Bear facts: UCA shocks A-State 28-23

JONESBORO — Of Arkansas State’s four September losses this football season, nothing stings like this one.

Central Arkansas escaped Centennial Bank Stadium with a 28-23 upset of the Red Wolves Saturday night, UCA’s second victory over an FBS member since it moved to the FCS in 2006 and its first since winning at Western Kentucky in 2009.

The Bears, despite a second-game home loss to Samford, are 3-1 overall and a Southland Conference-leading 2-0. Arkansas State, defending Sun Belt Conference champion, is 0-4 for the first time since 2001, which is also the last time ASU fell to an FCS team, Nicholls State winning 28-22 on Thanksgiving Day and prompting the firing of losing coach Joe Hollis. The Red Wolves have yet to play a Sun Belt game this season.

In its first road game of the season, UCA scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns for one of the biggest victories in program history.

Antwon Wells scored on a four-yard touchdown run, then after the Bears recovered a Johnston White

fumble, Brandon Cox caught an 18-yard TD pass from Hayden Hildebrand.

ASU outgained UCA 469 yards to 382 but the Red Wolves had four turnovers, the first three leading to UCA points. Fumbles ended ASU’s last two drives, allowing UCA to run out the final 1:46.

Hildebrand passed for 270 yards and the Bears rushed for 112 against Arkansas State, playing at home for the first time since a Sept. 2 loss to Toledo in the season opener. The Red Wolves also have lost to Auburn and Utah State.

ASU led 16-7 in the first half on Justice Hansen’s touchdown passes of 5 yards to Kendall Sanders and 48 yards to Warren Wand. UCA evened it at 16-16 in the third quarter on field goals of 29, 43 and 25 yards by Matt Cummins.

Hansen, on a 424-yard passing night, found Cameron Echols-Luper for 58 yards and a 23-16 ASU lead. Chris Terrell’s forced fumble led to Wells’ touchdown run, though Cummins missed the extra point that would have tied the game.

After White fumbled on the UCA 14, the Bears marched 86 yards, capped by Hildebrand’s touchdown pass to Cox, who started his career at ASU before transferring to UCA last season.