UCA's Nathan Brown Was Featured As The No. 1 Play Of The Day On ESPN Last Night
CONWAY, Ark. - The University of Central Arkansas Bears did not just make a splash regionally Thursday night, they did it on the national stage.
Quarterback Nathan Brown and the Bears were the No. 1 play on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day last night after the Bears romped past Texas State 63-21 in a live Fox Sports Southwest broadcast from First Security Field at Estes Stadium.
Brown’s school-record seven touchdown passes, shown in their entirety, were named the No. 1 Play of the Day on the national sports network.
Brown, a junior from Russellville and the reigning Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week, tied the school record of six touchdown passes in the first half, then broke the record on UCA’s first possession of the second half.
Brown had held the previous record along with Andy Rogers. Brown had six touchdown passes in a playoff win over Presbyterian College in 2005, while Rogers had six against Nicholls State in 2000.
He completed 16 of 20 passes for 313 yards, tight end Marquez Branson catching three (one from backup Robbie Park), and two players (running back Brent Grimes, receiver Willie Landers) catching two each. The other TD pass went to Preston Echols.
The eight touchdown passes tied the Southland Conference single-game record. The Bears, who had 382 yards of total offense in the first half alone, finished with 662, the fourth highest total in school history.