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ShowMeBear2
September 16th, 2006, 09:03 AM
So any Uca fans on here? I heard this is your first year of d-1aa football.
What is skinny on your team?
Missouri State prepares for raucous crowd

Central Arkansas expects to more than fill its stadium for its first Division I-AA game.

Lyndal Scranton
News-Leader

Central Arkansas might be a newcomer to Division I-AA football, but it’s no stranger to winning.

“We’ve won 23 of our last 30 going back to the middle of 2003,” coach Clint Conque said. “Our kids believe they’re gonna win every time they tee the ball up.

“That’s a good thing for me because they’re a highly motivated group.”

Central Ar-kansas, after years of success in Division II, plays host to its first I-AA opponent tonight when Missouri State visits Estes Stadium.

An overflow crowd of at least 10,000 is expected in the 8,500-seat stadium for the first meeting between the schools since 1951.

“There is a buzz in the community, a lot of excitement about this game,” Conque said.

Which does not surprise Missouri State coach Terry Allen, who has warned his team to expect a raucous atmosphere.

“This is a lot better team than you want to face, especially playing them down there,” Allen said.

While Conque has 21 seniors who were key members of last season’s D-II quarterfinalist, he said, “It’s a whole new animal now as we play people like Missouri State.”

There’s some definite I-AA talent on hand. Senior receiver Aaron Fairooz and quarterback Nathan Brown are examples on offense, and safety Jasper Johnson and cornerback Ahmad Brown are defensive leaders.

Brown, however, will miss the game with a broken hand.

Conque said depth is his biggest concern as the program transitions to a full Southland Conference schedule in 2007.

“The majority of our depth is redshirt freshmen and freshmen with a sophomore or junior sprinkled in,” he said.

“Illinois State (last week’s opponent) had seniors and juniors as backups. It’s going to take us four or five recruiting classes and developing them until we can become a contender week in and week out.”

Of course, there are some built-in advantages. Conque has been able to recruit athletes under less-stringent D-II academic guidelines in recent years and many of those players will play prominent roles tonight.

“You (also) could go the transfer route and pick up six to eight Division I-type players that may have had academic issues. Those doors are closed now,” Conque said.

To find top-level talent that academically qualifies, Conque said it’s vital to expand a recruiting base that has always been Arkansas- and Louisiana- heavy.

“We’ll be deeper into Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Mississippi,” he said. “You have to go where the players are.

“The move already has gotten us in some doors we weren’t getting into before.”

Conque said two things need to happen to success tonight: a big game from his veteran defense and good play from freshman quarterback Robbie Park.

Park started last week at Illinois State. He passed for 299 yards but threw two interceptions.

“Nathan Brown is an exceptional player,” Conque said. “But last week Robbie did a lot of good things. Our team knows he can lead us.”

Missouri State will be without tight end Payne Hall (knee) but gets receiver Tamarkus McElvane back after he missed a game with a shoulder strain.

“We’ve had a good week and I think the guys are ready,” Allen said. “I just hope they’re ready for the (atmosphere) they’ll see.”

TexasTerror
September 16th, 2006, 09:17 AM
UCA is going to be tough...

With Nathan Brown at the QB position, I would say that UCA would win by 12. With Park at QB, I think it'll be a close game, but I see the Bears coming out with a 27-24 win over Missouri St...

Hope your going to Conway. The fans, atleast those we've met over the 'Net have been exceptional. Class acts all around. Can't wait to meet some of those Conway folks sometime soon...

Chi Panther
September 16th, 2006, 10:43 AM
Good Luck to MSU and TA.....

MSUBear42
September 16th, 2006, 10:53 AM
I think it will be tied or within a TD going into the 4th quarter, but our depth will carry us late:
31-21 MSU, Cooper gets 200+.

kats89
September 16th, 2006, 12:40 PM
UCA will be no pushover, especially in Conway. I look for UCA to possibly pull this one out.

BEAR
September 16th, 2006, 01:36 PM
Depth is always a concern. But ask Ill. State if our defensive depth was an issue in the fourth quarter....I don't think so.

PantherRob82
September 16th, 2006, 02:31 PM
Supsrsied to see UCA picked to win this one. Not saying they can't do it, just suprised to see them as the pick to win.

Nyghtewynd
September 16th, 2006, 03:21 PM
I'm not surprised. I don't know how good they are, but we really don't have any clue how good MSU is yet. IMO, they're not great, and UCA sounds like they'll have a decent home crowd.

Purple Pride
September 16th, 2006, 06:58 PM
10-0 UCA in the 2nd.:hurray:

TexasTerror
September 16th, 2006, 07:00 PM
10-0 UCA in the 2nd.:hurray:

Congrats Bears! What's the attendance like at Estes? Any reports of what's going on there in Conway?

Purple Pride
September 16th, 2006, 07:02 PM
Congrats Bears! What's the attendance like at Estes? Any reports of what's going on there in Conway?


Haven't heard the attendance # yet. I'm grounded here at the house with a broken foot. :mad:

Purple Pride
September 16th, 2006, 07:03 PM
Just heard they're turning people away so it must be packed. They said they're just continuing to tailgate.xlolx

Purple Pride
September 16th, 2006, 07:06 PM
10-0 UCA at the half.

TexasTerror
September 16th, 2006, 07:09 PM
Just heard they're turning people away so it must be packed. They said they're just continuing to tailgate.xlolx

Is this the beginning of things to come in Conway?

Nyghtewynd
September 16th, 2006, 07:13 PM
I'm starting to think that my predictions are true. Randy (Goof) Ball really left the cupboard empty for Allen. Only down 10, but they're not really showing much of a pulse. I'll see them first-person next week, and we'll see what's going on.

