Football
Central Arkansas drops 14-9 homecoming game to North Alabama
UCA piled up 352 yards but cashed in just once in four red-zone visits during a 14-9 homecoming loss Saturday.
CONWAY, Ark. — Central Arkansas was a few feet from taking the lead late Saturday.
It had the ball at the North Alabama goal line, trailing by five. Then UCA fumbled going into the end zone. The ball went for a touchback, and the Lions took over.
North Alabama (5-4, 2-2) left Conway with a 14-9 homecoming win.
The frustrating part for the Bears (2-7, 0-4) is how well they moved the ball. They just couldn’t finish.
UCA outgained UNA 352-256 and got into the red zone four times. A field goal was all it had to show for it.
Losing when you win the yardage by 96 takes some doing.
Red-zone trips came up empty
The fumble at the goal line hurt the most. It wasn’t the only chance that got away, though.
In the third quarter, trailing 14-3, the Bears put together a 13-play, 75-yard drive. Donovyn Omolo hit Dakarai Anderson for 32 yards on third-and-2, and Enoch Assan ran for 11 to get UCA inside the 20.
The drive ended when UNA’s Dallas Johnson intercepted Omolo at the goal line for a touchback.
Jalen Washington broke his 92-yard run early in the fourth. He took it from the Bears’ 3-yard line to the UNA 5.
The offense couldn’t get the last 5 yards and turned it over on downs. UCA was 0-for-2 on fourth down all night.
Washington, a redshirt freshman, ran for 140 yards on just eight carries.
Thomas made it a one-score game
The defense finally put points on the board in the fourth.
With 7:53 left, Kaydin Thomas recovered a Destin Wade fumble and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. The conversion failed, so it stayed 14-9.
Thomas, a junior defensive end, was named the L.B. Jackman Homecoming Game MVP. He finished with two sacks, four tackles and the score.
His first sack came in the opening quarter for a 9-yard loss. He broke up the next pass, and UNA punted.
His second came on the final snap of the first half.
Marcus Washington forced a fumble and recovered it himself later in the fourth. That gave the Bears the possession that ended at the goal line. He had six tackles too.
How the scoring played out
UCA scored first. Omolo found Arlie Lee for 43 yards on a 77-yard drive late in the first quarter, and Caleb Jones finished it with a 21-yard field goal at 1:05.
UNA got to the Bears’ 34 on the last play of the quarter, but it was still 3-0 after one.
Wade threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter. KJ Fields caught a 27-yarder at 13:38, and Noah Gregg caught a 3-yarder with 1:39 left in the half.
UCA’s longest drive of the quarter went 13 plays and 49 yards into UNA territory before a sack on fourth down.
The Lions led 14-3 at halftime, and neither team scored in the third.
Those two throws ended up being the difference.
Defense held after the break
The Bears shut out UNA in the second half. Linebacker Ashtyn Williams had 10 tackles, and Jacob Sekiyoba had six.
Each team had two turnovers.
UNA had the edge in first downs, 18-15, and in time of possession, 32:28 to 27:32.
Omolo completed 15 passes for 159 yards with an interception. Anderson caught seven for 71 yards, and Lee had 55 receiving yards.
UCA ran for 193 yards.
Washington did most of that damage, but Assan added 35 yards and Omolo chipped in 23.
West Georgia is next
The Bears host West Georgia at 4 p.m. Saturday in Conway.
That’s UCA’s next shot at win No. 3.
