The UNA football team knew it had to take care of business Saturday, and did so, coming away with a 28-7 win over Shorter in Rome, Georgia.

UNA (7-2, 5-1) limited Shorter’s run-heavy attack to 233 total yards, as the Hawks (2-7, 1-5) did not complete a pass in the loss.

“We had a great game plan coming in,” said UNA head coach Bobby Wallace. “I’m real proud of the defense. We had a great effort on their part.”

Senior running back Lamonte Thompson finished with 132 yards in the game. In doing so, Thompson hits the 1,000 rushing yard milestone and becomes the first to do so in a season since Greg Manson in 1997.

“It’s a huge accomplishment, but I couldn’t have done this without my offensive line and my fullback Ryan Harper,” Thompson said. “Its something I’ve been trying to do since my freshman year. My family is proud of me, which means a lot.”

The Lions struck first, as quarterback Luke Wingo found Grant Lake in the end zone to take an early 7-0 lead. The next drive went for 50 yards on five plays, ending on Diamond Simmons’s seven-yard touchdown run.

The lone score for the Hawks came on a 31-yard run by B.J. McCoy, cutting the lead in half. UNA took a 28-7 lead into the half, with scores coming on runs from Jacob Tucker and Thompson to cap the scoring.

“We did a good job of doing what we practiced this week,” said junior James Rivers, who recorded an interception in the game. “It’s hard in an option offense to defend the pass, because you don’t know when it’s coming, but we got the job done.”

The Lions close the regular season Nov. 14 against conference rival West Alabama. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at Braly Stadium.

A win in next week’s game ensures at least a share of the Gulf South Conference championship, thanks to a 28-26 West Georgia loss courtesy of Florida Tech.