FLORENCE, Ala. (September 23, 2023) – Facing an opponent ranked or receiving votes in the FCS polls for the fourth time in five games, the University of North Alabama slipped in the second half of a 37-21 loss to UT Martin on Saturday night at Braly Municipal Stadium. 

Despite allowing a touchdown on the opening drive, North Alabama (2-3) was the early aggressors with three first half touchdown passes from sophomore quarterback Noah Walters to three different receivers. A 21-10 halftime would be spoiled in the second half as UT Martin (3-1) took a 23-21 lead late in the third quarter and extended it with two more touchdowns in the final frame. 

While the Lions handled business through the air with a 296-172 advantage in passing yards, the Skyhawks did their damage in the run game with 308 rushing yards on 51 attempts — 32 of which came from running back Sam Franklin. 

As part of today’s game, UNA honored its 1993 national championship football team with a special 30 year reunion, a pregame ceremony and a postgame firework show presented by TNT Fireworks.  

HOW IT HAPPENED 

FIRST QUARTER 

UT Martin 7, North Alabama 0: North Alabama won the toss and deferred to the second half. UT Martin took the opening possession 75 yards on nine plays, converting three first downs and scoring on a three yard run by Narkel Leflore. 

UT Martin 7, North Alabama 7: The Lions punted on its first offensive possession, flipping the field with a 58 yard boomer from Adam Watford that rolled back past the returner to the UTM 11 yard line. The Skyhawks coughed it up two plays later, as Philjae Bien-Aime forced it out and Edwin White Schultz picked it up and brought it just inside the red zone. This led to a five-yard pass from Noah Walters to Takairee Kenebrew, who made a Randy Moss-type catch in the far corner. This came after the drive was extended by a running into the kicker penalty drawn by Sam Contorno, who made the extra point to tie it. 

North Alabama 14, UT Martin 7: The UNA defense came up with a crucial fourth down stop just outside field goal range, as quarterback Kinkead Dent was stuffed one yard short on a scramble by linebacker Rush Lansdell. Five plays later, Walters connected with Dakota Warfield on a deep pass, hitting him in stride right outside the end zone for a 41 yard score. The Contorno PAT made it 14-7 with 2:36 left in the opening frame. 

SECOND QUARTER 

North Alabama 14, UT Martin 10: The teams traded punts to begin the second quarter, as UT Martin took advantage of a tough snap to handle on UNA’s punt and started on the UNA 39 yard line. The UNA defense bent, but did not break, as UT Martin settled for a short 20 yard field goal to make it 14-10 midway through the second quarter. Sophomore Jaylen Powell had back-to-back tackles on first and second down to keep the Skyhawks from paydirt. 

North Alabama 21, UT Martin 10: After a missed 50 yard field goal by UNA, the Skyhawks took over at their own 33 with 1:52 remaining in the half. The first play after that resulted in an interception by AJ Seay on a hurried pass by Shaun Myers to give momentum right back to the Purple & Gold. The Lions scored nine plays later with 38 ticks on the clock, as Kobe Warden caught an 11 yard slant for the score. Warden had two catches and a rush for 37 all-purpose yards on the drive. 

THIRD QUARTER 

North Alabama 21, UT Martin 17: UT Martin took advantage of missed red zone opportunity by the Lions early in the third quarter, using 17 plays to go 80 yards in a span of 6:43 for a game-changing drive. The score that ended the long drive was a four-yard reverse lateral to Marlon Cook Jr. 

UT Martin 23, North Alabama 21: The Skyhawks continued their third quarter success, taking their first lead since the opening drive with a 17 yard pass from Kinkead Dent to Zoe Roberts. The extra point doinked off the left post, keeping it a two-score game with 1:53 remaining and into the final quarter. 

FOURTH QUARTER 

UT Martin 30, North Alabama 21: UTM stopped a fourth down attempt with a hurry and breakup by Davonte Murray, then running back Sam Franklin broke off a 74 yard run to give the Skyhawks their first two-possession lead midway through the fourth quarter. 

