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Jack McDaniels
Joe Chance
21
Mississippi College MC 4-5 , 3-4
35
Winner West Alabama UWA 6-4 , 3-4
Mississippi College MC
4-5 , 3-4
21
Final
35
West Alabama UWA
6-4 , 3-4
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
MC Mississippi College 7 7 0 7 21
UWA West Alabama 7 7 14 7 35

Game Recap: #22 Football |

Tigers Handle Choctaws, 35-21, on Senior Day

LIVINGSTON, Ala. – West Alabama had 10 drives Saturday. Five ended in touchdowns as the Tigers notched an efficient 35-21 Gulf South Conference football win over Mississippi College Saturday at Tiger Stadium.
 
Five different players found the endzone as the Tigers improved to 6-4, 3-4 in league play with UWA's ninth consecutive victory over the Choctaws. Mississippi College is 4-5 and 3-4.
 
West Alabama converted 7-of-10 on third down and the most penalized team in the GSC was flagged just three times for 35 yards and was 4-of-4 in the red zone. The Tiger defense held the MC triple option to just 3.6 yards per carry. MC's 117 passing yards came on just three completions in 15 attempts.
 
"I am proud of how we played as a team today against a tough opponent that poses different issues with their schemes," UWA head coach Brett Gilliland said. "I am extremely proud for our seniors winning their last game in Tiger Stadium and ensuring their fifth straight winning season."
 
West Alabama drew first blood on a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Derrick Underwood that capped a nine-play, 56 yard scoring drive that took 2:50 to finish. Tre Jackson's PAT was good with 9:41 left in the first period.
 
Mississippi College answered with an 11-yard TD run from Drew Croegaert to cap a scoring drive that lasted over nine minutes and covered 69 yards on 15 plays. Bailey McGaha-Potter nailed the  PAT to knot the score at 7-7 with 27 seconds left in the first period, giving the Choctaws possession of the football ball for just under 12 of the first 15 minutes of the game.
 
A 71-yard pass to Moregan Sharp from Detric Hawthorne landed MC on the UWA 6-yard-line despite Hawthorne dribbling the snap on the turf not once, but twice, before getting the ball away. Hawthorne and Jaylin Jones each ran for 3 yards, with Jones finding the endzone for a 14-7 MC lead with 10:49 left in the first half.
 
Mississippi College's Jonathan Jones forced a Tiger fumble that was recovered by Gavin Green at the UWA 38, but the West Alabama defense forced MC to turn the ball over on downs with 8:09 left in the half.
 
West Alabama cashed in on the stop and tied the score at 14-14 just over five minutes later on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Jack McDaniels to Bailey Blanchard. Jackson's point after was true to tie a bow on a UWA drive where the Tigers overcame a pair of second-and-25s.
 
Drake McCarter had an opportunity to send MC into intermission with a three-point lead but missed a 45-yard field goal try with 20 seconds left in the quarter, so the Tigers and Choctaws retired to the the break tied at 14.
 
West Alabama opened the second half with a 65-yard drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from McDaniels on the ninth play. Jackson's conversion was good, and the Tigers led 21-14 with 11:15 on the third-quarter clock. All but 15 yards of the drive came via McDaniels to Blanchard completions.
 
McDaniels completed 17-of-22 passes for 218 yards, two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 190.5. Hawthorne was 3-of-15 for 117 yards and no scores for Mississippi College.
 
A 32-yard scoring pass from McDaniels to Tyriq Martin on just the fourth play of a 51-yard drive after forcing a MC punt gave the Tigers a 28-14 advantage with 1:27 left in the third quarter.
An 11-yard MC punt put West Alabama in business at the Mississippi College 31-yard line after a three-and-out stop by the Tiger defense. When the third quarter ended, West Alabama led 28-14 and was knocking on the door again at the Choctaw 11-yard line.
 
Three plays later Demetrius Battle barreled into the endzone from 8-yards away, Jackson's point after was good and the Tigers led 35-14, having scored on three of four second-half drives.
 
MC converted a pair of fourth down tries on the ensuing drive to keep the drive alive, setting up Hawthorn for a 2-yard TD run to cut the Tiger advantage to the final margin with 7:13 remaining in the game.
 
James Smith carried 11 times for 54 yards to lead West Alabama ball carriers. Jones picked up 63 yards on 13 rushes to lead the Choctaws. Blanchard caught four passes for 59 yards and Martin three for 63 yards to lead UWA receivers. Sharp had two receptions for 77 yards to lead Mississippi College.
 
The Tigers amassed 359 total yards and MC had 307. UWA had 18 first downs and MC 17, with the Choctaws converting 5-of-6 fourth down tries.
 
Defensive tackle Undraez Lilly recorded a career-high 10 tackles, including a half-sack, for West Alabama. Linebacker Josh Hatcher chipped in eight stops, one a tackle for loss. Defensive end Jordan Jones and linebacker Savon Parker both had seven tackles for the Tigers.
 
Josh Miller led Mississippi College with seven tackles, followed by Jaylan  Woods with six.
 
Zach Gaines punted three times for UWA, with an average of 46.3 yards. McCarter averaged 31.8 yards on four punts for the Choctaws.
 
West Alabama closes the regular season at West Florida Saturday. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Mississippi College is host to Delta State at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
 
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