Showdown In Conway With UCA Saturday at 6 p.m.
11/20/2015 5:00:00 PM | Football
Seeing Sam Houston and Central Arkansas battling in both team's final regular season game with something big at stake is nothing new. Each of the past three years, either the Southland Conference championship or a playoff berth has been on the line.
Last year, the Kats defeated Central Arkansas 38-31 to earn their third Southland championship in four years. This year a probable FCS playoff berth is the prize for the winner.
The pair kickoff at 6 p.m. Saturday at Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas. Sam Houston stands No. 10 in the STATS FCS media poll and Central Arkansas is No. 25 in the NCAA Coaches rankings. UCA is in second place in the league standings and Sam Houston in third.
“This is a matchup of two teams that really are evenly matched in talent,” Sam Houston head coach K. C. Keeler said. “UCA really has a good defensive line with physical kids who can run around. Their offensive line is mammoth and they can just engulf you. Their quarterbacks are playing well.”
In last year's contest in Huntsville, the two teams were tied 21-21 late in the second quarter. A field goal block by All-America defensive end P. J. Hall set up a 32-yard field goal to give the Kats a 24-21 lead seven seconds before halftime.
Sam Houston never trailed again, building a 38-21 lead in the third period. UCA struck back for 10 points to cut the margin to a touchdown with 3:03 play. The Bearrkats got to hoist a Southland trophy after the offense ran out the final minutes for the victory.
“With teams this well-matched, the difference is going to come down to not making critical mistakes and playing well on special teams,” Keeler said. “We're excited about going into a game with a playoff mentally. It's going to be a great atmosphere.”
Central Arkansas leads the all-time series with the Bearkats with five victories to Sam Houston's four. Only one of those victories by the Orange and White has come in Conway. The Kats have lost in their last to visits to UCA by scores of 24-20 and 49-31.
Central Arkansas head coach Steve Campbell knows his 7-3 Bears squad faces a challenge in Sam Houston.
“They're an outstanding football team,” Campbell said. “They're very balanced offensively. Offensively, they do a great job of getting the ball in the hands of their playmakers. They have weapons everywhere you look. Defensively, that have a lot of playmakers in the secondary, talent linebackers and guys like P. J. Hall in the defensive line. We look at every game as a must-win situation. This isn't any different. This is the next big game of the year.”
Sam Houston's offensive has performed well in the last month both on the ground and in the air. A Bearkat running back has carried for more than 100 yards in each of the past four games. Sophomore Cory Avery accounted for three of those performances. Saturday in the win over Northwestern State he rushed for 197 yards including scoring plays of 78 and 27 yards.
Junior quarterback Jared Johnson ranks second in the Southland Conference in passing yardage and is third in total offense and pass efficiency.
Saturday's contest will be featured in an ESPN3 telecast. KSAM FM 101.7 will carry the play-by-play broadcast live in the Walker County area.
