MONTICELLO, Ark. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello football team will travel to Magnolia, Arkansas, this weekend to take on long-time rival Southern Arkansas University in the 100th annual Battle of the Timberlands.
The oldest and certainly most storied rivalry for the UAM football program was officially renamed the "Battle of the Timberlands" during the 2012 season, with the introduction of a rivalry trophy taken home by the annual winner. The first trophy game was played in Monticello and claimed by the Muleriders with a final score of 30-14.
Trophy Presentation - Battle of the Timberlands (2012)
Rivalry between UAM and SAU has been around for over 100 years, with it beginning in the 1913 campaign, the program's third season of football. UAM closed out that season with a 26-0 win over SAU in Magnolia to cap off a 5-1 record for the program's first positive record.
Including that game, the two squads have met 99 times on the gridiron, featuring a streak of 67 consecutive seasons (excluding 2020 when the season was cancelled due to COVID-19). The last time UAM and SAU did not meet during the season was in 1956, the second year of four-straight AIC Championships for the Boll Weevils.
Both institutions were established in 1909 and have a similar history and mission. Each school saw its first season of football in 1911, and has competed against each other in three different conferences, including the NAIA Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) from 1928-1994, the conversion to NCAA Division II in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) from 1995-2011, and the Great American Conference (GAC) from 2012 to present.
The teams played each other in the Boomtown Classic in the 1930s and 40s, where the contest was held in Eldorado, Arkansas, a near halfway point between each university. The first meeting of the Classic, in 1933, resulted in a 0-0 tie between the squads. The Muleriders prevailed in the following season with a lackluster 7-6 victory.
The tradition was revived during the 2009 and 2010 seasons, with both contests resulting in wins for the Boll Weevils, seeing a final score of 17-6 in 2009 and 28-23 in 2010.
Weevil Football Winning Boomtown Classic (2010)
Head Coach
Hud Jackson, who first led UAM in the 2011 season, will see his team compete in the trophy game for the 13th time.
"Looking forward to the match-up with SAU," said Coach Jackson.
"Battle of the Timberlands! They are a good football team, very talented, but we've had a great week of practice. It would be a great feeling to bring the trophy back to Monticello. Eat'em up."
Below, you will find important information regarding live coverage, tickets, game match-ups, and social media links to stay up-to-date with the game.
LIVE COVERAGE
•
Live Stats Link
•
Live Streaming Video
• Live Radio | UAM - 93.7 KHBM
• Social Media | X Accounts:
@UAMsports &
@WeevilFootball | All scoring information and in-game updates.
TICKETS
PREGAME NOTES
The Boll Weevils are currently sitting 2-8, following a 7-40 loss to Northwestern Oklahoma State in week 10. Monticello sits 12th in the GAC in scoring and 10th in total offense, averaging 13.6 points per contest and 302.5 yards of offense per game. The Boll Weevils land 11th in the conference in rushing, posting an average of 93.6 yards per contest. Defensively, UAM ranks 10th in total defense, surrendering 415.9 yards per game, and 11th in scoring defense, allowing 36.9 points per game. Offensively, running back
Jaylen Sulton leads the running game, averaging 34.56 yards a contest.
Chasden Collins and
Ahmari Cox are the top targets in the receiving game for UAM, with Collins totaling 439 yards on 27 receptions and Cox totaling 325 yards on 21 receptions.
LAST MEETING
Arkansas-Monticello lost to SAU 54-22 at home in the 2024 season. The Boll Weevils recorded 312 yards of total offense in the contest. Senior
Demilon Brown led the passing attack, completing 6 of 18 passes for 76 yards. Brown also led the rushing game with 160 net yards on 27 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per carry with a long of 23. On defense, UAM was led by
Robert Iverson Jr. and
Ervin Jones. Iverson recorded nine total tackles, including three solo and six assisted, while Collins tallied seven total tackles, with five solo and two assisted.
All-TIME SERIES
UAM trails in the all-time series, 37-61-1, with the last win for the Boll Weevils in 2021. The away contest concluded with a 73-37 win. The largest margin of victory for the Weevils also came over a century ago, during the 1924 season, when the Boll Weevils triumphed in a 46-0 shutout. Arkansas-Monticello is 16-31 on the road in Magnolia, averaging 18.1 points against the Muleriders.
GAME RECAPS
After the conclusion of each game, Weevil Football will post a release to uamsports.com and across its Facebook and X pages, providing a recap of the game. They can be found on the schedule page as a clickable link after each game, or on UAM Sports' social media accounts.
Follow Weevil Football on Social Media
Keep up with the Boll Weevils on Social Media! See more content of the UAM football team across the program's different platforms, including X, Instagram, and Facebook. There will also be more media posted on the Athletics Department's pages.
All UAM Athletic social media pages can be found at uamsports.com in the
Social Media Directory.
#WeevilNation | #EatEmUp
