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September 18, 2004
NORTH ALABAMA COMEBACK FALLS SHORT
AT DELTA STATE (BOX
SCORE)
CLEVELAND, Miss. -- North Alabama
mounted a second half comeback but it wasn’t enough to erase a
21-point halftime deficit as the Lions fell to Delta State 28-21 at
Parker Field. The loss snapped a UNA string of 13 consecutive
regular-season wins and a streak of 11 straight wins against Gulf
South Conference schools. UNA, ranked sixth in the NCAA
Division II, falls to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the GSC. Delta State,
ranked 16th in Division II, improved to 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the
GSC. The UNA offense was stifled in the first half but drove
65 yards on nine plays on its first possession of the second half
for a score. DeMarcus Blount scored on a two-yard run and Beau
Tanner’s extra point made it 21-7 with 12:14 left in the third
period. After two Lion turnovers and a missed Delta State field
goal attempt, UNA got on the board again as Vinnie Saylor passed 21
yards to Patrick Wilson for the touchdown. Tanner’s PAT closed the
gap to 21-14 with 12:35 left in the game and capped an 84-yard,
16-play drive. Delta State answered with a TD of its own,
however, to secure the win. The key play in the drive was a 46-yard
pass from Eyster to Otis Ridley on a third-and-five call from the
DSU 21. The Statesmen scored six plays later as Jason Snell raced in
from one yard out for the score. Trey Crum’s PAT made it 28-14
with 7:43 left in the game. UNA drove 90 yards in just 1:13 to
score with time running out. Saylor hit Marcus Lewis with a 15-yard
TD pass to close the gap to 28-21 with 2:33 left in the game.
Delta State’s Will Taylor then recovered UNA’s on-side kick
attempt but the Lions defense held and gave North Alabama one more
chance. A Delta State interception by Rodney Curry ended
UNA’s chances. Delta State dominated a field position battle
in the opening period and managed to march 48 yards for the game’s
first score. Scott Eyster passed the final eight yards to Chris
Parks for the touchdown at the 9:37 mark of the first quarter. Trey
Crum’s PAT made the score 7-0. The Statesmen got their
second score after a botched field goal attempt when UNA had too
many players on the field. DSU was given a first down at the UNA 14
and scored three plays later. Eyster passed 14 yards to Ellis Debrow
in the right corner of the end zone. Crum’s PAT made it 14-0 at
the 13:18 mark of the second quarter. DSU missed another
scoring opportunity when Crum was wide right on a 35-yard field goal
attempt a the 8:27 mark of the first half, but the Statesmen would
get another TD prior to intermission. Jason Snell scored on an
eight-yard run with 3:59 left in the half and Crum’s PAT made it
21-0 at intermission. UNA gained just 20 total yards on 26
offensive plays in the first half and managed just four
first downs. North Alabama plays at Harding next Saturday at 6 p.m.
in Searcy, Ark.
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