Milwee, in his first start for the Lions, was just 7-of-13 passing in the first half for 83 yards but was able to open things up in the third quarter. He finished the game 15-of-28 for 203 yards and three touchdowns. UNA trailed 10-3 at intermission after mustering just 128 yards of offense, turning the ball over twice and missing two field
goals. But the Lion defense caused the turnovers in the second half to set up two scores and the running of Harlon Hill Trophy candidate Anthony Merritt got another. It marks the third straight season-opening win for the Lions
over Tusculum. UNA finished with 293 total yards with 203 yards passing and 90 rushing. Tusculum gained 261 yards with 129 on the ground and 132 through the air.

Merritt finished with six catches for 72 yards and Jason Messing had five catches for 98 yards and two TDs.
After trailing the entire first half, UNA was able to tie the score early in the third quarter after Tusculum fumbled a punt. Lyle Atkinson booted a 43-yard punt and the ball went through the hands of Octavius Love. Vincent Jackson recovered for UNA at the Pioneers’ 30 yard line.

North Alabama scored five plays later as A.J. Milwee passed 10 yards to Jason Messing for the touchdown. Scott Shurden added the PAT to tie the score at 10-10 with 12:20 left in the third quarter. The Lions’ defense came up with the ball on the next series as well as Brian McNair picked off a Corey Russell pass at the Pioneers’ 45 and returned it to the 38. Six plays later Milwee hit Messing in the right corner of the end zone with a 24-yard touchdown pass to put UNA on top for the first time in the game. Shurden’s PAT attempt hit the right up-right and fell back but the Lions led 16-10 with 5:56 remaining in the third.

The two touchdown receptions in the game push Messing’s total to 11 over the last two seasons. UNA added to its lead before the end of the third quarter as Anthony Merritt weaved through would-be tacklers for a 50-yard
touchdown reception on a screen pass from Milwee. The try-for-two failed but UNA led 22-10 with 39 seconds left in the third. An interception by Bobby Brooks ended Tusculum’s last scoring threat as the Lions held on for its fourth straight season-opening win.

Tusculum drove the length of the field and scored on its first possession of the game. Quarterback Corey Russell engineered the drive that covered 80 yards in 11 plays. Russell was five-for-five passing on the drive for 47 yards and he scored the touchdown himself on a five-yard run on a quarterback draw. The Pioneers had kicked a 28-yard
field goal but UNA was called for a penalty and Tusculum took the points off the board and got a first down at the Lions’ five. Russell then scored on the next play and Glen Black added the extra point to make it 7-0 at the 9:09 mark of the first quarter..

UNA also scored on its first possession when a 43-yard drive stalled at the Tusculum 16-yard line and Yuta Fukuda came on to boot a 33-yard field goal. The kick closed the gap to 7-3 with 3:20 left in the first quarter. After forcing a Tusculum punt, UNA gave the Pioneers excellent field position when Anthony Merritt was stripped of the ball and
Antrez McDaniel recovered at the Lions’ 31. Tusculum drove to the UNA two-yard line before the Lions defense held and Black kicked a 19-yard field goal. That score, with 9:44 left in the half, made it 10-3. North Alabama had two more scoring opportunities in the half but Fukuda was wide left on field goal attempts from 31 and 34 yards.