Bears' defensive line clamping down against run

CONWAY -- Even against the far-flung passing attacks of contemporary football, Central Arkansas' defensive linemen start each game geared first to stop the run.

Through two games, they've done it well enough to lead the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision with an average of 2.5 rushing yards allowed per carry.

UCA held Houston Baptist to 30 rushing yards in a 56-13 victory Sept. 1. Samford lost 25 yards on the ground in its 35-29 victory at UCA on Saturday, a result augmented for the Bulldogs by two turnovers returned for touchdowns and UCA scoring three points in three of its opportunities inside Samford's 20-yard line.

"Any time you can make a team one-dimensional by stopping the run, then you can do some things on the back end to disrupt their passing game," UCA Coach Steve Campbell said. "And stopping the run starts with the defensive line, and our defensive line has played really well."

UCA outgained Samford 577-257 for the game.

"I feel like we dominated their offensive line, but we weren't perfect," said senior nose guard Dawson Hadnot. "We made mistakes, too, and at the end of the day, we didn't play well enough for us to win."

UCA's three-man defensive front has a regular rotation of six players, and all six had at least one tackle for lost yards against Samford, led by senior nose tackle Terence Partee's 2.5 for minus-11 yards. Senior tackle Jordan Tolliver had 2 for minus-11, and junior end Cardell Best had 2 for minus-4. Partee and Tolliver each had one sack, as did Hadnot and junior tackle Eric Jackson.

Moments after those performances failed to offset missed offensive opportunities, UCA junior quarterback Hayden Hildebrand acknowledged the significance of his role. His fumble and interception were each returned for touchdowns. He said the team's defensive effort should have resulted in victory and would have except for a handful of offensive errors for which he took responsibility.

"I know it's a team sport, and there are different things we have to work on, but in my mind, if I don't fumble and they don't scoop and score on that, and if I don't throw that pick, then we win, 29-21," he said.

The defensive line had to overcome the surprising loss of its position coach two weeks before preseason camp began in August. Former defensive line coach Dan Augustine resigned after six years with the program, but Campbell said he found in short order an ideal replacement in Larry Hart, a two-time All-American at UCA and a fifth-round selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Hart played two seasons for Jacksonville and was the defensive line coach at Holmes Community College in Goodman, Miss., when Campbell called.

Campbell said he remembered coaching against Hart when Hart played in junior college. He became fully aware of Hart's UCA legacy when he first arrived at the campus before the 2014 season.

"His name's all over the wall here," Campbell said.

"To me, this was a no-brainer opportunity," Hart said. "Once I was offered the position, I jumped at it."

Best heaped praise on his new coach.

"I love what he's brought to this organization," he said. "You can't get complacent with him. He's always talking to us about being better and growing as a football player. That's what he's all about."

Hadnot said he remembered Hart from the summer of 2013, when Hart worked with the line at a summer camp at UCA, and that he was immediately excited with the hire.

"I knew what he was about, and I knew he could help our game," Hadnot said.

The measurable result of Hart's move to Conway has led to national bragging rights for his unit and to an elated head coach.

"He's a top-notch class guy, a great mentor," Campbell said. "I mean, what else could you want? Here's a guy who played here, made All-American, played in the NFL. Obviously, he knows the technique. He's been at the highest level. You could not ask for a better fit."

Sports on 09/16/2016

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