UNA can’t figure out how to win on the road
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — The setting was different — the town, the stadium, the opposing team.
The scene facing North Alabama, however, was the same leaving the field after another Saturday. The trek from the locker room to board the bus, too. The ride back to Florence likely the same as many others.
Despondent. Frustrated. Sad. Angry. Embarrassed.
“That about says it all,” sophomore guard Ryan Walker said curtly.
It’s getting harder to describe it any other way.
The Lions have trouble winning. And, oftentimes, being competitive. Their 56-28 loss at No. 25 Austin Peay set a program record with a seventh straight non-winning season topping the teams from 1963 to 1968. They’re 23-52 since making the move to Division I ahead of the 2018 season. Add in a road game — ranked opponent aside — and it makes it that much worse.
UNA (2-6, 1-3 United Athletic Conference) is now 7-36 away from Braly Stadium since its final DII year. That includes a 0-5 mark this year where the Lions are getting outscored by an average of 23 points per outing. (UNA is also 1-23 all-time against ranked FCS foes, for those curious.)
Good teams — or at least ones that are consistently in games — find ways to win on the road. The Lions can’t seem to figure it out.
Perhaps it’s the venues. Maybe it’s the change in schedule. It could be the travel. All can lead to players being uptight and anxious.
“We took the team to a movie last night,” coach Brent Dearmon said. “Usually, we do walkthroughs and film. We just tried to take the edge off and do something different for a road game. It didn’t work.”
No, it didn’t, despite it being an admirable idea.
The 56 points Austin Peay (5-3, 3-2) scored were the most surrendered by UNA against a non-FBS team since the 66 points Central Arkansas totaled in 2022 that led to the firing of Chris Willis. The Governors’ 577 yards of offense — quarterback Chris Parson threw for 311 and three touchdowns, plus ran for 53 yards and three scores — were the most the Lions have allowed since Central Arkansas’ 733 in 2022. If you’d like a closer number, Tarleton State put up 586 that year as well.
CONTRIBUTED/DREW BARTON/NORTH ALABAMA ATHLETICS
UNA defensive lineman Jyheam Ingram believes UNA’s road struggles are “a placebo effect” the Lions have to get over.
UNA’s three turnovers — all interceptions from quarterback Destin Wade, who also struggled with overthrows — marked the third time this season it accomplished that feat. It failed to keep pace with Austin Peay, only trailing by two scores three times: for a 2:23 stretch in the second quarter, a 5:36 stretch in the third and a 3:03 run in the fourth.
“We’re definitely not the team from last week,” said junior defensive lineman Jyheam Ingram, referencing the 35-14 win over Eastern Kentucky that happened to come at home.
“I think last week we played our best brand of football,” Ingram said. “Guys were flying around. But it goes back to, we got to bring that every Saturday.”
It’s a matter if the Lions can.
By now, that’s getting harder to believe. UNA has too big of a sample size that says otherwise.
Saturday marked the third time in the last four games the Lions have given up at least 28 points in the first half and trailed by three scores going into halftime, at least 49 points overall (including more than 50 twice) and at least 480 yards offense. All losses.
It was the fifth time UNA has failed to score more than a single touchdown over the first two quarters.
“We just got to figure it out,” senior linebacker Demarcious Robinson said. “Once we figure it out, we’ll be good to go.”
The Lions have four games to do so, all in conference play. They would need to win all four to finish .500.
It’s a tough ask considering how they’ve been playing. Especially with two of those matchup at places UNA hasn’t performed well in — the road.
The Lions play at Utah Tech (1-7, 0-4) next week and at No. 3 Tarleton State (9-0, 5-0) on Nov. 15.
“I think it’s kind of a placebo effect,” Ingram said. “We’ve got to get past that because at the end of the day, it’s football. It’s a man’s game. It’s 11-on-11 every time you go out there.”
