Football
Why UCA football lost 27-9 even with a 3-for-3 kicker
A 99-yard kickoff return gave Southeast Missouri an early lead, and UCA football never reached the end zone on Saturday.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Caleb Jones made every field goal he tried Saturday, but Central Arkansas still lost 27-9 to Southeast Missouri.
Jones went 3-for-3 with kicks from 37, 46 and 37 yards. The redshirt freshman’s three field goals gave UCA football every point it scored.
The Bears didn’t reach the end zone. Southeast Missouri scored three touchdowns and added two field goals of its own.
The loss leaves UCA at 2-2. The Redhawks are 2-2 too.
The yardage was closer than the score. Southeast Missouri gained 293 total yards, and the Bears gained 266.
Two turnovers hurt UCA. Both were interceptions, and the Redhawks didn’t give the ball away once.
Ashtyn Williams stayed busy on defense. The sophomore linebacker made 19 tackles, and 1.5 of them went for a loss. Jakobe Shell added seven tackles.
Next up is a trip to Tallahassee, Florida. The Bears will face Florida State University at 2 p.m. on Sept. 26, and the game will air on ACC Network.
Omolo and Anderson lead the offense
Donovyn Omolo led UCA on the ground. The sophomore quarterback ran 13 times for 85 yards.
He also completed 12 of 27 passes for 98 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass, and he was intercepted twice.
Dakarai Anderson was his top target. The sophomore receiver caught six passes for 68 yards.
The Bears ran for 168 yards as a team. Jalen Washington added 45 yards, and Chapman McKown had 28.
UCA had 16 first downs, and Southeast Missouri had 20. The two teams held the ball for 30 minutes each.
Third downs were close to even. The Bears went 5-for-14, and the Redhawks went 5-for-13.
Fourth downs didn’t help either side. UCA went 0-for-2, and the Redhawks went 0-for-1.
Redhawks score on a kickoff return, two runs and two field goals
The Redhawks scored first, and the Bears’ offense hadn’t even taken the field.
Khylen Harris-Norman returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown with 14:47 left in the first quarter.
Southeast Missouri got as close as UCA’s 9-yard line later in that quarter but didn’t score.
The Bears’ defense kept the Redhawks off the board in the second quarter. It broke up three passes and hurried the quarterback three times.
UCA’s defense made another notable play in the third quarter. Trevion Traylor hurried the quarterback before Southeast Missouri missed a 50-yard field goal.
Justin Keller then kicked a 31-yard field goal with 1:31 left in the quarter. It put the Redhawks up 10-6.
The Bears’ next snap was intercepted. By the end of the quarter, the Redhawks had the ball at UCA’s 5-yard line.
Payton Brown opened the fourth quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run. Keller added a 42-yard field goal with 7:13 left, and Brown scored again on an 8-yard run with 4:10 left.
Jones kicks a field goal in three of four quarters
The Bears scored for the first time with 3:56 left in the first quarter. Jones ended a nine-play drive with a 37-yard field goal. That cut the deficit to 7-3.
Every first down in that quarter came on a run, and there were six of them. The offense gained 64 yards on the ground.
Omolo gained 13 yards on one carry, and McKown gained 11 on another during the field goal drive.
UCA went 3-for-5 on third downs in the second quarter. Jones then made a 46-yard field goal with 7:15 left to make it 7-6.
The Bears’ final drive of the half reached the Southeast Missouri 25-yard line. Omolo threw 26 yards to Anderson as time ran out.
UCA had little success in the third quarter. The offense managed one first down and 21 yards on three possessions.
The Bears’ only points in the fourth quarter came on a drive from their own 29 to the Southeast Missouri 19. Omolo had a 43-yard run and a 15-yard pass to Anderson, and Jones’ 37-yard field goal made it 17-9.
UCA football ran into more trouble late. The next two possessions ended on downs and with an interception.
