LIVINGSTON – Jack McDaniels passed for 344 yards, and four touchdowns as West Alabama opened its 2021 season with a 48-7 victory over Morehouse College on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

Graduate Student Darius Nalls had 200 receiving yards in the game with nine receptions and two touchdowns, while senior Reggie Davenport netted 111 yards on the ground.

UWA had 550 yards of total offense in its first game after the abbreviate spring season. The Tigers finished with 344 passing yards and 206 on the ground.

The West Alabama defense was firing on all cylinders Saturday evening. The Tigers held the Maroon Tigers to 131 total yards (98 passing, 33 rushing), keeping Morehouse scoreless for the first half and allowing only one touchdown in the second.

Graduate student Chris Terrel led UWA’s defense with five solo tackles. Terrance Carter, Shamar Lewis, SchDarren Archie, and Bishop Breauxhad three each, and Ricky Chatman, Undraez Lilly, and Jeremiah Boydhad tackles for losses.

“I thought we came out the first half and really established ourselves and did things that put us in a good situation especially early on,” said head coach Brett Gilliland of the victory. “The defense had several three and outs back-to-back, at least four. The offense had a couple of good drives pretty early. We just have to get better with consistency and having that same intensity regardless of what’s going on.”

West Alabama took the opening kick-off after Morehouse won the toss and deferred to the second half. UWA marched the ball down the field, and after 10 plays and 63 yards, the Tigers found themselves in a 4^thand 10 situation. A 28-yard field goal attempt was missed wide to end the drive.

Morehouse took its first possession of the game but came up hard against the D-Block. MC punted after three plays for just four yards, and UWA took control on its 31-yard line.

West Alabama took advantage of the quick turnaround, going 63-yards in six plays. A four-yard carry by James Smith, III punctuated the drive for a touchdown. Senior kicker Gabriel Dunkle added the PAT for the 7-0 lead with 7:33 left in the period.

UWA extended its lead in the second quarter, scoring three additional touchdowns and a field goal before the close of the half.

In the fifth possession of the period, the Tigers made it to the end zone in five plays for 76 yards. Closing the drive, Underwood carried for two yards for the touchdown, and Dunkle stuck the extra point.

At 6:07, West Alabama started another scoring drive that concluded with a 40-yard field goal by Dunkle to give UWA a 17-0 advantage.

Morehouse fumbled the punt return on the next drive, and senior Terrance Carter recovered for West Al on MC’s 17. After a first down incomplete pass, McDaniels connected with Darius Nalls in the endzone for his first touchdown as a member of the UWA squad. The Tigers claim the extra point for a score of 24-0.

After another Morehouse punt, the Tigers scored again. McDaniels completed a 33-yard pass to Smiley Martin for the touchdown and West Alabama closed the half up 31-0.

Early in the third quarter, West Alabama scored again. McDaniels connected with Nalls for a 30-yard touchdown pass for his second of the game. Dunkle’s PAT made it a 38-0 game.

With the new possession, Morehouse recorded its first points of the game. The Maroon Tigers found the endzone in nine plays for 84 yards to cut UWA’s lead to 38-7.

The Tigers answered with a 6-play, 26-yard drive to score. This time, McDaniels connected with wide receiver Bayley Blanchard for the 16-yard touchdown pass for the last TD of the game.

In the game’s final quarter, UWA added three points on a 39-yard field goal by Dunkle to end the game with the 48-8 victory.

Looking to their next opponent, Coach Gilliland said, “We have a lot to fix on special teams and some things to tweak on offense and defense. But these things are fun to fix after a 48-7 win.”

UWA football returns to field on Saturday, Sept. 11 when it travels to Tuskegee, Ala. to face the Tigers of Tuskegee University. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

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Donte Edwards, Miles, RB, So.
Miles captured its second consecutive SIAC title and posted more than 180 rushing yards per game to help earn that championship. Edwards’ freshman campaign saw him gain 758 yards on the year, along with 11 touchdown, three of which he picked up in the SIAC Championship Game. A solid sophomore season could put the Golden Bears back in the playoffs again.

Steven Hodges, Tuskegee, WR, Sr.
Hodges led the way in receptions for the Golden Tigers in 2019. As a senior, he may get more attention as Ramzy, Pettway and Gant have moved on. With a new starting quarterback for 2020, Hodges could be a stable factor for the Tuskegee offense.

Jack McDaniels, West Alabama, QB, Sr.
The Gulf South is bringing back some arms in 2020 and McDaniels is up near the top of that category. The senior passed for more that 2,300 yards last season at a pace of more than 200 per game and competed more than 63 percent of his passes. With quality receivers at his disposal, the Tigers are poised for to get back into the upper portion of the league and push for the postseason.

Malik Meadows, Faulkner, DB, Sr.
Meadows double his career total in interceptions last season, picking off four, and did so in just eight games. His efforts earned him All Mid-South Conference recognition in the Sun Division and he should be set for a big senior year.

Casey Peppers, Huntingdon, LB, So.
In his debut season with the Hawks, Peppers made his presence known. He was third on the team in tackles and led the way in tackles-for-loss with 8.5. He also forced and recovered three fumbles.

Robert Shufford, Birmingham-Southern, RB, Sr.
2019 was a breakout year for Shufford, who earned All-American status and was the South Region Offensive Player of the Year. As a junior, he racked up 183.4 yards per game in 10 outings and posted nearly 200 all-purpose yards per game. SAA defenses will be planning with him in mind in 2020.

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INDIANAPOLIS – On, Thursday, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships.

This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.

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“The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel,” Emmert said. “Based on their advice and my discussions with the NCAA Board of Governors, I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance.

“While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.

“We recognize the opportunity to compete in an NCAA national championship is an experience of a lifetime for the students and their families. Today, we will move forward and conduct championships consistent with the current information and will continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed.”

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