Central Arkansas at Nicholls State
WHEN 6 p.m. Central
WHERE Manning Field, Thibodaux, La. RECORDS Central Arkansas 6-3, 6-1 Southland Conference; Nicholls State 2-7, 2-5
COACHES Steve Campbell (12-9 in second season at UCA, 138-47 in 15th season overall); Tim Rebowe (2-7 in first season at Nicholls State and overall)
SERIES UCA leads 7-2
RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway; KKPTFM, 94.1, in Little Rock
INTERNET ucasports.com
WHEN UCA HAS THE BALL UCA’s usually stout running game was slowed last week, but quarterback Hayden Hildebrand returned from a shoulder injury to pass for 278 yards and a touchdown. Blake Veasley, who had rushed for 483 yards over the previous two games, was held to 76 yards on 32 carries. The Bears still had 220 yards rushing while beating Stephen F. Austin. Their quarterback situation remains a week-to-week mystery. Hildebrand and Taylor Reed have each suffered similar shoulder injuries. Reed played two weeks ago in a victory over Southeastern Louisiana but sat out last week. Hildebrand has been solid in his first year as a starter. He has completed 65.6 percent of his passes and has a 159.5 pass efficiency rating, both of which lead the Southland, and has passed for 10 touchdowns with 2 interceptions. Reed is expected to play in some capacity tonight. The Bears are averaging 34.1 points in Southland games. Nicholls State has allowed 29.1 points in conference play and has allowed 19 rushing touchdowns.
WHEN NICHOLLS STATE HAS THE BALL Nicholls State is coming off its second conference victory, gaining 559 yards of offense in a 30-28 victory over Lamar. The Colonels gained 415 yards on the ground. Nicholls State doesn’t have a player who averages more than 75 yards rushing but averages 190.1 yards as a team, including 203.7 in conference games. UCA is holding Southland opponents to averages of 18.1 points and 318.4 yards per game. The Bears also have been one of the best teams in the FCS at forcing turnovers with 20 this season, and their plus-1.22 pergame average is fifth nationally.
WHAT’S AT STAKE A victory would keep UCA alone in second place heading into next week’s regular-season finale against Sam Houston State, which could be for a spot in the FCS playoffs.
QUOTING COACH CAMPBELL “We’re not the same team we were Week 1. … I really think we made huge strides in between Week 1 and Week 2, and we’ve continued to get better throughout the season. We’ve made a lot of progress, and there’s still a lot of progress left to be made.”