35-second span ends UCA’s upset bid

TULSA 38, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 27

Tulsa erased a three-point fourth-quarter deficit with two touchdowns in a 35-second span to put away the University of Central Arkansas 38-27 on Saturday night at Chapman Stadium in Tulsa.

Playing in their first game under first-year Coach Nathan Brown, the Bears (01) took a 27-24 lead with 11:08 left in the game when linebacker Raphael Garner stripped Tulsa quarterback Luke Skipper at the Golden Hurricane 25, and Bears’ lineman Cardell Best recovered. He than fumbled, but teammate Justin Morris recovered, giving UCA the score.

It was all Tulsa (1-0) from there as the Golden Hurri- cane went 7 plays in 75 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, a 14-yard pass from Skipper to tight end Cole Neph that made it 31-27 with 8:11 remaining. They then cashed in on an insurance score when they recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff at the UCA 7 and scored two plays later on a 1-yard run by Shamari Brooks at the 7:36 mark.

Tulsa jumped out to a 7-0 lead when Skipper found Justin Hobbs on a 49-yard touchdown pass with 12:49 left in the first quarter to end an 8-play, 75-yard game-opening drive.

UCA’s Matt Cummins

kicked two first-quarter field goals, the second a 40-yarder that cut the Tulsa lead to 7-6. He initially made a 19-yarder at the 10:43 mark after Cedric Battle returned a kickoff 46 yards to the Tulsa 29. An 11-yard pass from Breylin Smith to Lester Wells gave the Bears a first down at the 4, but two incompletions and a 2-yard run by Carlos Blackman stalled the drive at the 2 to set up Cummins’ short field goal.

After Cummins’ second field goal, the Bears took advantage of an interference penalty on a Golden Hurricane punt to take possession at the UCA 46. A 43-yard pass from Smith to running back Kierre Crossley on second and 10 from the Tulsa 44 took the ball to the 1, where Crossley went over to give the Bears a 13-7 lead with 3:54 remaining in the first.

Tulsa finished a 14-play, 65-yard drive when Skipper scored from the 1 on the opening play of the second quarter. Nate Walker’s extra point gave the Golden Hurricane a 14-13 lead.

After UCA’s third consecutive three-and-out series, Tulsa went ahead 21-13 on a 1-yard run by Brooks with 5:10 left in the second quarter to cap a 9-play, 57-yard drive.

UCA nickel back Jackie Harvell sacked Skipper and forced a fumble that Tulsa’s Willie Wright recovered on second down to keep the Golden Hurricane’s next drive alive. An offside penalty negated defensive back Juan Jackson’s interception on third and 11 as Tulsa ran out the clock to lead 21-13 at intermission.

The Bears got to within 21-20 on their second drive of the third quarter when Smith went over from the 2 with 5:52 left. Smith kept the drive going when he completed a 9-yard pass to wide receiver Brandon Myers on fourth and 5 from the Tulsa 35.

UCA’s Deandre Lamont recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff at the Tulsa 10, but Blackman gave the ball right back to the Golden Hurricane with a fumble of his own that was recovered by Robert Revels in the end zone for a touchback.

Tulsa took advantage on its next possession, driving 58 yards in 9 plays, before settling for a 40-yard field goal by Walker that gave the Golden Hurricane a 24-20 lead with 1:25 left in the quarter.

Tulsa had 470 yards of total offense, including 274 on the ground.

UCA finished with 240 yards of offense, 165 through the air as Smith finished 17 of 25.