FLORENCE, Ala. – Lamonte Thompson rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns to lead the University of North Alabama to a 34-17 Gulf South Conference win over Mississippi College in front of a crowd of 12,213 at Braly Stadium.
 
UNA, now 2-0, led 24-14 at intermission before the Choctaws cut the lead to 24-17 in the third quarter. The Lions then outscored Mississippi College 10-0 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
 
Thompson's 188 yards on 27 carries was the second highest single-game total of his career. He now has back-to-back 100-plus yard games to open the season and has 10 career 100-yard games. UNA finished with 286 rushing yards and 503 total yards. Mississippi College had 278 total yards with 113 rushing and 165 passing.
 
North Alabama took the opening kickoff and covered 82 yards in seven plays for the game's first score. Luke Wingo hit Hagan Scott with a 19-yard pass for the touchdown and Kevin Henke's PAT made it 7-0 with 12:49 left in the first quarter.
 
Mississippi College answered with a methodical touchdown drive of its own, moving 75 yards in 13 plays for the game-tying score. Marcel Newson pulled in a 31-yard pass in the back of the end zone from Kyle Smith with 4:13 left in the quarter and Tyler Poe's PAT made it 7-7.
 
UNA also scored on its second possession as Thompson scored on an eight-yard run with 18 seconds left in the period. Henke's PAT gave UNA a 14-7 advantage.
 
The Lions extended their lead to 21-7 with just 59 seconds left in the half on a 10-yard pass from Wingo to Dre Hall but the Choctaws came right back with a 73-yard scoring toss from Smith to Newson just 15 seconds later. That score made it 21-14 with 44 seconds left in the half.
 
North Alabama was able to tack on a field goal before the half as Henke drilled a 38-yarder as time expired to make it 24-14 at intermission.
 
The only score of the third quarter came on a 29-yard field goal by Poe to cut UNA's lead to 24-17 with 8:13 left.
 
UNA added a 20-yard Henke field goal with 11:24 left in the game and a 23-yard touchdown run by Thompson with 2:06 to play to make the final count 34-17.
 
North Alabama is open next weekend before returning home to host Florida Tech on Sept. 29.
 
 

Hagan Scott scores on a 19-yard pass reception on UNA's opening possession.


Quarterback Luke Wingo (12) celebrates UNA touchdown.


DeAndre Harrison (50) and Freddie Reed (92) celebrate a defensive stop by the Lions.


Quarterback Jacob Tucker looks for running room down the sideline.


Stephen Evans (75) clears running room for Thompson.


Linebacker C.J. Jackson (26) had six tackles for the Lions.


Luke Wingo takes snap from center Cody Vaughn (76).