|
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The
University of West Alabama dropped its Gulf South
Conference opener 31-17 to Southern Arkansas University
Saturday night at Wilkins Stadium on the SAU campus.
The Muleriders got off to a quick
start with a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback
Josh SanFilippo. SAU got on the board on its first drive
when SanFilippo connected with Steven Ashley for a
60-yard catch and scampered into the endzone. The Blue and
Gold extended the lead to 14 points with Johnny Fields
touchdown catch from SanFilippo.
UWA (1-2) jumped on the board at the
9:39 mark of the second period on Cole Mason’s
three-yard plunge across the goal line to cut the
deficit to seven. Mason finished with 82 yards on 16
attempts to lead the squad in rushing. The Tiger scoring
drive amassed 43 yards on nine plays.
The Muleriders (2-1) answered the Red
and White’s touchdown on their ensuing drive to extend
the lead to 21-7. Keundric Loucious finished the drive
with a 10-yard run. The Tigers trimmed the lead to
21-10 on the final play before the halftime break on Mitch
Warfield’s 35-yard field goal.
In the second half, SAU took
advantage of a Tiger miscue deep in UWA territory. The
Muleriders recovered a loose football at the UWA 10-yard
line. Three plays later, SanFilippo punched it in from
two yards out at the 12:02 point to extend the margin to
28-10. SAU would post a 31-yard field goal by Noe’
Cuevas to close out the third period scoring.
Mason scored his second touchdown on
UWA’s first drive of the fourth quarter to pull the
Tigers to within the final margin of 14 points. His two
touchdowns in the affair marks the second straight week
that Mason has scored twice in a game.
UWA finished with 294 total yards on
offense to SAU’s 273. The Tiger ground game tallied 173
yards on 64 plays.
The Tigers will have a short week in
preparation for Henderson State as the game will be the
GSC Game of the Week on Thursday, Sept. 20. The UWA-HSU
tilt will be televised by Comcast Sports TV. |
