RUSSELLVILLE, Ark.
– The third ranked North Alabama Lions
survived a couple of early turnovers to
build a 14-point second half lead , then had
to hold off a fourth quarter Arkansas Tech
rally as the Lions picked up a 27-20 Gulf
South Conference victory.
UNA, now 4-0
overall and 3-0 in the GSC, fell behind
early after Tech returned a Lion
interception for a touchdown. UNA took the
lead early in the second half and led for
the final 29 minutes.
Tech closed to
within a touchdown and moved to the UNA 43
in the final seconds before a Carter Hallock
Hail-Mary pass fell incomplete. Tech falls
to 3-2 with the loss and 1-2 in the GSC.
David McCants,
who entered the game after UNA starting
running back Tim Hicks was injured on the
game’s first play, accounted for 258
all-purpose yards, with 100 rushing, 63
receiving and 94 on kickoff returns.
UNA quarterback
A.J. Milwee was 27-of-35 passing for 251
yards and one TD.
UNA took its
first lead of the game early in the second
half when Eric Denson picked off an ATU
option pitch and went 31 yards down the
right sideline for a touchdown. Scott
Shurden’s PAT made it 17-13 with 13:58 left
in the third quarter.
The Lions added
to the lead after another Tech turnover.
Neal Mitchell, Jr., recovered at the ATU 35.
The Lions scored six plays later when A.J.
Milwee passed five yards to Reggie Hubbard
for a touchdown.
Shurden’s PAT
made it 24-13 with 6:21 remaining in the
third period.
Tech tried to
answer the score but when ATU’s drive
stalled at the UNA 10-yard line, Antron
Dillon broke through and blocked a Travis
Cockerham field goal attempt.
North Alabama
padded its lead with a 47-yard Shurden field
goal with 13:50 left in the game, making it
27-13. Tech challenged in the fourth quarter
as third-string quarterback Carter Hallock
led a 43-yard scoring drive. Hallock dove in
from one yard out for the TD and Michael
Podobnik’s kick made it 27-20 with 8:01 left
in the game.
The game was
still in doubt until Milwee’s shovel pass to
David McCants went for 39 yards on a
third-and-eight call at the UNA 26. The
Lions then ran out the clock for the
victory.
The win was
UNA’s 16th straight regular-season win,
ninth straight regular season road win and
11th straight win against Arkansas schools.
North Alabama
took the opening kickoff and appeared headed
for a score. The Lions marched from their
own 30-yard line to the Arkansas Tech 15
before Tario Dansby picked off an A.J.
Milwee pass and raced 98 yards the other way
for a touchdown. Travis Cockerham added the
extra-point and the Wonder Boys led 7-0 with
10:53 left in the opening quarter.
UNA was again
driving on its second possession but the
drive stalled at the Tech 34 and the Lions
punted. A defensive stand would spark the
Lions’ first score as ATU’s Jonathan Webster
was held for no gain on a fourth-and-one
call at the UNA 49. The Lions then took the
ball and went 51 yards to the end zone in
seven plays. The key play in the drive was a
27-yard pass from Milwee to Jonathan Douglas
on a fourth-and-two call at the Tech 31.
Milwee dove in from one yard out for the
touchdown and Scott Shurden’s PAT tied the
game at 7-7 with 1:16 left in the first
period.
After stopping
Tech on its next possession, UNA again drove
deep into ATU territory. On a first-and-10
play at the Tech 20-yard line, Milwee’s
pitch on an option was fumbled and the
Wonder Boys’ Tevares Harris recovered all
the way back at the 42. UNA’s defense
stopped the Tech drive at the UNA 29 when
Tim Hunt blocked a Cole Barthel pass on
fourth-and-two.
Barthel
suffered an injury on Tech’s next possession
but back-up Justin Ray was up to the task as
he led a 14-play, 66-yard drive to the end
zone. Ray rushed in from five yards out for
the score but Cockerham’s PAT was wide and
ATU led 13-7 with 1:07 left in the half.
A 68-yard
kickoff return by David McCants to the Tech
11 gave UNA another scoring opportunity.
After UNA was unable to get closer, Shurden
booted a 27-yard field goal to close the gap
to 13-10 at the half.
UNA senior
Jason Messing of Knoxville, Tenn., tied a
school record with at least one pass
reception in his 28th straight game. It
equaled the mark of 28 by Marcus Lewis from
2002-03.
Milwee is now
15-1 as a starter at UNA and has a perfect
14-0 record as a starter in regular-season
games with the Lions. With his one-yard TD
run in the first quarter, he has also now
thrown or rushed for at least one touchdown
in all 16 of his starts.
North Alabama
hosts Ouachita Baptist at 6 p.m. on Oct. 6
at Braly Stadium in Florence.
Printable Game
Statistics - Game 4 - Arkansas Tech