UT Martin 37, North Alabama 21: The Skyhawks iced the game late in the fourth quarter with an interception and a 43 yard run by Sam Franklin to put him over 200 yards rushing. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Redshirt senior Takairee Kenebrew moved past UNA Hall of Famer and 1955 NFL MVP Harlon Hill on the all-time career touchdown list at UNA with his 20th TD reception. The touchdown tied another UNA Hall of Famer, Michael Edwards, who was part of the 1993 national championship team honored during tonight’s game. 
  
   
• Redshirt junior Kobe Warden had a career game, leading the Lions with 11 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. Warden’s longest reception was a 40 yard grab, setting new career highs in catches, yards and longest catch. 

• Redshirt sophomore AJ Seay had the only interception for UNA tonight, giving him interceptions back-to-back weeks. At Tennessee Tech last week, Seay jumped a short route for a 44 yard pick-six. Seay also has a team-high five pass breakups this season. 

• Safety Edwin White Schultz has now had at least nine tackles in four of the five games this season, including three double-digit performances with a team-high 10 tonight. He is now at 50 tackles to maintain his 10.0 tackles per game.  

• White Schultz also added a recovered fumble to his defensive totals tonight, recovering a loose ball forced by Philjae Bien-Aime. White Schultz also had a key pass break up to stop a deep pass that could have resulted in a touchdown. 

• UNA now has 12 forced turnovers in the first five games this season, marking the most to start a season since 2017 — UNA’s last season at the NCAA Division II level. The Lions remain at a plus-1 turnover differential this season. 

• UNA is averaging 17.0 points scored off turnovers the last two weeks after scoring all 20 off turnovers against Tennessee Tech and adding 14 this week against UT Martin. 

• UT Martin totaled 480 yards on 81 plays, while the Lions ran 89 plays for 391 yards. Possession time was fairly even with UT Martin owning a 38 second edge. 
  
   
• The Lions now have an all-time record of 482-301-16. 
  
   
  
   
  
  COMING UP NEXT 
  
   
  
  The festivities at Braly Stadium continue next week with UNA’s annual Homecoming game against Eastern Kentucky University set for Saturday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. in Florence. 
  
   
  
  Saturday’s Homecoming will be a “Gold Rush” game, as fans are encouraged to wear gold. The first 500 fans will receive a free gold t-shirt and the first 2,500 fans will receive a free gold shaker.  
  
   
  
  For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

FLORENCE, Ala. (September 18, 2023) – Thirty years ago, a dynasty began. 

The 1993 football season is one that will live in the minds of University of North Alabama fans forever. That season marked the school’s first No. 1 national ranking, broke or tied 85 school and conference records, produced a Gulf South Conference and NCAA South Region Championship and, of course, the first NCAA Division II National Championship in program history with a perfect 14-0 record. 

The 1993 team will be honored at this weekend’s football game as the Lions host UT Martin at 6 p.m. inside Braly Stadium — the same location where UNA won all three of its national championships. A post-game firework show sponsored by TNT Fireworks will take place after the contest. 

A number of players, coaches, staff and support personnel from that team will be attendance for the reunion, including head coach Bobby Wallace. 

“I hope we’re all wearing name tags because you probably won’t recognize half of us — and I know they won’t recognize me” Wallace said jokingly. “I’m looking so much forward to it. A good example, I talked to Tyrone Rush on the phone — he’s lived in Los Angeles for a long time — and I haven’t seen him in so long, but he’s like a son. So, it’s like coming to see family that you haven’t seen in a long, long time.” 

Rush, who is UNA’s all-time record holder for career carries and rushing yards, also set the single season record for rush attempts in the 1993 season.  

A number of other players from that team still hold records from that historic season — most of whom will be attending the championship reunion on Saturday. Fourteen members of the UNA Hall of Fame are also on the RSVP list. 

