LIVINGSTON, Ala. – For the first time since 1971, the University of West Alabama football team will play for a Gulf South Conference Championship following a 31-26 upset victory over No. 5 North Alabama at Tiger Stadium in the GSC-TV Live Game of the Week.

The Tigers travel to Cleveland, Miss., next weekend to face GSC leader Delta State. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at McCool Stadium.

The victory – which is the first for the Red and White over UNA on television - marks the second over the in-state foe from Florence in the last three campaigns and the first over the Lions in Livingston since 2004.

In the win, Ken May and Kyle Caldwell each set career-highs while Matt Willis recorded his eighth straight game with 100-plus yards. May hauled in 121 yards on the evening on just three catches with Caldwell throwing for 209 yards – breaking his previous mark from last weekend at West Georgia. Willis toted the ball 24 times with 111 yards on the ground. UWA amassed just 352 yards in the contest.

Otha Foster and James Alexander led the squad with eight tackles each in the triumph.

The Tigers' first score of the evening came after the Lions muffed a punt following UWA's first possession. The Red and White made quick work of the UNA miscue scoring on the next play as Caldwell found Willis on a 32-yard pass play. A second UNA mistake set up the Tigers' next score as May hauled in a 68-yard pass from Caldwell capping a five-play, 85-yard drive on its third possession of the game to extend its lead to 14-0.

After a quarter and a half of play, the Lions cracked the scoreboard on a 36-yard field goal by Josh Montgomery. The play capped a nine-play, 62-yard drive.

Following a Ryne Smith 28-yard field goal that placed the Tigers up 17-3 with just over a minute in the opening half, the Lions drove quickly down the field, but Montgomery missed a 20-yard field goal as time expired.

UNA took its opening drive of the second half and marched 58 yards on nine plays as Lee Chapple found Cameron Wade on an 11-yard pass to cap the drive. UWA answered quickly though with a 64 yard drive as Willis carried the ball in from 34 yards out to lengthen the margin to 24-10.

The Lions again nipped into the Red and White margin as Chris Coffey toted the ball in from eight yards out to cap a five-play, 49-yard drive. However, Montgomery's PAT was blocked leaving the Purple and Gold down 24-16.

Following a Lions' scoring drive of 59 yards that cut the deficit to 24-19, UWA once again pushed the lead back out this time covering 65 yards on six plays. Willis smashed the ball across the goal line from a yard out to place the Tigers up 31-19.

The Lions added a late score with 1:32 left in the game as Coffey caught a five-yard pass from Chapple, but UWA ran out the clock after recovering the ensuing onside kick ending the Purple and Gold's attempt at a comeback.

The Lions totaled 516 yards for the game – the most allowed by the Tigers this season – led by 397 yards through the air for Chapple. Mo Miliam and Tristan Purifoy each recorded 100-plus yards with Miliam tallying 128 and Purifoy grabbing 105.