‘Jacks Travel to Arkansas to Play Third-Straight Ranked Opponent

Saturday, October 14

Conway, Ark. (Estes Stadium)

6:00 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin

No. 6 Central Arkansas

‘Jacks Travel to Arkansas to Play Third-Straight Ranked Opponent

10/11/2017 7:42:00 PM | Football

SFA will try to snap a four-game losing streak against Central Arkansas Saturday when the ‘Jacks travel to Conway, Arkansas, to take on the sixth-ranked Bears

By: Luke Bolanos | Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations

THE KICKOFF
After battling 11th-ranked Sam Houston State last weekend in the 92nd Battle of the Piney Woods at NRG Stadium in Houston, the Stephen F. Austin football team will hit the road to take on a nationally ranked team once again. The Lumberjacks face No. 6 Central Arkansas Saturday, Oct. 14 in a 6 p.m. kickoff from First Security Field at Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas. It will be third consecutive game SFA has taken on an opponent ranked in the top 25. The road challenge will be just the Lumberjacks' 10th trip to the state of Arkansas since beginning football in 1923 as it will mark the sixth time SFA has faced Central Arkansas in the Natural State.

FOLLOWING THE LUMBERJACKS
Saturday's game against Central Arkansas will be streamed live online at ESPN3, available at ESPN3.com or through the ESPN app on mobile devices. Lincoln Rose and Nate Griffin will provide talent to the ESPN3 broadcast with Rose handling play-by-play duties and Nate Griffin providing analysis. Rob Meyers, the voice of the Lumberjacks, will call the game along with color commentator Kevin Langford on Q107.7 FM, available online at Q1077.com as well as through the Lumberjack Sports Network on the TuneIn app. Live stats will be available at SFAJacks.com, complemented by Twitter updates from @SFA_Football.

ABOUT THE GAME
Featured as the Southland Conference's Game of the Week on ESPN3, Central Arkansas enters the contest ranked No. 6 according to both the latest FCS Coaches Poll and STATS Top 25 media poll. The Bears, who sit atop the conference with an unblemished 3-0 Southland mark, are the highest ranked opponent SFA has faced since taking on then No. 2 Sam Houston State in the 91st edition of the Battle of the Piney Woods last season in Houston. Saturday will be the first time the 'Jacks have played three-straight ranked opponents in four years. The last time SFA had such a stretch of games was in 2013 when the 'Jacks battled No. 20 Central Arkansas on the road, followed by a neutral-site game versus No. 8 Sam Houston State and a home contest with 11th-ranked McNeese. SFA went 0-3 during that span.

CONQUE RETURNING TO THE NATURAL STATE
Saturday's league tilt will be a homecoming of sorts for head coach Clint Conque. For 14 years (2000-13) coach Conque led the Bears as he guided Central Arkansas through its transition from NCAA Division II to Division I, making four NCAA postseason appearances and earning coach of the year honors three times. It will be just Conque's second trip to the stripes since taking over the 'Jacks and first since Nov. 7, 2015. During his time in Conway, Conque accumulated an overall record of 105-59 (.640) and posted a Southland mark of 33-16 (.673), earning the distinction as the second-winningest collegiate football coach in the state of Arkansas behind legendary Razorback coach Frank Broyles. To this day, Conque is the winningest head coach in Central Arkansas program history with 31 more total victories than the next closest head coach.

