The East Central University football team will battle with Arkansas Tech today on the annual Homecoming game, Saturday, Oct. 26 at 4 p.m.. The Tigers will also honor their 11 seniors before the start of the game.
Game Notes I
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Live Video
The Broadcast: ECU's radio home for Tiger football is Ada's KXFC, 105.5, FM 'The X-Factor'. Mike Manos returns to broadcast the games for his 21st consecutive season. Manos has worked 218 Tiger games since taking over the play-by-play duties in 1997.
This year fans in the stadium will have a chance to rent or buy a Smart Bug. The Smart Bug will let you listen to The X-Factor radio broadcast from the stands, through the post-game show, and for a chance for exclusive content during broadcast breaks. Cost is $15 to purchase and use for the entire 2017-18 season at football and basketball, or $10 to rent with a $5 return when the unit is checked back in after the game.
The Series: Today's game is the 17th in the all-time series with the Wonder Boys, with ECU leading 11-5 overall and 4-2 when playing as GAC opponents. The Tigers are also 4-1 when playing at Koi Ishto Stadium.
Last Meeting: ECU suffered a 55-14 loss at Arkansas Tech in 2016.
It took less than two minutes to start the scoring, as the Wonder Boys scored their first of three touchdowns in the first quarter, just 1:50 in. ATU would take a 21-0 lead in the first 11 minutes of the quarter before ECU got on the scoreboard.
David Moore scored a 59-yard reception to cut the deficit to 21-6 after the extra point was blocked.
The Wonder Boys continued to increase the pressure with two more touchdowns and a field goal in the second quarter to take a 38-6 lead into the locker room.
ATU added another score in the third quarter for a 45-6 advantage.
The Tigers added their final points to the scoreboard in the third.
Gerald Pickett caught an 11-yard pass from
Brooks Holder. Holder then made a successful rush on the two-point conversion to move the score to 45-14.
The Wonder Boys then added a TD in the third quarter and another field goal in the fourth for a 55-14 final.
Karner Receives 2017 Milam Award: Courtney Karner has been named the winner of the 2017 Milam Award.
Karner played for the ECU football team from 2000 to 2003 and was a standout in the classroom as well as a member of the offensive line. He was a three-time member of the Lone Star Conference All-Academic team and the 2004 Lone Star Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. His highest academic honor came for CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) in 2003. He became the first student-athlete from ECU to earn Academic All-America honors, when he claimed second team honors.
After graduating from ECU with a bachelor's degree in biology, Karner moved on to graduate school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He then did his postdoctoral training at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. His education and training has led to him becoming an assistant professor and faculty member in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Cell Biology at Duke University in Durham, N.C. in 2015. and the John G. Haddad Young Investigator Award
Douglas Turns Up the Intensity: Freshman
Ontario Douglas had the game of his short career against Southwestern. Douglas finished the game with 280 all-purpose yards, 206 rushing and 74 receiving and all four of ECU's offensive touchdowns.
Benson Bringing in Passes: Junior
Trinity Benson has been a bright spot for the Tigers, despite the losing record. Benson has recorded 443 receiving yards on 38 passes, with three TDs this season. His 63.3 reception yards per game average and 5.4 receptions per game rank him in the top-5 in the GAC standings.
Holle Named GAC Offensive Player of the Week: After his first game of the 2017 ECU football season, junior quarterback
Noah Holle was named the Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Week for Sept. 4.
Holle, went 20-of-27 in his debut in an orange and black uniform, throwing for 351 yards and five touchdowns. He used seven different receivers and connected for touchdowns with five of those receivers.
Holle also set up two more touchdowns on the rush, helping the Tigers to 546 total offensive yards, the most since Sept. 19, 2015.
Williams Starts Off Season on High Note: Senior
Devyn Williams gave the Tigers a great start to the 2017 season, by returning the opening kickoff of the first game of the season (Sept. 2) 91 yards for a touchdown. It was the first time since Sept. 14, 2013 that any kickoff during a game had been returned for a TD. The last time was when LaQuan Harper returned a kickoff, in the middle of the game, 94 yards for TD against Southern Arkansas.
Up Next: The Tigers will finish out the 2017 season on the road, starting with a stop at Harding, Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. The final game of the year is the annual Great American Classic against Southeastern, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.
