RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – What a day for Mulerider Football! Head Coach
Brad Smiley's group concludes its season, but not without some fireworks to cap off the special campaign. Those fireworks came out of Russellville, Arkansas, at noon on Thursday (Nov. 21) as the Great American Conference published the 2024 All-GAC Football Yearly Awards. The Blue and Gold left its mark on the listing as the Muleriders accounted for 20 GAC Honor Roll members, 17 honorees for the all-conference teams, two GAC Elite Scholar Student-Athletes, and one Offensive Player of the Year.
It has been seven years (six seasons) since a player wearing the Mulerider Blue and Gold has been named to the league's Player of the Year list… it has been nine years (eight seasons) since a quarterback has made that list… but there has never been an Offensive Player of the Year named out of Southern Arkansas for the Great American Conference's end of the awards, until now. The junior quarterback out of Alexandria, Louisiana,
Judd Barton, has been announced as the league's Offensive Player of the Year and is the first Mulerider ever to claim the award since the program's joining with the GAC back in 2011. The Bayou State native earned the honor after being named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week on five occasions (11/11, 11.5, 10/21, 10/14. 9/9) along with the field general's conference-leading points responsible for (180 | 12
th nationally | 16.4/gm | 15
th nationally). Barton is second in the league for his passing efficiency (152.2 | 30
th nationally), passing touchdowns (16), passing yards (2,350 | 25
th nationally), and passing yards per game (213.6 | 34
th nationally). Of course, the quarterback has been a phenom with his arm as he has thrown for 16 touchdowns with just three interceptions all season, which he has not thrown since September 21 against the conference title-winning Ouachita Baptist Tigers, but Barton was also known for his legs carrying him on his way toward the endzone on 13 occasions and for 589 net rushing yards. While it may have just been one play, the OPOTY also received a touchdown pass from his tight end,
Matthew Whitten, on a five-yard handoff and turn-around toss for six.
Mulerider Offense
An absolute force to be reckoned with… the SAU offense ranked second in the GAC and fifth in Division II for its scoring, averaging 43.2 points per game. SAU's total offense was nothing short of impressive either, as the squad averaged 472.5 yards per outing and ranked second in the league and seventh nationally.
The Blue and Gold offense was the GAC's leader in passing yards (2,731), completion percentage (66.5%), and the fewest turnovers lost with six (2
nd nationally, two more than No. 1 Valdosta State).
On the ground, the Muleriders were second in the league with 2,466 rushing yards (11
th nationally) and only behind the run-heavy Bisons from Searcy, Arkansas. The Muleriders' 39 rushing touchdowns rank third nationally.
The offense accounted for a large part of the conference's first team, with the GAC Offensive Player of the Year heading up the list. In total the Mulerider Offense sees eight of its members claiming an award for the conference's end-of-the-year honors.
Judd Barton | Junior | Alexandria, La.
All-GAC First Team (QB)
Jariq Scales | Senior | Osceola, Ark.
All-GAC First Team (RB)
Kadyn Roach | Senior | Magnolia, Ark.
All-GAC First Team (UTL)
Thomas Bowman | Senior | Belton, Texas
All-GAC First Team (C)
Colton Grier | Senior | League City, Texas
All-GAC First Team (OL)
Rasheen Green | Grad. | Katy, Texas
All-GAC Second Team (WR)
Matthew Whitten | Senior | Princeton, La.
All-GAC Second Team (TE)
Connor Hagerty | Sophomore | Marshall, Texas
All-GAC Second Team (OL)
Mulerider Defense
As the season progressed, this defense out of Southern Arkansas kept on rising as one of the GAC's top defenses. The group was ranked third in the league for both scoring (19.3) and yards allowed per contest (282.9).
Opposing offenses had to plan for more than just a quick secondary and dominant front seven as the defense ranked in the top three of the GAC for defensive touchdowns (5 | 1
st GAC | 4
th nationally), fumbles recovered (10 | 2
nd GAC | 8
th nationally), passes intercepted (13 | 3
rd GAC | 26
th nationally), defensive passing efficiency (91.32 | 2
nd GAC | 6
th nationally), team sacks (31 | 1
st GAC | 15
th nationally), team tackles for loss (85 | 3
rd GAC | 13
th nationally), turnovers gained (23 | 2
nd GAC | 12
th), and was a huge part in the team's GAC-leading turnover margin of 1.55 (4
th nationally).
Seven members of the Mulerider defense acquired a spot among one of the GAC's three all-conference teams. One of which was league-leader
Dawson Scott, who led the GAC in total sacks with 10.5 and tied for fourth nationally. In his final contest for Southern Arkansas, Scott became the Mulerider Football program's all-time leader for sacks with 26.0.
Dawson Scott | Senior | Mexia, Texas
All-GAC First Team (DE)
Melvin Smith Jr. | Senior | Bossier City, La.
All-GAC First Team (CB)
Elvin Calhoun | Senior | Palestine, Texas
All-GAC Second Team (DT)
Hunter Hewitt | Junior | Austin, Texas
All-GAC Second Team (OLB)
Gavin Roe | Senior | Haughton, La.
All-GAC Third Team (ILB)
Zay Woods | Junior | Carthage, Texas
All-GAC Third Team (CB)
Donovan Adkins | Junior | Kilgore, Texas
All-GAC Third Team (S)
Mulerider Special Teams
In the game of football, all sides of the ball need to be on their game if a team is to be successful. Southern Arkansas did just that as the Mulerider Special Teams saw a pair of players make the All-GAC Second Team with
Jariq Scales and
Tridell Talley Jr.
Talley Jr. was the GAC's leader for forced fumbles as the junior out of Arlington, Texas, punched out five this season and ranked tied for second in DII with the stat.
Jariq Scales got to be a return man for the first time in his career, and he was just as thrilling returning punts as taking handoffs. The senior ranked second in the league for his punt return yardage (287), which was also seventh in the nation.
GAC Elite Scholar Student-Athletes
Major: Criminal Justice | Minor: Psychology | 4.00 GPA
Major: Business Administration | 4.00 GPA
GAC Honor Roll
