Schmid throws four TD passes

CONWAY, Ark. — Eric Schmid threw four touchdown passes and defending national champion and No. 1 FCS-ranked Sam Houston held off Central Arkansas 45-35 on Saturday.

Schmid left the game with 9 ½ minutes left after absorbing a hard hit that was ruled as targeting. He returned to finish the drive with Ramon Jefferson running in from 5 yards out and Schmid throwing for the conversion and a 42-28 lead.

Schmid threw all of his touchdown passes in the first half, including a 45-yarder to Jequez Ezzard to open the scoring, as the Bearkats took off to a 31-7 lead.

Breylin Smith’s 5-yard TD pass to Tyler Hudson with nine seconds left in the half cut the lead to 31-14.

Central Arkansas, ranked 24th in the coaches poll, cut into the lead further with Smith’s 24-yard pass to Lujuan Winningham and Darius Hale’s 7-yard run in the third quarter to trail 31-28.

The Bearkats (3-0) outgained the Bears (1-3) 478-326 in winning their 14th straight.

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 24 GRAMBLING 10

Jawon Pass hit Donovan White with a 13-yard scoring strike in the first quarter and the Panthers went on to defeat the Tigers in Southwestern Athletic Conference game at Prairie View.

Luis Reyes booted a 56-yard field goal to give the Panthers (3-1, 2-0) a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.

CJ Russell scored on a 2-yard run near the end of the first half for the Tigers (1-3, 0-1) and Garrett Urban added a third-quarter field goal.

USTA 31, MEMPHIS 28

Sincere McCormick scored his third touchdown on fourth-andone to tie it, then set up the Roadrunners for the game-winning field goal with a 22-yard run in a win over the Tigers at Memphis.

McCormick carried 42 times for 184 yards as UTSA (4-0) rallied from a 21-0 first-quarter deficit.

EASTERN MICHIGAN 59 TEXAS ST. 21

Eastern Michigan racked up 504 yards of offense and closed the game with 31 unanswered points to put away the Bobcats at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich.

Texas State quarterback Brady McBride completed 16 of 25 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns.

INCARNATE WORD 31 MCNEESE ST. 0

Cameron Ward passed for 352 yards with two touchdowns as the Cardinals shut out the Cowboys at San Antonio to open Southland Conference play.

STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 61, LINCOLN 13

Tre’ Henderson ran for two touchdowns and Tkai Lloyd pounced on a blocked punt for a touchdown as the Lumberjacks jumped out to a 38-0 lead in the first half and coasted to a win at Nacogdoches.

LOUISIANA TECH 24 NORTH TEXAS 17

Marcus Williams Jr. ran for two touchdowns in the first quarter, including a 42-yard dash to make it 14-0, and the Bulldogs held on for a win over the Mean Green at Ruston, La.

ABILENE CHRISTIAN 56, LAMAR 0

The Wildcats jumped out to a 28-0 first half lead and never looked back in a win over the Cardinals at Beaumont.

UTEP 20, NEW MEXICO 13

Gavin Hardison threw for 293 yards and a touchdown as the Miners erased a 13-3 first-half deficit by shutting out the Lobos in the second half at El Paso.

The Miners (3-1) held New Mexico (2-2) to just 288 yards of total offense.