CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears have won six consecutive games and moved back into both national polls with one game remaining in their regular season.
UCA (7-3, 6-1) hosts Texas State on Saturday at First Security Field at Estes Stadium, needing a victory to move one step closer to its first postseason playoff appearance since moving to NCAA Division I FCS in 2006. The Bears have an open date on Nov. 19 to close the season.
“We’ve done all we can do in conference play, that’s over for us,’ said UCA head coach Clint Conque. “Now we have a chance, if we can win one more game this weekend, to possibly make the postseason playoffs for the first time at the Division I level. That’s what’s out there for us and what is keeping us going after 10 straight weeks of football.’
UCA is ranked No. 19 in The Sports Network/Fathead.com poll and 25th in the FCS Coaches’ Poll this week.
The Bears stormed back from a six-point halftime deficit on Saturday and outscored Northwestern State 31-0 in the second half to cruise to a 45-20 victory in Natchitoches, La. Since a Southland Conference loss to No. 3 Sam Houston State way back on Sept. 17, the Bears have knocked off six straight league schools to tie their best SLC finish ever. UCA finished 6-1 in 2008 but was ineligible for the conference title or postseason play because of its transition.
The Bears can finish no lower than second place as first-place Sam Houston State (6-0) has one game remaining. The Bearkats have wrapped up the automatic qualifier to the playoffs by virtue of the head-to-head win. With the win Saturday, the Bears would seemingly be in good shape to receive an at-large bid to the 20-team playoff field.
“We’re playing for a chance to go to the NCAA championships,’ said Conque. “This is why you coach, this is why you play. You want to be playing games into November that are very important and this is one of those. This will give us an opportunity to get our seventh Division I win, our eighth overall, and hopefully something beyond that.’
Kickoff is 4 p.m. at Estes Stadium, where the Bears are 4-0 this season.
