MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas football team got back in the win column on Saturday night thanks to a thrilling 28-21 win over Arkansas Tech inside the friendly confines of Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field.

RECORDS

Southern Arkansas (3-1, 3-1 GAC) | Arkansas Tech (2-2, 2-2 GAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

·         Southern Arkansas and Arkansas Tech traded scores the entire game, but with the score tied at 21-all midway through the fourth quarter, SAU punched in the final score of the game on a 1-yard rush by backup redshirt freshman QB Will Haines.

·         That final scoring drive was SAU's longest of the game as it encapsulated 12 plays and 75 yards while chewing up 5:37 of game clock.

·         Following the SAU TD, Mulerider fans were not able to enjoy it long as the final 7:24 of the game featured several up and down moments

·         On the ensuing kickoff, Tech began their drive with great field position at their own 45-yardline following a 17-yard return. The next play was a big 30-yard pass completion with a great catch on the receiving end that put the Wonder Boys to SAU's 25-yardline.

·         Two plays later, Tech, who had only thrown for 30 yards total up to that drive, connected for another big pass play; this one for 19 yards, bringing the ball to the SAU 5-yardline.

·         On the next play, Tech QB Jabyes Cross escaped multiple Mulerider defenders, nearly scored, and eventually made his way to the SAU 1-yardline, but a holding call on a Wonder Boy wideout at the SAU 2-yardline put Tech back to the SAU 12.

·         Half of that yardage was gained on the next pass play, but a loss on a rush attempt and an incomplete pass made it fourth and goal from the SAU 7.

·         With the Mulerider faithful pounding their feet and shaking the Wilkins Stadium bleachers to its foundation, the SAU defense rose to the occasion and stopped Cross for a loss of six yards to force a turnover on downs with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter

·         While the emotions were high and positive following the big defensive stand, again the feeling did not last long as SAU fumbled the ball on an option rush and Tech recovered it at the SAU 7-yardline

·         After just making one huge stand, the Mulerider defense was back out on the field needing to make one more

·         On the first play, Anthony Washington stopped Cross behind the line of scrimmage for a one-yard loss and an incomplete pass followed to make it third and goal from the SAU 8.

·         The very next play, the SAU defense got the one more big stop as redshirt freshman Stacy Lawrence picked off Cross in the endzone to thwart a potential game-tying score by Tech

·         Following the INT, Tech had one timeout remaining and there was just over two minutes left on the clock, so SAU needed to gain one more first down to seal the game

·         A conservative two-yard rush by Michael Nunnery forced Tech's final timeout and on the next play, QB Barrett Renner scrambled for 15 yards to give SAU the first down they needed to put the game on ice  

TURNING POINT

·         SAU's Travis Williams making the fourth down (and goal to go) stop that turned the Wonder Boys over and preserved the 28-21 lead for the Muleriders. It was the first of two key defensive stands by the Muleriders over the final three minutes of the game

OF NOTE

·         Since head coach Bill Keopple came to SAU in 2009, the Muleriders and Wonder Boys have met eight times. In all eight of those games, the home team has won the game

·         The SAU offense, which has led the GAC in total offense each of the last two years, started to find its groove once more after struggling the first three weeks. Over those first three games, SAU averaged just 350 yards of total offense with their best single-game effort being 333 yards against Southwestern Oklahoma to open the year. Against Tech, SAU totaled 445 yards of offense including 399 yards through the air

·         QB Barrett Renner tied a single-game career high in pass attempts (48) and set a single-game career high in pass completions (37).

·         This is the second game this year that a SAU interception late in the fourth quarter has preserved a one-possession win for the Muleriders. The first was against Southwestern Oklahoma, and it was true freshman Lorenzo Watkins that had the pick.

UP NEXT

The Muleriders will remain at home next week and it will be Homecoming/Hall of Fame at SAU. The Muleriders are set to take on Southern Nazarene in the game with a kick-off scheduled for 2:30 p.m.