Scharvundrick Franklin carried 16 times for 114 yards and a touchdown to lead Arkansas Tech to a 35-19 win over Southern Arkansas on Homecoming at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field in Russellville on Saturday night.
Franklin had just one carry for one yard at halftime, but he came alive in the second half. None of his 16 runs were bigger than a 25-yard burst up the middle for a touchdown to give the Wonder Boys a 28-19 cushion with 4:43 left in the fourth quarter.
That touchdown run stemmed the tide of a SAU comeback bid that included a 37-yard field goal by Noe Cuevas and a 39-yard fumble recovery return for a touchdown by Chad Atchley. Atchley’s score and the ensuing extra point by Cuevas cut Tech’s lead to 21-19 with 7:31 to go.
Franklin’s 25-yard touchdown run put momentum back in the Wonder Boys’ corner, and Rico Keller’s 6-yard touchdown run with 2:45 left put the game away.
The win gave Arkansas Tech’s senior class an unblemished 4-0 career record on Homecoming. The Wonder Boys have won every Homecoming game since the renovation of Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field before the 2007 season.
Tech (3-4 overall, 2-3 Gulf South Conference) finished with a 306-168 edge in total offense yardage. The Wonder Boys held SAU (0-7, 0-5) to just 24 rushing yards.
Arkansas Tech will visit West Alabama for a 6 p.m. GSC contest in Livingston, Ala., on Saturday, Oct. 23.
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