BOX SCORE
NATCHITOCHES, La. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello football team allowed Northwestern State to escape with a 31-24 victory on Saturday at Turpin Stadium.
The Demons (1-1) reached the scoreboard first on UAM’s first offensive possession of the game. Northwestern’s Imoa Claiborne intercepted a Hunter Leppert pass at the UAM 28-yard line and returned it for a touchdown with 13:54 remaining in the opening quarter.
NSU grabbed a two-score lead later in the opening quarter on a 15-yard touchdown run by Sidney Riley to cap a seven-play, 47-yard drive that used just 2:01.
UAM (1-1) cut its deficit to just one touchdown at the 7:02 mark of the first quarter time on a 60-yard catch-and-run pass from Hunter Leppert to Jamal Nixon to cap a six-play, 74-yard drive that used 2:39.
The Demons took a 17-7 lead later in the quarter following a drive that lost 17 yards. John Shaugnessy connected on a 47-yard field goal at the 3:37 mark of the quarter, his third field goal of the season of at least 40 yards.
UAM answered on the ensuing kickoff with an 82-yard return for a touchdown by senior Blake Prince to cap the first quarter scoring.
The only score of the second quarter came from the leg of UAM sophomore kicker Reagan Wise, who nailed a 22-yard field goal after the UAM offense stalled following a fumble recovery at the NWLA four-yard line.
UAM senior quarterback Damon Wicker gave UAM a 24-17 lead on a 22-yard touchdown run at the 10:59 mark of the third quarter to cap a four-play, 30-yard drive that used 1:43. Wicker’s touchdown run came on a fourth-and-two situation after having his number called the previous three plays.
The Demons’ defense came through again on UAM’s next offensive possession to force a 24-all tie. NWLA’s Cortez Paige picked off tipped pass from Leppert and returned it 52 yards for the score.
The Demons scored the go-ahead and eventual game-winning touchdown with 5:41 remaining in regulation on a 25-yard scoring rush by Daniel Taylor.
Leppert finished the game 18-of-35 through the air with one touchdown and three interceptions. The Minden, La. native was also UAM’s leading rusher with 56 yards on 16 attempts. Leppert’s favorite target in the game was Nixon, who hauled in eight passes for 96 yards with one touchdown.
Sophomore linebacker Alex Black paced the UAM defense with nine tackles, including a half sack and one tackle for a loss.
The Boll Weevils return to action next Saturday, September 15 against Harding at home for the first Great American Conference game of the 2012 season. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Willis “Convoy” Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium.
