FLORENCE, Ala. (September 22, 2023) – Saturday marks a special weekend for the University of North Alabama football program, as the Lions play host to UT Martin on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. inside Braly Stadium for the final FCS non-conference game of the season.
This weekend, UNA will honor its 1993 national championship team with a special 30 year reunion. Thirty-nine members of that team, including student-athletes, coaches, staff and support members, are confirmed to attend. The 1993 team will join the current team for the Lion Walk at 3:45 p.m. and will have a special pregame ceremony at 5:40 p.m.
After Saturday's contest, the 1993 team will join the current Lions on the field for a special postgame firework show presented by TNT Fireworks. Fans are invited to stay for the firework show and are asked to prepare accordingly.
For a list of "Things to Know" for Saturday's game, including 1993 reunion info, an updated parking map due to the fireworks show, how to purchase tickets, promotions, where to watch and how to listen on WLX Radio,
click here.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Game: North Alabama vs. UT Martin
Date: Saturday, September 23
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Florence, Ala.
Stadium: Braly Municipal Stadium
TV: ESPN+
Radio: WLX 98.3 / 103.5 FM
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Click Here
Social Media:
@UNAFootball
UNA Game Notes |
Opponent Game Notes |
UAC Website
ABOUT THE LIONS
- North Alabama is 2-2 overall following a non-conference road win over Tennessee Tech last Saturday in Cookeville, 20-7.
- Much like the "Purple Swarm" defense that dominated the 1990s, the Lions forced five turnovers last week with three interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries. Tennessee Tech had 11 offensive drives end with five turnovers, three punts, two turnover on downs and a blocked field goal.
- Tennessee Tech's only points came on a pick-six last Saturday, meaning the UNA defense posted a shutout while on the field. The last defensive shutout for the Lions came in 2017 against Shorter.
- North Alabama is tied with three other schools for the national lead in turnovers gained with 10, including five fumble recoveries and five picks. The 10 turnovers through four games ranks as the most turnovers to start a season since 2017 — the final season of the NCAA Division II era.
- On offense, UNA is averaging 396.8 yards per game with 80 first down conversions. This ranks second in the nation behind Jackson State at 83.
- Sophomore quarterback Noah Walters leads the passing game with 69 completions on 121 attempts for 734 yards and four touchdowns. Over the last three games, Walters has completed 43-of-76 passes since the last time he threw at touchdown pass. In that span, Walters has both rushed for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass on a trick play.
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Sophomore running back Jalyn Daniels exited the game with a lower body injury against Tarleton State and will unlikely play again this season. Daniels currently sits at 13.9 yards per carry with 16 attempts for 223 rushing yards, which put him on pace to break the record set at 8.0 yards per rush by UNA Hall of Famer Kenyatta Jones in 1993.
- Speaking of Jones, a national championship legacy player will suit up for the Lions on Saturday, as Kenyatta's son is freshman defensive back Kenan Jones. Jones, a former Brooks High School standout, will wear No. 49 and will be joined by his father in the Lion Walk.
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In Daniels' stead, sophomore teammate Demarcus Lacey ran 16 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns at Tarleton State and followed that up last week with a career-high 23 rushes for 139 yards. The rushing yardage gave the former wide receiver a new career-high in all-purpose yards — all obtained on the ground.
- Defensively, UNA forced a pair of turnovers last week. Memphis transfer linebacker Rush Lansdell grabbed his first interception as a Lion midway through the first quarter, while returning redshirt junior defensive back K.J. Trujillo forced and recovered a fumble in the third quarter.
- UNA's top receiver remains redshirt senior Takairee Kenebrew with 12 catches for 229 yards and three touchdowns. In his last game at Braly Stadium, Kenebrew excited the crowd with five receptions for 172 yards and three scores.
- Kenebrew is tied for fourth on the all-time career touchdown receptions list with 19, sitting alongside UNA Hall of Famer and 1955 NFL MVP Harlon Hill. One more TD catch would tie him for third all-time with another UNA Hall of Famer from the 1993 championship team, Michael Edwards.
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On defense, the Lions are led by redshirt sophomore safety Edwin White Schultz with 40 tackles over four games. Last season at the University of Kansas, he had just two tackles in three games.
- Another key player for the defense is senior defensive lineman Philip Ossai, who recovered a pair of fumbles this past Saturday at Tennessee Tech. Ossai has 27 tackles, a team-best 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two quarterback hurries and a pass break up.
