The UCA football team fell short against Eastern Kentucky in a hard-fought loss 31-24, struggling to claw back after missed opportunities in the final minutes on Nov. 9th.
“We were prepared for what they showed us in all three phases of the game,” coach Nathan Brown said. “We outgained them by close to 250 yards on the night but did not make the key plays late in the game to push us over the top for a win.”
UCA claimed the early advantage in its opening drive, starting with a 23-yard rush by ShunDerrick Powell to the UCA 42-yard line. Senior quarterback Will McElvain moved the offense, connecting with senior wide receiver Trejan Bridges for a deep 40-yard pass, setting the Bears up at the Colonels’ 6-yard line.
Though the drive stalled, senior placekicker Jake Gaster’s 23-yard field goal put UCA on the board, 3-0.
Halfway through the first quarter, the Bear’s defense held, allowing UCA to regain possession at EKU’s 31-yard line. A steady drive allowed McElvain to pass the ball to Powell, resulting in a first down. Darius Hale rushed through the middle for a 19-yard gain, reaching the 2-yard line.
McElvain connected with redshirt freshman wide receiver Malachi Henry in the end zone to extend UCA’s lead to 10-0 with four minutes and 45 seconds left in the quarter. The Colonels responded with a 31-yard rush by Brayden Latham, followed by a 39-yard touchdown run to cut UCA’s lead to 10-7.
Despite the Bears’ solid defensive stand late in the quarter, a strong punt return by the Colonels positioned them at UCA’s 15-yard line, setting the stage for a close contest in the second quarter.
Eastern Kentucky extended its lead to 14-10 early in the second quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass from graduate student quarterback Matt Morrissey to freshman wide receiver Marcus Calwise Jr.
UCA responded quickly, regaining the lead 17-14 after McElvain’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Bridges. The Colonels tied the game at 17 with a 21-yard field goal by redshirt senior kicker Patrick Nations just before halftime.
“We came together as a team throughout the night. I was pleased with our attitude and commitment to one another. If we continue to have this, we will have a chance to win our remaining two games,” Brown said.
Both teams’ defenses were formidable, with UCA senior linebacker Demetrius Charles stopping EKU sophomore running back Brayden Latham on fourth down and redshirt junior linebacker Gabe Stephens sacking McElvain for a 7-yard loss.
The second half started with a scoring jolt from Eastern Kentucky. Redshirt sophomore tight end Caeleb Schlachter returned the kickoff 73 yards for a touchdown, putting the Colonels ahead, 24-17, just seconds into the third quarter.
UCA quickly responded with a rapid, no-huddle drive, capped by sophomore quarterback Austin Myers’ 30-yard touchdown pass to Bridges, tying the game at 24-24 with 13:39 left in the third.
After forcing an EKU punt, UCA attempted another drive but was cut short when senior defensive back Mike Smith Jr. intercepted Myers at the EKU 9-yard line.