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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. _ All of it comes right down to this.
The College of Central Arkansas Bears and the Austin Peay Governors will do battle at 1 p.m. Saturday at Fortera Stadium, with the winner strolling out with the United Athletic Convention’s automated bid to the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs.
The No. 20 Bears are 7-3 general and 4-1 within the UAC, The No. 12/15 Governors are 8-2 and 5-0. Austin Peay will nearly definitely obtain an at-large bid even with a loss Saturday, whereas UCA can be on the mercy of the FCS Playoff choice committee with a 7-4 general report. The primary spherical of the playoffs begins subsequent Saturday at campus websites, with the highest eight seeds receiving first-round byes.
The sport positively pits the 2 finest groups within the UAC. The Governors have received eight straight video games since opening the season with consecutive losses to Southern Illinois and No. 9 Tennessee. APSU is 4-0 at residence this season. The Bears have received seven of their previous eight video games, together with a dramatic 27-24 last-second win over Japanese Kentucky final Saturday in Conway.
“What the results of that win equals is what makes this week even sweeter,” stated UCA head coach Nathan Brown. “What it equals is a championship week. It equals a week-long preparation and alternative that we talked about in our staff assembly… all the things that you have prepped for, all the things that you simply do twelve months a 12 months, 24 hours a day all year long as a student-athlete leads as much as this week.
“I saved telling them, this week is why. This week is why you do early morning exercises, this week is why you set information within the weight room, this week is why you do the Defend the Stripes run round campus.
“So it is actually neat that this week and the scheduling labored out prefer it did. We could not anticipate us having this sort of 12 months, or Austin Peay to be having the 12 months they’re having. However is equals an awesome showcase for the UAC. It provides the United Athletic Convention a real, premiere last weekend sport for our convention. And I believe that is actually neat how that labored out.”
UCA beat APSU fairly handily a 12 months in the past in Conway, scoring 42 factors within the second half (21 every quarter) to drag away from a 7-6 halftime lead. Quarterback Will McElvain accomplished 20 of 31 passes for 261 yards and 4 landing for the Bears, who additionally received a 64-yard punt return for a landing from Jarrod Barnes within the third quarter, this week is why you make your grades and also you’re eligible, for weeks like this.
Working again Darius Hale had a pair of dashing touchdowns and 4 completely different receivers _ Christian Richmond, Myles Kitt-Denton, Myles Butler and Trustin Oliver _ had landing receptions for the Bears. 4 of these 5, plus McElvain, are on the present roster.
Defensively, the Bears had two gamers with double-digit tackles, together with security TaMuarion Wilson and linebacker Demetrias Charles with 12 every. Defensive finish Logan Jessup had a career-high 4 tackles for loss, together with 2.5 sacks. In all, UCA recorded 12 tackles for loss and 4 sacks whereas getting an interception from security Cameron Godfreya pressured fumble from Charles and a fumble restoration from Jessup.
APSU quarterback Mike Diliello accomplished 29 of 44 passe for 248 yards however no touchdowns. Nonetheless, this season, he leads the UAC in passing yards (2,868) and is tied for the lead in passing touchdowns (27).
UCA quarterback Will McElvainhas been a mannequin of effectivity with 23 touchdowns and three interceptions, whereas throwing for 230.9 yards per sport.
The Governors and Bears are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in scoring offense within the UAC. APSU averages 37.4 factors per sport and UCA averages 33.4. The Governor’s are high ranked in whole yards per sport at 457.7 yards, with the Bears are second at 435.5.
he Bears’ protection, nonetheless, is ranked first in scoring protection, permitting simply 23.9 factors per sport, whereas the Governors rank fourth, permitting 25.7. UCA’s whole protection can also be No. 1 (33.9.5 yards per sport) whereas APSU’s is fifth (407.8).
UCA junior defensive finish David Walker leads the league in each sacks and tackles for loss.
APSU’s Kam Thomas, who had a 92-yard punt return for a landing towards the Bears final season, has two extra returned for touchdowns this season.
“It is our job to go over there and provides our greatest effort,” stated Brown, “and I believe our staff is worked up about it. There not going to be any additional motivation wanted this week. What we discuss with each single recruiting class we usher in… is you are coming right here to play significant video games in November. And that is precisely what that is.”
The sport will likely be carried stay on ESPN+, The Bear 91.3 and The Level 94.1, with a 1 p.m. kickoff.
