UAM Weevils Win Non-Conference Game

MONTICELLO – Senior receiver Jamal Nixon and sophomore quarterback Cody Trimble linked up three times for touchdowns to lead the University of Arkansas at Monticello football team to a 41-27 win over Lindenwood-Belleville on Saturday at home.

The win keeps the UAM Weevils (4-3) unbeaten at home this season in a game that began a three-game home stand. UAM has Southern Nazarene at home next Saturday, October 26 at 3 p.m. for Homecoming.

Nixon finished the game with nine receptions for 120 yards including touchdown catches of 10, 40 and 21 yards. The majority of the yards in all three touchdown catches came after the catch. Trimble turned in a career-game, completing 26-of-39 passes for 290 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

The Weevils started the scoring with on a 39-yard field goal from freshman Jamie McGee at the 9:08 mark of the opening quarter to cap a nine-play, 19-yard drive that began after Lindenwood’s Tywan Brooks decided to run on a rugby-style punt attempt near midfield on the Lynx’ first offensive drive of the game.

The Lynx (3-5) answered with a 78-yard touchdown run by Kameron Harris at the 3:35 mark of the first quarter to give his team a 7-3 lead.

UAM regained the lead for the final time on the next drive on a 10-yard touchdown catch from Trimble to Nixon on the first play of the second quarter to cap a 10-play, 59-yard drive.

McGee added his second field goal of the game on UAM’s next possession, this time from 42 yards out to put UAM up 13-7 with 9:07 remaining in the first half.

Nixon and Trimble connected for the next two scores of the game, using touchdown strikes of 40 and 21 yards to give the Weevils a 27-7 lead at halftime.

Sophomore Anthony Ceaser recovered an onside kick to start the second half, setting up UAM’s next score, a three-yard touchdown pass from Trimble to junior Austin Morgan at the 11:56 mark of the third quarter to cap an eight-play, 45-yard drive.

After forcing a turnover via a Mike Early interception on Lindenwood’s next offensive possession, UAM looked to go up by 30 points, but Jamie McGee’s 32-yard field goal attempt missed right to give the Lynx the ball at their own 20-yard line. On the next play, junior Chris Roberts intercepted an AnthonyDorsey pass to set up UAM’s next score, a one-yard touchdown run by junior Rod Smith to cap a four-play, 24-yard drive that used just 53 seconds. UAM led 41-7 with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter.

The Lynx rattled off 20 unanswered points in the final 22 minutes with a 25-yard touchdown run from Harris, a five-yard interception return for a touchdown from Colin Sheehan and a 46-yard touchdown pass from Dorsey to Harvey Binford.

UAM ended the night with a 400-369 edge in total offense. The Lynx amassed 240 rushing yards, led by Harris’ 180 yards on 20 carries.

Smith ended the game with 79 yards on 21 carries. Sophomore Nick Williams added 35 yards on 15 carries. Junior Skyler Scott had five receptions for 57 yards and sophomore Cody Bordelon added five receptions for 53 yards.

Defensively, UAM was led by junior Keith Reynolds with eight tackles, including an assisted tackle for a loss. Senior Calvin Ursin added seven tackles, an assisted sack and two and a half tackles for losses. Sophomore George Alvarez added seven tackles as well.

Jamie McGee hit his average of two field goals per game in Saturday’s win and currently sits on made field goal shy of tying a school record for field goals made in a single season. McGee is now 14-for-16 on field goals this season and 20-for-22 on extra points.

The Weevils return to their Great American Conference schedule next Saturday at home against Southern Nazarene. SNU is 0-7 overall this season following a 66-17 loss to Southern Arkansas at home on Saturday.