Conway, AR _ University of Central Arkansas Bears and head coach nathan brownwere aware of the difference in the level of talent that would be on display Saturday night at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.
But Brown said the Bears did exactly what they wanted to do against the lowly Texas College Stairs, tying the highest score in the NCAA Division I era with a 70-2 home opener at the Stripes. He said he had won.
“I’m proud of our players,” Brown said. “We knew they were going to be a little short-handed because of the situation the University of Texas is in. But I just want to say this, hats off to the way they played. How many players they played against. “That was impressive because I don’t know what they did,” but they played hard.
“They kept us alert and we had to play four quarters. Some of our reserves had to come in and compete, which I thought was good. bodes well for our program and gives us an opportunity to get our players involved and get ahead.”
The Bears (1-1), who played against about 90 players on Saturday, defeated the NAIA Stairs by scoring on 10 consecutive possessions, including three touchdowns in the first seven minutes and five in the first quarter. The University of Texas replaced Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the second half due to scheduling conflicts with the Golden Lions.
junior running back Shun Derrick Powell He started the onslaught with a 62-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. Senior defensive back KC Clark made an interception on Stairs’ first offensive play, immediately giving the Bears the ball back. Powell, a transfer from North Alabama, did the honors again, this time gaining 22 yards less than two minutes into the first quarter to take a 14-0 lead.
senior quarterback Will McElvaine Connected with second year students Miles Butler Shortly after, he completed a 26-yard touchdown pass.junior running back giraffe james He then added the first of two touchdowns on a 25-yard run to take a 28-0 lead.Fellow junior running back Darius Hale He followed with an 11-yard run to end the first period.
“We have really good running backs,” Brown said. “And I feel good about probably two depths on the offensive line. I think they did a good job of asserting themselves tonight. But as you saw, (the depth) is on defense. Yes, our defensive line stayed sharp and our linebackers kept running.” Ball, I thought. Jacobrian Eichleberger It was all over the field. That kid is going to play some big football for us.
“He played a big role last week at Oklahoma State. He’s still young to our program, so he got a lot of reps tonight and he’ll play a bigger role as we continue to move forward.” Mike Onwuzurike had some big plays. Jace Benesh…You could skim the list, but I’m proud of them. Really, just keep playing clean football for four quarters. I think that’s what I was most excited about. “
UCA’s defense held Texas to just 108 yards on 55 plays, averaging 2.0 yards per play.
James added his second score for the redshirt freshman quarterback with a 3-yard run midway through the second quarter. austin myers The Vilonia player threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to the sophomore. Tyon Berry At the 2:57 mark of the second period, the lead was 49-0.
The Bears would put up with an 8-10 squad that got beat up at Oklahoma State last week and would score three more points in the third quarter. Isaiah Broadway’s 5 yard run jake gaster’s 8th point after the end of the game. Lajoie JonesThe junior from Mobile, Alabama, scored his first career touchdown on a 7-yard run before redshirting as a freshman. travel anderson He gained 8 yards for the final score with 1:50 left in the third quarter.
After a UCA interception by Eichleberger near UCA’s goal line that resulted in an unsportsmanlike penalty, Texas finally came on with a safety with 7:16 remaining.
UCA won the turnover battle 4-0 with three interceptions and a fumble recovery.red shirt freshman duncan parham Got his third interception and linebacker. carson moran Recovered a fumble forced by junior Onwuzurike.
The Bears, who played with about 90 players, finished with 499 yards of total offense, including 396 on the ground. James led all rushers with 103 yards on 10 carries, with Powell adding 87 yards, Hale 64 yards and Broadway 63 yards. McElvaine and Myers combined to complete 8 of 11 passes for 103 yards.
Mr. Eichleberger, of Whitehall, Arkansas; Jace BeneshThe Hoxie, Ark., native topped the UCA tackle charts with six tackles, while Onwuzurike had a game-high 1.5 tackles for loss.
UCA will have to switch gears next week to face No. 2 North Dakota State at the Fargo Dome in Fargo, North Dakota. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.
“It’s really difficult,” Brown said. “When you play a game like last week against Oklahoma State, which is clearly one of the best programs in college football over the last few decades, it’s easy to be wary when you then play a game like this. You can loosen up. But I thought we won.” “We had a good week of practice, and I think that led to this result. Our players competed in practice this week. Their intensity throughout the week. That was strategic for the coach.”
“But, well, (now) we’re about to play on the Mount Rushmore of college football, never mind the level. You’re talking about nine of the last 11 national championships. I think it’s about the team that won the championship.
