FLORENCE – Carson-Newman ended a 16-year jinx at Braly Stadium and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoff semifinals with a 24-21 win over North Alabama.

The Eagles took an early 10-0 lead but trailed 14-10 late in the third quarter. A one-yard TD run by Nate Inman, followed by an 80-TD jaunt by Buck Wakefield put Carson-Newman up 24-14 with 9:58 to play.

UNA got a 37-yard TD pass with 1:31 to play but could not recover the onside kick and the Eagles ran out the clock.

Carson-Newman, now 11-2, had previously lost all eight games that it had played in Florence, going 0-5 against UNA and 0-3 in the Division II Championship Game.

UNA had defeated Carson-Newman in Florence, 31-14, back on Sept. 5.

The win by Carson-Newman ended a string of seven straight regional titles by Gulf South Conference schools, and was the first for the Eagles since 1999.

UNA advanced to the quarterfinals of the playoffs for the fifth straight season and falls to 27-12 all-time in the playoffs and 22-6 at home in the post-season.

Carson-Newman was stopped on the game’s initial possession but UNA’s Harrison Beck threw an interception on the Lions’ second play at his own 44. The Eagles scored four plays later as Buck Wakefield broke off left tackle and went 25 yards to the end zone. Carlos Lopez booted the PAT to make it 7-0 with 11:35 left in the opening quarter.

UNA again failed to get a first down on its next possession and Carson-Newman went on a 13-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a 21-yard Lopez field goal. The Eagles led 10-0 with 3:51 left in the first period.

North Alabama’s defense set up the Lions’ first score as Svante Davenport picked off an Alex Good pass and returned it 41 yards to the Carson-Newman two. Marcus Sims bulled into the end zone on the next play and Kenny Spencer’s PAT made it 10-7 with 9:21 left in the second quarter.

UNA received the opening kick of the second half and scored just two plays later. A screen from Beck to Tim Hicks covered 48 yards and then Hicks scored on an eight-yard run on the following play to put UNA on top. Spencer’s kick made it 14-10 with 14:26 left in the third quarter.

The Lions maintained the lead until late in the third quarter when Beck was intercepted again, this time by Mario Russell. Carson-Newman marched 66 yards in 11 plays for the go-ahead score as Nate Inman got the touchdown on a one-yard run. Lopez added the PAT and the Eagles were up 17-14 with 42 seconds left in the third.

Wakefield then appeared to have put the game away with an 80-yard TD run with 9:58 left in the game to push the Eagles’  lead to 24-14. UNA failed to  produce any points on two possessions before Beck connected with Charles McClain on a 37-yard touchdown pass with 1:31 left in the game to make it 24-21.

The Lions attempted an on-side kick but were offsides on the play and the ball hit a UNA player before it travelled 10 yards, giving the ball to Carson-Newman.

UNA finished with a season-low 277 total yards, including a minus four yards rushing. It was the fewest yards rushing by the Lions since 1987, or 262 games.

Beck was 24-of-50 passing for 281 yards. He was intercepted three times. Carson-Newman’s Buck Wakefield rushed for 160 yards on 20 carries and scored twice. Carson-Newman quarterback Alex Good rushed for 73 yards and passed for 98.

Carson-Newman had 353 total yards, rushing for 260.