Central Arkansas at Abilene Christian
WHEN 2:30 p.m. Central
WHERE Shotwell Stadium, Abilene, Texas RECORDS Central Arkansas 3-1, 2-0 Southland Conference; Abilene Christian 0-4, 0-2 COACHES Steve Campbell (16-11 in third season at UCA, 43-19 in fifth season overall); Ken Collums (22-27 in fifth season at Abilene Christian and overall)
SERIES UCA leads, 5-3-1
LAST MEETING 2015: UCA 42, Abilene Christian 14
RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway; KKPTFM, 94.1, in Little Rock
TV KATV-DT3 (Grit TV network, Ch. 7.3) INTERNET ucasports.com/watch
WHEN UCA HAS THE BALL UCA will attempt to strike with a committee of running backs, most likely led by senior Antwon Wells and freshman Carlos Blackman. Through four games, they have combined to rush for 535 yards. Abilene Christian also should expect carries from Kelton Warren and Darrien Daniels, among others. For the season, UCA has rushed for 853 yards and passed for 1,023. Junior Hayden Hildebrand has completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 990 yards and 6 touchdowns. He has thrown two interceptions.
WHEN ABILENE CHRISTIAN HAS THE BALL Sophomore quarterback Dallas Sealey leads the way. Through four games, he has completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 1,317 yards. He has eight touchdown passes and one interception and uses numerous receivers. Six players have averaged at least two receptions a game, led by Josh Fink with 16 for 176 yards and 1 touchdown. Junior D.J. Fuller has 15 for 231 and 3 touchdowns. Senior Adrian Duncan is the team’s leading rusher with 239 yards. Sealey has kept the ball for 206 yards and five touchdowns.
WHAT’S AT STAKE With a victory, UCA will open its Southland season at 3-0 for the second consecutive season. A victory for UCA would keep it tied for first place in the Southland. UCA is currently tied at 2-0 with Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin, which plays at Sam Houston State today.
-Pete Perkins
UAPB at Alabama State
WHEN 2 p.m. Central
WHERE New ASU Stadium, Montgomery, Ala.
RECORDS Alabama State (0-4, 0-3 SWAC), UAPB (1-3, 1-1)
COACHES Monte Coleman (18-55 in ninth season at UAPB and overall), Brian Jenkins (6-9 in second season at Alabama State and 52-23 in sixth season overall)
SERIES Alabama State leads 12-6
RADIO KUAP-FM 89.7, in Pine Bluff
INTERNET uapblionsroar.com
WHEN UAPB HAS THE BALL Up until last Saturday, the Golden Lions offense seemed to be flowing pretty effectively through quarterback Brandon Duncan. The redshirt sophomore from Roosevelt, N.Y., still leads the SWAC with 273.5 yards passing per game, but he completed 25 of 39 passes last week against Jackson State and threw his first interception of the season. Duncan is 100-of-163 passing for 1,094 yards and 6 touchdowns. Dante McDonald is the bellcow in the running game for the Lions, but he has come down from his high point of the season. Three weeks ago against Oklahoma Panhandle State, McDonald rushed for 122 yards in a UAPB loss, but he has been held to 35 and 41 in the two games since. Willie Young leads all UAPB receivers with 26 receptions for 361 yards and 2 touchdowns.
WHEN ALABAMA STATE HAS THE BALL
Under second-year coach Brian Jenkins, the Hornets have struggled to move the football. In the 10-team SWAC, Alabama State is ninth in scoring offense at just 16.0 points per game. The Hornets average just 202 yards passing behind quarterback Quinterris Toppings, a senior out of Eight Mile, Ala. Senior wideout Willis White leads the Hornets with 15 catches for 187 yards. Kentucky transfer Khalid Thomas, a senior from Tallahassee, Fla., is Alabama State’s leading rusher with 44 carries for 281 yards and 2 touchdowns. Linebacker Kourtney Berry was the 2015 SWAC defensive player of the year.
WHAT’S AT STAKE Today’s game is a battle of two teams desperate for a victory. The Lions appeared to have turned their season around with a triple-overtime victory at Alcorn State two weeks ago, but they got in a hole early against Jackson State in Little Rock last weekend and never recovered. The Hornets are looking to build off a 6-5 campaign last season in Coach Brian Jenkins’ first season, but they are winless in 2016. With the bulk of the SWAC schedule ahead for both teams (UAPB still has to face Grambling State, Prairie View and Southern — the three teams still undefeated in SWAC play), the road to the SWAC championship game is unclear. But a loss today, for either team, makes the math around a trip to Houston a lot more complicated.
— Nick Walker