The University of Central Arkansas endured two lightning delays totaling 2 hours, 25 minutes before finishing off its 45-17 victory Saturday night over Northwestern (La.) State at Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, La.
UCA (6-1, 5-0 Southland Conference) broke away from a 10-10 second-quarter tie with a pair of touchdowns before halftime for its sixth consecutive victory. The Bears, ranked sixth in the FCS Coaches Poll, can move even higher in this week's rankings after No. 4 South Dakota lost 37-21 at Illinois State and No. 5 Wofford suffered a 24-21 home defeat to Samford on Saturday.
The Bears jumped out to a 10-0 lead on Hayden Hildebrand's 81-yard touchdown pass on a flea-flicker to Roman Gordon on the first offensive play of the game. UCA's Matt Cummins and Northwestern State's Eric Piccione swapped field goals before the game was delayed for 1 hour, 40 minutes with 9:18 left in the first quarter.
The Demons tied the game 10-10 with 6:57 left in the second quarter as UCA squandered scoring chances with a missed field goal and an interception in the Northwestern State (1-6, 1-4) end zone. But the Bears got back on track with a second touchdown pass from Hildebrand to Gordon (57 yards) and Carlos Blackman's first of three scores (2 yards) to lead 24-10 at halftime.
A second lightning delay pushed the start of the third quarter back 45 minutes.
Hildebrand threw his third touchdown pass, a 32-yarder to Cedric Battle early in the third quarter, before the Demons answered to make it 31-17. Blackman's second 2-yard touchdown made it 38-17 at the 6:19 mark.
Blackman's 19-yard touchdown run with 10:30 left in the game made it 45-17.
Tremon Smith's FCS-leading fifth interception sealed UCA's victory midway through the fourth quarter.
Hildebrand had his first 300-plus passing game of the season, completing 12 of 20 attempts for 306 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Blackman rushed 23 times for a game-high 130 yards and 3 scores.
Gordon was on pace to break Ron Mallett's school record for receiving yards (242 against Ouachita Baptist University in 1980) as he had 170 yards at halftime before finishing with 181 yards on 6 receptions and the 2 touchdowns.
The Bears outgained the Demons 536-320 and averaged 8.38 yards per play.
With the two delays, the game took five hours to complete.
UCA hosts McNeese State (6-1, 4-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Estes Stadium in Conway. The Cowboys are tied for third place in the Southland with Sam Houston State and Nicholls State, a half-game behind second-place Southeastern Louisiana, after a 55-7 victory over Incarnate Word.
Sports on 10/22/2017