Ford, stout defense lead Chattanooga over North Alabama 20-0
FLORENCE, Ala. -- — Ailym Ford ran for 111 yards and a touchdown and Jerrell Lawson picked off a Jaylen Gipson pass and returned it 36 yards for a score as Chattanooga cruised to a 20-0 victory over North Alabama in nonconference play on Saturday.
Aaron Sears' staked the Mocs (1-1) to a 3-0 lead with a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter. Ford scored his TD from a yard out to stretch Chattanooga's advantage to 10-0 at the 10:44 mark of the second quarter. Lawson's pick-6 came with just 42 seconds left in the half. The only scoring after intermission was Sears' 38-yard field goal in the final quarter.
The Mocs did most of their damage on the ground, piling up 198 yards on 44 attempts. Cole Copeland was 10-of-22 passing for 98 yards with two interceptions.
The Lions (0-2) were held to just 90 yards of offense and 10 first downs. North Alabama ran 25 times for only 38 yards. Gipson completed 10 of 21 passes.
Chattanooga had a 14-minute advantage in time of possession.
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Game Information
2023 Southern Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Furman | 7-1 | 10-3 |
| Chattanooga | 6-2 | 8-5 |
| Mercer | 6-2 | 9-4 |
| Western Carolina | 5-3 | 7-4 |
| Samford | 4-4 | 6-5 |
| VMI | 4-4 | 5-6 |
| East Tennessee State | 2-6 | 3-8 |
| Wofford | 2-6 | 2-9 |
| The Citadel | 0-8 | 0-11 |
2023 United Athletic Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay | 6-0 | 9-3 |
| Central Arkansas | 4-2 | 7-4 |
| Southern Utah | 4-2 | 6-5 |
| Eastern Kentucky | 4-2 | 5-6 |
| Tarleton State | 4-2 | 8-3 |
| Abilene Christian | 3-3 | 5-6 |
| North Alabama | 1-5 | 3-8 |
| Utah Tech | 1-5 | 2-9 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 0-6 | 3-8 |
NCAAF News
