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CONWAY, Ark. – In a precursor to the FCS playoffs which begin next weekend, No. 24 Eastern Illinois visited No. 10 Central Arkansas in a battle of conference champions.  UCA won 48-30 as they improved to 9-2.  EIU is 7-4 with the Panthers four game win streak coming to an end.

The FCS selection show takes place on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.  EIU will hold a selection show viewing at the EIU campus recreation center.  The public is welcome with doors opening at Noon.

Eastern Illinois took advantage of three Central Arkansas fumbles in the first half.  LeQuince McCall, Roosevelt Holliday and Artavious Dowdell forced all three turnovers in Bears territory.

EIU took advantage of all three turnovers with touchdowns.  Jimmy Garoppolo connected with Chris Wright twice and Erik Lora once for the three Panthers first half touchdowns.  Cameron Berra tacked on a 23-yard field goal as EIU trailed 24-23 at the half as UCA blocked an extra point.

UCA scored in the first half on a pair of Wynrick Smothers touchdown passes to Jackie Hinton and Dezmin Lewis.  Terrence Bobo had a 1-yard run and Eddie Camara knocked home a 48-yard field goal.

The game featured three Walter Payton Award candidates with EIU's Jimmy Garoppolo and Erik Lora and UCA's Wynrick Smothers.  All three made a late case for the FCS Offensive Player of the Year Award.  Garoppolo was 19-of-33 for 228 yards and four touchdown passes.  Lora had 9 catches for 52 yards as he now has 124 receptions on the year setting the FCS single season record for receptions.  Smothers was 35-of-49 for 335 yards with four touchdowns.

In the second half UCA scored ten points in the third quarter with Hinton scoring on a short run and Camara adding his second field goal of the day from 25 yards.   The Bears added another touchdown to open the fourth quarter as Jesse Grandy caught a screen pass, breaking a tackle to race 37 yards for the score. 

EIU responded with Wright's third touchdown grab of the day covering 74 yards as Wright set the OVC record for career touchdown receptions with his 32nd of his career.    Wright finished with 3 receptions for 128 yards.

Alex Helms made a tackle on fourth and one at the goal line only to have the play not count on an off sides call against UCA's offense.  The Bears would score on a pass to Chase Dixon to go up 48-30 with 5:20 left to play.

Jake Walker had 66 yards on the ground to go over 1,000 yards for the season for the Panthers. 

Helms making the start for injured linebacker Robert Haynes led the Panthers defense with 16 tackles.  Holliday had nine stops including four tackles for loss.  Seth Allison and Justin Heard led UCA with 11 tackles each.