SEARCY, Ark. – Turnovers and penalties plagued the University of West Alabama football team in its first road trip of the season, as the Tigers (1-1) fall 37-27 to Harding University at First Security Stadium.

UWA had six turnovers in the contest along with nine penalties.

UWA scored the first points of the third quarter, cutting the Bisons lead to 23-21, on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Deon Williams to Gerald Worsham. Harding then placed two touchdowns on the board later in the quarter the last coming on a 65-yard interception return by Tracy Brown.

Trailing 37-21, Terry Levy caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Williams, narrowing the margin to 37-27. The Red and White attempted a two-point conversion, but the pass attempt fell incomplete.

Williams finished the night with 317 yards on 18 completions and three touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Harding scored on its second possession of the game, as the Bisons marched 86 yards on five plays, capped by a 35-yard scamper by Jeremy Holt. The Tigers answered on a 49-yard drive that was ended on a three-yard rush by Dameon Baylor. The Mitch Warfield extra point gave the Tigers a 7-6 lead after one quarter of play. Baylor concluded the night with 100 yards rushing in the contest.

Harding answered with on a five-yard strike from David Knighton to Alan Webster, capping a seven play, 52 yard drive and putting the Bisons up 13-7, but the Red and White wouldn’t lay silent, as Terry Allen scored on an 84-yard pass from Williams. The play was the seventh longest pass play in school history.

Back-to-back scores from HU placed the Bisons up by nine at the half. The first came on a 19-yard pass and catch between Knighton and Kurt Adams. A Ryan Ferrell 38-yard field goal with 33 seconds remaining the second quarter ended the scoring in the first half.

Garry Pack paced the UWA defense with 17 tackles, including one for a loss of one yard. Greg Smith followed eight tackles in the game. Sevohn Greer led the Bisons defense with 10 tackles.