FLORENCE, Ala. — Central Arkansas (3-4) dominated North Alabama (1-5) with a 49-21 victory at Braly Stadium, highlighted by a 28-point second quarter.
Central Arkansas opened the first quarter with a decisive defensive play, as
Mark Dorsey sacked North Alabama's quarterback Ari Patu, forcing a fumble that went out of bounds. Following a North Alabama punt,
Austin Myers connected with
Malachi Henry on a 56-yard completion to the UNA 1-yard line.
Landen Chambers capitalized on the field position with a 1-yard touchdown run, marking his fourth 100-yard rushing game in a row, and
Caleb Jones added the extra point, putting Central Arkansas up 7-0 early. North Alabama responded with a scoring drive of their own, highlighted by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Patu to Noah Gregg, leveling the score at 7-7 after a successful point-after attempt. The Bears' subsequent drive stalled, and a series of punts by both teams concluded the quarter, maintaining a tied score at the end of the first.
The second quarter began with a quick momentum shift as North Alabama scored a touchdown early, extending their lead to 14-7. Central Arkansas quickly responded with a 76-yard touchdown pass from Myers to
Tyrell Pollard, leveling the score at 14-14. A forced fumble by
Marcus Washington, recovered by
Jacoby McQuiller, set up another scoring opportunity, leading to a 19-yard touchdown run by Chambers, pushing Central Arkansas ahead 21-14.Central Arkansas capitalized on a North Alabama interception by Dorsey, leading to another touchdown by Chambers, extending the lead to 28-14. The quarter concluded with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Myers to Henry, further solidifying Central Arkansas' lead at 35-14 as the half ended.
The third quarter featured a pivotal drive for Central Arkansas, initiated by a 13-yard pass from Myers to
Ty Durham. Following a series of short gains,
Trace Beard's punt positioned North Alabama deep in their own territory. Central Arkansas' defense then held firm, leading to a short North Alabama possession.Central Arkansas capitalized on the ensuing drive, with Chambers breaking free for a 40-yard run, followed by a 20-yard rush to position the team deep in North Alabama territory. Cameron Young capped off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, followed by a successful extra point by Jones. This extended Central Arkansas' lead to 42-14.As the quarter progressed, Central Arkansas maintained control, effectively using the ground game and a timely penalty on North Alabama to sustain a drive. Despite a turnover on downs late in the quarter, Central Arkansas kept the score at 42-14 as the period concluded.
The fourth quarter commenced with Central Arkansas capitalizing on a turnover on downs, as Myers connected with Henry for a 13-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 49-14 following Jones' successful extra point. North Alabama responded with a touchdown drive of their own, narrowing the gap to 49-21 after a 7-yard pass from Destin Wade to Justin Pegues. Central Arkansas then executed effective clock management with
Elijah Jackson and
Desmond Davidson contributing to a ground game that maintained possession and ran out the clock. The game concluded with Central Arkansas securing a decisive 49-21 victory.
Chambers rushed for 184 yards on 24 carries and scored three touchdowns. Myers completed 11 of his 22 passes for 232 yards, including three touchdowns. Henry caught five passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Dorsey recorded one interception and one sack, contributing significantly to the team's effort.
Central Arkansas improved to 3-4 overall and moved to 2-1 in the United Athletic Conference. North Alabama fell to 1-5 on the season and remained winless in conference play at 0-2.
The next challenge for Central Arkansas comes on Saturday, October 25th, as they travel to Carrollton, Ga., to face off against West Georgia. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.
