UCA beats Conque’s new team
Clint Conque left Conway with a new job last December.
The University of Central Arkansas left Nacogdoches, Texas, on Saturday night with a little bit of revenge.
Junior quarterback Taylor Reed accounted for six touchdowns and the Bears dominated the final quarter as UCA defeated its former coach and Stephen F. Austin 49-39 in a Southland Conference game in front of 10,012 at Homer Bryce Stadium.
Conque is in his first season as the Lumberjacks coach after bolting UCA last December.
Conque led the Bears to 105 victories in his 14 years at the school and guided the Bears through their transition from Division II to FCS NCAA Division I, but he left abruptly 10 months ago for Nacogdoches.
Afterwa rd, Conque couldn’t get too nostalgic.
“Once the game started, it was about business,” said Conque, whose team totaled 602 yards of offense. “I think we coached hard and we played hard, but they made fewer mistakes and they won a close football game. … They’ve got some fabulous football players over there.”
The Bears (3-3, 2-0) trailed 31-21 late in the third quarter Saturday but outscored the Lumberjacks 28-8 over the final 18 minutes to defeat the Lumberjacks (3-2, 0-1).
“We just kept fighting,” UCA Coach Steve Campbell said. “We really needed to win one like this, because we’ve played some like this and come up on the short end. We’re one play away — a 53-yard field goal with no time left — from being a 4-2 football team. So we needed something good to happen for us.”
UCA, which led 21-17 at halftime, answered Stephen F. Austin’s second touchdown of the second half, Gus Johnson’s 20-yard touchdown run at the 4:33 mark of the third quarter, with three consecutive touchdowns. Reed, of El Dorado, hit sophomore Desmond Smith with a 71-yard touchdown pass, his fourth touchdown pass of the night, to close the gap to 31-28 with 3:02 left in the third. Reed bulled in from the 1 with 9:30 left to give the Bears the lead for good, 35-31.
Sophomore safety Tirell Wellmaker scooped up Johnson’s fumble at the UCA 25 and returned it for a touchdown and a 42-31 lead with 4:10 to play. Lumberjacks quarterback Zach Conque (Little Rock Catholic) scored on a 4-yard run and completed a two-point pass to D.J. Ward to cut the deficit to 42- 39 at the 1:27 mark, but UCA recovered the ensuing onside kick.
Needing a first down to run out the clock, Reed broke loose for 40 yards and a touchdown on third and 4 to seal it.
“These kids have fought so hard,” Campbell said. “Every game that they’ve played, they’ve fought, scrapped and clawed until the final play, and tonight was no different.”
UCA receiver Dezmin Lewis, a senior from Lewisville, Texas, caught Reed’s first three touchdown passes. Lewis caught a 5-yarder to tie the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter, a 21-yarder for a 14-7 lead early in the second period, and a highlight-reel 19-yarder — catching the ball behind the back of cornerback Keavon Madison —in the right corner of the end zone to give the Bears a 21-17 lead going into halftime.
“The play Dez made on that touchdown, that’s an ESPN top play,” Campbell said. “Defensively the scoop and score was a big-time play. Taylor’s run for the final touchdown was huge on a third and 4.
“We just had some guys make some plays, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Lewis finished with six catches for 80 yards and moved into fourth place on UCA’s career receptions list with 164. He also is tied with John Cameron for fourth on the school’s career receiving touchdowns list with 19.
Reed completed 14 of 18 passes for 212 yards and 4 touchdowns and rushed for 44 yards and 2 scores.
Conque completed 19 of 33 passes for 322 yards with 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions and was sacked 6 times.
“I think our quarterback played extremely courageous and extremely well,” Conque said of his son. “He made some mistakes, but threw for over 300 and rushed almost 100. Like a lot of players, I think he left it all on the field.”
The Bears recorded 12 tackles for loss, giving them 40 over the past three games. Junior defensive end Jonathan Woodard had 31/ sacks.