HOUSTON – HBU true freshman quarterback
Bailey Zappe broke school records for completions and attempts, going 30-for-45 for 240 yards, but threw three interceptions, two in the red zone, as sixth-ranked Central Arkansas pulled away for a 27-7 victory in Southland Conference football Saturday night in the Huskies' home opener at Husky Stadium.
Senior running back
Terrance Peters rushed for 34 yards and senior running back
B.J. Kelly rushed for the lone touchdown for HBU (1-4, 0-3 SLC). Senior wide receiver
Ethan Fry caught eight passes for 55 yards and true freshman
Dennis Houston made five receptions for 50 yards, as Zappe completed passes to nine different receivers.
Senior linebacker
Garrett Dolan led the Huskies defensively with 11 tackles, three for a loss and two quarterback hurries. Junior cornerback
Raphael Lewis made eight stops, while junior linebacker
Kyle Bowling, senior linebacker
Cody Moncure and senior defensive tackle
Tyler Helaire each had seven tackles.
Hayden Hildebrand completed 19-of-30 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns and rushed four times for 26 yards and a score for UCA (4-1, 3-0). Roman Gordon caught five passes for 140 yards and a touchdown, Brandon Cox caught four for 52 yards and Brandon Myers' lone catch was a 39-yard touchdown. Carlos Blackman led the Bears with 45 rushing yards.
Raphael Garner had 13 tackles, including a sack for the Bears, while George Odum had 12 tackles and Juan Jackson made 10 and had an interception. Tremon Smith and Robert Rochell also had picks and Nathan Grant came up with two sacks.
UCA totaled 407 yards of offense to 281 for HBU. The Huskies had 20 first downs to the Bears 19, but UCA held nearly a four-minute advantage in time of possession. The key to the game were the Bears' four turnovers forced, the three interceptions and a late fumble recovery, while the Huskies did not force a miscue.
After forcing a three-and-out on UCA's first possession, HBU struck first, going 85 yards on 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Zappe hit Houston for a 19-yard gain to on 2
nd-and-20 to the HBU 42, then freshman running back
James Brown plowed ahead for a first down. Brown then made a 14-yard reception and a pass interference penalty on the Bears put the Huskies at the 7. Kelly carried a crew of would-be tacklers into the end zone for his first score of the year.
HBU failed to recover a pooch kickoff and set up UCA at its own 47. Hildebrand found Cox for a 22-yard gain, then Gordon for a 26-yard touchdown to tie it with five minutes to go in the first. After a three-and-out by the Huskies, Hildebrand connected with Myers for the 39-yard score to make it 14-7 with 27 left in the frame.
Junior kicker
Alec Chadwick missed a 28-yard field goal with 11:26 on the clock in the second quarter and Matt Cummins had a 25-yard attempt blocked by senior safety
La'Travien Gee with 1:35 to go in the half. The Bears took their 14-7 lead into the break.
On the Huskies' first possession of the second half, Zappe tried to find Houston deep, but was intercepted by Rochell at the UCA 3. UCA sccored a touchdown on a 1-yard plunge by Hildebrand with 4:12 remaining in the third. The score was set up by a 58-yard completion to Gordon to the HBU 4.
Cummins added a 33-yard field goal and a 25-yard make in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
The Huskies play their only back-to-back home games of the year, as they will host Southeastern Louisiana Saturday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m. at Husky Stadium.
