MONTICELLO -- There was no last-minute heartbreak for Arkansas-Monticello this time.
Record-setting sophomore place-kicker Jamie McGee kicked two field goals and senior cornerback Mike Early had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, in UAM's 33-14 Great American Conference victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State University before an announced crowd of 2,877 on Saturday night at Willis "Convoy" Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium.
The Boll Weevils (1-3, 1-3 GAC) broke a six-game losing streak dating to last November -- all in conference play -- and had lost their first three games this fall by a combined 13 points. All three games were decided in the final minute.
"Obviously, it's a great feeling," UAM Coach Hud Jackson said. "Sunday night for our team meeting, it's going to be a lot easier to step in front of those guys and talk. Three weeks, it's been hard to get up at luncheons and talk. It's hard to go to radio shows and talk."
Leading 26-14 against SWOS (2-2, 2-2), UAM put the game out of reach when senior wide receiver Ivory Washington scored on a 1-yard sweep with 3:54 remaining to play.
The clinching touchdown came two plays after UAM's Byron Miller, a sophomore from Little Rock Central, covered a live ball at the Cowboys' 3 when it touched a SWOS player blocking on a punt return.
McGee kicked field goals of 26 and 51 yards in the first half to help UAM to a 19-7 halftime lead. The 51-yarder equaled the third-longest in school history.
McGee kicked a GAC- and school-record 17 field goals last fall.
Early also returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter. His second interception came deep in the end zone to kill a scoring threat with 9:35 remaining in the third quarter.
UAM's Rod Smith, a senior tailback from Dumas, ran for two touchdowns out of the Wildcat formation (4 and 48 yards). Smith's 48-yard touchdown run with 12:45 remaining in the third quarter stretched UAM's 19-7 halftime lead to 26-7.
Smith finished with 131 yards rushing on 21 carries. Junior quarterback Hunter Leppert completed 19 of 33 passes for 194 yards.
The Boll Weevils finished with a 347-325 advantage in total yardage. More important, they won the turnover battle 5-0 after intercepting three passes and recovering two fumbles.
"We set a goal each week to get three turnovers," Jackson said. "That's a pretty high goal you're asking from your defense. I'm extremely happy for our defense. They did a great job tonight."
UAM led 19-7 at halftime behind strong defensive play and the right leg of McGee.
SWOS scored on its first possession, covering 88 yards in 10 plays. The drive was highlighted by a 47-yard completion to the UAM 15 from junior quarterback Tim Morovick to senior wide receiver X'zavious Harrison.
Three plays later, senior tailback Karl Hodge swept left end for a 7-yard touchdown with 8:54 remaining in the first quarter.
UAM was stopped on its second possession at its 27, but a roughing-the-punter penalty kept the drive alive.
The Boll Weevils capitalized on the special-teams mistake when, seven plays later, Smith scored on a 4-yard run.
McGee's extra-point attempt was blocked, preserving SWSO's 7-6 lead with 3:50 remaining in the first quarter.
UAM took the lead for good, 9-7, when McGee kicked a 26-yard field goal with 12:44 remaining in the first half.
The Boll Weevils stretched the lead to 16-7 when Early returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown with 4:55 remaining in the first half.
McGee then kicked a 51-yard field goal with seven seconds left in the first half to give UAM a 19-7 halftime cushion.
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 62, NW OKLAHOMA STATE 21
MAGNOLIA — Si Blackshire passed for 377 yards and six touchdowns and Southern Arkansas gained 675 yards of total offense in a Great American Conference victory on Saturday at Wilkins Stadium.
Zikerious Ware, Sidney Moore and Paul Walker-Hall each caught two touchdown passes from Blackshire, who completed 21 of 27 passes and also rushed for 46 yards for the Muleriders (2-2, 2-2 GAC).
Ware caught 7 passes for 170 yards, while both catches by Moore and Walker-Hall went for touchdowns. Three of Blackshire’s touchdown passes came in the first quarter as Southern Arkansas jumped to a 28-13 lead, and five came in the first half as it took a 42-21 lead into halftime.
The Muleriders didn’t allow a point in the second half, while holding the Rangers (1-3, 1-3) to 239 yards of offense.
HENDERSON STATE 44, EAST CENTRAL (OKLA.) 27
Kevin Rodgers passed for 309 yards and 2 touchdowns, three players rushed for scores and Henderson State won its 27th consecutive regular-season game with a 44-27 victory in Ada, Okla.
Rodgers completed 30 of 45 passes with 1 interception, and threw both touchdowns to Darius Davis, who caught 4 passes for 83 yards. Joseph Snapp caught 10 passes for 119 yards for the Reddies, who are ranked No. 7 in NCAA Division II.
