There are many firsts associated with the 2015 C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl, which will pit Arkansas Tech University against Eastern New Mexico University at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, at Bulldawg Stadium in Copperas Cove, Texas.
It will be the first meeting between the two programs and Arkansas Tech’s first bowl game appearance since 1968. With a win, the Wonder Boys would earn their first postseason victory away from home since 1957.
But of all those firsts, it is a last — as in the final game for 14 Arkansas Tech seniors — that is foremost in the mind of head coach Raymond Monica.
“Anytime it’s the last football game, it’s the last time you’ll be with those seniors,” said Monica. “They’ve played a lot of football games and made a lot of sacrifices for Arkansas Tech University, the football program, the coaching staff and each other. When it’s all over, it’s over for those guys. It’s always a strange feeling when you leave that field after the last game and you know those guys won’t be with you anymore. But then, once you leave the field, you look forward to the future and how we’re going to continue to build. I appreciate everything the seniors have done. They’ll always be a Wonder Boy.”
Arkansas Tech (8-3) clinched its berth in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl by defeating Harding University 28-24 in the regular season finale on Nov. 14.
Like Harding, Eastern New Mexico (6-5) runs an option offense. The Greyhounds rank No. 3 in NCAA Division II in rushing at 354.2 yards per game.
“It’s similar in so much as they run the option, but (Eastern New Mexico) is different from Harding,” said Monica. “Their splits are a little wider, which makes it more difficult for guys to come down and defend the dive and the quarterback. They give you a lot more multiple looks than what Harding has given you, so (Eastern New Mexico) makes you work hard in terms of preparing for different personnel groups and formations. They’ve got a lot of good athletes out there.”
The Wonder Boys have achieved similar success on the offensive side of the ball in 2015, albeit in a very different way. Utilizing a new hurry-up, no-huddle spread offense modeled after the one made famous by Auburn University head coach Gus Malzahn, Arkansas Tech has rolled up 2,967 rushing yards and 4,885 yards of total offense this season. Both of those totals are third-most in a single season in Tech history.
Arkansas Tech has also excelled on the defensive side of the ball. The Wonder Boys rank among the top two teams in the Great American Conference and the top 25 teams in NCAA Division II in both total defense (318.4 yards allowed per game) and scoring defense (19.8 points allowed per game).
Eastern New Mexico ranks 149th among 172 NCAA Division II teams in total defense. The Greyhounds have allowed their opponents to gain 455.9 yards per game.
“They’ve given up some big plays that have probably hurt their total yardage on defense,” said Monica. “But the thing about it…you’ve been off for three weeks now. How many guys have been hurt during the season? How many guys were hurt at the end of the season? Just like us, we should be very healthy and ready to go at the start of the game. It’s going to be the same thing with them.
“The thing that makes this game a little special is that you haven’t played them before,” continued Monica. “You watch film and everything else, but until you get on that field you don’t really know what each team has.”
Radio station KCJC 102.3 FM and www.arkansastechsports.com will have live coverage of the 2015 C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl. Fans may watch the game live by downloading the Fox Sports Go app.
