By: Jacob Pumphrey
Editor's Note: In honor of the 20th Anniversary of the 1997 Mulerider Football Team capturing the Gulf South Conference Championship, the Southern Arkansas Sports Information Department will, on a weekly basis, recreate the 1997 season through brief game recaps and box scores.
MAGNOLIA, Ark. (Oct. 25, 1997) – The Southern Arkansas Mulerider defense picked off four Valdosta State passes in the second half totaling 115 return yards and broke up eight more pass attempts, while holding the Blazer offense to just 207 total yards on 70 plays as it avenged last season's blowout loss with a 17-7 victory over No. 19 VSU in Gulf South Conference action on Saturday afternoon inside Wilkins Stadium. The win improves SAU to 6-1 on the year as they begin to position themselves atop the GSC standings with a 4-1 mark in league play.
The Muleriders allowed just 57 yards of total offense to Valdosta State in the first half, which included five drives resulting in four punts and a turnover on downs. However, the SAU offense was able to tack on ten points before the intermission behind a key 90-yard scoring drive late in the first half. Before trekking almost the entire length of the field, the Muleriders had generated just 81 total yards of offense and three points in its previous five possessions.
Sophomore kicker Garron Spickard (Bauxite, Ark.) opened scoring at the 8:52 mark of the first quarter with a 42 yard field goal to give the Muleriders an early 3-0 advantage. The successful kick was Spickard's eighth of the season and sixth from 40 or more yards out.
The game's first touchdown would come late in the first half as senior halfback Kendrick Law (Shreveport, La.) stamped the aforementioned impressive 14-play, 90-yard drive that took up 5:50 with a one-yard surge with just 13 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Law's score gave SAU a 10-0 lead at the break and the veteran running back would finish his day with 33 yards on ten carries.
A key player on that end zone finding drive for Southern Arkansas was freshman quarterback Jamie Yates (Van Buren, Ark.) who rushed for 43 yards on six carries. The rookie finished his career day by leading the team in rushing on 16 attempts for 80 yards.
Out of the halftime break and leading 10-0, the Southern Arkansas defensive unit engineered an impressive second half beginning with an interception return that set up the Muleriders' next scoring drive. On a second down and ten from the SAU 24-yard line, the Blazers were hopeful of cutting its deficit to a field goal, before freshman defensive lineman Matt Turner (Ruston, La.) picked off the first of four VSU passes and scooted 70 yards to the Blazers' three-yard line where Southern Arkansas would capitalize three plays later.
The Turner interception kept the Blazers off the scoreboard, and more importantly set the SAU offense up nicely as sophomore quarterback Adam Pendergrass found the goal line from a yard away increasing the Mulerider lead to 17-0 with 5:55 to play in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Muleriders displayed an impressive aerial defense as it intercepted three more VSU passes with sophomore defensive backs Al Dismuke (Dallas, Texas) and Eddie Bratton, Jr. (Pittsburg, Texas) seizing one each with each player returning it 20-plus yards. The final airborne theft ended a Valdosta attempt to pull within three points late, after VSU scored with just under five minutes to play, as junior defensive back Troy Mumphrey (Kilgore, Texas) intercepted a deep Blazer pass to seal the victory for Southern Arkansas.
In all, the Muleriders tallied 164 rushing yards on 58 carries. Redshirt freshman halfback Kevin Little (Shreveport, La.) contributed with 24 yards on 15 carries, while junior fullback Jason Smelser (Monroe, La.) and freshman quarterback Tim Barrington (Lafayette, La.) combined for eight rushes and 30 yards. Through the air, Pendergrass connected with three different receivers on 4-of-8 passing for 48 yards, while Barrington completed one pass for 24 yards.
Sophomore split end Drew Cone (Van Buren, Ark.) was again the leading target as he hauled in three passes for 58 yards, while Law and Little each recorded a catch for seven yards.
Of note, Southern Arkansas recorded four non-offensive returns of 20 or more yards on Saturday afternoon, including three of SAU's four interceptions and a 23-yard kickoff return by Little.
Defensively, senior linebacker Anthony Hullaby (Ringgold, La.) paced the Muleriders with 11 total stops with sophomore defensive end Kendall Hill (Nacogdoches, Texas) and sophomore defensive back Chase Brossett (Irving, Texas) adding seven tackles each. Mumphrey added four of the Muleriders' eight pass break ups, while sophomore linebacker Josh Rankin (Mauriceville, Texas) collected two tackles for loss totaling 19 yards.
Southern Arkansas headed east the following Saturday for a showdown with in-state rival Arkansas-Monticello from inside Willis "Convoy" Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium.
