THIBODAUX, La. — Central Arkansas found numerous ways to score Saturday in a 31-7 victory over the Nicholls Colonels at John L. Guidry Stadium.
UCA (4-3, 1-2 Southland Conference) got an 98-yard interception return from redshirt freshman Jestin Love, a 10-yard fumble return by sophomore Seth Allison, a field goal and two “conventional” touchdowns in breaking a three-game losing streak.
UCA scored in the opening minute of the game on Allison’s return, and again in the final minute of the half on a 15-yard pass from quarterback Nathan Dick to senior receiver Kenneth Robey, In between, the Bears and Colonels (2-5, 1-2) played a sloppy, but entertaining 30 minutes of football.
UCA’s Jermayne Lett sacked Nicholls quarterback LaQuintin Caston on the second play of the game and Allison picked it up and scored. It was one of four turnovers for the Colonels, who were coming off a 47-45, four-overtime victory over Texas State last week.
The Bears led 14-0 at halftime with just 118 yards of total offense and only 7:29 of possession time. UCA’s defense also blocked a 45-yard field goal attempt by Nicholls’ Patrick Dolan. Love had another interception in the end zone in the first half that stopped a Colonels’ drive. UCA contributed a fumble, by Dick, late in the first half but the defense held.
“The defense definitely set the tone,” UCA Coach Clint Conque, who beat his alma mater in Thibodaux for the first time in three tries. “For us to be able to get off to a 7-0 lead on the second play of the game was very opportunistic on the part of our defense. And then Jestin Love’s long interception return really sealed the deal for us.
“We bent but we didn’t break defensively. We really didn’t have many at-bats there in the first half, and I think we were three and out once. But to be able to take it down 80 yards and stick it end at the end of the half was a big momentum lift for us to go up two scores at half.”
UCA put it out of reach on its first possession of the second half, going 74 yards in15 plays, capped by a 27-yard field goal by Eddie Carmona. The Bears added a 2-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jackie Hinton midway through the third quarter for a 31-0 lead before the Colonels finally found the endzone with a three-play, 73-yard drive following another UCA interception.
UCA gave it back to Nicholls with another interception late in the fourth quarter but the Bears held on downs. UCA’s defense recorded 10 sacks for a minus 76 yards. Justin Heard, Markell Carter and Markeith Gaines had two apiece.
The Bears finished with a season-low 230 yards of offense on just 46 plays. Nicholls ran 81 plays for 330 yards. Robey caught a game-high 8 passes for 124 yards and 1 touchdown. Dick completed 14 of 22 passes for 165 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 31, SAM HOUSTON STATE 28
HOUSTON - Jeremy Moses became the Southland Conference’s all-time leader in total offense as Stephen F. Austin beat Sam Houston State.
In the 85th Battle of the Piney Woods rivalry game at Reliant Stadium, Moses completed 30 of 53 passes for 418 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Lumberjacks (6-1, 3-0) took sole possession of first place in the conference standings.
Moses has compiled 11,402 yards of total offense, surpassing Nathan Brown of Central Arkansas, who had 10,993 yards from 2005-08.
Tim Flanders led Sam Houston State (4-3, 2-1) with 23 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown.
Moses hit Kris Lott with a 30-yard touchdown pass to end a six-play, 69-yard drive 2:18 into the third quarter, giving Stephen F. Austin a 28-14 advantage. The Bearkats rallied to make it 31-28 on D.J. Morrow’s 7-yard touchdown reception with 7:02 remaining, but got no closer.
NORTHWESTERN STATE 16, TEXAS STATE 3
SAN MARCOS, Texas - Northwestern State’s defense made four sacks and held Texas State to just 57 yards on the ground as the Demons took a victory over the Bobcats.
D.J. Shaw accounted for two sacks for the Demons (3-4, 2-1) while Lamont Simmons and Derek Rose each had one.
SWAC
SOUTHERN 21, JACKSON ST. 18
HOUSTON - Marcus Wright ran for 139 yards and a touchdown and Arvell Nelson added 115 rushing yards and two scores as Texas Southern held off Jackson State.
Wright rushed 26 times while Nelson scored on touchdown runs of 12 yards and 1 yard.
Texas Southern (4-3, 4-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) finished with 295 yards on the ground.
ALABAMA ST. 24, SAVANNAH ST. 0
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Devin Dominguez completed 18 of 27 passes for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns as Alabama State beat Savannah State.
The Hornets (4-3) took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter after an 8-yard touchdown pass from Dominguez to Nick Andrews.
Dominguez hooked up with Landon Jones on a 12-yard scoring pass in the third quarter as Alabama State entered the fourth with a 14-0 lead.
GRAMBLING STATE 35, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 14
GREENVILLE, Miss. - Frank Warren rushed for 209 yards and two touchdowns as Grambling State beat Mississippi Valley State.
Warren carried 29 times and sealed the victory for the Tigers (6-1, 6-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) with 85- and 39-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter. Danny Reyes passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as Grambling State had 516 yards of total offense.
Sports, Pages 34 on 10/24/2010