nineFLORENCE, Ala. (September 7, 2024) – Quarterback
Ari Patu threw for a career-best 328 yards, but mistakes at inopportune times came back to haunt the University of North Alabama in a hard-fought 24-17 loss to FCS No. 21 Illinois State on Saturday at Braly Stadium.
Seventh-year senior
Takairee Kenebrew snagged seven Patu passes for 129 yards as UNA rolled to 411 total yards. Patu completed 21-of-36 passes with one touchdown – a 15-yarder to redshirt senior
Kobe Warden in the third quarter – and one interception and rushed for 25 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown.
Patu spread the wealth around as five Lions caught at least two passes and six recorded were credited with 30-plus receiving yards.
The Lions (0-3), who never led, had their chance to force overtime or win it outright on their final possession, steadily moving from their own 20 to the Illinois State 24 in less than two minutes. But a fourth-down throw into the end zone fell incomplete and the Redbirds (1-1) were able to run out the remaining time after picking up one first down.
"We had our moments and had opportunities to make this game ours tonight," said UNA head coach
Brent Dearmon. "We were able to establish the pass and for the first time this season we got our receivers involved. Our defense really settled in after that first drive, and I think we've got a chance to be really good on that side of the ball."
Freshman linebacker
Josh Anglin led UNA's defensive effort with 12 tackles, including five solo stops. The turnover battle was even with two apiece, as the Lions got an interception from redshirt senior
Jackson Bratton and a fumble forced by redshirt senior
Rush Lansdell that was recovered by redshirt junior
Tyrik Daniels. Bratton had nine tackles in his collegiate Braly Stadium debut.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
Illinois State 7, North Alabama 0: The Redbirds won the coin toss and chose to receive the opening kickoff. ISU drove 75 yards in eight plays as quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse completed all five of his passes, the last resulting in an 18-yard touchdown to Mitch Bartol. Ian Wagner added the extra point at the 11:17 mark.
Illinois State 7, North Alabama 3: The Lions responded with an impressive nine-play, 67-yard march to cut into ISU's early advantage.
Ari Patu connected with
KJ Fields for a 31-yard gain into Redbirds territory and
Scott Payne, a transfer from Middle Tennessee, kicked a 25-yard field goal, his first in a UNA uniform.
SECOND QUARTER
Illinois State 14, North Alabama 3: Rittenhouse gave ISU a double-digit lead at the 11:42 mark with a three-yard scramble for a touchdown to finish off a nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive. This score held until halftime, as UNA's Bratton intercepted an end zone pass to stop ISU near the goal line with 20 seconds left in the half.
THIRD QUARTER
Illinois State 14, North Alabama 10: Patu engineered an 80-yard, eight-play scoring march as the Lions reduced the deficit to four points midway through the third. His third completion on the drive went for a 15-yard touchdown to receiver
Kobe Warden and graduate kicker
Scott Payne tacked on his first PAT for the Lions.
Illinois State 21, North Alabama 10: Rittenhouse, who didn't start the Redbirds' first series of the second half, returned to the lineup and immediately made his presence felt, breaking free for a 71-yard touchdown run on their first play after UNA's score.
Illinois State 24, North Alabama 10: ISU's longest scoring drive of the game covered 83 yards and took 13 plays, consuming nearly five minutes off the clock. It stalled at UNA's four yard line and Ian Wagner came on to kick a 21-yard field goal with just 11 seconds left in the quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
Illinois State 24, North Alabama 17: Patu's seven-yard TD run pulled the Lions within one score. The key play on the quick four-play, 72-yard scoring drive was his 47-yard connection with "TK" Kenebrew deep into Illinois State territory. Two plays later, Patu scrambled and was hit as he crossed the goal line, with the football rolling out of the end zone. Initially ruled a touchback, the call was overturned to a touchdown on review, and Payne came added the extra point with 10:57 remaining.
With under four minutes to go, ISU was stopped by redshirt junior
Cameron Jamar on third down and short near the goal line, forcing another field goal. The kick was wide left, as North Alabama took over with 3:36 to go. Marching down the field, UNA drove 51 yards near the ISU red zone, but stalled on fourth down. ISU ran the time out with a first down and ended with a knee on fourth down.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Takairee Kenebrew, UNA's record holder for career TD catches (26) and receiving TDs in a season (10), finished with a team-high seven receptions and now has 109 receptions for his standout career. Kenebrew is currently 13th on the career receptions list and needs 14 more to move into the UNA Top 10.
- Kenebrew also has 1,971 career receiving yards after Saturday, needing 20 yards to tie former teammate Cortez Hall (2018-22) for seventh in UNA history.
- KJ Fields' 31-yard reception in the first quarter was the longest of the sophomore wide receiver's career.
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Redshirt junior receiver Tanaka Scott's 41-yard catch in the second quarter was a career-long. He later grabbed a 25-yard pass across the middle from Patu in the third quarter. Scott had two receptions at Memphis the previous week, the longest there covering 14 yards.
- Ari Patu's 15-yard TD toss to Kobe Warren in the third quarter was the first as Lions quarterback. For Warren, a redshirt senior from Killen, it marked his fifth career receiving touchdown.
- Running back Jayvian Allen, who missed the Memphis game with an injury, ran for 63 yards on a season-high 14 carries.
- Scott Payne attempted his first career kick during the first quarter and booted a 25-yard field goal for the Lions' only first-half points. He later added two extra points. Payne spent four seasons as a kickoff specialist at MTSU before joining the Lions this season.
- Illinois State is the Lions' sixth consecutive opponent that has either been ranked or received votes in a national poll. UNA's final three opponents in 2023, Austin Peay (FCS #20), Central Arkansas (FCS #25) and Florida State (FBS #4) were ranked, respectively, while Southeast Missouri, Memphis and Illinois State (FCS #21/22) have picked up votes this year.
- The Redbirds were the sixth current member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference that UNA has played. Previous MVFC foes include Murray State (5-3), North Dakota (1-1), North Dakota State (0-2), Indiana State (0-1) and Youngstown State (0-1)
- UNA was 4-of-14 on third down conversions and 0-of-1 on fourth down.
- The Lions' home opener at Braly Stadium attracted a crowd of 8,014.
- The Lions are 19-43 against FCS competition since 1978.
- UNA is 61-59-1 all-time against ranked opponents. The Lions' last win over a ranked team came against Division II No. 24 Azusa Pacific in 2018.
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions conclude the non-conference portion of the 2024 slate with a trip to former Gulf South Conference rival UT-Martin, now a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. UNA owns a 9-6 record in 15 previous visits to Martin, Tenn.
Kickoff at 7,500-seat Graham Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. with television coverage on ESPN+.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
