CONWAY -- It didn't take long for Central Arkansas Bears Coach Steve Campbell to figure out what he had in wide receiver Desmond Smith.
When Campbell was hired as Clint Conque's replacement in December 2013, Smith ranked no higher than second among UCA's standout receivers. He and others trailed Dezmin Lewis, who was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Desmond Smith at a glance
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 201
HOMETOWN Bentonville
UCA statistics
Year;Rec.;Yds.;TDs
2015;67;817;2
2014;46;616;7
2013;43;503;3
TOTALS;156;1,936;12
Nevertheless, Campbell said Smith was among those he heard about first.
"People talked about what a great player he had a chance to be, and that's what he is," Campbell said. "He's just a highly, highly competitive guy. He has a lot of ability, but he just loves to compete. He goes after every ball. He's just a scrapper."
Smith will begin his senior season tonight at Estes Stadium against Houston Baptist with at least two UCA receiving records within reach. After three seasons, he currently ranks sixth in career receptions with 156 and is tied for seventh in career receiving yards with 1,935. A repeat of his statistics from 2015 (67 receptions, 817 yards) would move him to the top in career receptions with 223, 10 more than Michael Norvell's current record, and give him 2,752 career yards, just short of Aaron Fairooz's record 2,797.
"He's made a ton of plays for us since I've been here," Campbell said. "He has tremendous hands, but he is really very good after the catch. He catches the ball down the field, but he's very good on screens. If you get it to him quick, he can turn a short pass into a long play."
Smith, 6-1, 201, said the receivers UCA had in place when he arrived from Bentonville for a redshirt season in 2012, including Lewis, set a high standard from the start.
"The group here made me set goals that were high," Smith said. "My goal is to be the first receiver to get 3,000 yards so that I can represent all the receivers before me. Coming here was definitely the right choice because it has improved my game so much."
According to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Nathan Brown, Smith easily gets away with his mention of individual goals.
"Every time he goes out in a game or in practice, he's out to win," Brown said. "He wants the ball in his hands, and not in a bad way, but in a good way. He wants to the ball because he knows he can do things that will help his team win."
Brown, UCA's career leader in passing yards, attempts, completions, and touchdowns, and the 2008 Southland Conference Player of the Year, has been on the Bears' coaching staff throughout Smith's career.
"He's a coach's dream," Brown said. "First and foremost, he's a guy you don't have to worry about whenever you're not at the stadium or on the football field. He always makes good decisions. He comes from a great family. He came from a great program at Bentonville. He's the exact kind of player we try to recruit every year."
Smith will go into his senior season with junior quarterback Hayden Hildebrand listed as the clear starter. Hildebrand took over three games into last season after an injury to then-senior Taylor Reed.
"He's [a] great quarterback," Smith said. "He has a great arm, but he also has the ability to get out of the pocket and extend plays, and he doesn't get flustered when he gets out of the pocket. He knows he's fast enough to run away from the linebackers or defensive ends. He just finds his receivers."
Tonight’s game
Houston Baptist at Central Arkansas
WHEN 6 p.m.
WHERE Estes Stadium, Conway
2015 RECORDS Houston Baptist 2-9; Central Arkansas 7-4
COACHES Vic Shealy (7-22 in fourth season at Houston Baptist, 34-36-1 in eighth season overall); Steve Campbell (13-10 in third season at UCA; 139-48 in 16th season overall)
SERIES UCA leads 2-0.
LAST MEETING UCA won 43-7 last year. RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3 in Conway; KKPTFM, 94.1, in Little Rock
TV American Sports Network, KATV 7.3 INTERNET ucasports.com/watch
WHEN UCA HAS THE BALL Quarterback Hayden Hildebrand and receivers Desmond Smith and Jatavious Wilson are the most experienced among the Bears’ returning offensive weapons. UCA likes to rely on a balanced attack; last season the team rushed for an average of 198.6 yards a game and passed for an average of 216.5 but returns just one starting offensive lineman, left guard Stockton Mallett. UCA’s top three rushers last season exhausted their eligibility, so the Bears will have to rely on a combination of Antwon Wells, Darrien Daniels, Kelton Warren and others to keep the ground game rolling. Hildebrand passed for 1,707 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games last season. Smith and Wilson combined for 116 catches, 1,353 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns.
WHEN HOUSTON BAPTIST HAS THE BALL The Huskies return many of the same players they used to pass for 314 yards against UCA last season and will undoubtedly look for deep-threat receivers Wesley Lewis and Ethan Fry. Quarterback Max Staver passed for 276 yards against the Bears in 2015. As a team, Houston Baptist averaged only 132.0 passing yards a game last season. Though the Huskies averaged 126.7 yards on the ground, UCA held them to -9 rushing yards in its 43-7 victory at Houston Baptist.
WHAT’S AT STAKE A victory would give UCA its first in a season-opener since 2013. UCA is 5-5 in season-openers since it moved from NCAA Division II to Division I FCS in 2006.
Sports on 09/01/2016