Joe Chance

Box Score

North Alabama UNA 9-1 , 6-1

West Alabama UWA 5-6 , 2-4

North Alabama UNA

9-1 , 6-1

Final

Nov. 13, 2014

West Alabama UWA

5-6 , 2-4

Score By Quarters
Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	F
UNA North Alabama	14	0	7	3	24
UWA West Alabama	7	0	3	6	16

Game Recap: #17 Football | 11/13/2014 11:17:00 PM

UNA Holds Off West Alabama 24-16

Team Statistics

Team Statistics
Game Stats	UNA	UWA
Total Yards	326	453
Pass Yards	178	316
Rushing Yards	148	137
Penalty Yards	2-26	7-70
1st Downs	15	22
3rd Downs	4-11	9-18
4th Downs	0-1	0-2
TOP	25:50	34:10

Scoring Summary
Scoring Play	Visiting Team Score	Home Team Score
1st Quarter
13:21 - UNA - Lamnte Thompson 2 yd run (Taylor Pontius kick), 5 plays, 72 yards, TOP 1:39	7	0
08:43 - UWA - Chad Toocheck 9 yd pass from Kyle Caldwell (Mark Grant kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:38	7	7
00:22 - UNA - Lamnte Thompson 13 yd run (Taylor Pontius kick), 7 plays, 79 yards, TOP 3:15	14	7
3rd Quarter
09:08 - UWA - Mark Grant 43 yd field goal 13 plays, 57 yards, TOP 5:46	14	10
05:52 - UNA - Diamond Simmons 37 yd run (Taylor Pontius kick), 8 plays, 72 yards, TOP 3:10	21	10
4th Quarter
10:16 - UNA - Taylor Pontius 27 yd field goal 11 plays, 61 yards, TOP 5:52	24	10
00:00 - UWA - Daryl Collins 34 yd pass from Kyle Caldwell ( ) 5 plays, 60 yards, TOP 0:36	24	16

Total Yards

UNA

326

UWA

453

Turnovers

UNA

UWA

First Downs

UNA

UWA

Total Possession

UNA

25:50

UWA

34:10

Game Leaders

Receiving Yards

Passing Yards

Kyle Caldwell

316

Rushing Yards

Tackles

#10

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – North Alabama did just enough to hold off a pesky West Alabama football team on the way to a 24-16 Gulf South Conference victory over UWA Thursday, spoiling senior night at Tiger Stadium.

The win secured at least a share of the GSC title for UNA, who ended the regular season 9-1, 6-1 in the league. West Alabama ends it season 5-6 and 2-5.

UWA racked up 453 total yards while limiting the Lions to 326, but even that and a 34-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Caldwell to Daryl Collins on the game's final play weren't enough for the Tigers to avoid their first losing season since 2008. UNA also dealt UWA its fourth straight home defeat, marking the first time that has happened since 2007.

"We did some good things, but we couldn't score when we needed to and could not finish drives," UWA head coach Brett Gilliland said. "We didn't make enough plays against a very good football team and they did.

"This group of 18 seniors did great things for the University of West Alabama and I just hate that we couldn't send them out with the game or the season they deserved," Gilliland said. "I promise you we are going to get it right and continue to move forward."

Caldwell finished a stellar UWA career by going 26-for-47 for 316 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 56 yards and became the first player in UWA history to eclipse the 9,000 career yard mark. The Dadeville, Ala., product finished his career with 9,090 yards total offense and 72 touchdown passes.

"That last play kind of sums up my whole career with crazy plays. I just threw it up and hoped for an answered prayer," Caldwell said. "It seems like just yesterday that I came in here as a freshman and guys like Gary Johnston, Kenny May and Gerald Worsham were showing me the ropes."

With both teams on a pace to ring up over 400 yards total offense in the opening quarter, Lamonte Thompson staked North Alabama to a 14-7 lead after the 15 minutes on scoring runs of 2 and 13 yards. West Alabama's first touchdown came on a 9-yard pass from Caldwell to Chad Toocheck.

Neither team could manage points in the second quarter, with West Alabama limiting UNA to just 30 yards total offense in the second period. The Lions rebounded to put up 250 yards in the second half.

"It took us a while to get adjusted, but when we did we were able to shut them down a little," said strong safety Fred Barnes, who finished with seven tackles, including three for loss and a sack.

UWA's Mark Grant made a 43-yard field goal with 9:08 left in the third quarter to cut the North Alabama lead to 14-10, but a 37-yard touchdown run by Diamond Simmons stretched the UNA lead to 24-10 with 5:52 left in the third quarter.

Taylor Pontius connected on a 27-yard field goal with 10:16 to play to stretch the Lion lead to 24-10 before Caldwell and Collins provided the final margin.

Caldwell's 316 passing yards more than doubled what the league's leading pass defense had been allowing through nine games, and UWA managed to put up 150 more yards than the Lions' defense had been allowing while leading the GSC.

All that aside, North Alabama continued to find ways to win, a trait that has carried the Lions the entire season.

"We didn't make plays when we needed them and that stalled us out," Caldwell said. "UNA made plays in crucial times, made them when they needed to."

UNA quarterback Luke Wingo was 9-for-15 for 150 yards. Delvon Carpenter was on the receiving end of four of those passes for 105 yards. Thompson finished with 77 yards on 23 carries and Simmons 73 yards on seven trips.

Toocheck ended his UWA career by catching six passes for 58 yards, moving him into a tie for fourth on the UWA career receptions list with 116. Collins, Tyshaan Alston and Markeyus Johnson each had five catches.

DeQuante Shockley led West Alabama tacklers with eight, including three for loss. Barnes and Brandon Lilly contributed seven each. Duke Leland broke up two passes. Steven Rich had seven stop to lead UNA.

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