NORMAL, Ill. (September 20, 2025) – The University of North Alabama football team came within one play of a program-defining win on Saturday, but a few whistles loomed large in a 38-36 double-overtime heartbreaker against nationally-ranked Illinois State in Normal, Ill.
Despite a 17-0 deficit in the second quarter, the Lions (1-3) stormed back and tied the game with 33 seconds to go. The No. 4 ranked Redbirds (3-1) had a chance to win toward the end, but the Lions blocked the game-deciding field goal to force overtime. Senior
Kaleb Brown was credited with the block. UNA went to overtime for just the third time since 2022 and the fourth time since 2013.
The teams traded field goals and touchdowns in the first two overtimes, respectively, but a controversial penalty call erased a two-point conversion that would have forced a third overtime. The next attempt from the 18-yard line failed, allowing the home team to narrowly escape an upset.
Speaking of storms, the game went into a weather delay due to lightning late in the second quarter. The delay lasted over an hour, leading to a shortened halftime. Later in the game, another delay was enforced with 5:42 left in the game, immediately following a UNA touchdown to make it 24-21.
The game lasted five hours and 55 minutes.
UNA had two fumble recoveries early in the game with touchdown potential. However, both plays were blown dead prematurely. The first one was a bobble by Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse that ended up in the arms of
Michael Jordan Jr. but was assumed down by the officials. The second one was knocked out by
Jahbari Hill on a pass attempt, but was assumed incomplete and blown dead. Senior
Demarcious Robinson picked it up and had no one near him, but did not have the opportunity to advance it for a sure-score.
Graduate quarterback
Ari Patu entered the game in the second quarter and nearly led the Lions to a tremendous comeback. The captain finished 17-for-31 passing for 243 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. The four touchdowns mark a career-high. His career-high for yardage came last year against Illinois State with 328 yards.
Patu also led the team in rushing with 60 yards. He did not have any negative yardage.
Junior
KJ Fields had a career day with seven catches for 94 yards and a score. Senior
Justin Pegues caught a pair of touchdowns, reeling in 10 targets for 91 yards. Redshirt freshman
Noah Gregg stepped up in his first career start with three catches for 49 yards and a touchdown.
Four Lions racked up double digit tackles with 11 from junior captain
Seth Hampton. Seniors
Jahbari Hill,
Demarcious Robinson and
Jermaine Ray Jr. had 10 each. Hill also had 2.5 tackles for loss with a sack and a forced fumble. Ray had a career-high five pass breakups.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST QUARTER
Illinois State 3, North Alabama 0: The Lions and Redbirds traded possessions to open the game, as UNA punted and ISU coughed up the football in the red zone for
Michael Jordan Jr. to recover. Illinois State connected on a 42-yard field goal by Matt Maldonado to strike first with 5:18 remaining in the quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
Illinois State 10, North Alabama 0: On the second play of the second quarter, Illinois State running back Wenkers Wright broke off a 38-yard touchdown run to extend the lead.
Illinois State 17, North Alabama 0: UNA made the switch at quarterback to
Ari Patu in the second quarter, who completed a 23-yard pass to
KJ Fields to move the chains.
Adam Watford hit a 46-yard punt shortly after, but Illinois State completed a 40-yard pass to set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Rittenhouse to Luke Mailander in the corner of the end zone.
Illinois State 17, North Alabama 7: After a lengthy weather delay, the two teams traded punts and the Lions took back over at the Illinois State 45 yard line with 31 seconds to go.
KJ Fields caught a free play pass from Patu for a 22-yard game, then
Noah Gregg made a similar catch to put UNA at five yard line. Much like last week's game, Gregg caught a short touchdown pass with less than 10 seconds remaining in the half.
Ian Vachon had the extra point to make it 17-7.
THIRD QUARTER
Illinois State 17, North Alabama 14: Due to the weather delay, the halftime break was only a three-minute media timeout. UNA went right back to work, getting a three-and-out and making it a one score game on its first offensive possession. Patu ran for 29 yards on the drive and handed it to
Jayvian Allen for a one-yard score with 9:24 to go.
