University of North Alabama Athletics

FLORENCE -- Coming off their first loss of the 2004 season, the University of North Alabama Lions
will look to rebound Saturday in another Gulf South Conference road contest at Harding. This will be the Lions third road trip in their first four games of the season and will also be the first road opponent UNA has faced that isn't nationally ranked. The Bisons, however, are a formidable foe with a 3-1 record and also coming off their first loss of the season - a 32-19 road setback at Valdosta State.

UNA, 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the GSC, lost 28-21 at Delta State last Saturday but rallied from a 21-0
halftime deficit to fight the Statesmen down to the final horn. The Lions gained just 20 yards on 26 plays in the first half but rallied for 294 yards in the second half and scored three touchdowns. Poor field position hurt UNA early and a series of turnovers in both halves killed offensive drives. Delta State outgained UNA by just 47 yards but the Statesmen did not commit a turnover. The loss at Delta State ended North Alabama's streaks of 13 straight regular-season wins and 11 straight wins against Gulf South Conference schools.

Harding opened its season with back-to-back non-conference wins over Mid-America Intercollegiate
Athletic Association members Southwest Baptist and Missouri Southern. The Bisons then downed West
Georgia in their GSC opener for a perfect 3-0 start. Harding hung in with Valdosta State last weekend
until late in the game.

Quarterback Adam Lybrand leads the offense with 765 yards passing and 198 yards rushing. He has rushed for three touchdowns and passed for seven others. The Bisons are picking up 323 yards per game but are allowing over 380 per contest. UNA's offense is averaging 417 yards per game, with
184 rushing and 233 passing per outing. Junior quarterback Vinnie Saylor has thrown for 506 yards
and six touchdowns so far this season but was picked off three times against Delta State. Defensively, UNA is allowing just 78.7 yards per game on the ground. UNA's first road contest ended in a 28-7 win over 12th ranked Tusculum. The Lions then fell to 16th ranked Delta State.

This will be the Lions second straight year to play at Harding. UNA registered a 38-3 win in Searcy in
2003, marking the Lions first win ever over Harding in four tries. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at First Security Stadium in Searcy, Ark.