University of Central Arkansas Coach Steve Campbell said his team knows better than to take anything for granted.
UCA (7-1, 6-0 Southland Conference) will take it's seven-game winning streak to Beaumont, Texas, for a game against Lamar on Saturday. Lamar (1-7, 0-6) has lost six consecutive games, but Campbell said he respects Lamar's multiple defensive sets and its offensive potential.
Lamar, which runs an option attack, has averaged 181.0 rushing yards a game, but also passes for 215.3 yards.
"Offensively, they've got some weapons and a great scheme," Campbell said. "They're very formidable."
Senior quarterback Andrew Allen has started the Cardinals' last three games. He passed for a total of 428 yards in his first two starts but was held to 118 in a 34-7 loss to Stephen F. Austin last Saturday.
Campbell said Lamar shows multiple defensive sets, with a mixture of three and four down linemen.
"They show a lot of different blitzes," Campbell said. "They really do present some problems defensively."
Lamar has allowed 492.2 yards, which ranks last among the Southland Conference's 11 teams.
Campbell said he is nevertheless wary.
"In this league, everybody is good enough to beat anybody on any given Saturday," Campbell said.
Heaping praise
Several minutes after UCA's 47-17 victory over McNeese State at Estes Stadium in Conway on Saturday, Cowboys Coach Lance Guidry stood near his team's sideline and pointed across the field toward UCA's players and coaches gathered in celebration on the field.
"They're better than we are," Guidry said. "Now, I don't think there's as much difference as this score says, but they're good. They have a really good football team. I really like them. They're big. Their line's big on both sides. They have some really nice wide receivers, and their quarterback just controls the game so well.
"They're one of the better teams that we've had in this conference. I really do believe that."
UCA Coach Steve Campbell said he appreciated Guidry's comment.
"That's very flattering," Campbell said. "We still have a long way to go, and we still have three games left, but that's encouraging to hear."
Special teams play special
UCA players and coaches credited a blocked punt and the subsequent touchdown return as the turning point in UCA's 47-17 victory over the McNeese State Cowboys at Estes Stadium in Conway on Saturday.
"I was really proud of the way our special teams responded in the McNeese game," Campbell said. "I think we played our best game in that category."
UCA led 16-10 in the second quarter when sophomore Luke Ross blocked a McNeese State punt. The block sailed into the hands of freshman Jackie Harvell, who returned it 28 yards to give UCA a 23-10 lead. Thereafter, UCA outscored McNeese State, 24-7.
UCA senior quarterback Hayden Hildebrand said he and the rest of the team fed off the result of Ross' block and Harvell's touchdown. He likewise credited senior defensive end Chris Chambers' 25-yard touchdown return of a fumble recovery early in the third quarter.
"I can promise you, when a defensive guy scores a touchdown, or a special-teams guys scores a touchdown, I'm going to be on the sideline cheering harder than anyone else," Hildebrand said. "It doesn't get any better than that."
UCA held McNeese State to 4 yards on 3 punt returns and to an average of 20.4 yards on 9 kickoff returns. UCA senior Patrick Ponder punted seven times for an average of 45.0 yards. Five of his punts were downed inside the McNeese State 20.
"Special teams have improved each week, and it won the game for us against McNeese," Campbell said. "We knew they were good on offense. We knew they were unbelievable on defense. We knew we had to have an advantage somewhere, and we knew our special teams were getting better. We knew we had some weapons on special teams, and they really came through for us."
Sports on 11/03/2017