Illinois State 24, North Alabama 14: The Lions defense recorded a huge stop at the goal line with 6:11 to go, including a stop on 3rd-and-goal by
Tango McCauley Jr., a holding call on 4th-and-goal to negate a touchdown and a missed field goal to end the drive. UNA had to punt it back and Illinois State finally broke through with a six-yard touchdown pass from Rittenhouse to Daniel Sobkowicz with 1:54 left in the third.
FOURTH QUARTER
Illinois State 24, North Alabama 21: UNA took over at its own 10 yard line after a punt with 11:10 remaining and proceeded on one of the most impressive drives of the season to pull back within a field goal. Patu and the Lions cooked up a 13-play, 90-yard drive that ended with a 39-yard touchdown strike to
Justin Pegues. This came after a negated touchdown pass in the red zone to Gregg that was called back on a holding and pushed back even further after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Pegues caught the ensuing pass at the nine yard line and broke a tackle en route to the end zone. Immediately after Vachon's extra point, the game went into another weather delay that lasted over an hour.
Illinois State 27, North Alabama 21: Coming out of the weather delay, Vachon kicked off to Illinois State. The Redbirds took three minutes off the clock before taking a deep shot on third down, which was broken up by
Jermaine Ray Jr. Illinois State's Maldonado connected on a career-long 51-yard field goal to make it a six-point game.
Illinois State 27, North Alabama 27: Patu led a brilliant two-minute drive that ended with a 25-yard pass to
KJ Fields, who juggled it and came down with it in the end zone after a second effort. Fields also drew a pass interference penalty to give UNA a first down on third-and-long. This set up a long pass to
Noah Gregg three plays before the touchdown. The extra point hit off the upright to keep it tied with 33 seconds to go. Illinois State set itself up for a 39-yard field goal to win it, but it was blocked by the likes of
Kaleb Brown and EJ Colbert. After one more play, UNA forced overtime.
OVERTIME
North Alabama 30, Illinois State 27: Illinois State won the coin toss and deferred to the second possession. UNA got one yard from
Jalyn Daniels on the ground, but Vachon was forced to kick on 4th-and-9. He sailed it through from 42 yards. This marked UNA's first lead of the game, overcoming a 17-0 deficit.
North Alabama 30, Illinois State 30: With the pressure on, UNA's defense made three stops with tackles from Brown,
Tae Martin and
Demarcious Robinson. Maldonado connected on a 38-yarder to send it to double overtime.
Illinois State 38, North Alabama 30: On the very first play of double overtime, Rittenhouse connected with Sobkowicz for a touchdown. The pair connected again on the two-point conversion on a pass that was low on the ground, but determined to be caught.
Illinois State 38, North Alabama 36: Needing a touchdown and two-point conversion, Pegues caught a four-yard pass and Patu powered a three-yard carry. An incomplete out route to Gregg set up fourth-down. With the game on the line, Pegues caught an 18-yard pass on fourth down to score. UNA had to go for two, which is where controversy loomed. The Lions converted the first play on a pass to Fields, but the officials called a block below the waist to force a retry. The next conversion attempt was unsuccessful, ending the game in heartbreaking fashion.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- The two weather delays in Normal lasted a total of two hours and 28 minutes. Both delays lasted the same exact amount of time — one hour and 14 minutes.
- UNA has progressively thrown for more yards in each game, including 265 yards through the air today.
- For the first time this season, UNA had more passing yards than rushing.
- The two sides combined for 915 yards on a season-high 82 plays for the Lions. This marks the most yards in a game combined since the Austin Peay game last season at 919 yards.
- UNA was hurt by 10 penalties for 129 yards. This marked the second straight game with over 100 penalties for the Lions.
- At the end of regulation, the Lions blocked a field goal for the first time since 2023. That block came in a 20-7 win over Tennessee Tech.
- This was the second all-time meeting between the two, wrapping up a home-and-home series. Illinois State, nationally-ranked in both meetings, escaped with a one-score win both times.
COMING UP NEXT
The Lions now enter the bye week and return to UAC play on Saturday, Oct. 4 against Abilene Christian. Kickoff from Abilene, Texas is set for 2 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
