CONWAY -- It was the play that kick-started the University of Central Arkansas' 41-30 victory over Sam Houston State -- then ranked No. 3 in the NCAA FCS coaches poll.
Sam Houston took the opening kickoff at Estes Stadium in Conway last Saturday. In the second minute of its first drive, senior quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe was intercepted at the Sam Houston 42 by cornerback Tremon Smith, a four-year senior starter from Anniston, Ala. Smith ran untouched behind a wall of defensive players for a touchdown that gave UCA a 7-0 lead with 13:43 left in the first quarter.
"I keyed in on Briscoe's eyes, and just jumped in front of the ball," Smith said. "I saw the end zone, and I just made sure to get in it. I knew my teammates would do anything to make sure I got there."
"That play gave us a big boost of confidence," UCA Coach Steve Campbell said.
It was the first of a series of big-play touchdowns that gave UCA a 31-17 halftime lead. Smith and his teammates never trailed.
UCA (3-1, 2-0 Southland) advanced from 11th to eighth in the coaches poll. Sam Houston dropped to 11th.
UCA and Smith will face Houston Baptist (1-3, 0-2) today at Husky Stadium in Houston. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
"We've got to make sure we remain focused," Smith said. "That win against Sam Houston is over now. Now we got to turn to Houston Baptist, and then the week after that and the week after that."
This is Smith and Campbell's fourth season at UCA, and neither had been part of a victory in three previous years against Sam Houston, winners of the past two Southland football championships. Last season, UCA lost at Sam Houston 59-23.
"That wore at us, getting beat that bad for the Southland Conference championship," Smith said. "That's not the way a championship game should go. We knew coming into this game, we had to be way more locked in to doing the little things."
Smith was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week. In addition to his touchdown return, he had a third-quarter interception to stunt Sam Houston's comeback bid.
Smith was an all-state quarterback at Anniston Saks High, and he was named the Alabama Class 3 Player of the Year as a senior in 2013.
UCA coaches told Smith early in their recruiting pitch that they planned to use him in the defensive secondary. Smith agreed, but he arrived as a freshman hopeful that he would be switched back to an offensive skill position.
"You could tell he was just a great athlete," UCA defensive coordinator Greg Stewart said. "There was no doubt he could play a lot of different positions."
"Some of the best defensive backs I've had were high school quarterbacks," Campbell said. "Those guys have the athletic ability, and it's not a hard transition."
Smith said he missed being on the offensive side of the ball during his freshman season.
"By my second year, I really started to learn how to play corner, and I've embraced it ever since," Smith said. "Before, I never thought about playing defense, but now I love it. Now I don't care about offense at all."
Stewart said Smith knows what's at stake.
"He has the opportunity to play for a little bit of money next season," Stewart said. "He knows that, and he knows that the guys who do that have to be really, really special. I've had a few over the years, and they work all the time, and he figured that from the get-go. He knows what's in the future, and he knows what to do."
"It's pretty exciting to know that I might get a chance to play next season," Smith said. "But right now, I'm just trying to get ready for Houston Baptist."
Cornerbacks coach Josh Jones said NFL scouts routinely contact him about Smith. Stewart said they are a common sight at UCA practices.
"You see them," Stewart said. "They come around two or three times a week."
At a glance
UCA AT HOUSTON BAPTIST WHEN 6 p.m. Central WHERE Husky Stadium, Houston RECORDS UCA 3-1, 2-0 Southland; Houston Baptist 1-3, 0-2 COACHES Steve Campbell (26-14 in fourth season at UCA, 53-22 in sixth season overall); Vic Shealy (12-32 in fifth season at Houston Baptist, 39-46-1 in ninth season overall) SERIES UCA leads 3-0 LAST MEETING UCA won 56-13 last year RADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3 in Conway; KKPTFM, 94.1 in Little Rock INTERNET ucasports.com/KUCA
Sports on 10/07/2017