ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - In what could be an historic day for the Henderson State football program, the Reddies will host the Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils Saturday, Sept. 17 inside Carpenter-Haygood Stadium at GeoSurfaces Field. Kickoff for the in-state conference rivalry is set for 6 p.m.  

STORYLINES: SETTING THE SCENE
Now sitting at 2-0 after defeating Northwestern Oklahoma State last Saturday, 51-27, Henderson State is looking for its third consecutive 3-0 start to a season. For Arkansas-Monticello, who is also 2-0, it is looking for its first 3-0 start since 2000, when the Boll Weevils went 8-3 as part of the Gulf South Conference.
 
Scott Maxfield tied legendary HSU coach Sporty Carpenter for the most wins by a Henderson head coach with 119 after the win over NWOSU. A win against UAM would make Maxfield the winningest coach in program history and would also give him the fourth most wins by a head coach in the state of Arkansas.
 
Henderson State comes into Saturday's contest having won eight of the last nine games over Arkansas-Monticello, including two in a row. Since 2010, the Reddies lead the series, 9-1, with UAM's one win coming in Arkadelphia back in 2018.
 
REDDIES REPORT: OFFENSE
Redshirt freshman Andrew Edwards started the game against Northwestern in relief of an injured Landon Ledbetter and delivered a near-perfect performance. Edwards completed seven of nine passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for 30 yards and a score.
 
For the second straight game, Henderson delivered a victory after completing just seven passes. In the season opener, that was the first time since 2018 HSU had accomplished such a feat. Through the first two games, the Reddies have completed 14 passes for a whopping 402 yards, averaging 28.7 yards per completion.
 
Sophomore running back Korien Burrell ran for 100 yards and three scores against NWOSU. Two games into the 2022 season and Burrell has found the endzone five times. The single season program record for rushing touchdowns is 17, set by Blake Christenson back in 2002. The Beaumont, Texas native is currently on pace to run for 27 touchdowns.
 
Xavier Malone, Chris Hatzis and Mike Benning all caught touchdown passes Saturday night in Alva. Of the 14 completions Henderson quarterbacks have thrown this season, five different wideouts have been on the receiving end of them. Malone leads the Reddie receiving corps with five catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
 
Henderson is averaging 40.5 points per game and has already ran for 492 yards and thrown for 402 as a team on the season. The Reddies are tied for 15th in the nation with 244 rushing yards per game and is tied for ninth with seven touchdowns on the ground.
 
REDDIES REPORT: DEFENSE – SPECIAL TEAMS
Henderson's defense forced its first turnovers of the season after claiming one interception and a fumble recovery against Northwestern Oklahoma St. The pick came on the second play from scrimmage when Deldric Shields returned the INT to the 10 yard line before Burrell found pay dirt on the very next play to give HSU the early 7-0 lead.
 
On Saturday, HSU held the Rangers scoreless for 37 minutes of game time after the Reddies' lead was cut to seven at 21-14 early in the second quarter. Henderson used that defensive effort to score 28 unanswered points and open up the game to the tune of 49-14.
 
Redshirt freshman defensive end Gary Lewis has been a terrific addition to the HSU defensive line this season, making it a habit of appearing in the opponent's backfield. Through two games, Lewis has recorded four tackles for loss and two sacks, along with two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
 
Shaq Robinson and Dylan Ndambuki have helped bolster the front alongside Lewis, registering three tackles for loss and two sacks each. The HSU defense has recorded 10 sacks on the year and has held its opponents to 93.5 rushing yards per game and a meager 2.4 yards per rush.
 
Kicker Tristan Heaton was busy Saturday evening, connecting on all seven of his extra points. When the Reddie offense was forced to punt, Heaton made the most of it, getting away two punts for an average of 45 yards per boot, including a long of 53 yards. The Humble, Texas native also had eight kickoffs on the day, two of which were sent for touchbacks.
 
Freshman wide receiver Jody Easter showed a bit of a spark in the Reddie return game, returning two kickoffs for 72 yards. Easter's long of 40 yards was nearly a house call just before stepping out of bounds around midfield.
 
Of the eight kickoffs HSU recorded, only four of them were returned as the Henderson special teams unit allowed just 42 yards in total return yardage, including a long return of 17.
 
SCOUTING ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO
Arkansas-Monticello comes into Saturday's contest undefeated after having scored 40 points in back-to-back games. Most recently, the Boll Weevils defeated Oklahoma Baptist, 40-17, behind 282 rushing yards from the UAM offense. 232 of those 282 yards came from running back Jonero Scott and quarterback Demilon Brown.
 
Through two games, Brown, a junior quarterback from Luxora, Arkansas, leads the Monticello offense in passing and rushing. Through the air, Brown has 331 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions while adding 256 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
 
When Brown isn't carrying the ball, Scott, a sophomore back out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, makes up the ground game for UAM. Scott has ran for 254 yards and three touchdowns this season. Outside of Brown and Scott, the Boll Weevils have just 82 rushing yards.
 
