Central Arkansas rally comes up short at No. 2 Tarleton State

Central Arkansas was down 14 and driving in the fourth quarter Saturday at No. 2 Tarleton State.

Donovyn Omolo’s pass was intercepted at the Texans’ goal line.

Three plays later, Tarleton State was in the end zone. Bryce Green finished a 99-yard drive with a 72-yard touchdown run.

That made it 49-28 with 4:09 left, and UCA couldn’t get closer than two scores the rest of the way.

The Bears scored once more, but the Texans won 49-35 in Stephenville, Texas.

UCA fell to 2-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play. Tarleton State is 7-0 and 2-0.

It came after the game had been tied late in the third quarter.

Third-quarter comeback

The Bears trailed 28-14 at halftime. Tarleton State built that lead with a touchdown 3 seconds before the break.

UCA scored on both of its third-quarter drives.

Omolo found Ty Durham for a 10-yard touchdown at the 7:21 mark. That finished an eight-play, 71-yard drive.

Freshman Sir Christian Johnson picked off a pass on Tarleton State’s next snap. The Bears took over near midfield.

Jalen Washington ran for 28 yards. A face-mask penalty on the Texans moved the ball closer.

Cameron Young scored on a 6-yard run on fourth down. Caleb Jones’ kick tied it 28-28 with 4:58 left in the third.

Tarleton State reached the UCA 21 before the quarter ended.

Texans score 21 in the fourth

Kaden Anderson finished that drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Marquis Willis at 14:11.

The Bears punted on their next possession.

Anderson hit BJ Fleming from 14 yards out at 9:36 for a 42-28 lead. It was his fifth touchdown pass of the game.

After the interception and Green’s long run, UCA went 75 yards in 13 plays.

Washington scored on an 8-yard run with 47 seconds left. Jones made the PAT for the final score.

Tarleton State finished with 507 yards and averaged 8.7 yards per play. It ran for 228 and threw for 279.

Where the game got away

The Bears had the edge in most of the team stats.

UCA had 28 first downs to Tarleton State’s 25. It held the ball for 36:54, while the Texans had it for 23:06.

The Bears gained 491 yards. They threw for 321 and ran for 170. They also went 3-for-4 on fourth down.

UCA lost two turnovers. Tarleton State lost one.

A kickoff return hurt, too. Washington’s 1-yard run tied it 7-7 early in the second quarter, but Miequle Brock went 92 yards for a touchdown 13 seconds later.

The Bears tied it again at 14-14 when Que Tillman scored from a yard out. Omolo’s 65-yard pass to Arlie Lee set it up.

UCA later reached the Tarleton State 13 but turned it over on downs. The Texans then scored twice before the half.

Omolo and Lee lead the offense

Omolo completed 27 of 36 passes for 310 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He ran 12 times for 45 yards.

Lee caught six passes for 113 yards.

Durham had 10 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. Dakarai Anderson made eight catches for 96 yards.

Washington ran 20 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns.

Tae Bulock led the Bears with 10 tackles. Ashtyn Williams had nine and Kyle Vocque had six.

The defense made an early stand. A muffed punt gave Tarleton State the ball at the 22 in the first quarter, but Samuel Horton broke up a pass and the Texans missed a 36-yard field goal.

Texas-Rio Grande Valley up next

Tarleton State scored first on Anderson’s 22-yard pass to Tanner Schmidt.

UCA answered with its best possession of the night. It went from its own 25 to the Texans’ 11 with five first downs by the end of the first quarter.

That 12-play, 75-yard drive ended early in the second quarter with the touchdown that tied the score at 7.

The Bears host Texas-Rio Grande Valley on the Stripes on Oct. 24. Kickoff is 4 p.m.