Box Score
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Tech senior quarterback Cole Barthel rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two more to lead the Wonder Boys to a 56-34 victory over Harding in both teams' season finale Saturday at Buerkle Field.
Arkansas Tech (5-5, 4-4) scored two touchdowns in each quarter and defeated Harding (2-9, 1-7) for the sixth time in the last seven meetings in Russellville. The two teams combined for 1,170 yards of total offense with the Wonder Boys compiling 707 yards and averaging 8.5 yards per play.
Arkansas Tech redshirt freshman Joby Hills scored two first half rushing touchdowns, and Barthel threw a 78-yard touchdown passed and rushed for another from seven yards out as the Wonder Boys led 28-6 at halftime. Harding's two scores came on 27 and 30-yard field goals by Ryan Ferrell.
Harding's offense sputtered in the first half, but the Bisons found the end zone four times after the halftime break. Junior quarterback Zac Ross, starting in place of David Knighton, connected on 27-of-48 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns. One of his scoring passes was a 14-yard strike to Kurt Adams early in the fourth quarter that sent Adams past Gerald Payne on the Harding single-season receiving yardage chart. Adams finished the season with 1,122 yards, surpassing Payne's total of 1,087 in 2000.
Freshman running back Jeremy Holt carried 15 times for 102 yards and touchdown runs of six and two yards. Holt also caught three passes for 75 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown on a screen pass.
Catching a variety of screen passes, freshman Kale Gelles set season highs with 11 receptions for 108 yards. It marked the second time this season, but only the third time in Harding football history, that the Bisons had a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in the same game.
Unfortunately for the Bisons, the Wonder Boys achieved the same feat. Barthel completed 20-of-37 for 316 yards. Junior Tim Childress rushed 10 times for 133 yards, and sophomore Cody Burns carried 14 times for 105 yards. Junior Landon Turner had four receptions for 140 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown.
Harding's 2-9 record marked the first time since 2003 that the Bisons did not have a winning season.
