Arkansas Sports 360.com - July 2008 - (Page 26) UniverSiTy of CenTrAL ArkAnSAS Bears UCA notES HoME iS WHErE tHE WinS ArE Over the past four seasons, the University of Central Arkansas Bears have won 22 of 24 home games. That’s a trend the Bears are hoping continues to play in their favor this year, as UCA has seven home games on their schedule and one at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium. “We play extremely well at home,” Bears coach Clint Conque said. “With the large crowds we’ve had and the atmosphere that presents, it’s really a home-field advantage now.” UCA opens the season at Estes Stadium in Conway with an Aug. 28 game (a Thursday night) against Henderson State. Three of the seven Southland Conference games the Bears have are at home as well. On Sept. 13, UCA will take on Arkansas-Pine Bluff and new Golden Lions coach Monte Coleman, a UCA alumnus and first Bears football player ever drafted by the NFL, at War Memorial Stadium in what could turn into a cross-state rivalry. Bears’ Best Is Yet to Come By Mark Burke With Brown and 18 Other Starters Back, 2008 Could Be THE Season THiS SEASON MAY BE THE University of Central Arkansas’ best since making the transition to NCAA Division i Football Championship Subdivision. With a wealth of experience returning and a new sense of confidence, the Bears are expecting bigger and better things this time around. They’re also hoping for better than second place in the Southland Conference. A 41-14 loss to Clint Conque SLC champion McNeese State in the final week of the 2007 campaign has helped give UCA what they need to make sure that comes to pass. “With our success in the conference, our kids have a sense of confidence about them,” Bears head coach Clint Conque said. “There’s some enormous challenges ahead.” The season-ending loss to McNeese State, Conque said, “motivated the guys to want to do better.” Conque, entering his ninth year as the UCA coach, knows those challenges will be more manageable with the players returning from 2007. in all, the Bears have 19 starters back but with marked differences. “We’re a year older, but hopefully, we’re a year wise and a year stronger,” Conque said. A Sept. 27 date with Tulsa, which had the top offense in Division i last season directed by coordinator Gus Malzahn, the former Springdale High head coach and Arkansas assistant, highlights the UCA schedule. That’s no doubt far from the most important thing weighing on the Bears’ minds. improving on the defensive side takes a higher priority, as there’s more certainty on the offensive side, with pretty much everyone back from a squad that put up impressive numbers in ’07. “We added half a dozen transfers that helped us shore up our defense,” Conque said. “That allowed us to be a little faster and stronger.” No matter which side of the ball the players are on, improving on a 6-5 record in last year’s full slate of SLC games is a shared desire. July 2008 university of CentraL arkansas iMMEdiAtE SUCCESS in toUgH SoUtHlAnd big Part of big-Play Package: Willie Landers can go the distance. The Bears are 7-2 in conference games since making the transition to NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision in 2006. Things may get tougher this season, as UCA makes its second run through a full slate of SLC games. “Our league is so tough and deep,” Conque said. “It’s a little deeper than last year. The players know they’ve got to saw wood every day. As coaches, we’ve got to saw wood too, but it’s still a player’s game.” A second-place finish in the league last season whetted the appetite for a hungry group of Bears. UCA had a chance of finishing first in the SLC, but a 41-14 loss at McNeese State in the final week prevented that from happening. “Seeing that trophy at midfield last year at Lake Charles [La.] really hurt,” Conque said. “We were so close. We hope to put ourselves in a position again.” The offense Leading the UCA offense is heralded quarterback Nathan Brown. The 6-foot-2, 214-pound senior from Russellville completed nearly 68 percent of his passes last season on his way to amassing 3,084 yards through the air. He also threw for 26 touchdowns, compared with 10 interceptions. His efforts also landed him the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year award. tEAM StrEngtHS, And WEAknESSES Strengths UCA’s biggest strength is easy to cite: experience, experience, experience. The Bears turned some heads in 2007, and with most of the weapons still in the arsenal, the future is looking up. Having a prolific passer such as Brown strengthens the possibility of more success. More reps and added maturity also help make UCA a contender in the SLC. Stepping up the level of competition and battling youth proved to be hurdles for the Bears’ defense last season. They’re hurdles that over time have been overcome. “Last year, our defense struggled a little. We were young,” said defensive lineman Taylor Scott, who recorded 51 tackles and had a team-high 5.5 sacks. “With the transfers and depth we have, we’re confident with the people we have who can help us.” —By Mark Burke tHE dEfEnSE HASn’t rEStEd Weaknesses On the other side, other than an unproven kicking game the biggest obstacle facing the Bears is still getting adjusted to Division I play. That’s required UCA to compete with larger schools in the recruiting process and just getting acclimated to the level of competition. The defense may present a few questions as well, but the Bears should see bigger and better things in the upcoming season. “There’s probably not a more committed person to our program than Nathan Brown,” Conque said. That commitment shows on and off the field. While the accolades have certainly honored Brown’s individual achievements, his focus is to the team’s overall success. Brown shouldn’t have much trouble deciding on who to throw to. The Bears return all six of their top receivers from last season, led by tight end Marquez Branson — a 6-3, 248-pound tight end from Starkville, Miss. Branson caught 37 passes for 499 yards and seven touchdowns in his junior year after transferring from East Mississippi Community College. He was one of six players who had at least 25 receptions in an aerial attack that ranked first in the conference. Cedric Logan is the only major piece missing from last season’s corps. “[Receiver] is a position that can be a strength for us, especially with Marquez Branson, Person Echols, Willie Landers and Eric Ware,” Conque said. “it’s also a position that there’s a chance for transfers and freshmen to step in and contribute.” Echols (6-0, 202), Ware (5-9, 182) and Darrius McNeal (5-11, 187) all had more than 30 receptions. Landers (6-2, 206) and Brent Grimes, a running back, both had 27 catches each. incoming freshman Terence Bobo (6-0, 198) from Atkins and isaiah Jackson (5-10, 170) from Conway are a couple of newcomers Conque said could make early 26 ArkansasSports360.com http://ArkansasSports360.com
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