WEEK 6 GAME NOTES (PDF)

MONTICELLO – The University of Arkansas at Monticello football team is set to travel to Arkadelphia, Ark. this Saturday to face off against the 14^th-ranked Henderson State Reddies in Great American Conference action.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. at Carpenter Haygood Stadium. The game can be heard on the UAM Sports Network at KHBM-FM 93.7 in Monticello and online at uamsports.com. The HSU Athletics Department will provide live streaming video at the following link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/reddie-athletics, and live statistics here: http://www.sidearmstats.com/henderson/football/scoreboard.aspx.

UAM enters Saturday’s game with an overall record of 1-4 and a 0-3 record in GAC games following a 30-14 loss to Southern Arkansas at home this past Saturday. HSU is 5-0 this season and 3-0 in GAC games following its 50-22 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State on the road last Saturday.

UAM head coach Hud Jackson visited with uamsports.com on Thursday to discuss Saturday’s matchup against the Reddies. To view the entire interview, visit the following link: http://youtu.be/aINPmigBexo. The video is also available at uamsports.com.

WEEK 6 STORYLINES

ROAD TRIP #3
The UAM football team is back on the road again this week for a trip to Arkadelphia to face the nationally 14^th-ranked Henderson State Reddies. Second-year head coach Hud Jackson is still seeking his first win away from the friendly confines of Willis Convoy Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium, and Saturday’s matchup against HSU provides an opportunity to do so against one of the nation’s top teams. UAM is 0-2 on the road this season, and was 0-5 on the road last season in Jackson’s first year on the Green and White sidelines.

THE UAM-HSU SERIES
Saturday’s matchup against the Reddies is the 76^th all-time meeting between the two squads on the football gridiron, dating back to the 1914 season. The Reddies hold the overall series lead at 42-31-2 and also lead 22-17-2 in games played at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium. Since the turn of the century, HSU is 7-3 against UAM, including a stretch of three consecutive victories during the 2005, 06 and 07 seasons. UAM head coach Hud Jackson and his coaching staff has not played HSU yet. The last meeting between the two squads was a 47-0 win for HSU in Arkadelphia during the 2010 season. The last UAM win was a 51-48 victory during the 2008 season, also played in Arkadelphia.

THE OPPONENT: HENDERSON STATE
Henderson State enters Saturday’s contest with a 5-0 overall record and a 3-0 record in GAC games following its 50-22 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State on the road last weekend. The Reddies currently lead all NCAA Division II teams with an average of 57.8 points per game. HSU has reached the 60-point barrier two times this season and crossed the 70-point milestone in a 73-34 conference win over Arkansas Tech. The Reddies rank ninth in the nation in passing offense (352 yards per game) and seventh in total offense (492.8 yards per game). Individually, the Reddies are led by quarterback Kevin Rodgers, who is a three-time GAC Offensive Player of the Week. Rodgers ranks first in the nation in passing efficiency and 10^th in total offense with an average of 338.2 yards per game. Rodgers has completed 105-of-157 pass attempts for 1,693 yards with 23 touchdown passes and only three interceptions. Jordan is HSU’s favorite target in the pass game having caught 28 passes for 385 yards with six touchdowns. He also ranks fifth in the nation and tops in the GAC with an average of 21.25 yards per punt return. He was the national special teams player of the week two weeks ago after returning two punts for a touchdown in a 56-20 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State. Defensively, Keaton Stigger leads the team with a total of 51 tackles, including five tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception and a total of nine passes defended.

THE COACHES
UAM is led by second-year head coach Hud Jackson, who enters Saturday’s game with a 6-10 record. Before taking over at UAM prior to the 2011 season, Jackson was the associate head coach at Central Arkansas for six years following a 13-year high-school coaching career in the state of Louisiana, most recently as athletic director and head football coach at Central Catholic High School in Morgan City. Jackson played quarterback at McNeese State in the late 80s and early 90s, and is the son of former Nicholls State and McNeese State head coach Sonny Jackson… Henderson State head coach Scott Maxfield is in his eighth season leading the Reddies. Maxfield enters Saturday’s with a career record of 73-45 and a 44-34 record as the HSU head coach. Prior to taking over at HSU before the 2005 season, Maxfield was the head coach at Blinn College from 2001-04 and the head coach at Pearl River CC in 2001. He also has collegiate experience as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech, Ole Miss, Northwest Mississippi and Northwestern State.

LAST TIME OUT: SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 30, UAM 14
The Southern Arkansas Muleriders won the inaugural Battle of the Timberlands 30-14 last Saturday over the Boll Weevils to extend UAM’s losing skid to four consecutive. SAU scored 23 unanswered points, including 20 unanswered points in the second half to record the victory and take the newly-created traveling trophy back to Magnolia. Senior quarterback Damon Wicker posted a career-high 358 passing yards on a 22-of-47 passing performance. Wicker added a team-high 94 rushing yards to give him 452 yards of total offense. The Baton Rouge, La. native was responsible for both of UAM’s scores with a four-yard touchdown run and a 59-yard touchdown pass to senior Blake Prince, both in the second quarter to give UAM a 14-10 lead at halftime. Wicker’s favorite target in the loss was senior Malik Matthews, who eclipsed the 100-yard mark in receiving for the second consecutive game with seven catches for 112 yards. Prince also reached the 100-yard mark with five catches for 100 yards, including the 59-yard touchdown pass. SAU was led by Tyler Sykora, who completed 19-of-34 passes for 354 yards with two touchdown passes. Running back Mark Johnson went above 200 yards on the ground for the third consecutive time against UAM with 29 carries for 203 yards with two touchdowns.

COACH’S PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Head Coach Hud Jackson and his coaching staff has named senior quarterback Damon Wicker, junior DeShaun Thomas, freshman Rodney Edmiston and freshman Andrew Jackson the offensive, defensive and special teams players of the game for their performances in this past Saturday’s 30-14 loss to Southern Arkansas in the inaugural Battle of the Timberlands. Wicker was responsible for 452 yards of total offense and both of UAM’s touchdowns. He passed for a career high 358 yards and ran for 94 yards. Thomas totaled seven tackles in the loss and also recorded an interception inside the UAM five-yard line to prevent SAU from scoring early in the third quarter. Edmiston had three tackles, one fumble recovery and had three passes defended. Jackson totaled three tackles and also forced one fumble.

UP NEXT: HOMECOMING
The Boll Weevils return to Willis “Convoy” Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium next Saturday, October 13 to face another nationally-ranked opponent, and if records hold, the third consecutive undefeated opponent. UAM is set to host Ouachita Baptist next Saturday for Homecoming. OBU is 4-0 overall and 2-0 in GAC games with a No. 11 national ranking heading into its home game against Southwestern Oklahoma State this Saturday. Next Saturday’s kickoff between UAM and OBU is set for 3 p.m. Check www.uamont.edu for a complete list of homecoming activities.