Box Score EL DORADO, Ark. – The Boomtown Classic traveling trophy is coming back to Monticello following a 28-23 win for the University of Arkansas at Monticello football team over Southern Arkansas Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
The Boll Weevils (4-6, 3-5 Gulf South Conference) clicked on all levels on offense for a season-high 538 total yards in the win, highlighted by another season high of 248 rushing yards.
UAM opened the first half with 21 unanswered point, with a 14-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Scott Buisson to junior Greg Taylor at the 1:22 mark of the first quarter, an 11-yard touchdown pass from Buisson to senior Josh Green with 2:16 left in the second quarter and a 22-yard pass from Buisson to senior Steven Porter in the final minute of the second quarter.
The Muleriders (1-8, 1-6 GSC) reached the scoreboard on a 35-yard field goal by Noe Cuevas with one second remaining in the opening half to give UAM a 21-3 edge at halftime.
The Boll Weevils added their final score with 9:14 left in the third quarter on a 21-yard pass from Buisson to senior Jywin Ceasar to cap a 13-play, 69-yard drive that used 5:38.
SAU’s Damion Atkins stole the show with touchdown catches in each of his team’s next three offensive possessions to finalize the scoring.
Austin Civita found Atkins for an 11-yard strike with 12:33 left in the contest to tighten UAM’s lead to 28-10. Tyler Sykora hit Atkins for a six-yard touchdown with 9:49 left with a successful point after to bring the score to 28-17 in favor of the Boll Weevils.
Atkins found the end zone again with 4:40 left in the game on a 12-yard pass from Sykora, but Sykora’s two-point conversion pass attempt sailed out of the end zone to finalize the scoring.
The Muleriders had another scoring chance with just over two minutes remaining in the contest after UAM freshman kicker Taylor Pontius missed a 35-yard attempt, his second miss of the contest. SAU drove to as far as its own 33-yard line, before Sykora was sacked for a loss of 11-yards by UAM’s true freshman Eugene Robinson, setting up the Muleriders with a 3rd-and-21 from their own 22-yard line. Sykora threw consecutive incompletions after an SAU timeout to seal the win for UAM in its final conference game of the season.
Buisson recorded his second-highest passing output of the season with 290 yards after completing 17-of-26 passes. His four touchdown passes was a season-high for the Metairie, La. native.
Buisson’s favorite target in the win was Porter, who finished with four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Ceasar finished with three catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.
In addition to the production from the UAM passing attack, the team also produced a season-high 248 rushing yards, led by junior Nakita Myles’ 11 carries for 89 yards. Buisson handled the majority of the workload with 19 carries for 87 yards. Senior Johnny Polite chipped in with 14 carries for 59 yards.
Junior Greg Taylor had 57 all-purpose yards in the win with three carries for 21 yards and two catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Eugene Robinson’s key sack on SAU’s last offensive possession capped an impressive individual output. The Houma, La. native finished the contest with three sacks for a combined loss of 30 yards.
UAM defeated Southern Arkansas 17-6 in the first ever Boomtown Classic in the 2009 season finale.
The Boll Weevils conclude the 2010 season Thursday, November 11 in Mobile, Ala. against the University of South Alabama, a program in its second-year of existence and is undefeated since taking the field in 2009. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
