Box Score


                                                                    
HAMMOND – A 21-0 third quarter deficit was too much for the Southeastern Louisiana football team to overcome, as No. 14 Central Arkansas handed the Lions their first Southland Conference, 34-14 Saturday night at Strawberry Stadium.
 
The loss ended the chances for an undefeated league season for the Lions (3-5, 3-1 Southland). Central Arkansas (7-2, 5-1 Southland) allowed the Lions to close within a touchdown, but the Bears scored 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to end Southeastern's comeback hopes.
 
UCA junior quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate Wynrick Smothers was efficient against the Lion defense, completing 21 of 33 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Jesse Gandy was Smothers' favorite target, grabbing two touchdowns.
 
Lion senior quarterback Nathan Stanley threw for a pair of scores and 191 yards on 20 for 35 passing, but threw two interceptions in UCA territory. Sophomore wide receiver Tony McCrea caught a team-high six passes for 75 yards and a score, while also completing a 45 yard pass on the opening play of the game. Freshman running back Xavier Roberson was the leader for the Lions out of the backfield with eight carries for a game-high 62 yards, as well as a 20-yard touchdown catch.
 
Sophomore linebacker Kaleb Muse led Southeastern with 11 tackles, while sophomore safety Tyler Stoddard was credited with nine stops. Sophomore Marice Sutton had an interception, while sophomore Aaron Harris recorded a sack for the Lions. However, Southeastern struggled to get UCA off the field, as the Bears converted nine-of-18 third down opportunities.
 
Senior linebacker Seth Allison had both interceptions for the Bears. Freshman defensive back Dillon Winfrey was the team leader with nine tackles and also had three key pass breakups.
 
The Lions got off to a fast start, as McCrea stopped short on a reverse on the opening play from scrimmage and found sophomore Chris Malott open for a 45-yard gain. UCA didn't allow Southeastern to get any further, however, and junior Seth Sebastian's 51-yard field goal try was short.
 
UCA took over at its own 34-yard line and put together a 12-play, 66-yard drive to take the lead. The Bears were 4-for-4 on third down on the scoring march, which senior Jackie Hinton capped with a 12-yard run to take a 7-0 lead with 8:25 left in the opening quarter.
 
The Bears doubled the lead on their first drive of the second quarter. Smothers found junior Chase Dixon wide open from seven yards out to cap a nine-play, 64-yard drive and send UCA into the break with a 14-0 lead.
 
UCA pushed the lead to three touchdowns two plays into the third quarter, as Gandy got free for a 60-yard bomb from Smothers down the right sideline. The score gave the Bears a commanding 21-0 lead less than a minute into the second half.
 
Southeastern answered quickly on the ensuing possession. Roberson rolled 36 yards behind a offset line to move into UCA territory on the opening play. Five plays later, Stanley lofted a perfect fade into the back corner of the end zone to bring Southeastern to within 21-7 with 9:04 left.
 
A Harris sack ended the UCA drive and Southeastern quickly moved into the Bears' red zone. However, Allison picked off a Stanley pass in the flat to end the Lion threat.
 
The Lion defense held strong, giving the Lions the ball back. This time, Stanley engineered an eight-play, 60-yard drive to cut the UCA lead to a touchdown. Roberson got free out of the backfield and made a nice catch in the back of the end zone to make it 21-14 with under a minute left in the third quarter.
 
UCA answered with a methodical 10-play, 56-yard drive that was capped by a 26-yard field goal by Eddie Camara pushed the lead back to double digits with 11:53 left.
 
The game would change on the ensuing Southeastern drive. A 38-yard Stanley to McCrea on third-and-10 was wiped out by penalty and the Lions were forced to punt. On the first play of the next drive, Smothers found Grandy from 48 yards out to put the Bears up, 31-14, with 9:41 left.
 
Stanley would again move the Lions into Bear territory. However, Allison grabbed his second interception of the game after freshman Jeff Smiley slipped on his route. The pick ended any chance of a Lion comeback. Camara hit from 37 yards out in the final minutes to close the scoring.  
 
Southeastern will be back in action next Saturday, facing Sam Houston State at 2 p.m. in Huntsville, Texas.  The Lions-Bearkats matchup will be broadcast live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the Internet at www.LionSports.net.