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LAKE CHARLES, La. _ One Top 15 football team will leave Cowboy Stadium on Saturday night with a trophy and at least a share of first place in the Southland Conference standings.
The No. 13/14 University of Central Arkansas Bears take on the No. 14/16 McNeese State Cowboys in the 10th annual "Red Beans & Rice Bowl" with a little more on the line than just bragging rights. The teams have identical records, both overall (5-2) and in conference play (4-1). They are currently in a three-way tie for first place with Incarnate Word (4-3, 4-1), which plays at Nicholls State on Saturday.
The Bears are riding a three-game winning streak while the Cowboys are coming off their first SLC loss, 45-17 last week at Incarnate Word. The Bears' lone conference setback was 34-31 in overtime at then-No. 21 Sam Houston State back on Sept. 29 in Huntsville, Texas.
The Bears lead the overall series with the Cowboys 6-5, and are 6-3 since the inception of the trophy in 2008. UCA won the last two meetings by a combined score of 82-17, with a 35-0 shutout two years ago in Lake Charles and a 47-17 win last year on "The Stripes" in Conway. The Cowboys have beaten the Bears three of the five meetings at home, in a stadium they have won 10 consecutive games dating back to the 2016 season. MSU is 3-0 this season, with SLC wins over Nicholls, Stephen F. Austin and Abilene Christian.
The top two rushing defenses in the league will be on display. McNeese leads the way, allowing just 93.1 rushing yards per game. UCA is just slightly behind at 99.1 after holding its last two oppoents to 32 yards (Northwestern State) and -20 yards (SFA). MSU is No. 1 in total defense (334.3) and UCA is third (389.9). The Bears do have the more prolific offense, leading the league in scoring at 35.4 points per gtame and standing third in total offense (427.4).
UCA is tied for first in the SLC in turnover margin (+8) and is the least penalized team in the conference with just 41 penalties for 324 yards (46.3 per game). Thge Bears opponents are the most penalized in the league with 69 for 610 yards (87.1 per game).
UCA junior running back Carlos Blackman is third in the SLC in rushing at 74.4 yards per game and seven touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Lester Wells is third in receptions per game at 5.9 and sixth in receiving yards per game (68.7). McNeese quarterback James Tabary, a former Arkansas State signal caller, is second in the conference in pass efficiency but just eighth in passing average (173.3 yards per game).
UCA will start redshirt freshman Luke Hales for the fourth consecutive game after injuries to quarterbacks Breylin Smith and Kirk Baugh. Hales has 11 touchdown passes in three games, including two games with five each. He is just the sixth UCA quarterback in history to throw five touchdown passes in a game, and just the fourth to do it multiple times. One of those is UCA head coach Nathan Brown, the only other one in the NCAA Division I era.
A victory for the Bears, the reigning SLC champions, would be the 100th at the Division I level. UCA is 99-50 (66.4 percent) since moving to FCS in 2006.
