Sports

Second half performance uplifting for UAM

By Jay Lupo/Of The Commercial Staff
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:11 AM CDT

MONTICELLO — Arkansas-Monticello head coach Gwaine Mathews didn’t see much of anything he liked in the first half of his team’s 46-27 loss to third-ranked North Alabama last Saturday at Cotton Boll Stadium.

It was the second half that had Mathews crowing on Monday.

“There’s no quit in this football team, and that’s what [last Saturday] showed me,” Mathews said. “Turnovers really put us in a bad position in the first half, and their quarterback was on fire.

“But in the second half we really got after their tails defensively. We outscored them, we outgained them, we outhit them and we just flat outplayed them.”

The Lions built a 37-7 halftime lead behind three UAM turnovers and quarterback A.J. Milwee’s gamebreaking performance. The junior threw for 111 yards and three scores and had a rushing touchdown to boot, while the offense he was directing scored touchdowns on five of its seven first-half possessions.

The Boll Weevils (2-5, 1-3 Gulf South Conference) knocked Milwee out of the game late in the first half with an injury, however, and won the battle the rest of the way. UAM outscored North Alabama (6-0, 5-0 GSC) 20-9 in the second half while limiting its once potent offense to just 123 yards without its starting quarterback.

“Hey, that’s the best team in this league, and we weren’t that far behind them,” Mathews said. “We were toe-to-toe with them in the second half, and they didn’t bring in their second string until their last two series of the game. That was their first team out there in the second half, and we beat them.

“I’m not a big believer in moral victories, and we didn’t get one last Saturday. It’s all about winning, and anybody that knows me knows that’s the way I think. But I tell you what, our football team sure showed a lot of heart and fire coming out in the second half like they did. It’s something we can build on.”

Mathews also said his team can build on another solid effort by its true freshman quarterback, Scott Buisson.

Buisson threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 54 yards and another score on Saturday against one of the GSC’s best defenses. He did throw three interceptions, including one that really swung the momentum the Lions’ way early in the game.

“I tell you, anybody who watched the Henderson State game two weeks ago can really see the progression Scott made from last week to this week,” Mathews said. “Over the course of the year, Scott Buisson has matured so much that it’s scary.

“By no means is he there yet. But he’s coming along quickly. And for him to have that kind of performance against that kind of team really shows me that.”

In seven games, Buisson has thrown for 1,577 yards and 10 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 336 yards and three scores on the ground. And he, along with tailback John L. Williams, who’s rushed for 601 yards and six scores in six games, has been the driving force behind a Weevils’ unit that leads the GSC in total offense.

Harris doubtful for Saturday

Star wide receiver Tim Harris is listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game at West Georgia.

Harris, who has 42 catches for 585 yards and four scores in six games on the season, was injured with a severe knee bruise in the third quarter of UAM’s Oct. 6 loss at Henderson State.

“We don’t know when we’re going to get Tim back, to be honest,” Mathews said. “He’s not going to practice any this week. But he’ll make the trip to Georgia with us and if he wakes up on Saturday morning and says he can play, then we’re going to try and let him.

“But it’s not looking good, not for this week at least. We’re confident we’ll get him back, but it’s probably not going to be on Saturday.”

Starting defensive end Jerome Perez is also out indefinitely with a broken collarbone he suffered against North Alabama. Perez, a senior from Greenville, Miss., has 18 tackles on the season with 1.5 sacks and six quarterback hurries. He also recovered a fumble and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown in the Boll Weevils’ 45-28 victory at Missouri-Rolla on Sept. 29.

GSC Standings

North Alabama 6-0 5-0

Delta State 6-0 5-0

Valdosta State 5-1 3-1

Henderson State 4-3 3-2

Harding 3-3 2-2

Arkansas Tech 4-3 2-3

Ouachita Baptist 4-3 2-3

West Georgia 2-5 1-3

Arkansas-Monticello 2-5 1-3

Southern Arkansas 2-5 1-4

West Alabama 1-5 0-4

This Week’s Games

Delta State @ North Alabama

Harding @ Southern Arkansas

Ouachita Baptist @ Arkansas Tech

Arkansas-Monticello @ West Georgia

Valdosta State @ West Alabama

Last Week’s Results

Delta State 35, Valdosta State 31

Ouachita Baptist 38, Southern Arkansas 17

North Alabama 46, Arkansas-Monticello 27

Arkansas Tech 21, Henderson State 20

West Georgia 30, West Alabama 28

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