2024 Central Arkansas Bears football team

2024 Central Arkansas Bears football
2024 Central Arkansas Bears football
Conference	United Athletic Conference
Record	6–6 (3–5 UAC)
Head coach	Nathan Brown (7th season);
Offensive coordinator	Ken Collums (7th season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Greg Stewart (4th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Estes Stadium
	Seasons ← 2023 2025 →

The 2024 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were coached by seventh-year head coach Nathan Brown and played at Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas.

2024 United Athletic Conference standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 14 Abilene Christian $^	7	–	1	9	–	5
No. 13 Tarleton State ^	6	–	2	10	–	4
No. 21 Eastern Kentucky ^	6	–	2	8	–	5
Southern Utah	6	–	2	7	–	5
Central Arkansas	3	–	5	6	–	6
Austin Peay	3	–	5	4	–	8
North Alabama	3	–	5	3	–	9
West Georgia*	1	–	7	4	–	7
Utah Tech	1	–	7	1	–	11

$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Note: West Georgia is ineligible for the UAC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II. Rankings from STATS Poll

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	6:00 p.m.	at Arkansas State*	No. 11	Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPN+	L 31–34	21,708
September 7	6:00 p.m.	at Lindenwood*	No. 9	Harlen C. Hunter Stadium St. Charles, MO	ESPN+	W 34–13	4,668
September 14	6:00 p.m.	Austin Peay	No. 7	Estes Stadium Conway, AR	ESPN+	W 45–17	9,167
September 21	6:00 p.m.	at Arkansas–Pine Bluff*	No. 8	Simmons Bank Field Pine Bluff, AR		W 56–17	8,247
September 28	6:00 p.m.	No. 19 Lamar*	No. 7	Estes Stadium Conway, AR	ESPN+	W 34–14	9,873
October 5	3:00 p.m.	at No. 16 Abilene Christian	No. 5	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	L 34–41	7,853
October 12	4:00 p.m.	West Georgia	No. 12	Estes Stadium Conway, AR	ESPN+	W 34–33	4,630
October 26	4:00 p.m.	North Alabama	No. 12	Estes Stadium Conway, AR	ESPN+	W 24–19	8,794
November 2	3:00 p.m.	at Utah Tech	No. 11	Greater Zion Stadium St. George, UT	ESPN+	L 21–34	2,526
November 9	1:00 p.m.	at Eastern Kentucky	No. 16	Roy Kidd Stadium Richmond, KY	ESPN+	L 24–31	7,902
November 16	4:00 p.m.	Southern Utah	No. 24	Estes Stadium Conway, AR	ESPN+	L 31–38	4,024
November 23	2:00 p.m.	at No. 16 Tarleton State		Memorial Stadium Stephenville, TX	ESPN+	L 14–39	14,800
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

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Game summaries

at Arkansas State (FBS)

Game One – No. 11 Central Arkansas Bears (0–0) at Arkansas State Red Wolves (FBS) (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 11 Bears	0	0	10	21	31
Red Wolves (FBS)	6	7	7	14	34

at Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR

Date: Saturday August 31, 2024
Game time: 6:00 p.m.
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 91 °F (33 °C) • Wind: N at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
Game attendance: 21,708
Referee: Marshall Lewis
TV announcers (ESPN+): Roger Twibell (play-by-play) and Darrell Greene (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

(12:47) ARST – Clune Van Andel 44-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 2:05; Arkansas State 3–0)
(2:20) ARST – Clune Van Andel 23-yard field goal (Drive: 18 plays, 75 yards, 7:23; Arkansas State 6–0)

Second quarter

(0:37) ARST – Zak Wallace 1-yard run, Clune Van Andel kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 1:33; Arkansas State 13–0)

Third quarter

(14:02) UCA – Jake Gaster 42-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 19 yards, 0:50; Arkansas State 13–3)
(10:36) UCA – ShunDerrick Powell 23-yard run, Jake Gaster kick (Drive: 4 plays, 43 yards, 2:06; Arkansas State 13–10)
(7:40) ARST – Zak Wallace 2-yard run, Clune Van Andel kick (Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 2:48; Arkansas State 20–10)