Below is a list of confirmed attendees from the 1993 team: 

• Phil Abston 
• Brad Alsup 
• Anthony Brooks 
• Kevin Brown 
• Spencer Butler 
• Bobby Chitwood 
• Michael Edwards * 
• Eddie Evans 
• Patrick Freeman 
• Richard Garris 
• Jimmy Gay 
• Nate George 
• Sam Graham 
• Cody * & Karin Gross 
• Jarius Hayes * 
• Robert Haynes 
• Jeff Hodges * 
• Charles Hogan 
• Bill Hunt 
• Ashley Ingram 
• Tony Johnson 
• Willie Jones 
• Kenyatta Jones * 
• Johnny Long * 
• David Martin 
• Jerrod McCord 
• Thomas Moore 
• Israel Raybon * 
• Jeff Redcross * 
• Tyrone Rush * 
• Gerald Smith * 
• Heath Springer 
• Jamie Stoddard * 
• Jeff Surbaugh * 
• Kin Taylor 
• Bobby Wallace * 
• Michael Williams * 
• Quintin Woods 

*denotes UNA Hall of Famer 

The Lions went 14-0 in the 1993 season with wins over seven ranked opponents. On Oct. 4, 1993, UNA achieved its first-ever No. 1 ranking and would hold the top spot until 1996. 

After a perfect regular season that ended with a 41-14 win over West Georgia, the Lions knocked off Carson-Newman, Hampton, Texas A&M-Kingsville and Indiana-Pennsylvania en route to the first national championship in school history. All four playoff games were hosted in Florence. 

The 1993 national championship game — a thriller for the ages where UNA defeated Indiana, Pa. on the final drive for a 41-34 victory — remains the highest-attended game in Braly Stadium history with an overflow of 15,631 fans in attendance.  

UNA went on to become the first school in the history of NCAA scholarship football to win three consecutive national championships from 1993-95, and UNA is still the only NCAA Division II institution to have won three straight crowns. 
 

From 1993-95 the Lions went 41-1 and set a Division II record by ranking No. 1 in the nation in 27 straight polls. UNA also tied a Division II record by winning 28 consecutive home games at Braly Stadium. 

In honor of the 1993 team, fans can buy nine football vouchers — valid for prime and outer bench seating for all five home games — for a commemorative price of $93. Single game tickets remain available at roarlions.com at this link. 

 For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Atlanta Falcons start season 1-0 after defensive performance against the Carolina Panthers!

The Atlanta Falcons started the 2023 season off on a good note as they took down a division foe in the Carolina Panthers.  This is the first time the Atlanta Falcons have started 1-0 since the 2017 NFL season.

Falcons First TD Drive 7-0:

First round running back and former Texas Longhorn Bijan Robinson was able to score his first NFL touchdown just 6 seconds into the second quarter as the Atlanta Falcons took a 7-0 lead.  (3 plays, 17 yards, 1:07 TOP)

Panthers First TD Drive 7-7:

The Panthers responded with Bryce Young's first touchdown of his career as it came in the second quarter when he connected with former Atlanta Falcons tight end Hayden Hurst with 5:09 left in the second quater. (12 plays, 75 yards, 7:18 TOP)

The game went into a 7-7 tie at halftime.

Panthers Second Scoring Drive 10-7:

Coming out of halftime Carolina was able to take a 10-7 lead with a Eddy Peneiro 43 yard field goal on their first drive of the 3rd quarter.  (4 plays, 50 yards, 4:14 TOP)

Falcons Second Scoring Drive 10-10:

The Atlanta Falcons were able to get their second turnover for the day as safety Jessie Bates III secured another interception to setup a 49 yard field goal by kicker Younghoe Koo to tie the game. (4 plays, 5 yards, 1:46 TOP)

Falcons Third Scoring Drive 17-10:

Less than a minute into the 4th quarter backup running back Tyler Allgeier scored a rushing touchdown after the Falcons recorded a third turnover off of a Jessie Bates III forced fumble.  (7 plays, 61 yards, 3:12 TOP)

Falcons Fourth Scoring Drive 24-10:

The Atlanta Falcons were able to close the door with 4:46 left in the 4th quarter as Tyler Allgeier scored his second touchdown of the day from 3 yards out. (6 plays, 56 yards, 2:21 TOP)

Stats:

ATL Running Back Tyler Allgeier led Falcons running backs with 15 carries, 75 yard and 2 touchdowns.