The wealth has been spread around a bit more in the receiving game as Arkansas-Monticello has four receivers who boast at least three catches. Leading the receiving corps is sophomore wide out Isaiah Cross, who has five catches for 135 yards. LaCedric Smith, a junior wide receiver, has three catches for 72 yards and two of UAM's four passing touchdowns on the year.
 
The Boll Weevils' front seven on the defensive side of the ball has been led by junior linebacker Damarous White, recording 11 tackles on the year, 10 of which have been solo tackles. White also leads the team with three and a half tackles for loss.
 
UAM's defensive front has registered seven sacks thus far, four of which have come from defensive linemen Maurice Lotovale and Trey Hand. As a unit, the Monticello defense is allowing 142 rushing yards per game.
 
The Boll Weevils' secondary has been one of the best in the conference through the early going, allowing 195.5 passing yards per game and two touchdowns while picking off the opposing quarterbacks four times. Senior defensive back Kaytron Allen is responsible for two of those interceptions while also leading the team with 13 tackles.
 
Saturday will be UAM's second road game of the year after winning its season opener at Southern Nazarene, 40-26. Since the beginning of the 2021 season, Monticello is 4-3 on the road and is 1-4 all-time inside Carpenter-Haygood Stadium.
 
THE COACHING MATCHUP
Henderson head coach Scott Maxfield has a chance to make history Saturday night under the lights inside Carpenter-Haygood Stadium. After tying Sporty Carpenter this past weekend with 119 career wins, a win over UAM would make Maxfield the all-time winningest coach in pogram history. Only three other coaches in the state's history have more than 120 career wins at their respective programs.
 
Hud Jackson is in his 11th season as the head coach of Arkansas-Monticello and has compiled a 41-71 record. Jackson, in addition to being the head ball coach, is also the Director of Athletics at UAM. Jackson's 41 wins are second all-time in UAM's football history and is 29 wins shy of becoming Monticello's all-time winningest head coach.
 
THE LAST MEETING
Last year in Monticello, Arkansas, the Reddies had their way with the Boll Weevils, accounting for 607 total yards of offense, including 398 passing yards, in route to the 58-18 victory. The HSU defense held UAM's passing attack to just 114 yards while claiming one interception.
 
Former-Henderson wide receiver L'liott Curry absolutely gashed the Monticello secondary, pulling in 10 receptions for 228 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end Mike Benning was the second leading receiver on the day for HSU, catching two balls for 44 yards. During the rout, Landon Ledbetter came in at quarterback late in the game before rushing for 24 yards and a score.
 
The Reddies sacked Arkansas-Monticello's quarterbacks three times on the night, two of which came from redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Luke Rocha. Redshirt senior linebacker Jayden Ford recorded the other sack while leading the team with eight tackles.
 
FAMILY DAY
Saturday is Family Day at Henderson State, which will feature activities for fans of all ages outside the Duke Wells Center. Admission is free for HSU students with a valid student ID, along with two guests. Check-in begins at the front of Wells Gymnasium at 1:30 p.m. and activities and music start at 2 p.m.

Among the attractions are a baggo tournament, a yard pong tournament, inflatables, free snow cones, free t-shirts and an obstacle course. A pep rally will be held at the Wells Center with the Showband of Arkansas at 4:30 p.m. Dinner will be served outside Wells Gymnasium from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The price is $10 without a Family Day ticket.

IMPORTANT GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Several different parking options are available for game day. CADC SCAT buses will be staged at the corner of 12th and Wilson streets two hours prior to kickoff, allowing fans to use the parking lots around Henderson's main campus. The free shuttles will travel down 12th street and drop fans off in two locations: the front of the Wells Center on M.H. Russell Drive, for those who wish to partake in pregame activities, and at the main gate to Carpenter-Haygood Stadium at GeoSurfaces Field. The shuttles will also run up to an hour after the game ends, allowing fans to board at the main gate as they exit and ride back to their cars on campus.

The two other available public parking lots are the Formby Center lot, located directly in front of the Formby Athletic Complex and next to the Reddie Villas, and the South Wells Center lot, located directly in front of the Duke Wells Center.

For Reddie Club members, Red and Gray reserved lots are located directly behind the main stands and above Clyde Berry Field. These lots require your Reddie Club parking passes. Handicapped parking is also available in the Red and Gray lot directly behind the main stands.

Ticket windows at the stadium open two hours before game time. Tickets can also be purchased digitally at hsusports.com/tickets. For more information on buying tickets online, CLICK HERE. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children. Children five years of age or younger are allowed free admission. All students, faculty or staff with a valid Henderson State ID will be admitted for free, as will children five years old and younger.
 
WHERE TO LISTEN
The game will be broadcast and available by the Henderson State Sports Network on KDEL 100.9 FM and KVRC 1240 AM in Arkadelphia, KWPS 99.7 FM in Hot Springs, KYXK 106.7 FM in Gurdon, and KZYP 104.1 FM/1310 AM in Malvern. Coverage begins one hour prior to kickoff. The radio broadcast can also be heard on the web by going to the audio link for the game at hsusports.com.