UCA defense gives team needed boost

With his team's offense seemingly stuck in neutral and struggling to get into any rhythm Saturday night against Missouri State, University of Central Arkansas Coach Nathan Brown didn't have to issue challenges or motivational speeches to get his team going.

The defense responded for him.

"If the offense is having a hard time, we've got to go out there and make things happen," said UCA sophomore linebacker Darin Davenport, who had a team-high nine tackles and one sack to help the Bears rally for a 27-20 victory. "[Defensive coordinator Chad Williams] has really been influencing us, and that's kind of been our philosophy. We've got to go out and try to make it easier for our offense.

"Whether [it's] getting stops or getting turnovers, we want to put the offense in position to be able to have success and score when they've got the ball."

It's that collaborative defensive mentality that has the Bears believing they can win every game, including Saturday's showdown at three-time Football Championship Subdivision champion North Dakota State.

"They fight for each other as a group," Brown said of his defense. "When things are going rough, and it certainly got rough at times against Missouri State, they find ways to push through. Defensively, they set the tone from the start.

"Forcing turnovers is a confidence boost for the entire team, no matter when they come. They've just been able to find ways to get the job done."

UCA is plus-one in turnover margin, but the timing of the miscues has been pivotal for the Bears.

In its season opener, it was an interception by freshman defensive back TaMuarion Wilson that sealed UCA's 24-17 victory over Austin Peay. Five days later, the Bears were outmanned in a 45-35 Week 2 loss at Conference USA contender Alabama-Birmingham, but a fumble recovery for a touchdown by senior defensive back Robert Rochell late in the second quarter got UCA within 28-21 at the halftime.

But the work the Bears' defense put in against Missouri State was more impressive than in any of their previous two games.

UCA (2-1) snagged four turnovers and sacked Missouri State quarterback Jaden Johnson nine times. After trailing 17-7 at halftime, the Bears forced either punts, turnovers, or turnovers on downs on eight of Missouri State's nine second-half possessions. The lone score the Bears allowed over those final two quarters came on a 31-yard field goal after giving Missouri State a short field.

Junior linebacker Dre Matthews' 30-yard fumble return for a touchdown tied the game at 20-20 and set the stage for what turned out to be a game-winning score from its special teams shortly thereafter.

All of those numbers came in handy on a night when UCA's offense generated only 177 yards, its lowest output since becoming an NCAA Division I program in 2006. The team's previous low as an FCS member was 217, a mark the Bears reached in a 42-37, rain-dominated loss at Stephen F. Austin in 2012.

The last time UCA had less than 200 yards total was in 2005 when it finished with 196 against Southern Arkansas.

"To win a game, it takes all three phases," Brown said. "Obviously, our offense was struggling a little bit, but credit Missouri State's defense. They kept us off-balanced, played physical and had a good game plan for us. But our defense really showed up.

"We know a strength of ours is the front seven, and they played that way. Any time you can create four turnovers in a football game, and on top of that, nine sacks, that doesn't just happen by accident. That takes great effort, great physicality and great schemes. That's a testament to the preparation Coach Williams and that group put in every single day."

Against Missouri State, UCA punted 10 times and had 15 drives that lasted six plays or fewer. But freshman defensive back Nick Nakwaasah, who had seven tackles and a forced fumble for UCA, noted that the defense generally doesn't allow irritation to set in during games when offensive consistency is hard to come by.

In his eyes, frustration simply goes against their overall concept.

"Football is a team game," he said. "We've got a lot of experience here. Whenever [offense] is down, we take it upon ourselves to help pick them up. It's always going to be a team effort, whether it's special teams, defense or offense.

"Whenever we're down, no matter what unit it is, we just focus on the next play and try to make the most of the opportunities that come to us."

UCA will have to make those chances count Saturday against a Bison team that rarely makes mistakes.

North Dakota State, which is riding a 37-game winning streak, had only six turnovers all of last season. The Bears figure to have a battle trying to force quarterback Trey Lance into miscues as well.

Lance, a 6-4, 226-pound sophomore who's projected to be one of the first quarterbacks taken during next spring's NFL Draft according to ESPN, didn't throw an interception in 287 attempts last year, an NCAA record for any division. He also led the FCS in passing efficiency (180.6) while throwing for nearly 2,800 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Lance also ran for 1,100 yards and 14 scores.

"North Dakota State is the most disciplined team I've ever watched on film, led by a quarterback who's the very best at this level of football," Brown said. "They don't do a whole lot on offense, but what they do, they do it very well. I think they really want to run the ball, and they're good at it.

"But then you turn around, and they've got Trey Lance, who may be a top five pick in the draft. As a defense, you would like to be able to take away both. But you're going to have to commit to one or the other. That's what's going to pose challenges for us."

Nakwaasah, though, believes the Bears are up for it.

"That's where leadership comes in, and we've got a lot of that on this team," he said. "Lance is a really good quarterback who's going to play at the next level, and we know what he brings to the table. As a defense, we're really going to have to play 11-on-11 football.

"The secondary can do their job, the d-line can do their job, and before you know it, [Lance] is making plays with his legs. We've got to be disciplined, and we've played that way all season. I think we'll come out and play that same way Saturday."