MAGNOLIA, Arkansas — Senior quarterback Hunter Leppert threw for a career-high 420 passing yards in the University of Arkansas at Monticello football team's loss to Southern Arkansas on Saturday in the 2015 season finale. Final score was 49-29.
Leppert ended his collegiate career by completing 28 passes for 420 yards and two touchdowns. With his passing performance on Saturday, the Minden, Louisiana native became the second quarterback in UAM history to throw for at least 3,000 yards in a season. Cory Allred did it twice in 2003 and 2004, including a school-record 3,606 passing yards in 2003.
Leppert also moved up UAM's career passing chart, moving up to fourth with a final career total of 6,534 yards.
The Weevils (1-10) and Muleriders (7-4) matched each other in the first half, including an eight-yard touchdown pass from Leppert to sophomore Jalen Tolliver with three seconds remaining before halftime to force a 14-all tie score at the break.
Leppert and Tolliver opened the game's scoring on the first drive of the contest, hooking up for a 19-yard score to cap a six-play, 89-yard drive.
SAU outscored UAM 21-0 in the third quarter, including a 46-yard punt return for a touchdown.
The Weevils cut their deficit back down to two touchdowns at the start of the fourth quarter with a one-yard rushing touchdown by Leppert to cap a seven-play, 39-yard drive.
The Muleriders answered with two touchdowns in less than two minutes to take a 49-21 lead with 6:08 remaining in regulation. The Weevils capped the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run by true freshman Cole Sears with just under a minute left in the game.
SAU outgained UAM in total offense 539-512. The Weevils held the edge in passing yards 468-281.
Leppert's favorite targets in the game were senior Cody Bordelon and Tolliver. Bordelon finished with nine receptions for 125 yards. Tolliver had seven receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, senior linebacker Ofisa Kose turned in his seventh double-digit tackles performance of the year with 14. He finishes the year with 107 total tackles, the first time a UAM player has had at least 100 since 2007.
Senior Jabari Mathieu also reached double-digits with 11 total tackles, including 3.5 for a loss and one sack.
