Braden Stringer amassed 170 all-purpose yards to lead Arkansas Tech University to a 38-21 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Great American Conference action at Milam Stadium in Weatherford, Okla., on Saturday afternoon.
Stringer rushed 12 times for 111 yards and had 59 yards in kick returns to help the Wonder Boys (5-2 overall, 5-2 GAC) snap a two-game losing streak and keep their GAC title hopes alive with four weeks remaining in the regular season.
A trio of first-half touchdown runs gave Arkansas Tech a lead it never relinquished.
Stringer scored on rushes of 48 yards at the 13:36 mark of the first quarter and 11 yards with 10:08 left in the second quarter, while Bryan Allen recorded a 16-yard touchdown run with 3:52 to go before halftime.
Eric Perez made the extra point on all three occasions and the Wonder Boys built a 21-0 advantage.
Karltrell Henderson put SWOSU (2-5, 2-5) on the board by running into the end zone from three yards out with 37 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The extra point failed, leaving the score at 21-6 in favor of ATU at the intermission.
A 9-yard touchdown pass from Ty Reasnor to Jackob Dean, a 4-yard touchdown run by Justin Bailey and a 31-yard field goal by Perez in the second half allowed the Wonder Boys to maintain control to the final buzzer.
Allen moved into eighth place on ATU’s career rushing list on Saturday. His 17 carries for 68 yards gave the junior from Forrest City 2,218 career rushing yards, two more than now ninth-place Benny Shepherd had during his Wonder Boys’ career from 1970-72.
Perez’s field goal was the 31st of his Arkansas Tech career, tying Kelly Davis for third-most in ATU history. Davis made 31 field goals for the Wonder Boys from 1977-80.
Henderson finished with 19 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
The Wonder Boys will host Northwestern Oklahoma State University for a 2 p.m. GAC contest at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field in Russellville on Saturday, Oct. 21.
It will be Homecoming at ATU. Party at the Plaza, the pre-game tailgating celebration outside the stadium on Centennial Plaza, will begin at 11 a.m. Game tickets ($10 adults/$5 students and senior citizens) will be available for purchase at the stadium ticket office during Party at the Plaza. Those with a valid ATU identification card will be admitted to the game free of charge.
