North Alabama Beats Eastern Kentucky Despite Four Turnovers Going the Other Way
Four interceptions, all thrown by Eastern Kentucky's Jordyn Potts (16 of 34 for 143 yards), and North Alabama still needed a 25-yard field goal from Ian Vachon with 3:05 left to win it 20-16. North Alabama's own passing game was 8 of 21 for 77 yards. It was not pretty.
Eastern Kentucky had the better of the first half. After a 50-yard Ian Vachon field goal gave North Alabama the first points, Brady Hensley ran in from 12 yards, and Devin Orr kicked field goals of 32 and 23 yards. Eastern Kentucky took a 13-3 lead into the half. North Alabama had to climb out of a 10-point hole, the biggest the winner faced.
The second half went the other direction. Kamore Harris, a defensive lineman, caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Destin Wade to make it 13-10, and Wade ran in from 2 yards with 3:20 left in the third. That put North Alabama up 17-13 entering the fourth. Orr answered with a 43-yarder at 7:14 to cut it to 17-16, then Vachon went back out and made the 25-yarder. Eastern Kentucky did not score again.
The yardage says Eastern Kentucky should have won: 295 to 284, with 4 sacks to 1. Four interceptions decided it anyway, and North Alabama threw none. Devin Orr kicked three field goals for Eastern Kentucky (32, 23 and 43 yards), and its one touchdown was Hensley's run, so the offense ran out of ways to score. North Alabama is 4-1, Eastern Kentucky 1-3.
Fantasy managers had to squint. Hensley led the way at 21.9 points, Wade finished second at 20.7, and no one else cleared 12.