Barrington Leads Muleriders to Victory Over West Alabama

Livingston, AL—Southern Arkansas University quarterback Tim Barrington ran for 105 yards and passed for 140 to lead the Muleriders to a 35-21 win over the University of West Alabama in Livingston, Ala., Saturday. Barrington, a 5-10, 205-pound senior, scored four touchdowns as he collected 245-yards total offense in bringing SAU back from an early 3-0 first quarter deficit by scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter as the ‘Riders led at halftime 21-10.

UWA took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter when Ben Thoma booted a 24-yard field goal but Barrington put SAU ahead to stay with his first touchdown early in the second period on an eight-yard keeper. Jason Williams drilled the first of four extra points, 7-3, to finish a 65-yard, six play drive. Barrington capped a short 44-yard march with a five-yard touchdown with an even nine minutes left in the half and squeezed in from the one to climax a 73-yard drive with 4:18 to go in the half. Andre Pickering scored for the Tigers on a 12-yard run with 2:38 remaining in the half and Thoma’s PAT pulled UWA to within 21-10.

Barrington’s 22-yard keeper for a touchdown completed a four-play, 59-yard march to open the second half, 10:37 left in the third quarter, and Williams toed it to 28-10. UWA countered with Thoma’s second field goal with 6:07 left in the period.

SAU coach John Bland got his reserves some playing time in the fourth stanza but when quarterback Keith Trimew passed to Kyle Henderson for a 12-yard touchdown and connected with halfback Scott Stadthagen for a 2-point conversion to pull the Tigers as close as 28-21 with 3:15 remaining, Barrington and the first-string ‘Rider offense came on the finish.

Halfback Santario Morris scored the clincher on a 30-yard option pitch run from Barrington with :58 remaining to play and Williams converted for the final score.

SAU, 3-1 overall and 2-1 in Gulf South Conference play, out-rushed UWA, 1-4 for the year and 0-3 in GSC action. The ‘Riders accumulated 204 yards to 104 and had 140 yards passing to 162 for the Tigers for a total offense of 334 yards compared to 266 for UWA. SAU suffered 10 penalties for 96 yards compared to eight for 49 for the Tigers. Barrington was seven of 12 passing with one long interception while UWA was eight of 19 with one picked off.

Defensively, linebacker Alfonzo Davis, playing for the injured Marco Board, had seven tackles for the ‘Riders, with three for a loss and a sack. Freshman defensive end Kenny Pettway had six tackles with three sacks for minus 21. Linebacker Eddie Key also had six tackles with three sacks for minus 21. Linebacker Eddie Key also had six tackles with one for an 11-yard loss. Free safety George Bates had 16 tackles for UWA and All-GSC end Kendrick Office 11.

SAU plays at West Georgia (6:00 p.m.) next week and UWA will be at Arkansas Tech in the GSC/CSS Game of the Week.