TUSKEGEE – Gabriel Dunkle had the golden toe for West Alabama in its 33-7 victory over Tuskegee University Saturday afternoon. The senior kicker went 4-for-5 in field goals, including a career-long 47-yarder to begin the scoring effort for the Tigers.

UWA (2-0) had 467 yards of total offense (173 rushing, 295 passing) while holding the Golden Tigers (0-2) to 194. West Al’s defense was a stopping force and halted Tuskegee scoring attempts in the red zone with three interceptions and one forced fumble for a UWA recovery.

Quarterback Jack McDaniels was 23 for 38 through the air for 294 yards and one touchdown. James Smith, III rushed for 134 yards and a score for West Alabama, and Bayley Blanchard caught four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball, Josh Hatcher tallied 12 tackles (nine solo, three assist) with two tackles for a loss of five yards. Undraez Lillyrecorded seven total tackles (five solo, two assist) with 3.5 tackles for a loss of 10 yards, and Chris Terrell had five solo tackles, three for a loss of 10 yards.

Shamar Lewis, SchDarren Archie, and Michael Anderson have a single interception, and Anderson forced one fumble.

Dunkle began the scoring effort on the game’s first possession. Opening the game with several first downs, the Tigers found themselves in a 4^th and 10 situation. Dunkle came on the field and scored the first points for his team while breaking his career-long record with a 47-yard field goal.

Minutes later, West Alabama scored its first touchdown of the game. Reggie Davenport racked up 30 rushing yards for five carries in a 7-play possession, punctuated by a one-yard carry for a touchdown. Dunkle landed the PAT, giving the Tigers a 10-0 advantage over Tuskegee.

West Alabama started off the second quarter with yet another scoring possession. Being unable to get a first down in the run, Dunkle scored another field goal. This time 30-yarder to extend the West Al lead to 13-0.

Later in the quarter, with 6:02 left in the half, McDaniels completed a 43-yard touchdown pass in the possession’s first play. The point after was good for a score of 20-0.

The only points in the third quarter came off the foot of Dunkle. The Glendora, Calif. native landed his third field goal of the night to add three points to the UWA score.

Tuskegee scored its only points of the game in its first possession of the fourth quarter. After eight plays and 59 yards, Golden Tiger quarterback Bryson Williams completed a 21-yard pass to Steven Hodges for a touchdown. The point after was good to cut UWA’s lead to 23-7.

West Alabama answered on its next possession. Dunkle grabbed another piece, this time a 25-yarder.

In the game’s final minutes, Senior running back James Smith, III ran for 62 yards for a touchdown.

UWA returns to action on Thursday, Sept. 16, when they take on North American University inside of Tiger Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 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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