MONTICELLO — Southern Arkansas University capitalized on two University of Arkansas at Monticello turnovers and an onside kick recovery, an example of the season that was for both teams.
SAU led 24-0 before the Weevils finally got on the board and outscored them 27-6 in the final 20 minutes to take a 54-22 victory in Saturday’s regular-season finale.
The Muleriders (9-2 overall and Great American) keep the Battle of the Timberlands trophy for the third-straight year after making a last-ditch audition for the NCAA Division II playoffs. Losses to Harding and Ouachita Baptist, though, are likely to keep the unranked Muleriders home. The NCAA will announce the playoff field at 5 p.m. Sunday.
UAM (4-7) trails the Timberlands rivalry 61-37-1 and didn’t get off to a pleasant start in the 99th edition. Video review confirmed that on the game’s first play from scrimmage, Demilon Brown, the sixth-year quarterback, fumbled the ball on a sack by defensive end Dawson Scott as UAM Coach Hud Jackson argued that Brown was down before the ball came loose. Defensive end Hunter Hewitt returned the fumble 14 yards for the opening score.
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“That shook us a little bit,” Jackson said. “We were able to check back into the game and try to give ourselves a chance, but when you get down 14-nothing and after a score, on a sky kick you try to have people in the right position, we just didn’t do it.”
SAU executed an onside kick after the opening touchdown and scored 6 plays later on the first of 3 touchdown carries for quarterback Judd Barton, the 5-time Great American Conference Player of the Week. The junior ran 10 times for 70 yards, while senior Kadyn Roach netted 174 yards and 2 touchdowns on 16 carries. SAU’s Jariq Scales rushed 15 times for 83 yards.
Not long after Brown scored on a 1-yard keeper late in the third quarter, Roach helped SAU overcome a holding penalty one play earlier with a 70-yard sprint for 6 points.
Barton completed 18 of 22 passes for 159 yards, throwing his only TD pass to Kendall Williams from 37 yards out with 9:12 left in the game. Barton’s third scoring run went 39 yards with 2:41 remaining.
UAM threatened to score on its first possession when Brown fumbled on a fourth-and-2 conversion. Roach rushed for 26 yards 2 plays later and finished the series with a 1-yard carry.
Daniel Gauna went 2 for 2 in field goals (25 and 26 yards), both in the second quarter, for SAU.
Brown put UAM on the board with a 12-yard run, one of his 3 touchdowns that gave him the Boll Weevils’ record for most career rushing touchdowns with 37.
Brown scored on a 4-yard keeper with 4:55 left in the game, surpassing the old record by Corwin Elliott (1999-2002). Brown ran for 160 yards on 27 carries, finishing his career with 3,189 rushing yards to move into second all-time, just behind Elliott’s 3,820.
“I just want to thank my Lord and Savior for giving me the opportunity to be here and being able to play again,” said Brown, who arrived in Monticello in 2019 from Rivercrest High School. “It’s my teammates, like I’ve been saying all year. Everything I’ve done is because of them, the guys up front, and the guys are blocking to make the run game do what it do to make the holes for me. I thank them and I thank the coaches for putting me in good positions.”
Brown, taking all the Weevils’ snaps for his final game, completed 6 of 18 passes for 76 yards, finishing his collegiate career with 7,343 yards, fourth all-time.
“It’s been an honor. Coach gave me my offer when a lot of people didn’t believe in me to play the position,” Brown said. “The best I could do was be loyal to him and give him all I got. He was loyal to me through ups and downs. I appreciate him and love him for that.”
For UAM, Glen Cage rushed 14 times for 79 yards, Anthony Dansby (36 yards) and Ladarius Fair (20) each had a reception and Isaiah Cross, another sixth-year Weevil, totaled 7 yards on 3 receptions. Dylan Duhon made a 31-yard field goal in the second quarter.
SAU totaled 501 yards to UAM’s 312, although the Weevils had the ball for 32 minutes, 14 seconds.
“We were playing a lot of people up front, and that takes its toll a little bit,” Jackson said. “It’s just playing a lot of people, getting beat up. The experience sort of catches up with you. We get them to third down a crap-ton and we don’t make the stop.”
The Muleriders converted 9 of 13 third downs for first downs. The Weevils were 8 for 14.
CORRECTION: The all-time series record is corrected to reflect 61 wins for SAU, 37 wins for UAM and 1 tie.