Bears know victory should lock up bid

CONWAY -- For the first time in nine seasons, Central Arkansas will play a football game at Estes Stadium and Brad Teague won't be there.

UCA's athletic director is pleased to have the opportunity that will take him away from campus today, but he isn't thrilled about what he'll be missing.

Instead of watching No. 25 UCA (7-3, 7-1) host No. 12 Sam Houston State (7-3, 6-2) in a 6 p.m. regular-season finale with a trip to the FCS playoffs likely on the line, Teague will be holed up in a conference room in Indianapolis helping put together the 24-team playoff field.

By the end of the night -- which could actually be Sunday morning -- Teague hopes his Bears will be included in the field he'll help assemble.

"It'll be different," Teague said.

With Teague in Indianapolis as the Southland Conference's representative on the FCS Playoff Selection Committee and UCA playing Sam Houston State for what is liklely the Southland's second playoff spot, UCA will have plenty to say today regarding how the national playoff field takes shape when it's unveiled Sunday morning.

McNeese State (9-0, 8-0) has locked up the Southland's automatic bid and could clinch an outright conference title with a victory today.

Teague and Coach Steve Campbell agree the Bears are a virtual lock for one of the 14 at-large selections with a victory today. A victory would leave the Bears behind only McNeese State in the Southland, a league that has had at least two playoff teams in five of the past six seasons.

"If we win Saturday we'll either get in or secede from the NCAA," Campbell said. "There will be something wrong if we don't get in. ... We know that if we win, we're in."

Campbell said he hasn't thought much about the prospects of a bid if the Bears lose, but Teague has. While it would put the Bears squarely on the bubble, it wouldn't be impossible for the Bears to still get in the field. Stephen F. Austin earned an at-large bid last season with seven victories, which is what UCA would have with a loss today.

Not that Teague could do much fighting for UCA during today's selection process. He'll have to leave the room every time discussion turns to the Bears regarding inclusion, seeding and game locations. That means if UCA loses tonight, he'll be among 10 members selecting the teams but with no way of making the Bears' case.

"That's not going to be a good situation," Teague said. "That's going to be disappointing for sure. I hope it doesn't come to that. Let's just go ahead and win and be in."

That's how Campbell would prefer it, considering it would likely mean his biggest victory in his two seasons as the Bears coach.

Sam Houston State leads the Southland in scoring offense (44.0 points per game), total offense (544.2 yards per game), passing (280.1) and is second in rushing (264.1). Quarterback Jared Johnson was a preseason first-team All-Southland pick, and his 232.4 yards of total offense per game is third in the conference. Johnson had 258 yards of offense in Sam Houston's victory last season in Huntsville, Texas.

"Just so explosive offensively," Campbell said.

The Bears do have the benefit of recent success against the Bearkats, who advanced to last year's FCS semifinals. UCA's current class of seniors have won 2 of 3 games against Sam Houston State, including a 2012 victory when the Bearkats were ranked No. 3.

Senior running back Blake Veasley, who could play his final home game today, said the stakes attached to today's game make it even better for him and his fellow seniors.

"I can't put my finger on it, but when Sam Houston week comes around, it's something different in the atmosphere," Veasley said. "Something that just gets your juice going a little bit more. It's just something about those guys that you really want to get that win."

Sports on 11/21/2015