Fourth quarter

(14:15) ARST – Jaylen Raynor 5-yard run, Clune Van Andel kick (Drive: 9 plays, 98 yards, 4:28; Arkansas State 27–10)
(13:38) UCA – ShunDerrick Powell 81-yard run, Jake Gaster kick (Drive: 2 plays, 89 yards, 0:33; Arkansas State 27–17)
(10:33) UCA – Tyion Berry 23-yard pass from Will McElvain, Jake Gaster kick (Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 1:43; Arkansas State 27–24)
(0:55) UCA – Darius Hale 4-yard run, Jake Gaster kick (Drive: 3 plays, 35 yards, 0:50; Central Arkansas 31–27)
(0:03) ARST – Corey Rucker 7-yard pass from Jaylen Raynor, Clune Van Andel kick (Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 0:52; Arkansas State 34–31)

Statistics	UCA	ARST
First downs	20	24
Total yards	432	457
Rushing yards	235	140
Passing yards	197	317
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	16–29–0	24–47–1
Time of possession	27:23	32:37

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Arkansas	Passing	Will McElvain	15/28, 168 yards, TD
	Rushing	ShunDerrick Powell	15 carries, 176 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Malachi Henry	4 receptions, 61 yards
Arkansas State	Passing	Jaylen Raynor	24/47, 317 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Ja'Quez Cross	13 carries, 50 yards
	Receiving	Corey Rucker	9 receptions, 179 yards, TD

at Lindenwood

Game Two – No. 9 Central Arkansas Bears (0–1) at Lindenwood Lions (0–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 9 Bears	0	13	7	14	34
Lions	3	0	3	7	13

at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium • St. Charles, Missouri

Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
Game time: 6:00 p.m.
Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 4,668
Referee: Michael Lennie
TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information

First quarter

(1:08) LIN – Logan Seibert 32 yard field goal (8 plays, 64 yards, 3:50; LIN 3–0)

Second quarter

(11:11) CARK – ShunDerrick Powell 4 yard run (Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 4:57; CARK 6–3)
(3:36) CARK – ShunDerrick Powell 55 yard run, Jake Gaster kick (Drive: 6 plays, 93 yards, 3:07; CARK 13–3)

Third quarter

(8:17) LIN – Logan Seibert 20 yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:05; CARK 13–6)
(6:32) CARK – ShunDerrick Powell 69 yard pass from Will McElvain, Jake Gaster kick (Drive: 4 plays, 85 yards, 1:39; CARK 20–6)

Fourth quarter

(13:43) CARK – Darius Hale 1 yard run, Jake Gaster kick (Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:16; CARK 27–6)
(7:08) LIN – Reece Thomas 4 yard pass from Nate Glantz, Logan Seibert kick (Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 3:32; CARK 27–13)
(3:17) CARK – Darius Hale 3 yard run, Jake Gaster kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:51; CARK 34–13)

Statistics	UCA	LIN
First downs	21	15
Total yards	554	258
Rushing yards	221	76
Passing yards	333	182
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	20–28–0	17–33–0
Time of possession	30:04	29:56

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Arkansas	Passing	Will McElvain	20/28, 333 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	ShunDerrick Powell	17 carries, 126 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Kam Robinson	6 receptions, 112 yards
Lindenwood	Passing	Nate Glantz	17/33, 182 yards, TD
	Rushing	Steve Hall	11 carries, 59 yards
	Receiving	Jeff Caldwell	6 receptions, 99 yards

vs. Austin Peay

Game Three – Austin Peay Governors (0–2) vs No. 7 Central Arkansas Bears (1–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Governors	0	0	0	0	0
No. 7 Bears	0	0	0	0	0

at Estes Stadium • Conway, AR

Date: Saturday September 14, 2024
Game time: 6:00 PM CST
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	APSU	UCA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Central Arkansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Arkansas–Pine Bluff

Game Four – No. 8 Central Arkansas Bears (2–1) at Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions (1–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Bears	0	0	0	0	0
Golden Lions	0	0	0	0	0

at Simmons Bank Field • Pine Bluff, AR

Date: Saturday September 21, 2024
Game time: 6:00 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (TBD): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UCA	UAPB
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Arkansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Arkansas–Pine Bluff	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs. No. 19 Lamar

Game Five – No. 19 Lamar Cardinals (3–1) vs No. 7 Central Arkansas Bears (3–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Cardinals	0	7	7	0	14
No. 7 Bears	10	10	7	7	34

at Estes Stadium • Conway, AR

Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
Game time: 6:00 PM CST
Game weather: Weather: Sunny 0 °F (−18 °C)
Game attendance: 9,873
Referee: Michael Frain
TV: ESPN+

Game information

First Quarter

(06:32 UCA – Courtney, Dax 12 yd pass from McElvain, Will (Gaster, Jake kick) Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, TOP 05:31, UCA 0–7.
(03:48 UCA – Gaster, Jake 23 yd field goa Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, TOP 01:15, UCA 0–10.

