Oct. 11, 2007

Final Stats |  Notes

CONWAY, Ark. - Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Brown completed a school-record seven touchdown passes, including six in the first half as the Bears defeated Texas State 63-21 Thursday.

Brown completed 16-of-20 passes on the night for 313 yards. Central Arkansas had 662 yards of total offense, 346 rushing and 316 rushing.

The win came in Central Arkansas' inaugural Southland Conference home game and came before a crowd of 10,823 at Estes Stadium. It was the third-largest crowd in stadium history. UCA improved to 3-3 and 2-1 in Southland Conference play. The Bobcats lost their fifth straight to fall to 1-5 on the year.

Texas State is back in action next Saturday when the Bobcats play host to Stephen F. Austin in another game to be broadcast by Fox Sports Net Southwest. Kickoff has been moved to 3:30 p.m. Central Arkansas travels to Southeastern Louisiana next week.

After Texas State opened the game with a 63-yard touchdown drive to take an early 7-0 lead, Central Arkansas scored on its first five possessions. By the time the Bobcats stopped Central Arkansas' offensive attack, the Bears had built a 35-7 lead.

Four of the Bears' first five scoring drives covered 69 yards or more while none of the scoring series consumed more than six plays.

The scoring flurry finally ended when Nick Clark sacked Brown, forcing a fumble that Ray Parker recovered at the UCA 34 with 8:03 to play in the second.

The Bobcats came out with a strong opening drive. The series started at the UCA 37 after Morris Crosby had a 28-yard kickoff return. The drive included a 36-yard run by Karrington Bush on an option play in which Texas State quarterback Bradley George stretched UCA's defense wide before Bush took the pitch and cut up field. George capped the series when he found Alvin Canady for a screen pass that went 26-yards for a score.

After throwing an incompletion on his first attempt, Brown completed eight straight passes including touchdown strikes of 30 and nine yards to Marques Branson in the first quarter.

Branson's touchdown receptions were bookends to a 17-yard touchdown pass to Willie Landers. Branson would finish the night with four receptions for 80 yards and three touchdowns.

Brent Grimes was on the receiving end two Brown touchdown passes in the second quarter, hauling in a 41-yard touchdown reception early in the quarter and a 24-yarder that gave the Bears a 35-7 lead with 10:34 to play in the half.

Central Arkansas had 382 yards of total offense at the half with Brown completing 12-of-16 passes for 268 yards. None of the Bears' six scoring drives in the half consumed more than 2:20.

Brown completed a six-yard touchdown pass to Landers to cap the Bears' first series of the second half to set the record outright.

Texas State was held to 276 yards of total offense - 223 rushing and 53 passing.