FLORENCE, Ala. - Charleston Southern turned in their most complete performance of the season as the Buccaneers topped North Alabama on the road on Saturday evening in Braly Municipal Stadium, 25-20.
 
Jamari Dunbar posted his first collegiate 100-yard rushing game with 123 yards on a career-high 28 carries, while Alex Usry connected on a school-record 52-yard field goal among his four conversions on Saturday evening. The Bucs (2-5) posted 429 yards of total offense and 271 rushing yards in the win between future Big South rivals.
 
North Alabama (2-5) was stymied by the Bucs' defensive efforts early in the contest as the Lions were limited to just 106 yards of total offense in the first half and 265 for the game. The Lions also coughed the ball up three times with J.D. Sosebee, Jarrod Stanley, and Darin Smalls all recording interceptions in the CSU win.
 
Jack Chambers was 14-of-26 through the air with a touchdown and an interception. Isaac Ross led the CSU receiving efforts with five catches for 37 yards, while Markus Melvin added a career-high 60 yards on 11 carries for the Bucs offense.
 
Garrett Sayegh and Justin McIntire led CSU's defense with eight tackles apiece. McIntire added 2.0 tackles for loss and CSU's lone sack in the game.
 
UNA quarterback Christian Lopez was 15-of-32 for 206 yards to go with his three interceptions. Terence Humphrey scored the Lions' lone offensive touchdown among his 35 rushing yards. 
 
Jalen Dread posted nine tackles and a 62-yard interception for a touchdown to lead the Lions defensively. Jeffrey Battle and D'Andre Hart both added 10 tackles apiece in the loss.
   
Key Drive
After North Alabama marched down the field to take the 20-19 lead with 10:43 remaining in the fourth quarter, CSU went back to work following a 31-yard kickoff return from Terrence Wilson.
 
The trio of running backs in Melvin, Dunbar, and Wilson combined to pick up 42 rushing yards on the first six plays of the drive to move the ball to the UNA 24. A seven-yard Chambers rush set up 1st-and-10 at the UNA 17.
 
Two plays later, Wilson took the handoff up the middle and spun off a tackler on his way to falling into the end zone and giving CSU the 25-20 lead.
 
How They Scored

• Joe Gurley put the Lions on the scoreboard on their opening offensive possession to cap a 10-play, 56-yard drive with a 30-yard field goal to give UNA the 3-0 lead.
• Jalen Dread picked off the dropped pass and returned it 62 yards for a pick-six for the Lions with 7:32 remaining in the first quarter to add to the UNA lead, and then Jack Peavey connected on the two-point conversion to Ja'Won Howell to give the Lions the 11-0 lead.
• Alex Usry drilled a 24-yard field goal to cap a 13-play, 68-yard drive that utilized 4:14 on the clock in the first quarter to put the Bucs on the scoreboard.
• Following a Jarrod Stanley interception, the Bucs utilized some trickeration with Kameron Brown connecting on a 32-yard pass to Garris Schwarting late in the first quarter. Two plays later, Chambers targeted Schwarting on the wheel-route for a four-yard touchdown pass to cut the UNA lead down to 11-10.
• Usry knocked his second field goal of the first half through the uprights as he converted a 35-yarder with 8:58 remaining in the second quarter to put the Bucs ahead 13-11 following an 11-play, 60-yard drive.
• Usry was 3-for-3 with 8:24 remaining in the third quarter as the redshirt sophomore capped an 11-play, 61-yard drive with a 26-yard field goal to putu the Bucs ahead 16-11.
• A 64-yard kickoff return set the Lions up in prime scoring position on their next drive and North Alabama took advantage of it as Terence Humphrey scored on a four-yard run to put the Lions back in the lead. The two-point conversion was no good as UNA held the 17-16 lead with 7:05 remaining in the third quarter.
• A school-record 52-yard field goal bounced off the crossbar and through the uprights as Usry connected on his fourth field goal of the game to put the Bucs ahead 19-17 with 14:55 remaining in the contest.
• Joe Gurley responded with a 34-yard conversion on the ensuing North Alabama drive to cap a 10-play, 39-yard stretch that covered 4:12 in the fourth quarter as UNA took the 20-19 lead with 10:43 to play.
• Terrence Wilson and the Bucs bounced back with a nine-play, 66-yard drive that was capped by the redshirt sophomore running back's eight-yard touchdown run to put CSU back in the lead, 25-20, with 6:57 to play in the fourth quarter.

Inside the Numbers

• Charleston Southern limited North Alabama below their season averages in both passing yards and total offense as the Bucs limited the Lions to 206 yards through the air (263.5 avg) and 265 yards of total offense (365.0 avg)
• The Bucs dominated the time of possession battle by a wide margin as CSU held onto the ball for 37:01 to the Lions' 22:59.
• CSU's defense posted their first three-turnover game of the season with their three interceptions.
• The Bucs were 8-of-17 in third down conversions, while limiting North Alabama to 3-of-13.
• The Bucs posted 271 rushing yards on 58 carries (4.7 ypc)
• Kyle Reighard averaged 46.3 yards per punt on Saturday.
• Jamari Dunbar posted his first collegiate 100-yard rushing effort with 123 yards on 28 carries.
• Jack Chambers added 68 yards on nine carries.
• Kameron Brown completed his lone passing attempt for 32 yards to Garris Schwarting in the first quarter.

News & Notes

• Travay Hatten became the 17th Buccaneer to earn a pass reception this season following his catch in the first quarter.
• Jamari Dunbar had seven carries in the 2019 season heading into Saturday, before toting the ball a career-high 28 times.
• Markus Melvin had one carry entering the game and finished with 11 carries for 60 yards.
• Alex Usry's 52-yard field goal eclipsed the record set by John Paglia (51) against Stony Brook back on Nov. 14, 2009.
• It was Usry's second 50-yard field goal of the season and second in as many weeks – he's also the only CSU placekicker with two career 50-yard field goals.
• The Bucs' offense set a season-high with 429 total offensive yards and 271 rushing yards
• J.D. Sosebee recorded his first collegiate interception in Saturday's win.
• The win over North Alabama was CSU's first win in program history in the state of Alabama.
• It was CSU's first road win of the season.
• Usry's four field goals tied the school record for most field goals in a game set back on Oct. 6, 2007 by Nick Ellis against Savannah State.
• The Bucs entered the game boasting the FCS' best pass defense and saw their yards per game average rise to 147.1.

Key Play #1 - Usry's 52-yard Field Sets the CSU Record

FB 4Q | Let's go ahead and count this off.

- 52-yard FG is the new @CSUFB record

- 4-for-4 FGs, ties the CSU record for FGs in a game.

Oh, and CSU now leads 19-17 pic.twitter.com/OJTqgP8cMG

— CSU Game Day (@CSUGameDay) October 20, 2019

Key Play #2 - Darin Smalls Clinches Second CSU Win in 2019

FB 4Q | This just might do it...

Two Bucs wins have now been settled with Darin Smalls clinching interceptions pic.twitter.com/9w2Gz1zc7o

— CSU Game Day (@CSUGameDay) October 20, 2019

Coach's Comments


Up Next
Charleston Southern is back at home on Saturday, October 26, as the Bucs host Monmouth at Buccaneer Field. Kickoff between the Big South rivals is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.