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SFA Gamer
24
West Alabama UWA 0-2
30
Winner Stephen F. Austin SFA 1-1
West Alabama UWA
0-2
24
Final
30
Stephen F. Austin SFA
1-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
UWA West Alabama 7 7 3 7 24
SFA Stephen F. Austin 10 10 10 0 30

Game Recap: #11 Football |

UWA Takes SFA to Wire in 30-24 Loss

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – West Alabama and Stephen F. Austin combined to run 183 plays Saturday night, but the final outcome wasn't determined until 183rd play was run as the Lumberjacks held on to defeat West Alabama, 30-24, Saturday at Homer Bryce Stadium.
 
Trailing by six points, the Tigers had the ball on SFA's 17-yard line with four seconds left. Quarterback Harry Satterwhite spotted Donta Armstrong working against SFA cornerback Aaron Foy on the left side of the Lumberjack endzone and let fly. Foy never turned to look for the football while nudging Armstrong out of the field of play.
 
Much to the chagrin of the UWA staff and players, the Southland Conference officiating crew kept their penalty flags folded neatly in their collective pockets and West Alabama's upset bid was finished.
 
"We don't take moral victories, no such thing," West Alabama head coach Brett Gilliland said. "We expect to win every time we play and tonight was no different."
 
West Alabama dropped to 0-2, while Stephen F. Austin improved to 1-1.
 
"We played a bigger, stronger team that nobody thought we should play with," Gilliland said. "We left plays on the field that could have won the game. Our goal is to win the conference and we took some positive steps tonight."
 
West Alabama outgained Stephen F. Austin 343 to 321 in a game where the Tigers punted 12 times and the Lumberjacks 11. The Tigers passed for 308 of their total yards, while SFA was more balanced with 155 rushing and 166 passing.
 
West Alabama drew first blood when Lakendric Thomas rumbled in from the 5-yard line to cap a six-play, 38-yard drive. Reed James PAT kick made it 7-0 Tigers with 9:41 left in the first quarter. Reid Adair's fumble recovery of a Lumberjack fumbled punt set up the score.
 
Storm Ruiz answered for SFA, capping a seven-play, 59-yard drive with a career-long 44-yard field goal, cutting West Alabama's lead to 7-3 with 7:59 to play in the first period.
 
The Lumberjacks took a 10-7 lead with 4:05 left in the first period on a 5-yard run by Loren Easley after forcing the Tigers three-and-out on the next drive. Easley's run capped an eight-play, 66-yard drive and closed out first-quarter scoring.
 
The Lumberjacks stretched the lead to 20-7 with 6:48 to play in the half when Zach Conque scored on a 4-yard, fourth-down run to close out a 10-play, 64-yard drive. Conque's 25th career rushing TD came after UWA jumped off sides on fourth and 8, allowing SFA to forgo a field goal try.
 
West Alabama answered on the next series, covering 78 yards in nine plays to cut the SFA lead to 20-14 on a 3-yard TD run by Austin Grammer. The Lumberjacks missed a 46-yard field goal try as time expired in the first half.
 
Stephen F. Austin stretched its lead to 23-14 on Ruiz' third field goal of the game, a 30-yarder with 9:36 to play in the third quarter. The field goal was set up when Grammer was sacked by Price Miller and fumbled, with Miller recovering at the UWA 21-yard line.
 
A 75-yard punt return late in the third quarter by Trae Hart stretched the Lumberjack lead to 30-17.
 
Subbing for Grammer, who was injured in the second half, backup quarterback Harry Satterwhite and Tray Fletcher hooked up on a 7-yard touchdown pass to pull West Alabama to within the final 30-24 score with 6:21 left to play.
 
Grammer completed 19-of-34 passes for 94 yards. Satterwhite was 11-of-23 for 114 and a score. Grammer and Satterwhite were sacked seven times.
 
Tight end Christian Patterson and Armstrong both hauled in seven passes for 107 and 78 yards, respectively. Thomas led UWA rushers with 42 yards on 16 carries.
 
Jordan Jones recorded nine total tackles, including one of three Tiger sacks. Terry Samuel had eight tackles and a sack. Darius Ellis chipped in six stops, three behind the line of scrimmage.
 
Conque completed 20-of-47 passes for 166 yards. Hart led SFA receivers with four receptions for 27 yards. Easley ran for 89 yards on 17 carries. Miller led SFA defenders with nine tackles.
 
West Alabama opens Gulf South Conference play Saturday at Mississippi College. Stephen F. Austin travels to McNeese State.
 
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