Bears drop final home game on senior day

CONWAY -- The top-ranked offense in the Southland Conference carried the University of Incarnate Word Cardinals to a 40-27 victory over the University of Central Arkansas Bears on Saturday afternoon at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.

With the win, the Cardinals (6-4, 6-2) earned at least a share of the SLC championship with their conference season over. UIW finished 1-10 overall and 1-7 in conference play a year ago, losing 56-10 to UCA in San Antonio. Ironically, UCA earned a share of the SLC title a year ago with the win at UIW.

This time out, the Cardinals' prolific offense put up a season-high 656 yards of total offense, including 431 yards through the air. UIW starting quarterback Jon Copeland completed 11 of 21 for 188 yards and a touchdown before leaving in the second quarter with an injury. Backup junior Sean Brophy came on and threw for 243 yards (14 of 20) and another touchdown. UIW also got 213 rushing yards from senior Ra'Quanne Dickens, who entered the game as the league's top rusher at 93.4 yards per game and pushed his season total over the 1,000-yard mark.

The Bears (5-5, 4-4), who lost their third consecutive game, threw four interceptions on a Senior Night that saw 17 players play their final home game on "The Stripes." Senior wide receiver Cedric Battle was a spark on offense for the Bears, with two receptions, both for touchdowns, three kickoff returns for 105 yards and one reception for 21 for 190 all-purpose yards. Senior Lester Wells also caught six passes for 81 yards.

The Bears took an early lead on a 32-yard pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Hales to Battle with 9:41 left in the first half. Rhett Marshall made a 29-yard field goal for the Cardinals but UCA answered with another Hales-to-Battle touchdown pass of 32 yards for a 14-3 Bears' lead. But UIW converted the four scores of the game with a touchdown pass from both Copeland and Brophy and a pair of scoring runs by Dickens, good for a 30-14 advantage midway through the third quarter.

Hales, who was 19 of 32 with three touchdowns and four interceptions, hit Dwayne Smith with a 30-yard touchdown pass with 1:14 left in the third period that drew the Bears within 30-21. But Dickens struck again for UIW with a 5-yard touchdown run to push the lead back to 37-21. Junior running back Carlos Blackman drove the Bears down to the 2 and then scored from there _ his ninth rushing TD of the season _ to once again get UCA within 10 with 8:57 remaining.

But Marshall tacked on a 26-yard field goal for UIW at the 2:52 mark and the Bears were intercepted again with 1:05 left for their season-high fourth turnover that ended it.

Junior safety Juan Jackson led the UCA defense with 11 tackles and a forced fumble, while senior linebacker Raphael Garner had 10 tackles and sophomore Jackie Harvell had nine, including two tackles for loss. UCA's defense had six tackles for loss but recorded no sacks against the pair of UIW quarterbacks for just the second time this season. Sophomore cornerback Robert Rochell intercepted Copeland on UIW's third possession of the game and that resulted in the one-play scoring drive on Battle's second touchdown reception.

The Bears, the defending SLC champions who went 9-0 in league play last season, close the 2018 slate on the road next Saturday against Abilene Christian. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium.

The 2018 Senior Class for the Bears included: Battle (Wichita Falls, Texas); Smith (Buford, Ga.); Wells (Natchez, Miss.); DL Marseth Andry (New Orleans, La.); DL Cardell Best (Little Elm, Texas); PK Matt Cummins (Conway, Ark.); LB Reggio Dean (Laurel, Miss.); WR Jakari Dillard (McKinney, Texas); LB Raphael Garner (Thomasville, Ala.); DL Eric Jackson (Apopka, Fla.); RB Keshawn Ledet (Missouri City, Texas)p; OL Hunter Lee (New Boston, Texas); LB DeAndre McGill (Wynne, Ark.); CB Trai Mosley (Pflugerville, Texas); OL Curtis Parker (North Little Rock, Ark.); LB Dalvin Simmons (Little Rock, Ark.), and S Michael Ware (Vicksburg, Miss.).

That group has won 32 overall games and 28 SLC games over the past four seasons, and made consecutive appearances in the NCAA FCS Playoffs in 2016 and 2017.

Sports on 11/12/2018

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