FLORENCE, Ala. – The University of North Alabama scored early and often in a 47-7 rout of Arkansas-Monticello Saturday, and in the process the Lions took over sole possession of first place in the Gulf South Conference standings.

UNA, now 6-0 overall, was one of three teams unbeaten in GSC play entering the week, but losses by Valdosta State and Henderson State leave the Lions alone at the top of the league standings.

North Alabama is now 5-0 in GSC play.

UNA built a 31-0 halftime lead in front of a crowd of 10,174 at Braly Municipal Stadium and led 47-0 before UAM could get on the scoreboard.

The Boll Weevils fall to 1-6 with the loss and 1-3 in GSC action.

UNA drove 80 yards in eight plays to score on its first possession of the game. Eric Packer hauled in a 46-yard pass from A.J.
Milwee for the score and Yuta Fukuda added the PAT to make it 7-0 with 11:14 left in the opening quarter. The Lions drove 80 yards in 10 plays on their next possession, with Tim Hicks scoring on a one-yard run. Fukuda’s PAT made it 14-0 with 2:56 left in the quarter.
A two-yard TD run by Anthony Merritt capped the next Lion scoring drive and Fukuda’s PAT pushed UNA’s advantage to 21-0 with 6:59 left in the half.

Fukuda added a 40-yard field goal at the 3:20 mark of the second quarter and Marcus Lewis scored on a 13-yard TD pass from Milwee with 28 seconds to play to make it 31-0 at intermission.  North Alabama got a 61-yard TD run from Eric Packer on its first play of the second half to extend the lead to 37-0, but Scott Shurden’s kick attempt failed.

A 25-yard interception return by Craig Fox for a touchdown at the 12:07 mark made it 44-0 and a 22-yard Shurden field goal made it 47-0. Monticello’s only score came with 2:38 left in the game on a nine- yard pass from Lafayette Frederick to Jamie Dunn.
North Alabama finished with 468 total yards, gaining 186 on the ground and 282 passing.

Milwee was 14-of-21 passing for 282 yards and two touchdowns and rushed six times for 39 yards. Merritt picked up 106 yards on returns, caught five passes for 94 yards and gained 13 yards on four rushes.