SCOUTING THE BEARS
2017: 4-1 overall, 3-0 Southland Conference (1st)
Last Three Games: Win at Houston Baptist (27-7), Win vs. No. 3 Sam Houston State (41-30), Win vs. Southeastern Louisiana (38-6)
Head Coach: Steve Campbell (Troy, 1987). Fourth season at Central Arkansas (27-14, .659); Seventh season overall (54-11, .711).
Key Offensive Players:
• #12 Hayden Hildebrand (Sr., QB): 91-of-135 (67.4%) for 1,330 yds., 11 TDs, 74-yd. long, 266 yds. per game, 2 INTs, 102 yds. rushing
• #23 Carlos Blackman (So., RB): 83 carries for 301 yds., 3.6 yds. per rush, 3 TDs, 25-yd. long, 60.2 yds. per game
• #21 Kierre Crossley (R-Fr., RB): 57 carries for 285 yds., 5.0 yds. per rush, 2 TDs, 35-yd. long, 57 yds. per game
• #4 Roman Gordon (Sr., WR): 12 catches for 235 yds., 19.6 yds. per catch, 3 TDs, 58.8-yds. per game, 58-yd. long
• #3 Brandon Cox (Sr., WR): 12 catches for 270 yds., 22.5 yds. per catch, 1 TDs, 54 yds. per game, 58-yd. long
• #5 Jakari Dillard (Jr., WR): 13 catches for 195 yds., 15.0 yds. per catch, 1 TDs, 39 yds. per game, 49-yd. long
Key Defensive Players:
• #31 George Odum (Sr., OLB): 43 tackles (28 solo), 1 TFL for -3 yds., 2 QBH
• #25 Juan Jackson (R-So., DB): 36 tackles (26 solo), 6.5 TFL for -9 yds., 1 interception, 3 pass breakups
• #30 Raphael Garner (Jr., LB): 36 tackles (17 solo), 2 TFL for -6 yds., 1 sack for -3 yds., 1 fumble recovery for 38 yds.
• #28 Chris Chambers (Sr., OLB): 28 tackles (18 solo), 7.5 TFL for -38 yds., 2 sacks for -16 yds., 2 pass breakups, 2 QBH, 2 forced fumbles
• #51 Eric Jackson (Sr., DL): 22 tackles (15 solo), 6.0 TFL for -37 yds., 4.0 sacks for -30 yds., 1 pass breakup
• #95 Chris Terrell (So., DL): 16 tackles (12 solo), 6.0 TFL for -23 yds., 4.0 sacks for -15 yds., 1 pass breakup, 1 QBH, 1 fumble recovery for 11 yds., 1 forced fumble

OPPONENT SYNOPSIS
Anchored by its defense, Central Arkansas prides itself on a very enforceable front. Through just five games this season, the Bears have racked up a total of 41 tackles for loss for negative 157 yards. Their 8.2 tackles for loss per game average ranking 14th nationally and tops in the conference. Additionally, Central Arkansas has posted the third-most amount of sacks in the Southland with 15 for negative 89 yards. The Bears are second in the league in turnover margin at +5, having committed just four all season and gained nine takeaways. Led by fourth-year head coach Steve Campbell, who took over in Conway after the departure of Clint Conque, Central Arkansas has a talented and experienced team that has won four consecutive games dating back to the first week of the season. The Bears' lone loss on the year came at Big 12 stalwart and then 19th-ranked Kansas State (55-19). Central Arkansas is in the midst of a stretch of games where it plays three out of four contests in Conway, having recently defeated Southeastern Louisiana (38-6) and then third-ranked Sam Houston State (41-30) at home. The Bears have not lost a Southland contest since the final regular season game in 2016, when they fell at Sam Houston State in a matchup of top-11 teams. Central Arkansas finished second in the conference a year ago and won its FCS playoff opening round game over Illinois State in Conway. Finishing among the top three of the league the past two years, the Bears have been no worse than fifth in the final Southland standings since 2010. This year through five games played, Central Arkansas ranks third in the conference in both scoring defense - 22.2 points against per game - and total defense - 361.8 yards against per game. Additionally, the Bears are giving up just 123.4 yards per game on the ground, second-best in the Southland. In three league games, Central Arkansas has given up just five total touchdowns with four of those being scored by the Bearkats, who own one of the most prolific offenses in all of college football. Individually, the Bears have arguably the second-best quarterback in the conference and one of the best nationally in fifth-year senior Hayden Hildebrand, a 2016 All-Southland First Team honoree. He has thrown for 11 touchdowns and 1,330 yards, going 91-for-135 with just two interceptions. Hildebrand leads the league and is fifth in the nation with a 174.09 passer efficiency rating, while completing 67.4 percent of his passes. The signal caller is also Central Arkansas' third-leading rusher, compiling 102 yards at 20.4 per game. Defensively, senior cornerback Tremon Smith leads the Southland and is fifth nationally in passes defended, breaking up five and intercepting another four. Senior defensive lineman Eric Jackson and sophomore defensive lineman Chris Terrell are tied for second in the league with four sacks a piece, for negative 30 and 15 yards, respectively. The Bears have four of the top-10 tackles for loss leaders in the conference as senior outside linebacker Chris Chambers (7.5), redshirt sophomore defensive back Juan Jackson (6.5), Eric Jackson (6.0) and Terrell (6.0) have all posted six more tackles for loss this season.

