Prior to the beginning of Saturday’s game, the Wonder Boys will honor its 19-member senior class in a pregame ceremony. The seniors this season are: defensive back Terrance Boykin (Wynne, Ark.), defensive back Michael Chapman (Kansas City, Mo.), defensive back Antonio Charles (Sarasota, Fla.), defensive back Tario Dansby (Ashdown, Ark.), defensive end Donquell Davenport (Longview, Texas), running back Scharvundrick Franklin (Dumas, Ark.), defensive end Derandus Frye (New Orleans, La.), defensive tackle Josh Govan (Crossett, Ark.), kicker Drew Hanna (Russellville, Ark.), receiver Jeremy Haynes (Seaside, Calif.), receiver C.J. Hunter (West Helena, Ark.), defensive back RonDerrick Jackson (Bossier City, La.), defensive back Brannon Kidd (Crossett, Ark.), noseguard T.J. Langley (Hugo, Okla.), receiver Whisly Laurent (Brooklyn, NY), linebacker Danny Martin (Tulsa, Okla.), receiver Jarrod Martin (Crossett, Ark.), quarterback Robert Sagerian (San Diego, Calif.) and linebacker Brandon Wright (Stuttgart, Ark.).
Tech enters Saturday’s season finale looking to build some momentum heading into the offseason as the Wonder Boys are sporting a 3-7 overall record after suffering a 42-7 setback last Saturday at Harding in its Gulf South Conference finale. A win over Southwest Baptist will mark the 15th consecutive year that Tech has won at least four games in a season. The last time Tech failed to win at least games in a season came in 1995 when the Wonder Boys finished its first season in Division II with a 3-6-1 mark.
Tech Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Steve Mullins said a win on Saturday will help send everyone off with something positive.
“A win to close out the season would help everyone leave the season with a good feeling and head into the offseason with positive attitude,” Mullins said. “Plus, it would give our seniors a nice send off.”
Meanwhile, Tech’s opponent, Southwest Baptist, who competes as an NCAA D-II Independent in football and is a member of the MIAA in all other sports, enters the weekend with a 7-3 record and needs one more victory to set a new single-season school record for wins. The Bearcats are looking to rebound after having its seven-game winning streak snapped last Saturday in its 40-14 loss at Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) member Southeast Missouri State.
“SBU is playing with a lot of confidence right now and has had a really good season,” the 14th-year Tech coach added.
Tech’s defense will face one of the top offenses in all of NCAA Football at any level on Saturday as the Bearcats are second in Division II and seventh in all of NCAA Football in total offense as they average 534.7 yards per game and SBU is fourth in Division II in scoring at 42.1 points per contest. The Bearcats have gained 500 or more yards of offense in six games this season, including collecting 755 yards of offense in its 69-27 win over Southern Nazarene. The 755 yards of offense is the second-most total offensive yards gained by a team in D-II this year.
The catalyst for SBU’s high-powered offense is senior quarterback Steven Gachette. Gachette, who was a Harlon Hill Trophy regional finalist and the D2Football.com All-Independents Offensive Player of the Year in 2009, is third nationally in total offense (395.3 yards per game) and he is 10th nationally in passing yards (309.5 yards per game) and averages an NCAA D-II Independent best 85.8 rushing yards per contest. On the season, he has accounted for 38 touchdowns, including 15 rushing and 23 passing scores and he is 251-for-376 passing for 3,095 yards and is completing 67 percent of his passes.
“Gachette is worth the price of admission. When you look at the total package, he is the best quarterback we’ve faced this season,” Mullins said. “It is incredible the things he can do with both his arm and feet.
“It has been interesting watching film to see the way other teams have tried to contain him this season.”
The Bearcats compliment the play of Gachette with several big play receivers and a strong running back.
Two of those big play receivers are junior Charles Johnson and senior D.A. Allen, while the running back is junior Thad Everson. Johnson has caught 71 passes for 1,101 yards and has 12 touchdown receptions and is 15th nationally in receiving yards (110.1 yards per game), while Allen has caught 64 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns and is averaging 13.3 yards per catch and 85.1 yards per game and Everson has gained 550 yards rushing on 116 carries and is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and 68.8 yards per game.
“They are going to spread you out and they have some interesting twists in their running game,” said Mullins, who is the second winningest active coach in the GSC with 88 career victories and third winningest coach overall.
Tech enters Saturday’s game with one of the top defenses in the GSC as the Wonder Boys are fourth in the league in total defense as they allow 335.4 yards per game and they are fourth in the GSC and 19th nationally in rushing defense as they allow 97.1 yards per contest. On the season, Tech has held seven of its 10 opponents to less than 70 yards rushing and the Wonder Boys have recorded 24 sacks and 66 tackles for loss. The 24 sacks is tied for the fifth-most in the school’s Division II era (1995-present).
Leading the way for Tech’s defense is Charles, who is averaging 8.6 tackles per game and has recorded 8.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, while Wright has recorded 38 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and a team-best 4.5 sacks and Frye has also had 38 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
While its offense has been strong all season, the Bearcats defense will present some challenges in Saturday’s game. On the season, SBU is allowing 369.5 yards and 28.8 points per game and the Bearcats have collected 33 sacks, which is tied for fifth nationally in this week’s latest NCAA D-II statistics.
“They will get after you on defense and scheme-wise it is going to be the same thing we have seen for almost a month,” Mullins added.
Leading the way for SBU defensively is sophomore linebacker Shaquille Shed, who is averaging 9.9 tackles per game and he has recorded 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, while junior defensive end Casey Smith has had 53 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks and senior nose tackle Ino Vitale has recorded 48 tackles, 11.5 tackles for and five sacks.
Another area of strength for the Bearcats is it punt return team as SBU is second nationally in punt returns as they average 18.1 yards per return. Leading the way is junior Chris Muhammad, who averages 19.7 yards per punt return and has returned two punts for scores.
“We’ll have to once again be solid in our special teams play on Saturday,” Mullins added.
Saturday’s meeting with Southwest Baptist marks just the fourth meeting all-time in the series and the first since Tech collected a 33-0 win during the 1999 season in Alma, Ark. Saturday’s game will be the first in Russellville since the Wonder Boys earned a 34-17 win in 1988 and Tech also earned a 44-12 win in Bolivar, Mo., in 1998.
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