Second Quarter

(08:04) LU – Griffin, Khalan 1 yd run (Woodard, Ben kick) Drive: 2 plays, 10 yards, TOP 00:25, UCA 7–10.
(04:14) UCA – Powell, ShunDerrick 11 yd run (Gaster, Jake kick) Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:50, UCA 7–17.
(00:00) UCA – Gaster, Jake 28 yd field goal Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, TOP 01:53, UCA 7–20.

Third Quarter

(06:31) UCA – Hale, Darius 5 yd run (Gaster, Jake kick) Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, TOP 01:34, UCA 7–27.
(01:02) LU – Coleman, Robert 16 yd run (Woodard, Ben kick) Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:29, UCA 14–27.

Fourth Quarter

(12:26) UCA – Powell, ShunDerrick 18 yd run (Gaster, Jake kick) Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:36, UCA 14–34.

Statistics	LAM	UCA
First downs	16	26
Total yards	220	439
Rushing yards	108	281
Passing yards	112	158
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	11-20-1	5-22-1
Time of possession	26:28	33:32

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Lamar	Passing	Robert Coleman	11/20 122 yds. 1 INT
	Rushing	Khalan Griffin	18 carries, 74 yds, 1 TD
	Receiving	Sevonne Rhea	5 Receptions, 55 yds
Central Arkansas	Passing	Will McElvain	15/22 158 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	ShunDerrick Powell	25 carries, 187 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Trejan Bridges	4 receptions, 60 yds

at No. 16 Abilene Christian

Game Six – No. 5 Central Arkansas Bears (4–1) at No. 16 Abilene Christian Wildcats (3–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 5 Bears	7	10	7	10	34
No. 16 Wildcats	14	17	3	7	41

at Wildcat Stadium, Abilene, Texas

Date: Saturday October 5, 2024
Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 7,853
Referee: Gabe Tomlin
TV announcers (ESPN+): Grant Boone (play-by-play) and Bob Shipley (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 70-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 11:27. Wildcats 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 70 yards, 0:16.
CARK – ShunDerrick Powell 62-yard run (Jake Gaster kick), 10:40. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:47.
ACU – Blayne Taylor 13-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 4:20. Wildcats 14–7. Drive: 14 plays, 66 yards, 6:11.

Second quarter

ACU – Ritse Vaes 27-yard field goal, 14:09. Wildcats 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:02.
CARK – ShunDerrick Powell 51-yard run (Jake Gaster kick), 13:04. Wildcats 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:00.
ACU – Hut Graham 9-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 8:54. Wildcats 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:02.
ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 26-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 4:54. Wildcats 31–14. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 2:40.
CARK – Jake Gaster 26-yard field goal, 0:00. Wildcats 31–17. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 1:40.

Third quarter

ACU – Ritse Vaes 20-yard field goal, 5:52. Wildcats 34–17. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:21.
CARK – ShunDerrick Powell 11-yard pass from Will McElvain (Jake Gaster kick), 0:36. Wildcats 34–24. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 5:08.

Fourth quarter

ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 3-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 12:52. Wildcats 41–24. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:44.
CARK – Jake Gaster 21-yard field goal, 7:49. Wildcats 41–27. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 5:03.
CARK – Trejan Bridges 11-yard pass from Will McElvain (Jake Gaster kick), 1:38. Wildcats 41–34. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 2:51.

