Powell runs for 178 yards and 2 TDs to power Central Arkansas past Lamar, 34-14

CONWAY, Ark. (AP) — ShunDerrick Powell ran for 178 yards and two touchdowns as Central Arkansas, ranked No. 7 in the FCS coaches poll, cruised to a 34-14 win over Lamar in a non-conference game on Saturday night.

Lamar took the opening kick and marched 56 yards in 10 plays but Chris Esqueda missed on a 32-yard field goal attempt. Central Arkansas answered with an 80-yard, eight-play drive of its own to take the lead on Will McElvain’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Dax Courtney and Jake Gaster added a 23-yard field goal to make it 10-0 after a quarter.

Powell scored his first touchdown with just over four minutes left in the first half to give the Bears a 17-7 lead and Gaster booted a 28-yarder with five seconds to make it 20-7 at the half.

Robert Coleman scored on a 16-yard run in the third quarter to pull the Cardinals within a touchdown at 21-14, but Powell put the game out of reach with an 18-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

McElvain completed 15 of 22 pass attempts for 158 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He surpassed 10,000 career yards passing. Powell needed 25 carries to reach 178 yards and Darius Hale carried 19 times for 96 yards and a touchdown. Central Arkansas (4-1) amassed 439 yards of offense and dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 33:32, seven minutes more than Lamar.

Coleman was 11-of-20 passing for 112 yards and was picked off once. Khalan Griffin carried 18 times for 72 yards and a touchdown, but Lamar (3-2) managed just 220 yards of offense.

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