Season highs in points, total offense and rushing offense helped propel Arkansas Tech University to a 66-10 Homecoming victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State University at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field in Russellville on Saturday.
ATU’s win, combined with Southern Arkansas University’s 49-19 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Magnolia on Saturday, forged a four-way tie atop the Great American Conference standings.
Tech, SAU, Southeastern Oklahoma State and Ouachita Baptist University are all 6-2 overall and 6-2 in the GAC with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
The Wonder Boys rolled up 563 yards of total offense and 297 rushing yards while accumulating their highest single-game points total since Nov. 18, 1961, when they defeated the University of the Ozarks 67-7.
Tevin McKenzie scored three of Tech’s touchdowns. He caught scoring strikes of 53 and 29 yards from Ty Reasnor and had a 6-yard touchdown run to help the Wonder Boys build a 21-3 lead at the 8:29 mark of the second quarter.
Harrison Lester returned a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown and Reasnor ran into the end zone from 10 yards out to send Tech to halftime with a 35-10 advantage.
Touchdown runs of nine yards by Trey Smith, 13 yards by Bryan Allen and two yards by Tanner Gaines along with a 29-yard Eric Perez field goal increased the margin to 59-10 early in the fourth quarter.
Braden Stringer closed out the scoring at the 9:16 mark of the fourth quarter with a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown, his second punt return for a score this season.
Reasnor completed 16-of-26 passes for 257 yards and rushed nine times for 70 yards. McKenzie caught five passes for 156 yards. Allen rushed 15 times for 93 yards. KJ Reid led Tech’s defense with 10 tackles.
Arkansas Tech defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State (3-5, 3-5) for a seventh consecutive meeting, including a 6-0 record against the Rangers during the GAC era.
The Wonder Boys will visit East Central University for a 4 p.m. GAC contest at Norris Field in Ada, Okla., on Saturday, Oct. 28. Radio station KCJC 102.3 FM and www.arkansastechsports.com will have live play-by-play coverage.