TexasTerror
September 16th, 2006, 07:25 PM
Question...

Any links to the Missouri St fan site? We'll need it over on KatFans.com next week...

Nyghtewynd
September 16th, 2006, 07:30 PM
Well, there's www.letsgobears.com, but I don't post there so I can't speak to it. www.valleytalk.net is a very decent all-purpose MVC/Gateway board. Those would be where I'd start. You coming up to the game?

Nyghtewynd
September 16th, 2006, 07:31 PM
The Bears begin to move the ball and promptly throw an interception. Carroll's defection hurt this team so badly that it can't be overestimated.

Purple Pride
September 16th, 2006, 07:44 PM
Congrats Bears! What's the attendance like at Estes? Any reports of what's going on there in Conway?


11,215 attendance.

Nyghtewynd
September 16th, 2006, 07:45 PM
TD BEARS! Eric Davis returns a punt 84 yards for the score!

Whoops, I mean MSU Bears. I keep forgetting. :P

PAT good. 10-7 UCA.

Purple Pride
September 16th, 2006, 07:46 PM
MO State 87 yard return for a TD. 10-7 UCA

Nyghtewynd
September 16th, 2006, 07:50 PM
MSU BEARS TD! Radon returns the INT for the score!

PAT is GOOD! 14-10 MSU!

Nyghtewynd
September 16th, 2006, 08:09 PM
UCA puts together another long drive, but settles for three. 14-13 MSU.

UCA deserves to win this game. They are far and away the better team tonight.

Purple Pride
September 16th, 2006, 08:09 PM
UCA FG. 14-13 MSU.

Nyghtewynd
September 16th, 2006, 08:38 PM
Another UCA FG made it 16-14 UCA, and after a couple of pointless MSU possessions, UCA drives and punts with 1:08 to go. When you see these final stats, you'll understand what I mean when I call this game the closest-scoring blowout you'll ever see.

Nyghtewynd
September 16th, 2006, 08:42 PM
Ah, the MSU two-minute drive. From the 20, 5-yard play which takes 25 seconds, 4-yard pass which takes 20 seconds, a false start penalty, and a fumble which turns into a five-yard run. UCA wins 16-14, and frankly I see maybe two more wins on the MSU schedule at most.

Nyghtewynd
September 16th, 2006, 08:44 PM
Total # of plays: 79-40 UCA

Total offense: 319-96, UCA.

First downs: 19-5, UCA.

TexasTerror
September 16th, 2006, 08:58 PM
Congrats to UCA for waving the SLC flag proudly tonight!

UCA is 2-1 and there's definitely a few more wins on that schedule for the Bears. They're going to be competitive in the SLC and in I-AA. A win over Missouri St and the performance against Illinois St prove as much...

GeauxColonels
September 16th, 2006, 08:59 PM
Good job and congrats to UCA!!!

BEAR
September 16th, 2006, 10:17 PM
A great win for UCA tonight..but a loss that will haunt us this year..Aaron Fairooz came out with an injury and never returned....who knows what happened but it doesn't look good at all!

igo4uni
September 16th, 2006, 10:21 PM
Congrats to UCA. :hurray: :hurray:

BEAR
September 16th, 2006, 10:30 PM
Man we miss our QB! What a difference he would make! Four dropped TDs in the endzone. Missing wide open receivers..this was a good game that should not have been this close...thanks for all the congrats from our fellow I-AA fans. We are glad to be here and hope our play will continue to make the Southland proud and show the other teams in I-AA that we belong. :hurray:

Tiananmen Bear
September 17th, 2006, 01:53 AM
Fairooz is fine. It was just severe hamstring cramping, he probably could've came back in at the very end if they would've needed to try for six.

That defense is for real. Three games now, two against I-AA competition, and that D has surrendered exactly 1 (one) TD. Holding a team to 90-something yards of total offense at any level is pretty freaking good.

The offense needs a little work, but a lot of that will be taken care of when Nathan Brown returns.

ISUMatt
September 17th, 2006, 07:13 AM
Congrats UCA

PantherRob82
September 17th, 2006, 10:29 AM
Way to go UCA Bears. Good to see you get a win.

MSULB#47
September 19th, 2006, 02:10 AM
Congrats UCA:hurray:

From my observation UCA's success was due to a lack of offensive execution on the part of MSU and less to do with UCA defensive schemes or level of UCA player talent.

The bone head MSU out of bounds penalty in the 2nd quarter which led to a field goal was a determining factor in the outcome of the game. Also the interception in the 3rd quarter drive from the MSU 15 or 20, which stalled in the second series of that drive on the UCA 35 or 40, was devastating for MSU.

The MSU defense played EXCEPTIONALLY well in a losing effort. Again the UCA touchdown was assisted by TWO bone head MSU defensive penalties, which brought the ball down around the 9 yard line as a result. Still again the MSU defense held, I believe to 4th down on the 1 yard line.(perhaps 3rd).

ALL UCA field goals and attempts were a result of MSU defensive efforts, shutting down UCA drives.

Hats off to the UCA kicker, he stepped up!xsmileyclapx xsmileyclapx

Im bewildered by the posts I have seen on several boards about 3,4 or 5 dropped touchdown passes by UCA receivers:eyebrow:

Receivers and teams are rewarded with points for passes caught in the endzone.

MSU or any team for that matter can suggest a different outcome about their dropped passes.:eyebrow:

Football is a game of inches and opportunities.:twocents:

All in All it was a good game, UCA and its fans were enthusiastic. The MSU Defense "dialed it up" and gave their team opportunities to win the game.

But the lack of MSU offensive execution presented the opportunity to UCA, and they took full advantage of the opportunity.