Bears succumb to another fourth-quarter comeback

LOG CABIN STAFF WRITER

With Brent Grimes almost personally carrying the University of Central Arkansas Bears on his shoulders in a fierce fight with the Texas State Bobcats, things came to a crushing end for the Bears in the final minute Saturday night.

The Bears shot themselves in the foot and Texas State took full advantage of the wound in a come-from-behind 27-24 victory.

Grimes ran, passed and gave the Bears significant inspiration on a 78-yard touchdown drive with 1:40 left.

The thrill quickly vanished when UCA was assessed a personal foul penalty on the extra point and followed that with a penalty for a horsecollar tackle on the kickoff return. The Bears ended up kicking from the 15, giving the Bobcats field position for a winning 50-yard touchdown drive in the 27-24 loss that probably has the Bears still stinging today.

“We beat ourselves; give Texas State credit, but there were too many unacceptable mistakes,” UCA coach Clint Conque said. ”Brent Grimes has been very consistent for us for a long time and he made some plays and he feels badly. I hope the rest of the team hurts, because we have no one to blame but ourselves for this one.”

The loss, the Bears’ second straight in conference play, puts them at 5-4 and out of the Southland Conference race at 2-3.

What was stinging to Conque was the manner of the Bears’ loss. They have lost four games by a total of 15 points.

“It’s frustrating that we had the lead or were tied in the fourth quarter in all of those games and we haven’t been able to finish,” Conque said. “There’s been a consistent theme in all the losses. We get in position to make plays and don’t make them or we get a penalty that puts us behind the chains. Or we do something to extend a drive. Or we get a selfish penalty. It’s my responsibility to make sure this team plays better. I guess I have to do a better job in being more detailed. We jump offside before we have a play call. How do you jump offside before a play is called?”

The final five minutes was a microcosm of the Bears’ season.

With the Bears’ trailing 20-16, Brent Grimes took a third-and-16 pass for 31 yards to the UCA 47. He later passed 43 yards to James Lovett to set up his 2-yard touchdown run. Eddie Carmona’s extra point gave the Bears a 24-20 lead with 1:34 left.

But the Bears’ Austin Emerson was assessed a personal foul penalty on the extra point, which was assessed on the kickoff. T.J. Adams was then charged with a horsecollar tackle setting up Texas State on the 50 with 1:34 left.

TSU quarterback Bradley George, who passed for 301 yards and three touchdowns, hit Daren Dillard with two passes, one that overcame first and 20 and one that converted on fourth and five.

The Bobcats (6-3, 3-2) drove to second and 10 at the UCA 24 with 35 seconds left. George ran out of a sack attempt and threw across the sideline to Darius Bolden. The Bears’ Anthony Gambles missed a tackle along the sideline and Bolden spun and drove for what proved to be the winning touchdown with 27 seconds left.

“The exact same thing happened to us in Hawaii,” Conque said.

The Bears lost 82 yards on 10 penalties, saw Eddie Carmona miss a 37-yard field goal (his first after 14 straight), surrendered touchdown drives of 92 and 94 yards, had a receiver break a route that resulted in an interception and saw Isaiah Jackson let almost a sure touchdown pass off a scramble by Robbie Park slip through his hands.

A reporter suggested to Conque afterwards that he didn’t want to harp on the penalties.

“But let’s harp on them,” Conque said. “That’s why we didn’t win the football game. But it all comes back to me.”

The loss spoiled a superb effort by Grimes, the senior running back who now holds the school all-time touchdown record with 55 and the all-time points leader with 330. He becomes the first UCA player to have both 1,000 career receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards.

He tied a career high Saturday night with 155 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown and a host of determined runs.

“I’m going to go out and play for my team, and my actions have to show I’m not gonna give up,” he said. “I kept encouraging our team not to give up. But I don’t need to just tell about it; I need to be about it.”

The Bobcats drove smoothly through the UCA defense for 67 yards on 13 plays for their first touchdown, then missed the extra point.

UCA took the lead on a 22-yard field goal by Carmona and a 6-yard run by Park.

A devastating blow came when the Bobcats drove 92 yards in 13 plays, culminating with a 15-yard pass from George to shifty Mishak Rivas with 1:02 left in the half, resulting in a 13-10 lead.

The Bears went behind a physical offensive line and more strong runs by Grimes to take a 17-13 lead on their first possession of the second half. Grimes’ 10-yard run capped the drive.

Then, UCA was unable to pressure George on some quick routes and the Bobcats’ nickel-and-dimed their way on a 92-yard, 13-play drive to take a 20-17 lead with 12:28 left.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 8,249 at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.

The Bears now faced two straight road games — at Sam Houston State and at McNeese State.

“We’ll learn a lot about this football team in the next few weeks,” Conque said.