MAGNOLIA, Ark. - Oh it was chippy. But what else would you expect in the 98th gridiron gathering between longtime and especially bitter south Arkansas rivals? That's just how it has to be. Behind 622 yards of offense highlighted by a historic afternoon from junior running back Jariq Scales and a defensive effort that forced a seventh opponent under 300 yards of total offense, (RV) Southern Arkansas routed Arkansas-Monticello 60-17 for its 60th win in the 98th Battle of the Timberlands and its first nine-win campaign since 2016. The Muleriders finish the regular season tied for second in the Great American Conference.
 
It all went the way of the Muleriders on Saturday afternoon from inside a camouflage Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field as the University honored the veterans in attendance. SAU ran 88 plays, its second-most this season and sixth time eclipsing 80, to the tune of 7.1 yards per play.
 
Defensively, Southern Arkansas allowed just 107 yards on the ground and 184 through the air with 74 of those yards coming on UAM's two touchdown drives. UAM managed 174 yards on 26 plays on its three drives that resulted in points and just 117 yards on its other 42 plays ran. Twenty plays and 73 yards of its scoring drives total came on one drive as the Weevils ate up over eight minutes of possession across first half quarters before settling for a field goal.
 
The Muleriders (9-2, 9-2 GAC) scored on its opening drive of the game as OB Jones punched in from a yard out for his first of two rushing touchdowns on the day. SAU would be turned away on downs on the tenth play of its next offensive drive, but would then proceed to score on its next eight drives, including six end zone trips and 43-yard field goals from redshirt freshman kicker Hayden Nitz that ended the first half and opened scoring in the third quarter.
 
After SAU went up 14-3, the fourth play of the ensuing UAM drive turned the game upside down as senior Jacob Berry hammered the Weevil's Ben Coligan after a one-yard gain forcing the football loose and into the arms of junior Javian Gathright who sped 31 yards down the opposing sideline to put the Muleriders out front 20-3.
 
Of the eight-consecutive scoring drives, three saw Scales scamper in for scores as he produced a second-straight three-rushing touchdown performance and the fourth of his career. He finished with 189 all-purpose yards on 18 touches which included 16 carries for 176 yards on the ground. That rushing effort pushed the Osceola native over 1,000 yards rushing for the season and made him the first Mulerider in program history to record three-straight 1,000-yard rushing campaigns.
 
Southern Arkansas produced north of 425 yards on the ground for the second time this season. Junior Kadyn Roach notched his second 100-yard rushing performance of the season with 104 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown which helped push SAU leads to three possessions late in the second quarter. Jones nearly joined Scales and Roach with 100 yards on the ground as he finished with 98 and two touchdowns on 17 attempts. True freshman Arkez Gomez carried six times for 36 yards and a touchdown as the Muleriders scored seven times on the ground for the third time this season.
 
Jones completed 13 passes for 144 yards and sophomore Judd Barton was 4-for-6 for 52 yards. The duo connected with nine different targets with junior Matthew Whitten grabbing four passes for 46 yards and juniors Kamden Perry and Cole Williams each catching three. Perry produced 50 yards and Williams averaged ten yards per reception. Williams became the first Mulerider pass catcher since Jared Lancaster (2017-2019) to haul in 30+ catches in three-consecutive seasons. On the first play of SAU's second offensive drive of the game, Jones connected with Williams for four yards to give the Murchison, Texas native his 100th career reception as a Mulerider.
 
Junior Dawson Scott led SAU with eight tackles which included 2.5 for loss and his eighth sack of the season to go along with two quarterback hurries. Graduate Steven Adair followed with six stops and a dozen other Muleriders recorded at least three tackles. Senior Rayvon Ingram intercepted a Weevil pass attempt early in the fourth quarter to give SAU 11 interceptions as a unit this season.
 
Sophomore Tridell Talley Jr. knocked down a pair of passes on the Weevils' second drive and junior Melvin Smith Jr. added two more to his impressive stat ledger as the Muleriders accounted for six break ups on the day. Through 11 games, Smith has accounted for 17 break ups totaling 20 passes defended which matches the single-season record (Randall Samuel, 1990; Don Unamba, 2012).
 
Southern Arkansas awaits a potential bowl bid which would give the Muleriders an opportunity to reach ten wins for only the second time in program history and for the first time since 1952. Stay up-to-date for any Mulerider Football postseason announcement at www.MuleriderAthletics.com.