Photo courtesy of UNA Sports Information
GSC Football Thursday Night Recaps
THURSDAY'S SCORES
@ UNA 31, Central Oklahoma 31 (GSC-TV)
@ Northwestern State 24, DSU 23
@ South Alabama 20, UWA 10
@ #6 NORTH ALABAMA 31, CENTRAL OKLAHOMA 10 (THURSDAY; GSC-TV LIVE GAME OF THE WEEK)
No. 6 North Alabama (1-0) fended off five turnovers to collect a 31-10 home triumph over Central Oklahoma in Game One of the 2011 GSC-TV LIVE Game of the Week package.
UCO lit the scoreboard first, taking advantage of an interception by kicking a 34-yard field goal with 4:25 left in the first quarter. UNA did not wait long to answer, finding pay dirt on the ensuing possession capped by running back Chris Coffey’s 22-yard scoring scamper at 1:39. The Lions took a 14-3 lead into the locker room after running back Antwan Ivey ran for a two-yard TD at 12:58 in the second frame.
North Alabama continued to pull away from the Bronchos in second half, scoring 14 unanswered points in less than two minutes. UNA opened the third quarter with a 22-yard field goal by Nathen O’Jibway at 12:11 and the offense quickly took advantage of a UCO turnover when Ivey headlined a one-play drive with a 69-yard touchdown run at 10:38.
Central Oklahoma did not give up, pulling within two touchdowns towards the end of the third quarter, but the UNA defense held the Bronchos scoreless for the rest of the contest. Ivey closed out the scoring at 4:24 in the fourth frame when he collected his third rushing score of the day from six yards out.
Ivey led all players with 140 yards and three TDs on 10 carries, while quarterback Lee Chapple completed 23-of-39 passes for 186 yards. The North Alabama defense held UCO to just 37 yards on the ground and held All-American running back Joshua Birmingham to just 44 yards. The Lions recorded their ninth straight season-opening victory and extended their overall home winning streak to 10 games. Box score
@ NORTHWESTERN STATE 24, #2 DELTA STATE 23 (THURSDAY)
No. 2 Delta State (1-1) ran out to a 17-0 halftime lead and then saw its go-ahead, two-conversion attempt fall short with 11 seconds to play, as the Statesmen dropped a heartbreaker at NCAA Division I-FCS Northwestern State, 24-23.
DSU dominated the first 30 minutes of action, posting 17 unanswered points. Quarterback Micah Davis led the Statesmen on a 98-yard, 11-play drive that culminated in his one-yard touchdown sneak at 3:21 in the first quarter. Wide receiver Lavon Downs stretched the edge to 14-0 via an eight-yard scoring reception at 10:05 and the visitors posted a 17-0 edge at intermission thanks to a 23-yard field goal by Matt Dean.
The second half belonged to NSU as the Demons hit for 24 unanswered points capped by a touchdown with 10:29 left to play. Delta State’s offense found traction on its final drive of the night when wide out Tim Smith hauled in a 13-yard TD pass with 10 ticks on the clock. The Statesmen elected to go for the victory with a two-point, point-after attempt, but Davis’ pass intended for Chance Dennis fell short.
Delta State won the statistical battle, outgaining NSU on offense, 421-355. Davis completed 19-of-42 passes for 290 yards and two scores, while Dennis and Smith added four receptions apiece. Box score
@ SOUTH ALABAMA 20, WEST ALABAMA 10 (THURSDAY)
West Alabama (0-1) ran pace with in-state, NCAA DI-FCS foe South Alabama, but the Tigers’ offense could not muster enough offensive firepower down the stretch, falling 20-10.
USA drew first blood on the game’s opening drive, taking a 7-0 lead at 10:31, only to see UWA tie matters on quarterback Gary Johnson’s three-yard touchdown run at the one-minute mark. The score remained knotted at seven in the second quarter and heading into halftime.
The Jaguars posted the lone points in the third quarter, scoring a touchdown at 7:47, but USA missed the point-after kick. The Tigers cut their deficit in half at 10:58 in the final frame thanks to Ryne Smith’s 22-yard field goal, but South Alabama pulled ahead for good on its ensuing possession with seven more points at 8:13. West Alabama took its next drive down to USA’s 18-yard line, but Johnson threw an interception at the Jaguars’ goal line.
Johnson accounted for 173 total yards, passing for 101 and rushing for a team-high 72. Wide receiver Gerald Worsham led all players with five catches for 44 yards. Box score###