Arkansas Tech scored two touchdowns in the final 14 minutes to erase a 10-point Southeastern lead and then held off the Savage Storm late for a 14-10 Great American Conference victory last week.
The Savage Storm dipped to 2-3 on the season with the road loss while the Wonder Boys improved to 4-1 for the year.
Southeastern dominated statistics for the most of the game but special teams miscues and a pivotal turnover on the opening play of the final period turned the tide dramatically. The hosts managed only 142 total yards against a stingy Savage Storm defense through three quarters before punching in a pair of scores in the final period.
Coach Bo Atterberry’s squad finished with a substantial 361-239 advantage in total yardage and held the ball for 10 minutes more than Arkansas Tech but had difficulty finding the end zone.
They missed a field goal on their second offensive possession before a methodical 12-play, 90-yard march resulted in the game’s first points just four seconds ahead of the halftime break. Colton Howard capped the march with a 15-yard strike to Kobe Jennings for the touchdown.
Donovan Shannon delivered a 49-yard run that kick started the Savage Storm attack and D’Teaurean Johnson added a key two-yard blast that converted a fourth down just before the score.
The Savage Storm went on another lengthy march to begin the second half before stalling at the Wonder Boy 12 yard line and having to settle for a Dylan Cox 29-yard field goal that extended the lead to 10-0 with 6:58 left in the third stanza.
Disaster struck on the opening play of the fourth when a Levay Duncan pass was intercepted and returned 55 yards to the Southeastern 20.
Arkansas Tech needed only two plays from there to break the scoreboard ice with a 19yard touchdown pass.
That seemed to awaken the relatively quiet home crowd and the Savage Storm was unable to tack onto the lead on a drive deep into Tech territory. The Wonder Boys returned the favor with a 71-yard, eight-play march that gave them their first lead with only 3:10 remaining.
Howard guided the Southeastern offense all the way to the hosts’ 16 in the final minute, but three straight incomplete passes thwarted the comeback bid. He was 14 for 22 through the air for 133 yards and was also the team’s leading rusher with 13 carries for 75 yards. Shannon added 67 yards on eight totes.
D’Teaurean Johnson led the defensive charge with eight tackles as Braeden Winters, William Wallis and Andrew Grissom all tossed in seven stops.