muleriders appear that will not have any drop off at the QB position. So far this season, Renner has completed 234-of-376 passes for 3,052 yards and 29 TDs. Renner currently leads the GAC and ranks 9th in DII in total offense (339.6) while ranking second in the GAC and 10th in DII in passing yards/GM (305.0).

Passing Defense to Be Tested Down the Stretch 
The Southern Arkansas pass defense has been an area of strength for the Muleriders through nine games of their 2015 season as the currently rank third in the GAC in pass defense, allowing just 186.7 yards per game. In fact, three times this season, SAU has limited opponents to under 100 yards passing. The Muleriders would allow their first team to throw over 300 yards this season as East Central totaled 396 yards through the air in last week's game. After facing pass-heavy teams down the stretch, the Muleriders' pass defense will be tested once more in the regular season finale as UAM ranks fourth in the GAC in passing at 285.4 yards per game.

Boo - A Reason To Be Scared
After limited carries over the first four games of his collegiate career, true freshman running back William "Boo" McKnight had a breakout performance against Southern Nazarene as he totaled 95 yards on just five carries with three of those runs concluding in the endzone. McKnight carried that performance over against Oklahoma Baptist as he scored two more rushing TDs, giving him five in those two weeks, which now leads the team in that category.

Red Zone Threat
Sophomore Tanner Hudson has played several positions since coming to SAU. After coming in as a quarterback in the spring of 2014, Hudson was moved to wide receiver for the 2014 season and had eight catches for 68 yards including two TDs. This year, Hudson has moved to tight end and has become a big red zone target as five of his seven TDs have come inside the 20-yardline.

Destruptive Davondrick
Redshirt freshman Davondrick Lison is playing some sensational football for the Muleriders along their defensive front. The lanky yet quick 6-3 native of Arkansas City, Ark. is fourth on the team in tackles with 57 and is first in tackles for loss (15.5) and sacks (8.5). In the GAC ranks, Lison leads the league in sacks and forced fumbles with seven and is second in TFLs.

Reservations for Six
Through seven games this season, Southern Arkansas has scored 38 touchdowns with 16 different players accounting for those scores. QB Barrett Renner has been responsible for the most touchdowns (30) with his 29 passing TDs and one rushing score. Running back William McKnight has the most rushing TDs with six, while tight end Tanner Hudson has the most receiving TDs with seven.