CAR Quarterback Bryce Young went 20-38, 146 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions in his debut for the Carolina Panthers.

ATL Safety Jessie Bates III had two interceptions on the day and also forced a fumble as well.

ATL Quarterback Desmond Ridder went 15-18 for 115 yards and 1 touchdown and now has a (3-2) record in his first 5 games as a starter.

The Atlanta Falcons defense forced a turnover on downs, plus an interception and fumble recovery in the first half.  

The Atlanta Falcons were outgained by the Panthers (281-221) but committed less penalties (6-43 to 9-66) with zero turnovers.

Next Up For The Dirty Birds...

The Atlanta Falcons now look to go (2-0) for the first time since the 2017 season as they face a new look Green Bay Packers team led by quarterback Jordan Love in Mercedes Benz Stadium.  The Packers are coming off a win as well as they defeated NFC North rival the Chicago Bears 38-20 in Chicago.  

Chad Gwathney

Stats per: ESPN.com/Pro Football Reference

No. 4/3 Alabama Opens 2023 Campaign with a 56-7 Win Over Middle Tennessee

The Crimson Tide quarterbacks were responsible for eight of the team’s nine scores in the season-opening victory

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 4/3 Alabama football team opened the 2023 campaign with a resounding 56-7 win over Middle Tennessee Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium. With the victory, the Crimson Tide won its 21^st consecutive home game which stands as the fourth-best streak in program history.

Making just his second career start, quarterback Jalen Milroe shined against the Blue Raiders, accounting for five touchdowns and 242 total yards of offense. Milroe closed the night with 194 yards and three touchdowns through the air, while also rushing seven times for 48 yards and a pair of scores.

Eight different receivers caught at least one pass in the win, led by Isaiah Bonds five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. Both Jermaine Burton (3 receptions, 62 yards) and Amari Niblack (2 receptions, 49 yards) also found the back of the endzone for Alabama.

Defensively, the Tide was led by Caleb Downs’ eight tackles, which included six solo stops, while Deonte Lawson added seven tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. As a unit, Alabama combined to make three sacks, seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries and a pair of turnovers.

Notes

• Jalen Milroe earned the start at quarterback and was responsible for five total touchdowns responsible which is tied for third-most in Alabama school history (three passing, two rushing)
• Milroe, who was pulled from the game midway through the third quarter, finished with 242 total yards which included 194 through the air on 13-of-18 passing while also rushing for 48 yards on seven carries
• With the win over Middle Tennessee, Alabama improved its home winning streak to 21 consecutive games which is the fourth best in program history. The streak dates back to Nov. 23, 2019
• Alabama improved to 83-11-2 (.875) all-time across 96 home openers while head coach Nick Saban won for the 26^th time in 28 home openers (26-2, .929) as a collegiate head coach
• After closing the 2022 season with an average of 7.9 penalties and 68.7 penalty yards per game, the Tide had just two penalties for 19 yards in the win against the Blue Raiders
• Alabama’s three quarterbacks (Milroe, Tyler Buchner, Ty Simpson) accounted for eight of the Tide’s nine touchdowns in the win (three rushing and five passing)
• The Tide won for the 52^nd time in its last 53 games when it scores a touchdown on the team’s first offensive possession of the game
• The Alabama defense limited Middle Tennessee to 78 rushing yards in the contest to mark the eighth time in the last 14 games, and 18^th time in the last 29 games dating back to 2021, that the Crimson Tide defense has held its opponent to under 80 yards rushing in a contest

How It Happened

FIRST QUARTER

• 10:49 – UA | Jalen Milroe opened the scoring when he scampered 21-yards for the Tide’s first touchdown of the season which capped off a six-play, 63-yard drive that only took 2:58.
• 04:15 – UA | The Tide scored on their second consecutive possession when Jase McClellan finished off a 11-play, 47-yard drive diving one yard in to find paydirt.

