Bears falls to Eastern Kentucky 34-13 on homecoming night

CONWAY, Ark. — Central Arkansas opened homecoming night with promise but couldn’t keep it going, falling 34-13 to Eastern Kentucky in United Athletic Conference play.

UCA (3-6, 2-3) led 10-7 after the first quarter thanks to a 38-yard field goal by Caleb Jones and a 1-yard touchdown run by Landen Chambers.

But the Colonels’ defense stiffened, and the Bears never scored again after halftime.

Eastern Kentucky (4-5, 2-3) scored 27 unanswered points in the second half to pull away for its fourth win of the season.

UCA’s homecoming crowd watched as two key turnovers turned the game sharply in the Colonels’ favor.

The Bears produced 280 yards of total offense compared to EKU’s 418.

Quarterback Austin Myers completed 11 of 26 passes for 157 yards but threw two interceptions, including one deep in EKU territory that ended a promising drive.

Running back Landen Chambers provided the offensive highlight for UCA, rushing 25 times for 116 yards and one score.

The Bears’ defense kept the game close early but wore down as EKU controlled possession in the second half.

UCA Bears coach Nathan Brown in a game against Eastern Kentucky at Estes Stadium in Conway, Ark. | Kalub Rainey-allBEARS+ Images

Mistakes flip the game

The turning point came early in the third quarter.

With UCA trailing 17-13 but driving into EKU territory, Myers’ pass toward the sideline was intercepted by Derek Taylor. The Colonels then marched 80 yards in nine plays for a touchdown that made it 24-13.

Later in the quarter, another interception by Jeff Kinley set up EKU’s field goal to extend the lead.

UCA’s next two drives ended in punts as the Colonels added another score to close the quarter leading 31-13.

“We have to protect the football better and finish drives,” UCA coach Nathan Brown said afterward. “We moved the ball early, but turnovers changed everything. You can’t give a good team extra possessions.”

Brown said he was encouraged by the first-half effort but noted that execution slipped when the Bears had opportunities to regain control.

“We had the crowd, the momentum, and a good start. We just didn’t respond when they hit us back,” he said.

Chambers and defense show fight

Even in defeat, Chambers’ steady running stood out.

The sophomore from Texas broke several tackles and averaged more than 4.5 yards per carry against one of the league’s top defensive fronts.

“He runs hard every week,” Brown said. “He’s a guy we can build around.”

Defensively, linebacker Gary Lewis led UCA with seven tackles, while Marcus Washington and Jakobe Shell each added six.

Shell also recorded an interception in the second quarter that briefly gave the Bears momentum.

“I thought our defense kept fighting,” Brown said. “They were on the field a lot in the second half, but they battled.”

Eastern Kentucky quarterback Patrick McKinney threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Braxton Flinn added 90 yards on the ground.

The Colonels converted seven of 13 third downs, a key difference in maintaining control.

What’s next for the Bears

The homecoming loss dropped UCA below .500 in conference play with three games left.

The Bears travel next week to Austin Peay before closing the season with North Alabama and Abilene Christian.

UCA must win out to finish with a winning record.

“We’ve got to learn from this and move forward,” Brown said. “There’s still a lot of football left, and we want to finish strong for our seniors.”

For UCA, the emphasis will be on ball security and sustaining drives.

The Bears have turned the ball over six times in their last two games, an issue that has stalled promising starts.

Key takeaways

• UCA led early but couldn’t sustain momentum in a 34-13 homecoming loss to Eastern Kentucky.
• Landen Chambers rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, but turnovers and third-down failures doomed the Bears.
• UCA fell to 3-6 overall and will visit Austin Peay next week looking to rebound in conference play.