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Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Official Athletics Site of the Southern Arkansas University Muleriders
Murphy USA Celebration with trophy (10-27-18)
Brenna Johnson
14
Henderson State HSU 5-4 , 5-4
34
Winner Southern Arkansas SAU 8-1 , 8-1
Henderson State HSU
5-4 , 5-4
14
Final
34
Southern Arkansas SAU
8-1 , 8-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
HSU Henderson State 0 0 7 7 14
SAU Southern Arkansas 6 28 0 0 34

Game Recap: Football | | By: Jacob Pumphrey

Dominant first half sends #21 Southern Arkansas past Henderson State in 10th Annual Murphy USA Classic

EL DORADO, Ark. – Behind a pair of first quarter field goals from freshman Austin Wilkerson and 28 second quarter points, #21 Southern Arkansas put away Henderson State before the intermission on Saturday afternoon from El Dorado's Memorial Stadium as the Muleriders claimed the trophy for the 10th Annual Murphy USA Classic after the decisive 34-14 defeat of the Reddies and in the process moved to 8-1 on the season.
 
RECORDS
#21/21 Southern Arkansas Muleriders (8-1, 8-1 GAC)
Henderson State Reddies (5-4, 5-4 GAC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – First Half
  • Wilkerson punched threw a pair of field goals, including the game's first points on a career-long 36-yarder that capped a 10-play, 56-yard drive in 4:47.
  • On the Muleriders' next drive Wilkerson added three points on a 21-yarder to give SAU a 6-0 lead with 6:35 remaining in the first quarter.
  • On the Reddies' ensuing drive, senior cornerback Lorenzo Watkins picked off the first of his two interceptions of HSU quarterback Richard Stametti.
  • Southern Arkansas would take advantage as a nine-play drive that took 5:23 and covered 67 yards resulted in the game's first touchdown as senior Lorenzo Alexander carried in from three-yards out 54 seconds into the second quarter action.
  • The Muleriders would not think about pumping the brakes as the second play of the following HSU drive saw senior Anthony Washington force a fumble that freshman Brock Floyd recovered at the HSU34.
  • Five plays later, redshirt junior SirCharles Perkins scored untouched from six yards out to give SAU a 20-0 lead.
  • The Mulerider defense would force another punt by HSU and the SAU offense would cash in once more as Southern Arkansas engineered a 12-play, 88-yard drive that took 6:13 off of the clock and increased the lead to 27-0 with 2:29 left to play in the first half.
  • The final score of the dominant first half performance came in the half's final 40 seconds. Read below.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – Second Half
 
  • Henderson State scored the lone two touchdowns of the second half with a 100-yard interception return by Malik Brown that he took out from four yards deep in the endzone.
  • The second Reddie touchdown and the game's final points came on an eight-yard pass from Kody Whitaker to John Murray that ended a ten-play, 98-yard drive.

TURNING POINT(s)
  • The turning point of Saturday afternoon's contest came in the waning seconds of the first half. In control with a 27-0 lead and following a three-and-out by Henderson State with 1:12 to play in the second quarter, Southern Arkansas methodically marched down the field in three plays totaling 61 yards in just 34 seconds to tack on seven more points and take a 34-0 lead into the intermission.
  • That drive started at the SAU39 and the first play saw Renner connect with junior Keiandre Purifoy for 11 yards and a momentary clock stoppage to reset the chains.
  • Renner then found junior Desmond Jones for a dozen yards and a second-straight new set of downs, which led to a 38-yard scoring strike from Renner to Higgins on the next play.
 
OF NOTE
  • It was Wilkerson's second two-field goal game of the season. The freshman made two field goals against Northwestern Oklahoma State.
  • Redshirt senior wide receiver Karonce Higgins tied the career program record for receptions with six catches on Saturday and now has 179 for his career: tied for the most with Jonathan Weisheit (2014-17). He finished Saturday with six receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown.
  • Higgins is also 66 yards shy of tying Nik Lewis' all-time program record for receiving yards with 2,852.
  • Redshirt DaVondrick Lison collected two sacks including a forced fumble and now is one sack away from tying David Sanders' all-time program record of 25.0.
  • Renner finished four yards shy of 300 passing, but became just the second quarterback in the collegiate history of the state of Arkansas to eclipse 12,000 yards passing in a career. He now has 12,215 career passing yards.
  • Alexander was the leading rusher for SAU as he totaled 83 yards on 14 carries and added two scores.
  • Redshirt juniors Jared Lancaster and Jaidon Parrish played big roles in the passing game as the former hauled in seven passes for 90 yards, while the latter made four catches for 48 yards.
  • Watkins finished with two interceptions and four tackles, while Lison added 3.0 tackles for loss including the pair of sacks and chipped in with a PBU and five total tackles.
  • Redshirt junior La'Montrick Turner also collected five tackles and redshirt senior Kaseem Smith recorded a pair of pass break ups.
 
UP NEXT
Arguably the biggest game in program history awaits Southern Arkansas next Saturday, November 3, as the Muleriders trek to Clark County for a Top 25 clash with #4 Ouachita from Cliff Harris Stadium in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The Tigers are ranked No. 2 in the first Super Region 3 rankings and SAU sits at No. 6. Kickoff for the Great American Conference affair is set for 1 p.m.


 
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