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October 16, 2004
GUNN AND MERRITT
IGNITE LIONS IN COMEBACK WIN AT HSU (BOX
SCORE)
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Chris Gunn came off the bench to lead
three touchdown drives and Anthony Merritt returned a punt for a
touchdown to ignite a second half comeback and lead North Alabama to
a 33-10 road win at Henderson State.
UNA trailed 10-0 in the first
quarter and didn’t take the lead in the game until the third quarter
when Gunn threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Fountain. Merrit
then took a punt back 62 yards for a touchdown, Gunn threw an
eight-yard TD pass to Fountain and finally scored on an 11-yard run
himself as UNA rolled over the final quarter and a half.
The win improves UNA’s record to 5-2
overall and 4-2 in the Gulf South Conference. Henderson State falls
to 0-7 and 0-5.
Henderson State’s ground game
dominated the first half as the Reddies rushed for 275 yards on 35
carries and held the ball for almost 20 minutes of the half. HSU
only managed a 10-6 lead at intermission, however, losing one fumble
in the half and also missing a field goal attempt. The Reddie scored
on the game’s opening possession, using three pitch plays on the
option to cover 73 yards. The score came on a 42-yard run by Jace
Garrison at the 13:04 mark of the first period. Jeremy Sanders PAT
made it 7-0.
After stopping UNA on its first
possession, the Reddies drove 73 yards in 19 plays for another
score. The drive stalled as UNA’s seven and Sanders came on to boot
a 24-yard field goal with 48 seconds left in the period to make it
10-0.
The Lions got on the scoreboard on
their next possession, driving 73 yards in 12 plays to the end zone.
A 21-yard pass from Vinnie Saylor to Maurice Calhoun moved the ball
into Reddie territory and a fouth-and-one pass from Saylor to
Patrick Wilson got UNA the touchdown on a two-yard gain. Beau
Tanner’s extra-point attempt was wide right and UNA trailed 10-6
with 10:25 left in the half.
Henderson missed a 35-yard field
goal attempt and lost a fumble in the second quarter, while Saylor
was picked off twice to halt UNA drives.
UNA managed just 128 total yards in
the first half. The Lions drove the length of the field to
open the second half but a Saylor fumble was recovered by HSU in the
end zone. Gunn then came into the game to ignite the UNA offense.
On his first possession in the game,
Gunn led UNA 57 yards in just three plays, with the pass to Fountain
covering the final 46. Chris Campbell’s PAT gave UNA a 13-10 lead at
the 7:19 mark of the third quarter.
Merritt returned a Henderson State
punt 62 yards for a score with 14:40 left in the game and Campbell’s
PAT stretched the lead to 20-10. It was Merritt’s third return TD of
the season.
On UNA’s next possession Gunn capped a 55-yard drive with an
eight-yard TD pass to Fountain. The extra-point attempt failed and
UNA led 26-10 with 8:07 left in the game.
UNA’s final score came on an 11-yard
run by Gunn with 4:30 left to play. Campbell’s PAT made the final
count 33-10.
The win was UNA’s 11th straight over
Henderson State dating back to 1972. UNA hosts Valdosta State
next Saturday at 6 p.m. at Braly Stadium as the Lions celebrate
Homecoming. |