SERIES INFORMATION
Saturday, the 'Jacks and the Bears will meet for the 12th time in program history and the sixth time in Conway. Central Arkansas holds an 8-3 (.727) lead in the series and a 4-1 advantage in games played in Arkansas. SFA's lone victory on the road in the series came on Oct. 17, 2009, when the 'Jacks defeated the 10th-ranked Bears 33-30 as the No. 20 ranked team in the nation. A season ago, SFA was defeated 34-14 in Nacogdoches as Central Arkansas was ranked 17th nationally. The Lumberjacks' last win in series was on Sept. 29, 2012, when SFA upset the 12th-ranked Bears 42-37 inside Homer Bryce Stadium. The two teams first met on Sept. 23, 2006, with the 'Jacks falling 37-35 at home. Central Arkansas won the first three meetings and has won four in a row, the longest win streak in the series by either team. Coach Conque is 0-3 against his former school with the closest score in those three meetings coming in 2014 when SFA was defeated 49-39 in Nacogdoches. Saturday's game will mark the fifth time in the series that the Bears enter the contest nationally ranked and the sixth time that one or both teams were ranked. Central Arkansas was No. 17 in 2016, No. 20 in 2013, No. 12 in 2012 and No. 10 in 2009. The 'Jacks were ranked No. 5 in the teams' 2010 meeting and 20th in the 2009 version of the game.

SFA ON OCT. 14
The 'Jacks are 4-6-1 all-time in games played on Oct. 14. SFA's first game played on Oct. 14 came in 1927 and ended in a 12-12 tie at North Texas. Saturday's matchup with Central Arkansas will be the first time the 'Jacks have played on the date in 17 years. On Oct. 14 in 2000, 24th-ranked SFA was ousted 52-41 by Sam Houston State in Nacogdoches.

BIG PLAY ALIZE
Sophomore safety Alize Ward (San Diego, Calif.) continues to show his ability to make game-changing plays this season. This past Saturday, Ward picked off reigning Walter Payton Award winner Jeremiah Briscoe in the second quarter against Sam Houston State, returning the interception 52 yards to set up the Lumberjack's first scoring drive of the game. Trailing 17-0 at that point, Ward's interception proved pivotal in the game as SFA outscored the Bearkats 13-3 in the second quarter to climb back into the game. It was Ward's third pick of the season, the second-most by a defensive player in the Southland this season. His first interception this season made national headlines as it was a 70-yard, game-winning pick-six as time expired versus Incarnate Word, giving the 'Jacks their first win of the 2017 season. The safety leads the entire league in total tackles (59) and is averaging nearly 10 a game, second-best in the conference. Ward has also played a key role on special teams as SFA's lead kickoff return man. Through six games, Ward has totaled 558 kickoff return yards and is averaging 25.4 yards per return. He is chasing the all-time program record for kickoff return yards in a season (1,038), set by Gralyn Crawford in 2010. Ward has posted three games of 100+ kickoff return yards this season, including 149 most recently in the home loss to No. 25 McNeese two weeks ago.

SFA AGAINST NATIONALLY RANKED OPPONENTS
The 'Jacks are 36-54-3 all time against nationally ranked opponents for a winning percentage of .403. Saturday, SFA will be attempting to make it six years in a row of defeating a nationally ranked team as the 'Jacks have earned a win over a ranked opponent the last five seasons dating back to Sept. 29, 2012, when they upended No. 12 Central Arkansas (42-37). In seven of the last eight seasons, SFA has taken down a ranked team beginning with a 16-13 home victory over No. 7 McNeese on Oct. 10, 2009. During that span, the 'Jacks have earned a total of 10 wins over ranked opponents, holding a record of 10-17. Of those 10 victories, four came against top-10 teams. Last season, the 'Jacks recorded a 31-28 road win over 13th-ranked McNeese for the fifth consecutive year with a victory over a ranked opponent.

THIRD-MOST SOUTHLAND VICTORIES
With Ward's heroics at the end of SFA's 37-31 comeback win over Incarnate Word on Sept. 16, the 'Jacks became just the third Southland team to notch 100 conference wins all-time. Ward's game-winning, 70-yard pick-six as time expired was SFA's 100th Southland win as the 'Jacks now own an all-time intra-Southland record of 101-98-3 since joining the league in 1987. The only other teams to achieve the feat are McNeese (182) and Sam Houston State (113). With 97 Southland victories, Northwestern State has a chance this season to become the fourth conference school to reach the mark.

