The football team hosted Central Arkansas in its final regular season game and fell 16-7 taking away the hopes of a playoff spot.
Both teams were silent in the first quarter as both defenses held the score to zero. Central Arkansas, however, got on the board first quickly in the second quarter with a 20- yard field goal by senior kicker Matt Cummins 49 seconds in.
ACU responded quickly with three-play 65-yard drive capped off by a 36-yard touchdown pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Luke Anthony to redshirt senior wide receiver D.J. Fuller.
Central Arkansas converted on one more field goal, a 37-yarder from Cummins, in the second quarter and left the Wildcats up 7-6 heading into halftime.
The Wildcats blanked in the second half, however, as Cummins sent a 42-yard field goal through the uprights and put his team ahead 9-7. UCA then earned the final points of the game with a two-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Hales to sophomore tight end Jack Short.
With the loss, ACU finished the season 6-5 overall and 5-4 in conference.
Anthony threw for 225 yards and a touchdown in the game. His top receiver was redshirt junior running back Tracy James who had 60 reception yards, and just under him was Fuller with 54 yards.
Junior linebacker Jeremiah Chambers put a close to his impressive season with 11 total tackles.
Head coach Adam Dorrel said this season was a memorable one for him to coach.
“I’m proud of our organization, I told the team afterwards I really enjoyed coaching this year, I didn’t necessarily enjoy coaching last year,” Dorrel said. “That’s a testament to our seniors, guys working hard and coming to the complex focused and trying to get better. As a coach that just makes it really enjoyable.”
