Steve Campbell knows what it takes to break out of second place.
For the past three seasons, the University of Central Arkansas has finished second in the Southland Conference. To earn the team's first conference championship since 2012, the Bears will have to beat the team that has won the conference three years running.
"You beat Sam Houston," Campbell said at the Southland Conference's media day in July. "You have to win that game. We're not making any more or less of it than it is. Our goal is to win the conference and compete for the national championship.
"We went 10-3 last season. Had a good little run. But we didn't beat Sam Houston. We have to get back to work."
UCA last beat Sam Houston State 49-31 in 2013, and Sam Houston is the only team other than Valdosta State that owns an all-time winning record (6-5) over the Bears, among schools that have had more than 10 meetings.
The annual meeting is a litmus test, foreshadowing the success UCA will have against the top teams in the playoffs. Last season, UCA lost 59-23 to Sam Houston in the regular-season finale. Two rounds into the FCS playoffs, which UCA hadn't reached since 2011, the Bears lost 31-14 to No. 2 Eastern Washington.
"[Sam Houston] is the type of competition we have to compete with in the playoffs," said senior quarterback Hayden Hildebrand, who passed for 3,051 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2016. "The last 10 teams left will all be of that caliber. We have to come back stronger."
UCA returns 18 starters and is ranked No. 15 in both the FCS preseason coaches poll and the STATS FCS Top 25 poll. The ranking is second in the Southland to Sam Houston, which is ranked No. 3 in both polls.
The UCA offense -- which ranked second in the Southland in scoring (33.1 points per game) last season -- returns four of its five starting offensive linemen and 6-1, 235-pound sophomore running back Carlos Blackmon, who led the Bears with 616 yards and 5 touchdowns last season.
The only lineman not returning is senior offensive tackle Stockton Mallett, an All-Southland preseason pick who was held out of UCA's final fall scrimmage because he sustained a season-ending shoulder injury during camp that will require surgery.
The offense also graduated receivers Desmond Smith (893 yards, 8 touchdowns in 2016) and Jatavious Wilson (891 yards, 3 touchdowns), who made up more than half of the offense's receiving yards.
Campbell said the remaining receivers were hidden behind Smith and Wilson last season but still made significant contributions -- such as senior Brandon Cox's game-winning touchdown reception in UCA's 28-23 victory over Arkansas State University.
Campbell is confident in senior Roman Gordon (312 yards, 1 touchdown), and he said Little Rock Christian graduate and redshirt freshman Joe Hampton has "big-play ability."
"I think we found those guys," Hildebrand said. "I have faith that our receivers are going to go out and make the most of it."
UCA's 4-2-5 defense was No. 1 in the Southland last season in scoring defense (21.7 points allowed per game), total defense (336.3 yards allowed per game) and rushing defense (72.8 yards allowed per game).
Four defensive players were named to the Southland's preseason first team: senior defensive end Cardell Best, and senior defensive backs George Odum, Jaylon Lofton and Tremon Smith. Best is out indefinitely with a broken foot he sustained during the spring, and Campbell said "he may be back, but there ain't no sense in rushing it."
Campbell also said the group's biggest question is at defensive tackle, and he pointed out 6-1, 368-pound senior Javian Williams as a player he hopes can replace last season's All-Southland tackle Jordan Tolliver.
"He's a guy that needs to step up and be a dominant player because he's big," Campbell said. "It's his turn now. If we're going to be where we need to be on the defensive line, we need for him to step up and do it."
UCA will open the season at Kansas State on Sept. 2 and will play Sam Houston in its second Southland game at home Sept. 30.
Hildebrand has no intention of finishing second again.
"There's no reason we can't make a run at a national championship," Hildebrand said. "As far as expectations go, we can go a long way. We're the only thing that's going to stop us."
Bears at a glance
COACH Steve Campbell (23-13 in three seasons at UCA, 137-43 overall in 17 seasons) LAST YEAR 10-3, 8-1 in Southland Conference RETURNING STARTERS 15 (8 on offense, 7 on defense) OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH QB Hayden Hildebrand, RB Carlos Blackman, WR Jakari Dillard, WR Roman Gordon DEFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH DB George Odum, DB Tremon Smith, DB Jaylon Lofton, DE Cardell Best
Sports on 08/27/2017