A rainy UCA homecoming game against Tarleton State University marked the end of the Bears’ five-game winning streak Oct. 28 after a failed two-point conversion for the Bears left the score at 25-23.
Tarleton was first to put points on the board after a 22-yard field goal from junior kicker Adrian Guzman. Early into the second quarter, senior quarterback Will McElvain landed a successful 13-yard pass to sophomore tight-end Jordan Owens.
The Texans upped the pace, bringing the score to 6-7 after another successful 43-yard kick from Guzman. Tarleton claimed its first touchdown of the night after junior running back Kayvon Britten made a rush for 38 yards.
The Bears attempted to even out the score, leaving it at 13-10 following a successful 26-yard field goal from junior place-kicker Jake Gaster. The Bears sat at 10 points into the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, another successful kick from Guzman brought the Texans to 16.
Britten was then successful again in gaining a Texan touchdown after rushing 59 yards.
UCA earned another touchdown following a 19-yard pass from McElvain to Kames, though it left the Bears just short of Tarleton at 22-17.
Another kick from Guzman topped off the score for the Texans, leaving it at 25-17 with two minutes left in the fourth.
The Bears made one last pull with just 14 seconds left in the fourth, with Owens successfully receiving the pass from McElvain. However, a failed pass from McElvain to senior wide receiver Christian Richmond would leave UCA two points short of Tarleton’s 25.
Coach Nathan Brown expressed disappointment in the night’s outcome amid tough weather conditions.
“I knew Tarleton was a talented team. I knew they had really good players. I mean, they’re well-coached,” Brown said. “I knew it’d be a tough task. Then you throw in the elements and some of that neutralizes some of the things you try to do.”
Overall, Brown said all the team can do is learn from the defeat as they prepare to face North Alabama on Nov. 4.
“We’ve been on the plus side of it, winning a game on a two-point play. And now we’ve been on the negative side of a two-point play,” Brown said. “It’s a tough feeling, and I told our guys sitting out there to remember that feeling … let it fuel you.”
Brown continued, “We’ve got a chance to get better this week and go play a good North
Alabama team and hopefully set ourselves up for the next one.”
The Bears will be on the road to take on the North Alabama Lions at 4 p.m. on Nov. 4.
After that, UCA has just two games left in its football season. The first is against Eastern Kentucky at home 4 p.m. on Nov. 11.
The second is another on-the-road matchup against the Austin Peay Governors Nov. 18 at 1 p.m.