The University of Central Arkansas football team completed what Coach Steve Campbell described as a "good spring" with the annual Purple-Gray game Saturday at Estes Stadium in Conway.
The Purple squad, consisting mainly of the first-team offense and defense, outscored the Gray 33-13.
"Now we have to get back in the weight room," said Campbell, who led the Bears to a 10-3 record last season and a second-round appearance in the FCS Playoffs. "I'm telling these guys, it's all about how you finish."
Starting quarterback Hayden Hildebrand, a senior from Bossier City, La., completed touchdown passes of 48 yards to senior Roman Gordon and 8 yards to junior Jakari Dillard. Redshirt freshman quarterback Breylin Smith of Conway connected twice for touchdowns with fellow redshirt freshman Joe Hampton of Little Rock Christian, covering 32 and 50 yards.
Sophomore running back Carlos Blackmon scored on runs of 25 and 4 yards, while redshirt freshman running back Kierre Crosley from Everman, Texas, had a 67-yard touchdown run late in the game.
"With Kierre Crossley, we hit a home run. I said we needed a home run hitter and he hit a home run," he said. "He took it 70. This is my fourth year [at UCA] and the fourth spring, and that's the first 70-yard touchdown run we've had since I've been here. We've been wanting a home-run hitter, and we finally had somebody take one out of the park from 70 yards. We just haven't done that, in a scrimmage or a game."
Defensively, the top playmakers were junior end Chris Terrell, senior linebackers Dalvin Simmons and James Graves, sophomore linebacker Roy Sutton and junior safety Kirk Baugh, former backup quarterback to Hildebrand.
ARKANSAS STATE
Red Wolves scrimmage
The Arkansas State University football team used its eighth practice of spring camp Saturday morning at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro to hold an extended full-contact scrimmage that featured approximately 120 plays.
"We've got to go back and dissect [the film] and see where we can get better in every phase," ASU Coach Blake Anderson said. "I thought we did some good things on both sides. We obviously had some good plays on offense, and I thought the defense played with a lot of effort and energy. We didn't have any turnovers, and I know [defensive coordinator] Joe [Cauthen] will tell you we have to find a way to create a turnover or two, but for the offense to not have one in our first true situational football was a great step on that side of the ball."
The scrimmage featured the ASU offense scoring six touchdowns, although half of them started at the defense's 25-yard line. Sophomore Sawyer Williams made field goals of 22 and 36 yards.
Junior quarterback Justice Hansen had a 6-yard touchdown run and also connected with sophomore receiver Chauncey Mason for a 5-yard score. Redshirt freshman quarterback Logan Bonner added three touchdown passes, including a 10-yard completion to senior wideout Christian Booker, a 21-yard pass to senior receiver Chris Murray and a 25-yard score to senior All-Sun Belt tight end Blake Mack.
Junior running back Logan Moragne also scored on a 6-yard run.
-- DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE WIRE SERVICES
Sports on 04/09/2017