UAM GAME NOTES (PDF) | LIVE COVERAGE

MONTICELLO – The University of Arkansas at Monticello football team seeks its first win of the 2014 season this Saturday, September 27 when the Weevils return to Willis "Convoy" Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium to host Southwestern Oklahoma State in Great American Conference action.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Live video and audio coverage will be available for free at www.uamsports.com/watch. Live stats will also be available for the game. All links to live coverage can be found at www.uamsports.com/coverage.aspx.

WEEVILS RETURN HOME SEEKING FIRST WIN                                               
The Boll Weevils are back at Willis "Convoy" Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium this Saturday to face off against Southwestern Oklahoma State. UAM is still seeking its first win of the 2014 season after losing the first three games by a combined margin of 13 points, all three games decided in the final minute, and all three games decided by less than seven points.

4TH ALL-TIME MEETING VS SWOSU                                                                 
Prior to both teams becoming charter members of the Great American Conference, UAM and Southwestern Oklahoma State had never played against each other. Since 2011, SWOSU has gained a 2-1 all-time advantage against the Weevils, including wins in each of the past two seasons. UAM defeated SWOSU 35-21 at home to close out the 2011 season in the first all-time meeting. The past two meetings have been in Weatherford, Oklahoma, with SWOSU coming out on top 38-21 in 2012 and 35-17 in 2013.

SCOUTING THE WEEVILS                                                                                       
Three straight dramatic finishes to start the season, but the Weevils have come up short in each of those games by a combined total of 13 points. UAM is coming off a 34-28 loss at Northwestern Oklahoma State last Saturday despite taking a lead with less than two minutes remaining in the contest. UAM's pass offense has been the brightest spot of the team so far this season. The Weevils rank second in the league and 19th in the nation in passing at nearly 330 yards per game. Quarterback Hunter Leppert has hit the 300-yard mark in each of his last two games and currently leads the GAC in total offense (372.5 yards per game). Leppert has four receivers to choose from that have hauled in at least 10 receptions so far. Cody Bordelon leads the team in receptions (17), while Deadrien Terry leads the way in yards (258). Tailback Rod Smith has averaged just under 20 carries per game, but is only averaging three yards per carry. Linebacker Marshall Everett, defensive end Louis Curry and linebacker Andrew Jackson lead the team in tackles. Everett has 19, while Curry and Jackson each have 18. The Weevils remain perfect in red zone offense to tie 12 other teams for the NCAA Division II lead.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS                                                                                    
Picked to finish sixth in the preseason GAC coaches poll, SWOSU has reeled off a pair of wins in the past two weeks to sit a 2-1 overall as well as 2-1 in GAC games. Last Saturday, the Bulldogs scored a pair of unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter to record a come-from-behind 27-24 win over Southern Arkansas at home. The week before, a 27-23 win over Arkansas Tech, also at home. SWOSU started the season with a 42-6 loss to Harding on the road. SWOSU ranks fifth in the league in pass defense, aided by a No. 12 national ranking in tackles for losses through three games so far. SWOSU's Devon Benton leads the league with an average of 3.3 tackles for losses per game, followed by teammate Jake Doyle at 1.83 TFL per game... The Bulldogs are the only team in the GAC this season to have attempted an on-side kick, which was recovered against Arkansas Tech two weeks ago.

BARNES BUST TO BE UNVEILED SATURDAY 2 PM                                         
The all-time winningest football coach in UAM history will be permanently memorialized on Saturday at 2 p.m. Tommy Barnes, who passed away in March of 2013 following a long battle with Parkinson's Disease, will be a fixture inside the lobby of UAM's indoor practice facility following Saturday's dedication of a life-size bust. Barnes played for the Boll Weevils from 1969 to 1972 and joined the UAM coaching staff in 1980. He became the school's 20th head football coach in 1985 and coached the Weevils to a 69-53-1 record in 12 seasons before retiring in November 1996. Barnes coached more seasons and won more games than any head football coach in UAM history. His 1988 squad posted the only 10-win record in school history and reached the second round of the NAIA Division I playoffs while his 1993 team captured the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference championship. The dedication ceremony is open to the public at the Indoor Practice Facility.

COACH TO CURE MD                                                                                                 
The UAM football staff is joining over 10,000 coaches and over 500 institutions across the nation to be supporting the Coach To Cure MD program this Saturday by wearing a Coach to Cure MD logo patch on their shirt sleeves on the sidelines. The Coach to Cure MD program is in its sixth-year of existence with its sole purpose of raising awareness and research funds for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during early childhood primarily in young boys across all races and cultures. Duchenne MD eventually causes loss of mobility, wheelchair dependency and a decline in respiratory and cardiac function. Fans are encouraged to join in for the cause by donating online at www.CoachToCureMD.org or by texting the word CURE to 90999. A $5 donation will be added to your next phone bill.

LEPPERT LEADS GAC IN TOTAL OFFENSE                                                        
Since his return to gridiron two weeks ago against Southeastern Oklahoma State, junior quarterback Hunter Leppert has risen to the top of the list in the GAC's total offense category. The Minden, Louisiana native currently has an average of 372.5 yards of total offense per game. He has hit the 300-yard mark in passing in both of his games. He has also managed 100 yards rushing in the two games combined. Leppert also currently leads the league in passing yards per game at just over 322 per outing.

UAM OFFENSE STILL PERFECT INSIDE RED ZONE                                        
The Weevils remained perfect in scoring once inside the red zone in this past Saturday's loss to Northwestern Oklahoma State. UAM went 3-for-3, all touchdowns, in that game to move the squad to a perfect 12-for-12 through the first three games. UAM is among only 12 teams in all of NCAA Division II to still hold a perfect conversion percentage in red zone scoring.

GARMON ADDS SECOND FUMBLE RECOVERY                                                
Senior defensive lineman Jalen Garmon recovered his second fumble in the loss to NWOSU this past Saturday, moving him to second in the national rankings in the category.

BORDELON IN TOP 30 IN TOUCHDOWNS                                                          
Junior receiver Cody Bordelon caught six passes for 62 yards in this past Saturday's loss to NWOSU, including a touchdown catch on a fourth-down play for UAM that put the Weevils on top of the Rangers with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. Overall this season, he ranks 28th in all of NCAA Division II in touchdown catches with three.

HUD JACKSON SHOW, WEEKLY LUNCHEONS                                                 
The Hud Jackson Show airs each Monday night from 6-7 p.m. at La Terraza Restaurant in Monticello. The show is broadcast live at KHBM-FM 93.7 and online at uamsports.com. The weekly UAM football luncheon is each Tuesday at noon at the Monticello Country Club. The public is invited to attend both sessions. La Terraza's full menu is available during the show, and there is a buffet lunch available at the Monticello Country Club for $10 per person.

UP NEXT
Following this Saturday's game against SWOSU, the Weevils will prepare for their third road trip of the season, this time traveling to Russellville to face off against Arkansas Tech, which is 2-1 heading into this weekend's road game against Division I McNeese State. UAM defeated the Wonder Boys 34-0 last year in Monticello.