Jaquan Cole, Rodney Bryson and Ryan McDonald each ran for touchdowns for Henderson State (4-0, 3-0), which gained 465 yards of total offense.
A 2-yard run from East Central quarterback Spencer Bond tied the game at 10-10 in the second quarter, but Rodgers connected with Davis for 15 yards to make it 17-10 for the Reddies who led the rest of the game. McDonald followed with a 1-yard touchdown to make it 24-10.
Bond completed 19 of 43 passes for 192 yards with 1 touchdown and rushed for 67 yards and a score for East Central (2-2, 2-2).
HARDING 58, SOUTHERN NAZARENE 0
Alapeti Magalei and Zach Shelley each rushed for two touchdowns and Harding held Southern Nazarene to 42 yards of offense in its blowout victory in Bethany, Okla.
Romo Westbrook led NCAA Division II No. 16 Harding with 81 yards on the ground, but did not score. Magalei had 78 yards rushing, while Ahmad Scott, Eric Simmons, Eric Kelly and Matthew Tenison all scored for the Bisons (3-0, 3-0), who had 462 yards rushing and eight touchdowns as a team.
Harding took a 2-0 lead on the first drive when Lorenzo Alexander was tackled for a safety by Jonathan Coleman. Scott rushed for a 55-yard touchdown, Shelley rushed for a 19-yard score and Magalei’s 3-yard run made it 23-0 at halftime.
Harding held Southern Nazarene (0-4, 0-4) to 4 yards rushing. The Crimson Storm were held to two first downs and ran 35 offensive plays — Harding ran 80 — in losing their 15th consecutive game.
OUACHITA BAPTIST 35, SE OKLAHOMA STATE 29
Brandon Marks’ 14-yard touchdown with 11 seconds left gave Ouachita Baptist a lead and Zack Mitchell’s interception on the game’s final play to cap its come-from-behind victory in Durant, Okla.
Ronnie Green’s 9-yard run with 58 seconds left gave Southeastern Oklahoma State a 29-28 lead, but a penalty on the kickoff gave the Tigers (3-0, 3-0) the ball on the 50. Kiehl Frazier led a nine-play drive capped by Marks’ touchdown run. Marks ran three times for 22 yards and caught a 14-yard pass on the drive.
Frazier completed 23 of 30 passes for 302 yards and threw touchdown passes to Drew White, Ke’Vontae Pope and Jalen Jones. White caught eight passes for 121 yards.
OBU’s Steven Kehner rushed 20 times for 125 yards and 1 touchdown, while Marks rushed for 83 yards and the final score.
Ryan Polite completed 20 of 35 passes for 330 yards and 2 touchdowns with 1 interception for Southeastern Oklahoma State (1-3, 1-3). He also added 77 yards rushing.
Ouachita Baptist led 21-16 at halftime, but Polite’s 20-yard pass to Tyler Sweatt gave the Savage Storm a 23-21 lead. Frazier’s touchdown pass to Jones of 14 yards made it 28-23 heading into the fourth quarter.
MCNEESE STATE 61, ARKANSAS TECH 7
Arkansas Tech was held to 93 total yards and allowed McNeese State to rush for five touchdowns in a loss at Lake Charles, La.
Playing up a division against NCAA Football Championship Subdivision No. 4 McNeese State, Division II Arkansas Tech fell behind when Daniel Bush threw an 11-yard pass to David Bush 10 minutes into the game and never threatened.
Derrick Milton added a 13-yard run to make it 14-0 after the first quarter and McNeese State (2-2) scored 24 points in the second quarter to make it 38-0 at halftime.
Arkansas Tech’s only touchdown came on its first possession of the third quarter when Curt Ceralde threw a 20-yard pass to Devin Patterson to make it 38-7.
Ceralde and Dennis Robertson were a combined 7 of 23 passing for 70 yards for the Wonder Boys (2-2).
SOUTHERN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
HENDRIX 48, BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN 31
Seth Peters passed for 451 yards and Dayton Winn rushed for four touchdowns, three coming in the first half, to help Hendrix to a victory Saturday afternoon at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium in Conway.
Winn, who had 115 yards, rushed for touchdowns of 20, 55 and 8 yards to put Hendrix (3-0) up 24-17 at halftime, and added a 3-yard scoring run early in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors pulled away in the third quarter when Peters rushed for a 6-yard score and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Nate Hodapp to make it 38-17.
Peters was 36 of 44 passing with 1 touchdown as Hendrix gained 592 yards of offense.
Joe Moultrie rushed for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns for Birmingham-Southern (0-4).
Sports on 09/28/2014