SECOND QUARTER

• 03:07 – UA | Milroe found the endzone for the second time when he had a 13-yard rushing touchdown to finish off a drive that lasted just 35 seconds and went 42 yards in just two plays
• 01:58 – UA | The Tide’s first passing touchdown came in grand fashion just before the half ended when Milroe connected with Isaiah Bond for a 47-yard reception on the first play of the drive

THIRD QUARTER

• 12:54 – UA | Jermaine Burton began the second half of the game with a 48-yard touchdown catch to spot Alabama to a 35-0 lead capping a six-play 75-yard drive that took 2:06 off the clock
• 10:25 – UA | Amari Niblack crossed the goal line after a 29-yard reception from Milroe on a drive that lasted only two plays and went 34 yards taking only 41 seconds
• 00:32 – MTSU | Middle Tennessee’s lone touchdown of the night came when quarterback Nicholas Vattiato connected with Bryce Bailey for a seven-yard score which finished off an 11-play, 68-yard drive that took 4:47

FOURTH QUARTER

• 10:39 – UA | Quarterback Tyler Buchner scored his first touchdown for Alabama when he took it in from nine yards out to finish off the longest drive of the game, lasting 10 plays and going 77 yards in 4:47
• 05:58 – UA | Alabama finished off the scoring when quarterback Ty Simpson plunged in from a yard out to finish a drive that lasted 3:17 and went six plays and 33 yards

Up Next

• Alabama will remain at home for a primetime matchup with No. 11 Texas next Saturday, Sept. 9
• The Crimson Tide and Longhorns are scheduled for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff on ESPN

Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaFTBL on X and Facebook and AlabamaFBL on Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on X and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.

FLORENCE, Ala. (September 2, 2023) – If Saturday’s game at Braly Stadium was any indication of what to expect under new head coach Brent Dearmon, North Alabama fans have much to look forward to. 

After surrendering their first lead of the game on the first play of the fourth quarter, the North Alabama Lions surged back in the final seven minutes to finish off a thrilling 41-27 victory over the Chattanooga Mocs on Saturday at Braly Stadium, sending the crowd home happy. 

Tonight’s victory is arguably one of the biggest in UNA’s FCS era, as the Lions (1-1) defeated a Chattanooga team that was receiving votes in both the FCS Coaches Poll and the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. Saturday also marks UNA’s first all-time win against Chattanooga (0-1) in four tries. 

The Lions stunned the Mocs early with three touchdown connections between Noah Walters and Takairee Kenebrew in the first 16 minutes to make it 21-0, but Chattanooga steadily worked back to a 21-17 deficit at halftime. After Chattanooga took the lead on a fourth quarter plunge, UNA tied the game with 8:49 remaining with a 10 yard touchdown by Jayln Daniels — the first paydirt visit of his career. 

With momentum in the balance, Dakota Warfield made perhaps the most acrobatic catch of the game with a toe-dragger in the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown with 6:17 remaining. This gave Walters his fourth touchdown pass of the game — a new career-high for the sophomore. 

Chattanooga gave it one last effort on 4th-and-4 inside the red zone, but were stopped one yard short thanks to a dual effort by Elijah Elmore and Shaun Myers. UNA sealed the deal two plays later, as Jalyn Daniels broke off an 81 yard run for the final score with exactly 1:00 remaining. 

Tonight’s win was a landmark in UNA’s history, marking both the first win for Dearmon as the Lions’ head coach and the first win for UNA as a member of the United Athletic Conference. North Alabama becomes the second team to win a UAC game in the league’s young history. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

FIRST QUARTER 

North Alabama 7, Chattanooga 0: North Alabama started with the ball and made the most of its opening possession, marching 88 yards down the field on eight plays in just over three minutes to strike first. Making his first appearance of the season, Takairee Kenebrew entered late in the drive and caught a 25 yard strike from Noah Walters. The Sam Contorno PAT made it 7-0.  

North Alabama 14, Chattanooga 0: The two teams traded punts after the opening score and UNA forced Chattanooga to punt a second time with 6:08 remaining in the opening frame. After a 14 yard return by Kobe Warden to the UNA 41 yard line, Walters hit Kenebrew in stride on the first play of the ensuing drive for a 59 yard score. Kenebrew got behind the entire defense with a route over the middle and finished at the pylon. 