LAST TIME OUT: NO. 11 SAM HOUSTON STATE 27, SFA 16
SFA left all it had on the field but came up short against 11th-ranked Sam Houston State in the 92nd Battle of the Piney Woods. Despite forcing three Bearkat turnovers and seeing Sam Houston State commit 13 penalties for 144 yards, the 'Jacks were outgained 508 to 219 in total offensive yards. After trailing 17-0 in the opening quarter of play, a 52-yard interception by Ward sparked a 13-3 second-quarter rally. With a pair of field goals and a one-yard touchdown rush by sophomore starting quarterback Jake Blumrick (Pearland, Texas), SFA headed into the locker room down 20-13. Following a scoreless third quarter, a muffed punt by the Bearkats allowed sophomore kicker Storm Ruiz (League City, Texas) to drill a 27-yard field goal and trim Sam Houston State's lead to four at 20-16 with just over 11 minutes to go. A gutsy call by coach Conque led to SFA recovering an onside kick near midfield. However, after a 35-yard catch and run from Blumrick to junior Texas A&M transfer wide receiver Frank Iheanacho (Houston, Texas), Blumrick had a first-and-10 pass intercepted in the end zone. The picked-off pass took the wind out of the Lumberjacks' sails as Sam Houston State's Jeremiah Briscoe scored the final touchdown of the game and put the Bearkats ahead by 11 (27-16) on a 26-yard quarterback keeper.

LAST TIME VS. CENTRAL ARKANSAS
SFA battled 17th-ranked Central Arkansas to a draw through the opening quarter and a half, forcing six Bear turnovers on the afternoon. Facing one of the top defenses in the country, the 'Jacks managed just 321 yards of total offense on the afternoon, including 59 rushing yards against the top-ranked rushing defense in the nation. SFA was unable to take advantage of the opportunities, managing just seven points off the six turnovers as the 'Jacks were faced with a long field throughout the game, registering three turnovers inside the Bears' five-yard line. The first of those Central Arkansas turnovers came on the Bears' first offensive possession, fumbling the ball inside the 20 and giving the 'Jacks the ball on the Central Arkansas nine-yard line. SFA took advantage two plays later with Zach Conque punching it in from eight yards out, giving the 'Jacks the early 7-0 lead. The rushing touchdown by Conque was the 33rd of his SFA career as he moved into sole possession of second-place all-time, surpassing Leonard Harris' mark from 1992-95. He would add another on the first play of the second quarter, taking it in from six yards out for his 34th rushing score, sitting second only to Gus Johnson's 51 rushing touchdowns from 2011-14. Cornerback Tarrin Mitchell would add an interception to go with his two fumble recoveries midway through the fourth quarter, but the Bears knocked through a field goal with just under six minutes remaining, sealing the 34-14 victory. Conque led the way offensively for SFA, accounting for 293 yards of total offense. The senior passed for 262 yards while rushing for 31 to lead the 'Jacks, while Justice Liggins posted his second 100-yard receiving effort of the season. Catching eight passes for a career-high 114 yards, Liggins became the 37th-member of the SFA 1,000-yard receiving club. Defensively, linebackers George Stone and Price Miller both made their presence felt, surpassing 10 tackles each. Miller led the way with 16 total tackles, including three solo as well as the forced fumble, with Stone adding 14 stops for SFA. Alize Ward added eight with Trent Perriman finishing with seven solo stops as well as a pass breakup. The 'Jacks were able to generate just four tackles for loss and one sack against the Bears' offensive line with John Franklin finishing with two of those TFL's and the lone sack. Kedrick Harrison had another tackle for loss with Marlon Walls and Shaq Anderson combining for the fourth. The Central Arkansas offense wore down the Lumberjack defense, converting on 11 of 18 third down conversions and holding a 10-minute edge in time of possession. The Bears finished the game with 502 yards on 88 plays, throwing for 312 while rushing for 190. Hayden Hildebrand led the way with 312 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Desmond Smith caught nine passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Carlos Blackmon was Central Arkansas' top rusher, finishing with 83 yards on 18 carries.

COACH CONQUE FOURTH ALL-TIME IN SOUTHLAND VICTORIES
Head coach Clint Conque is quickly climbing the all-time career Southland victories top-10 list as he now has a total of 48 Southland wins after the 20-10 triumph at Abilene Christian on Sept. 23. He holds a career record of 48-31 (.608) in Southland contests since 2007, including going 33-16 in the league while at the helm of Central Arkansas from 2007-13. Conque is just one game shy of third place on the all-time Southland wins list as former Northwester State head coach Sam Goodwin occupies the spot with a 49-32-2 career record.

FRANKLIN MOVING UP THE CAREER LISTS
Senior defensive end John Franklin (Greenville, Texas) registered half a sack in the win at Abilene Christian on Sept. 23, moving him into the all-time top-10 list for career sacks in program history. He now has 15.5 sacks for his career and sits tied for ninth with Ishmiah Miles and James Kern. Additionally, Franklin collected 1.5 tackles for loss in the victory over the Wildcats to move into eighth on SFA's all-time career top-l0 list for tackles for loss. After a tackle for loss last weekend against 11th-ranked Sam Houston State, Franklin now has tallied a total of 30 TFL's for his career, just two shy of moving into sixth place on the all-time career tackles for loss top-10 list.

-SFA-