By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As rain fell on Tucker Stadium, it made it a long night for both offenses as Tennessee Tech and North Alabama combined for just one offensive touchdown in the contest.
But that one touchdown and two more field goals proved to be the difference on Saturday as the Golden Eagles dropped their third straight game in the 2023 campaign with the visiting Lions taking a 20-7 victory on Saturday.
Tech (0-3) returns to action next week as it hosts Kennesaw State on Saturday.
North Alabama started the scoring with a 42-yard field goal for Sam Contorno to end a four-play, four-yard series after getting the ball back on the first of three Lion interceptions in the contest.
On the Lions' next series, sophomore linebacker Jacquez McGowan had Tech's lone touchdown in the contest as he intercepted Noah Walters' pass and booked it back all the way for the score, an 85-yard return. It is the seventh-longest interception in program history and the longest since Josh Symonette's 98-yard interception return against Austin Peay in 1997.
However, UNA (2-2) was able to counter that score with a pick-six of their own as A.J. Seay picked off Ethan Roberts and evaded the Golden Eagles over 44 yards for the touchdown.
The next series saw the two teams trade possessions on fumbles, then UNA got the ball back on a failed fourth-down conversion at the Tech 33. With the short field opportunity, the Lions needed four plays to get in the end zone as Walters caught a 26-yard strike from T.J. Smith, the only offensive score of the night.
Tech moved down the field across five and a half minutes, chewing up 51 yards on 11 plays. Getting to the Lion 24 and facing fourth down, Hayden Olsen was called on for the 41-yard try. The snap went high and the kick was blocked by UNA's Edwin White Schultz to end the scoring threat.
Jyron Gilmore intercepted a last-second pass before the half as time expired.
In the third quarter, a Lion punt pinned the Golden Eagles down at their own 1-yard-line, but UNA intercepted Roberts in a play that sent the quarterback down to the end zone turf and out of the contest.
The Tech defense was able to hold as UNA collected 29 yards on nine plays, but the Lions scored the final points of the contest on a 32-yard field goal for Contorno.
Roberts ended the game with 56 passing yards on 6-for-16 passing.
In his stead, Hayes Gibson put together two sustained drives in the fourth quarter, collecting a 10-play, 84-yard that ended on a fumbled exchange at the Lion 5, then an 11-play, 61-yard drive that ended on a turnover-on-downs at the UNA 24.
Gibson ended the game with 133 passing yards on a 9-for-18 night. Brad Clark picked up his first century game as he ended the night with 108 yards on six catches. Marcus Knight led Tech on the ground with 39 yards, with Jayvian Allen collecting 39.
Defensively, McGowan led the Golden Eagles with 10 stops and the interception return for a score. Okachi Emmanwori had nine tackles.
For UNA, Walters completed 7-of-13 passes for 55 yards, while Demarcus Lacey ran 23 times for 139 yards. Kobe Warden had two catches for 28 yards. On defense, Amauri Floyd had 11 tackles.
Photo | Jim Dillon
