Western Illinois Leathernecks @ North Alabama Lions
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WIU | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| 6 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 26 |
North Alabama goes deep, defeats Western Illinois 26-17
FLORENCE, Ala. -- North Alabama scored key touchdowns on a long run and an even longer pass and the Lions defeated Western Illinois 26-17 in a season opener on Thursday night.
Leading 9-7 late in the second quarter, Christian Lopez connected with Cortez Hall for a 75-yard scoring pass and a 16-7 lead. With the Lions protecting a 19-17 lead late in the third quarter, Terence Humphrey scored on a 62-yard run for a 26-17 lead.
The Lions' defense held the Leathernecks out of the red zone the entire second half and allowed only Nathan Erickson's 41-yard field goal in the third quarter.
Lopez completed 17 of 32 passes for 290 yards and the one touchdown. Humphrey carried 12 times for 102 yards and his long touchdown.
Connor Sampson completed 18 of 30 passes for 183 yards for Western Illinois. He was intercepted once.
Game Information
Florence, AL
2026 Standings
| OVC-Big South Association | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Eastern Illinois | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Gardner-Webb | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Lindenwood | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Tennessee State | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| UT Martin | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Western Illinois | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| United Athletic Conference | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Austin Peay | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Central Arkansas | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Eastern Kentucky | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| North Alabama | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Tarleton State | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| West Florida | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| West Georgia | 0-0 | 0-0 |
NCAAF News
What College Football Playoff expansion could learn from the 2026 World Cup
2h
WR Robinson: Seminoles 'feel the urgency' to turn fortunes around
15h
Virginia names Beau Pribula starting QB entering preseason camp
16h
