CONWAY, Ark. – The No. 1 Sam Houston Bearkats withstood a comeback attempt by No. 25 Central Arkansas to leave First Security Field at Estes Stadium on Saturday with a 45-35 win to open up WAC/ASUN play.
The Kats (3-0, 1-0 WAC/ASUN) led 31-7 late in the second quarter, but UCA (1-3, 0-1 WAC/ASUN) would not go away on its home field, scoring 21 unanswered points to draw to within three points late in the third quarter before the Sam Houston pulled away in the final stanza.
Eric Schmid threw for four touchdowns in the first half and finished with 283 yards passing and rushed for another 49 to lead a Bearkat offense that finished with 482 total yards on the night.
Ife Adeyi led the Kats with 80 yards receiving, while
Jequez Ezzard and
Cody Chrest both hauled in a pair of scores.
Even though four scores came through the air, the Kats dominated things on the ground, rolling up 195 yards to just 38 for the Bears.
Ramon Jefferson led the way with 104 yards and a touchdown, going over the century mark for the third straight time to open up the 2021 season.
Tyler Hudson led UCA with 181 yards on 11 grabs and a pair of touchdowns.
The Kats got the opening kickoff and converted a trio of third downs before punching it in the end zone on Ezzard's first touchdown of the year, a 45-yard strike from Schmid up the right sideline.
One drive later the offense went to work again and pushed the lead to 14-0 after a 3-yard scoring grab to Chrest that capped a 6-play, 57-yard drive. But the Bears got a stop on the Kats' third drive of the game and then punched it into the end zone for the first time on the day, taking advantage of a short field with a quick-strike attack that ended in a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Breylin Smith to running back Darius Hale.
The fireworks continued on the ensuing drive, however, a 75-yard Bearkat scoring drive that was sparked by a 4th-and-1 conversion run by Schmid that kept things alive past midfield. Four plays later Schmid found Ezzard again, this time from five yards out to push the lead back to 21-7 early in the second quarter.
Sam Houston's lead grew to 28-7 less than four minutes later on Schmid's second touchdown pass of the day to Chrest, this one from two yards out, capping an 80-yard drive that was highlighted by a 56-yard grab from
Ife Adeyi to set the Kats up in the red zone.
The defense set up points later in the half when
Jaylen Thomas picked off Smith in UCA territory, setting up a 22-yard field goal by
Seth Morgan that increased the lead to 31-7.
But UCA kept things interesting with a late drive in the half that produced points. The Bears faced a 3rd-and-16 from inside the red zone, but converted on a 17-yard pass from Smith to Tyler Hudson. Two plays later the pair connected on a 5-yard score cutting the SHSU lead to 31-14 at the half.
That score proved to be big as the Bears carried that momentum over into the second half, scoring two more times the third quarter to cut the Bearkat lead down to 31-28 with two minutes to play in the period on a 7-yard rush by Hale.
But after being quiet offensively in the second half, the Kats began to move again, marching 70 yards on 15 plays to set up Morgan's second 22-yard field goal of the game early in the fourth. The defense then produced a quick UCA drive and the offense took advantage of a short field, capping a 44-yard drive with a 5-yard run by Jefferson.
Jacob Kainer added the 2-point conversion and the Kats regained control, 42-28, with 8:40 to play.
The Kats added a 32-yard field goal from Morgan later in the game to push things to 45-28 before a late touchdown from Hudson for UCA on the Bears' final play from scrimmage.
The Kats will next head to Houston next Saturday to take on Stephen F. Austin in the Battle of the Piney Woods at NRG Stadium.
NOTES
- Schmid first TD was 40th of career, moving him into sole possession of 3rd all-time at SHSU
- Eric Schmid's 4th-and-1 conversion in the second quarter was the Kats' first 4th-down conversion of the year. They were previously 0-for-4
- Jaylen Thomas' picked off a pair of passes against the Bears, giving him three picks this season over, both coming in the last two games. The two gives him 10 career interceptions, tying him with Charles Boyce and teammate Zyon McCollum for sixth all-time at Sam Houston
- Seth Morgan made three field goals, tying a career high he set in a win over Southeastern Louisiana to open the Spring 2021 season
