RICHMOND, Ky. (October 3, 2026) – The University of North Alabama football team continued its greatest start in the program's Division I history Saturday, opening United Athletic Conference play with an exhilarating 20-16 win over Eastern Kentucky in Richmond, Ky.
UNA improves to 4-2 on the season and 1-0 in UAC play, marking the best six-game start for the program in its nine-year Division I era.
The last time UNA started 4-2 or better was in 2016, when the Lions went 11-2 under Coach Bobby Wallace and made it to the NCAA Division II National Championship. Tonight also marks the first time UNA has won its conference opener since 2017 — back when it was a member of the Gulf South Conference.
It started with a 13-3 halftime deficit for UNA, as the Lions struggled to move the ball early on but held off EKU (1-4, 0-1 UAC) on multiple drives. The second half was a different story, as UNA picked up the pace and took back the lead with two touchdowns in the third quarter. A late field goal by
Ian Vachon with 3:05 remaining and a game-sealing interception by
Anthony Young locked up the road win.
Defensively, UNA had four interceptions — including three in the first quarter — from redshirt sophomores
Leo Glover and Anthony "Tre" Young. Glover had the first two, then Young grabbed one on the third possession and essentially ended the game by jumping a route and picking off a pass with 2:43 remaining.
A 10-yard rush by redshirt sophomore
Roderick Taylor Jr. on 3rd-and-4 allowed UNA to run out the time.
Glover and Young are the first Lions to complete a multi-interception game since
Philjae Bien-Aime in 2023 against Tennessee Tech. The last time UNA's defense had four interceptions came in 2017 against Florida Tech — making tonight the first time in UNA's FCS era.
Young and Glover both had their first career interceptions tonight. Glover also had a career game with a game-high and career-high 11 tackles, including eight solo. He also added two tackles for loss and a pass break-up.
Tonight snapped a 12-game skid in road games for UNA dating back to 2024. However, UNA has won two straight games over EKU the last two seasons. UNA is also riding a three-game win streak for the first time since 2024 that was sparked by that road win at West Georgia.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNA was the early aggressor on defense, getting three interceptions on the first three defensive drives. Glover had the first two, and Young won a tie-up for the third one. After Glover's second interception, Vachon tacked on a 50-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with 7:17 left in the first quarter.
EKU scored on its fourth drive with a just over a minute left in the opening frame, as running back Brady Hensley punched in a 12-yard touchdown run to make it 7-3. Two field goals by kicker Devin Orr made it 13 unanswered by halftime.
UNA snatched the lead back in the third quarter, driving 75 yards on eight plays on the opening drive to manufacture some offense. Chunk-yardage catches by redshirt sophomore
Snap Reed and redshirt freshman
Xavier Johnson and a 24-yard rush by redshirt sophomore
Jalen Fletcher set up a touchdown pass from the jumbo package to defensive end
Kamore Harris to make it 13-10 early in the third. This was Harris's first career touchdown.
Later in the frame, UNA forced a three-and-out with a sack and hurry by redshirt junior
Avery Howard and a tackle for loss by his sophomore roommate
Cayden Adkins. The EKU punt set up UNA's next drive at its own 31-yard line. Near midfield, UNA quarterback
Destin Wade broke off a 54-yard run down the sideline and punched it in from two-yards out on the next play to make it 17-13 with 3:20 left in the third.
A seat-gripping fourth quarter started with a three-and-out as true freshman
Charles Chappelle stuffed a run on third-and-short. The teams traded punts, then EKU pulled back within one point as Orr made his third field goal of the game to make it 17-16 with 7:14 remaining.
UNA drove down the field the next four minutes with four first downs, ending a long drive with Vachon's 25-yard field goal to make it 20-16. Needing a score in three minutes, EKU saw its potential go-ahead drive end on just two plays with an interception by Young. UNA ran three plays to get a first down and run EKU out of timeouts, making way for Wade to knee out the clock.
THE NUMBERS
Wade finished with eight completions for 77 yards and a passing touchdown while adding 56 yards on the ground and another score. Taylor was the leading rusher with 63 yards on nine carries, while Fletcher added 56 of his own.
Redshirt sophomore
Snap Reed caught three passes for 37 yards.
Glover had the bulk of the tackles on defense, while
Kanijal Thomas,
Mond Cole and
Tae Martin added five tackles. Harris and Glover led with two tackles for loss, while redshirt junior
Avery Howard had four tackles, a sack and four QB hurries.
Tonight was also a "Scorigami" as UNA finished with a 20-16 score for the first time in school history, dating back to the start of the modern era in 1949.
COMING UP NEXT
UNA will take its three-game win streak into the bye week, resuming UAC play Saturday, Oct. 17 against Abilene Christian at Bobby Wallace Field at Bank Independent Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
