FLORENCE
-- The fourth ranked University of North
Alabama Lions scored touchdowns on their
first two possessions of the season and went
on to a 43-24 rout of Tusculum at Braly
Municipal Stadium.
UNA put up 404
yards of total offense on the Pioneers and
forced five Tusculum turnovers in the game.
Joemal Campbell had six catches for 136
yards and one touchdown, Tim Hicks rushed
for 86 yards and two TDs and A.J. Milwee
threw for 248 yards and two scores.
North Alabama
is now 4-0 all-time against Tusculum, having
defeated the Pioneers in its season-opener
in each of the last four seasons. The win
was UNA’s 13th straight in regular-season
contests.
Jason Messing
pulled in a 19-yard pass from A.J. Milwee
for the first score of the game, capping a
seven-play, 69-yard drive. Scott Shurden
added the extra-point to give UNA a 7-0 lead
at the 11:38 mark of the first quarter. It
was Messing’s 18th career touchdown
reception, leaving him just two shy of the
UNA record of 20 by Michael Edwards.
On UNA’s next
possession, Milwee completed a short pass to
Joemal Campbell, who raced 75 yards to the
end zone. Shurden’s PAT extended UNA’s lead
to 14-0 at 7:39 of the first quarter.
Milwee was
intercepted on UNA’s next possession and the
Pioneers wasted little time finding the end
zone. Jamichael Caldwell caught a 23-yard TD
pass from Corey Russell and Justin Higgins
PAT closed the gap to 14-7 at 1:06 of the
first quarter.
UNA answered
with a six-yard touchdown run by Tim Hicks,
following a Joemal Campbell fumble recovery
on a botched punt return at the Tusculum
six. Shurden’s kick made it 21-7 at 14:16 of
the second quarter.
Tusculum’s
Higgins booted a 32-yard field goal at 12:19
of the second to make it 21-10, but a David
McCants’ three-yard TD run made it 28-10 at
8:14 of the second period.
After an injury
to Russell forced him from the gane,
Tusculum back-up quarterback Brandon Behenna
entered the game and fired a 62-yard
touchdown pass on the first play to Brandon
Dixon. Higgins kick made it 28-17 at 7:11.
Shurden booted
field goals of 41 and 34 yards and UNA led
34-17 at the half.
UNA’s Hicks
rushed nine yards for a touchdown at 12:23
of the third quarter and the Lions added a
safety at the 3:40 mark for a 43-17 lead.
The game’s final score came on a nine-yard
TD pass from Behenna to Darrell Hayes at
7:42 of the fourth quarter.
North Alabama
also had two touchdowns called back by
penalties.
UNA plays at
Harding Thursday in a game that will be
televised by CSS.
Printable Game
Statistics - Game 1 - Tusculum
