BEAUMONT, Texas _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will try to make it four consecutive victories when they take on the Lamar Cardinals on Saturday at Provost Humphrey Stadium.
The Bears, who started the season 1-3, with losses to two Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams, have won three straight Southland Conference games and stand at 4-3 overall and 3-1 in league play. Lamar, in the second year of its revived football program, is 3-3 and 1-1.
The game will also be the second straight for the Bears on the Southland Television Network, and the third in four weeks. UCA is 13-6 in televised games over the past 11 seasons, including last Saturday's win over McNeese State.
The Bears and Cardinals have never met on the football field, but do have one thing in common. Former UCA football coach Ken Stephens (1972-81) left UCA to take over the Lamar program and coached there for four years. Lamar did away with football after the 1989 season and did not bring it back until 2010.
UCA features the reigning SLC Defensive Player of the Week in senior linebacker Frank Newsome, who had 11 tackles, an interception and returned a fumble a school-record 98 yards in last week’s 21-18 win over McNeese State. It was UCA’s fourth player of the week this season.
Newsome’s fellow linebacker, junior Seth Allison, is eighth in the SLC in tackles with 57 and second in tackles for loss with 8.
The Bears are led offensively by senior quarterback Nathan Dick, who is second in the league in passing (255.2) and total offense (258.8). Dick completed 15 of 25 passes for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week. For the season, he has thrown for 1,531 yards and 14 touchdowns, with just three interceptions.
Juniors Jesse Grandy and Dominique Croom lead the Bears in receptions with 29 and 27, respectively.
Kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m. on the Southland TV Network. The game can be seen in Arkansas on KARZ Channel 42 and in Conway on Conway Corp. Channel 9.
The Bears return home next weekend for Homecoming against Southeastern Louisiana. Kickoff is 6 p.m. at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.
