No. 2 Delta State Upsets No. 1 North Alabama in a 30-24 Overtime Thriller
The battle versus the top two teams in Division II football lived up to expectations on Thursday night when No. 2 Delta State (7-1, 1-0) upset No. 1 North Alabama (6-1, 0-1) in overtime, 30-24, in the GSC-TV Game of the Week.
The 2011 Conference season opened up with a band, as quarterback Micah Davis led DSU to three straight scoring drives down the stretch capped by the game-winning touchdown in the bottom of first extra period.
Neither team lit the scoreboard in the first quarter, but running back Demetrius Goode gave UNA a 7-0 lead on a four-yard touchdown run at 11:08 in the second frame. The Statesmen tied the score thanks to a two-yard TD run by running back Brandon Lucas at 7:32, only to see Goode answer with a six-yard touchdown scamper at 3:48.
The Lions held a 14-7 edge at the break and extended the lead to 10 points thanks to Nathen O’Jibway’s 26-yard field goal at 8:26 in the third stanza. Delta State closed the gap to 17-14 at 4:39 on wide receiver Tim Smith’s 27-yard TD grab but North Alabama seemed to take control at 11:57 in the fourth quarter when wide out Mo Miliam reeled-in a 20-yard score.
The rest of the game belonged to DSU which hit for 16 unanswered points. Davis ran for a six-yard touchdown with 4:24 left in regulation and the Statesmen mounted an 89-yard drive with less than two minutes on the clock, tying the score at 24-24 via Matt Dean’s 27-yard field goal as time expired.
North Alabama received the ball first in overtime, driving to DSU’s 14-yard line before O’Jibway missed the go-ahead, 31-yard field goal attempt. The Statesmen turned to their running game on their possession, recording six straight running plays capped by running back Brant Botill’s game-winning, four-yard TD.
Davis completed 29-of-41 passes for 339 yards and one touchdown, while also running for 24 yards and another score. Smith led DSU with 100 yards receiving on four catches, while Lavon Downs added a game-high tying eight receptions for 82 yards. UNA’s Goode racked up a game-high 92 yards on the ground on 17 carries, while Miliam grabbed eight balls for a game-high 125 yards.
Delta State handed North Alabama its first loss of the season and earned its second straight win over the Lions. The contest was the first overtime contest in the GSC in 2011 and was the fifth all-time GSC-TV LIVE game. DSU moved to 11-4 in GSC-TV action, while UNA fell to 6-5. Box score