SECOND QUARTER 

North Alabama 21, Chattanooga 0: The Lions forced four Chattanooga punts in the first quarter to complete the opening frame shutout, then added seven more to their own tally with Kenebrew’s third score of the day — a 21 yard touchdown on a slant pass from Walters. The three touchdowns for Kenebrew matched his UNA FCS record for single game receiving touchdowns, last set in 2022 against Kennesaw State. 

North Alabama 21, Chattanooga 7: The Mocs used big plays on their fifth drive of the day, completing a 24 yard pass and 49 yard pass back-to-back to set up a four yard run by Walter Payton Award watch list candidate Ailym Ford with 12:36 remaining. 

North Alabama 21, Chattanooga 10: After the UTC touchdown, the Lions stalled on the next drive and Chattanooga went 56 yards on seven plays. The end result was a 27 yard field goal by Jude Kelley in the red zone, as the UNA defense held strong with a QB hurry from Elijah Elmore perhaps preventing an easy touchdown dump. 

THIRD QUARTER 

North Alabama 21, Chattanooga 17: The third quarter started with a see saw of momentum shifts, as UTC opened with possession in the second half and had a tipped pass land in the arms of Shaun Myers for UNA’s first interception of the season. Unfortunately for the Lions, Chattanooga forced a fumble two plays later and parlayed that into a 36 yard touchdown strike from Chase Artopoeus to Chris Houston. 

North Alabama 21, Chattanooga 20: The “Purple Swarm” had another huge stop late in the third quarter as tackles by A.J. Seay and Keenan Hill near the goal line forced another short Chattanooga field goal — this time from 20 yards — with 6:12 left in the frame. 

FOURTH QUARTER 

Chattanooga 27, North Alabama 21: After another entrance into the red zone by Chattanooga to end the third quarter, the Mocs scored on the first play of the fourth with a two yard run up the middle by Gino Appleberry. This gave Chattanooga its first lead of the day. 

Chattanooga 27, North Alabama 27: After a booming 51 yard punt by Adam Watford backed Chattanooga up to its own 33 yard line on the next possession, the Mocs were able to get near field goal range, but missed a 53 yarder. This allowed Walters and Kenebrew to connect for a 44 yard pass play to set up a 10 yard scoring run by sophomore Jalyn Daniels to tie things up. The missed extra point kept things tied for the time being. The score was the first of Daniels’ career. 

North Alabama 34, Chattanooga 27: With 8:14 to go, Walters and company engineered what proved to be the go-ahead drive. Starting near midfield, Walters found Kenebrew for 23 yards, then connected with Dakota Warfield on back-to-back passes for the go-ahead touchdown. The final play of the drive involved Warfield dragging his foot inbounds for a highlight-reel catch in between the right side pylons.  

North Alabama 41, Chattanooga 27: Chattanooga was stopped one yard short on a 4th-and-4 play with 1:50 to go thanks to tackles by Myers and Elmore. Many thought UNA would try to run out the clock, but instead, Daniels broke free for an electric 81 yard touchdown run. The 81 yard play totaled more yardage than any of his all-purpose game totals from last season and is the 12th-longest run from scrimmage in UNA history. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• As a team, UNA had eight fewer first downs, but still finished with a 517-488 advantage in total yards. In a balanced attack, the Lions totaled 271 in the air and 246 on the ground. All 271 passing yards were from Noah Walters. 
  
   
• Takairee Kenebrew led the receiving corps with 172 yards — the most by an individual against a Chattanooga defense since R.J. Harris of New Hampshire on Dec. 12, 2014 in the FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals. 

• Kenebrew also matched his career-high of three touchdown passes, which stands as the FCS Era record for receiving TDs in a single game. He also joined UNA legend Harlon Hill for fourth on the all-time receiving touchdown list with 19 for their careers. One more would tie three-time national champion Michael Edwards for third with 20. 