- Ossai was granted the privilege of wearing No. 44 this season in honor of UNA Hall of Famer and 1993 team member Ronald McKinnon, who went on to become the first defensive player to win the Harlon Hill Trophy as the best player in NCAA Division II football.
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Redshirt junior kicker Sam Contorno is 13-for-17 on career field goals, including a perfect 2-for-2 mark last week at Tennessee Tech. He was one yard shy of a career-high with a 42 yarder against the Golden Eagles on Saturday.
- The Lions are in their 75th season of football in 2023 with an all-time record of 482-300-16.
- At Braly Stadium, UNA owns an all-time record of 276-126-8 with an even 11-11 record since moving up to NCAA Division I.
- This season will be the sixth for UNA since transitioning to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and the second as a full-fledged FCS member. UNA has an all-time record of 18-36 versus FCS opponents.
- The Lions are charter members of the newly-formed United Athletic Conference, along with Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, EKU, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech and UTRGV, who will be joining in 2025. Former Gulf South Conference rival West Georgia announced its move to NCAA Division I and will join the league in 2024.
- The Lions are led by first year head coach Brent Dearmon, an Alabama native and offensive guru who made stops at Kansas, Middle Tennessee State and Florida Atlantic. Prior to those places, Dearmon was the head coach at Bethel University (TN), where he led the team to a 10-1 record and a top-five NAIA national ranking in 2018.
- North Alabama remains the second-winningest program in the state of Alabama since 1990 with 255 wins in the last 33 years, ranking second only to the University of Alabama with 296 wins. The Lions boast 21 NCAA playoff appearances, 17 conference championships and three national championship victories.
ABOUT THE SKYHAWKS
- UT Martin is 2-1 overall heading into its final non-conference contest of the season. The Skyhawks are members of the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference partnership, similar to the ASUN-WAC partnership that is the United Athletic Conference.
- Last season, the Skyhawks went 7-4 overall with a perfect 5-0 record in conference play. Building on that success, UT Martin is receiving 96 votes in this week's Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll to rank one spot outside the Top 25.
- Offensively, UTM is led by quarterback Kinkead Dent with 52-of-92 passes completed for 582 yards and eight touchdowns. His leading receiver is DeVonte Tanksley with 12 catches for 167 yards and a score.
- On the ground, Sam Franklin is the clubhouse leader with 49 carries for 432 yards and four touchdowns. As a team, UT Martin ranks third in the nation with 269.0 rushing yards per game behind Montana State and North Dakota State — two of the top three teams in both major FCS polls.
- The offense ranks second in the nation with 493.0 yards per game, averaging 52.0 points over the last two games against Missouri State and Houston Christian. Last week, the Skyhawks totaled a whopping 707 yards in a 66-7 blowout of HCU.
- Defensively, redshirt junior safety Carson Evans leads the way with 22 tackles. As a team, UT Martin is ranked eighth in the nation in tackles for loss with Daylan Dotson and Giovanni Davis among the nation's leaders.
- UT Martin is led by long-time coach Jason Simpson, who has built the Skyhawks program into a playoff contender over his 18 seasons. His career record sits at 109-85 overall and 82-47 in conference games.
SERIES HISTORY
- Saturday will be the 33rd all-time meeting, but will also be the first in 33 years as the teams last met in 1990.
- UNA leads the all-time series with a 19-12-1 record. The teams first met in 1949 — UNA's first year of football and the first season at Braly Stadium — as the Lions won 53-0 in Florence. The last meeting also took place at Braly as UNA won 49-0 in 1990. The following season, UT Martin jumped to FCS — putting the series on pause.
- UT Martin seeks its first win in the series since 1988 — a 38-14 win at Braly Stadium.
- Despite not playing each other as FCS opponents until this season, UT Martin is North Alabama's most frequently played rival among current FCS members with 32 meetings. The only teams that UNA has played more than the Skyhawks are West Alabama (71 times), Delta State (61), Jacksonville State (50), Troy (44), Valdosta State (42), Mississippi College (35) and West Georgia (35).
- The Skyhawks are also UNA's most played opponent from the state of Tennessee at any level. Behind UT Martin is Middle Tennessee State (20 times), Austin Peay (19), Carson-Newman (10) and Tennessee Tech (9).
- UNA has a winning record against the state of Tennessee with a record of 67-45-2. Both of UNA's ties came against each of the last two opponents — Tennessee Tech and UT Martin.
- The Lions will play four schools from the state of Tennessee this season — more than any other state. This includes Chattanooga, Tennessee Tech, UT Martin and Austin Peay.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
