FLORENCE, Ala. — West Florida had four chances from North Alabama’s 1-yard line to score a potential tying touchdown Saturday night. Instead, a promising comeback ended with the Argonauts stopped just short of the end zone.
Ty’Ray Davis’ fourth-down completion to Luc Carroll ended at the 2-yard line, preserving UNA’s 28–21 victory at Bank Independent Stadium. UWF dropped to 4–4 overall and 1–4 in United Athletic Conference play.
The final possession gave the Argonauts an opportunity to overcome a two-touchdown deficit. After Carroll caught a 28-yard touchdown pass with 7:33 remaining, UWF’s defense forced a punt. The offense took over at its own 20 with 2:42 left, needing a touchdown and an extra point to tie.
Davis helped move UWF into scoring position, connecting with Carroll for 22 yards on a play that also drew a defensive facemask penalty. He then found Jake Robinette across the middle, putting the Argonauts at the 1 with 1:24 remaining.
From there, the drive moved backward.
Kei’Shawn Smith was stopped for a three-yard loss on first down. A direct snap to Smith followed by a pitch back to Davis resulted in an incomplete pass on second down. Davis then lost his footing on third down, leaving UWF facing fourth-and-goal from the 16.
The final throw reached Carroll, but he was brought down two yards short of the touchdown. North Alabama took possession with 43 seconds remaining and ran out the clock.
While the closing sequence decided UWF’s final opportunity, earlier defensive breakdowns helped create the deficit.
UNA produced three touchdowns covering at least 45 yards. Snap Reed scored on a 48-yard reception, Roderick Taylor Jr. broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown run on third-and-23, and Xavier Johnson added a 45-yard touchdown catch.
Taylor’s run was particularly costly. UWF had pushed the Lions into a difficult third-down situation, only to surrender the score that gave UNA a 14–7 second-quarter lead. The Lions added another touchdown before halftime to make it 21–7.
The Argonauts responded early in the third quarter when Roderick Webb intercepted a pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown. However, UNA answered with Johnson’s scoring reception to restore its 14-point advantage.
UWF held the Lions scoreless for the remainder of the game, giving its offense time to mount the late challenge.
Davis finished with 308 passing yards and two touchdowns. Carroll led the receiving group with six catches for 85 yards. UNA finished with 438 total yards, including 244 on the ground.
The Argonauts showed enough resilience to put the outcome in reach. Their final possession also underscored the importance of execution near the goal line, where a first-and-goal opportunity became a fourth-down attempt from 16 yards away.
UWF returns home November 14 to face Tarleton State.