• In just 13 collegiate games, Noah Walters has already led five fourth-quarter comebacks that either tied a game or took a late lead. Tonight marked the first one of those that ended in a win. 

• Walters went 16-for-28 passing for 271 yards and four touchdowns. Prior to tonight, his career high was three touchdown passes set three times in 2022. 
  
   
• Jayln Daniels led all rushers with 147 yards on just eight carries, averaging 18.4 yards per carry. Through two games, Daniels is averaging 17.8 yards on 11 attempts. 
  
   
• Demarcus Lacey proved to be a dual threat in the backfield, rushing for 75 yards on 11 attempts while totaling 29 yards on three receptions for over 100 all-purpose yards. 
  
   
• Lacey’s longest run of 41 yards was just two shy of his career-long of 43, which was set in last year’s season opener against UVA Wise. 

• On defense, UNA had three players with double-digit tackle totals. This group is led by defensive back Gregory Reddick with 13 tackles, including nine solo and one tackle for loss. 

• After matching both an FCS Kickoff game record and the UNA FCS Era record for single game tackles last week, Edwin White Schultz gave the home crowd a taste of his hard hitting ability with 12 tackles against Chattanooga. Junior transfer Amauri Floyd added 10 more, including six solo. 

• Keenan Hill led the defense with three pass breakups to go with a trio of tackles. 

• Shaun Myers had the first UNA interception of the season, catching a tipped pass early in the third quarter. This also marked the first career turnover forced by Myers. 

• Freshman punter Adam Watford once again had a big impact on special teams, averaging 48.0 yards per punt to give UNA favorable field position most of the game. 

• Third down conversions continued to be a struggle for both teams, as the foes went a combined 7-28 on third downs. On the other hand, UNA went 2-4 on fourth down while stopping UTC on its lone attempt near the end of the game. 

• Tonight marks UNA’s first win over an FCS opponent since a 35-27 win over Hampton in 2021. 

• The Lions snapped the third-longest active losing streak in FCS with Saturday’s win, ending a 10 game skid that dates back to last year’s home opener. The two teams that remain atop that list are Western Illinois at 13 at Robert Morris at 11. 

• UNA’s win is the second in United Athletic Conference history, following Abilene Christian’s 31-11 win over Northern Colorado on Thursday. 

• The official attendance was 9,361 tonight, surpassing the average totals from the last three seasons. In 2019, UNA averaged 9,548 fans. 
  
   
  
   
  
  COMING UP NEXT 
  
   
  
  The Lions are on the road for the next two matchups, beginning next Saturday, Sept. 9 against Tarleton State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Stephenville, Texas. This will mark UNA’s first conference game as a member of the newly formed United Athletic Conference. 
  
   
  
  For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

Huntsville, Ala. (Sept. 1, 2023) - Huntsville City Football Club Head Coach Jack Collison has been voted the MLS NEXT Pro Coach of the Month for August. Coach Collison’s award is the first MLS NEXT Pro monthly award in team history.

Under Collison's leadership, Huntsville City FC achieved two wins participated in two shootouts, earning a victory in one for a total of nine points in five games over the last month. 

After a challenging start to their inaugural MLS NEXT Pro campaign, Huntsville City FC has continued to climb up to sixth place in the Eastern Conference thanks to the recent run of positive results.

Coach Collison reflected on his squad's season so far and earning the Coach of the Month award stating:

“From where we were seven games into the season to where we are now is a testament to the collective from the staff and players. These guys made a decision to give absolutely everything they have every single day, and the byproduct has been some incredible performances, which has led to some positive results. I am so proud of the players in particular for trusting in the process and of course the staff who are the unsung heroes behind the scenes. It has been a collective effort. It’s a real honor to be named coach of the month, especially in such a competitive league full of talented coaches and so many fantastic teams. We now look forward to finishing the season strong and giving everything, we can towards the final push.”

Coach Collison and Huntsville City FC will be back in action tonight when they take on New England Revolution II at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. at 6 p.m. CT. The match can be seen on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, while Huntsvillians will be able to watch the match at the official watch party at The Brass Tap.