Statistics	UCA	ACU
First downs	31	23
Total yards	528	506
Rushing yards	202	156
Passing yards	326	350
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	30:17	29:43

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Arkansas	Passing	Will McElvain	33/46, 326 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	ShunDerrick Powell	20 carries, 155 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Malachi Henry	5 receptions, 83 yards
Abilene Christian	Passing	Maverick McIvor	22/36, 350 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Isaiah Johnson	15 carries, 91 yards
	Receiving	Nehemiah Martinez I	7 receptions, 202 yards, 3 TD

vs. West Georgia

Game Seven – West Georgia Wolves (1–4) at No. 13 Central Arkansas Bears (4–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wolves	0	0	0	0	0
No. 13 Bears	0	0	0	0	0

at Estes Stadium • Conway, AR

Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
Game time: 4:00 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UWG	UCA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
West Georgia	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Central Arkansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs. North Alabama

Game Eight – North Alabama Lions (3–5) at No. 12 Central Arkansas Bears (5–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	13	0	6	19
No. 12 Bears	3	7	7	7	24

at Estes Stadium • Conway, AR

Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
Game time: 4:00 p.m.
Game weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 8,794
Referee: Matthew Jones
TV announcers (ESPN+): J.B. Brazeal (play-by-play) and Wess Moore (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

(2:56) UCA – Jake Gaster 30-yard kick (Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:33; UCA 3-0)

Second quarter

(12:18) UCA – Jordan Owens 33-yard pass from Will McElvain (Jake Gaster kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 1:52; UCA 10-0)
(11:22) UNA – Jalen Fletcher 8-yard rush (Scott Payne kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 0:44; UCA 10-7)
(5:02) UNA – Tanaka Scott 11-yard pass from TJ Smith (2-point conversion no good) (Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:21; UNA 13-10)

Third quarter

(11:35) UCA – Malachi Henry 21-yard pass from Will McElvain (Jake Gaster kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:25; UCA 17-13)

Fourth quarter

(13:47) UCA – Malachi Henry 69-yard pass from Will McElvain (Jake Gaster kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:45; UCA 24-13)
(2:56) UNA – TJ Smith 1-yard rush (2-point conversion no good) (Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 3:37; UCA 24-19)

Statistics	UNA	UCA
First downs	24	15
Total yards	353	306
Rushing yards	107	56
Passing yards	246	250
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	17–34–2	21–31–0
Time of possession	30:01	29:59

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Alabama	Passing	TJ Smith	14/31, 191 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Jayvian Allen	12 carries, 65 yards
	Receiving	Dakota Warfield	6 receptions, 80 yards
Central Arkansas	Passing	Will McElvain	21/31, 250 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	ShunDerrick Powell	14 carries, 70 yards
	Receiving	Malachi Henry	2 receptions, 90 yards, 2 TD

at Utah Tech

Game Nine – No. 11 Central Arkansas Bears (6–2) at Utah Tech Trailblazers (0–9) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 11 Bears	0	0	0	0	0
Trailblazers	0	0	0	0	0

at Greater Zion Stadium • St. George, UT

Date: Saturday November 2, 2024
Game time: 2:00 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UCA	UTU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Arkansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Utah Tech	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Eastern Kentucky

Game Ten – No. 16 Central Arkansas Bears (6–3) vs Eastern Kentucky Colonels (5–4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 16 Bears	0	0	0	0	0
Colonels	0	0	0	0	0

at Roy Kidd Stadium • Richmond, KY

Date: Saturday November 9, 2024
Game time: 1:00 p.m.
TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UCA	EKU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Arkansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Eastern Kentucky	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs. Southern Utah

Game Eleven – Southern Utah Thunderbirds (5–5) at No. 24 Central Arkansas Bears (6–4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Thunderbirds	0	0	0	0	0
No. 24 Bears	0	0	0	0	0

at Estes Stadium • Conway, AR

Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
Game time: 4:00 p.m.
Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C)
TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	SUU	UCA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southern Utah	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Central Arkansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at No. 16 Tarleton State

Game Twelve – Central Arkansas Bears (6–5) vs No. 16 Tarleton State Texans (8–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	0	0	0	0
No. 16 Texans	0	0	0	0	0

at Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX

Date: Saturday November 23, 2024
Game time: 6:00 p.m.
TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	UCA	TAR
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Arkansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Tarleton State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

References

↑ Kelley, Kevin (December 5, 2023). "Central Arkansas Bears release 2024 football schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
↑ "Central Arkansas Bears Schedule 2024". ESPN Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved August 25, 2024.

[1] Kelley, Kevin (December 5, 2023). "Central Arkansas Bears release 2024 football schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved March 23, 2024.

[2] "Central Arkansas Bears Schedule 2024". ESPN Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved August 25, 2024.

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