Bears still looking for way to top spot

Steve Campbell laid it out simply inside Houston’s Hilton Americas at the Southland Conference football media day Friday morning.

The blessing of the returning quarterback and entire offensive line; the possible replacements for the graduation of the University of Central Arkansas’ all-time leading receiver; a defense with five members named to the preseason All-Southland First Team; and the fact that all of those pieces are only hopeful answers to finally surpassing the team that has kept the Bears at second place in the Southland the past three seasons.

“You beat Sam Houston,” said Campbell, UCA’s fourthyear head coach. “You have to win that game. We’re not making it any more or less of it than it is. Our goal is to win the conference and compete for the national championship. We went 10-3 last

season. Had a good little run. But we didn’t beat Sam Houston. We have to get back to work.”

Presumptive fanfare revolved around the six-time Southland champion and two-time national runner up from Huntsville, Texas. In the preseason poll, voted on by coaches and sports information directors, Sam Houston State earned 20 of 22 firstplace votes (UCA earned the others). The Bearkats’ returning quarterback and 2016 FCS Walter Payton Award winner, Jeremiah Briscoe, headlined the preseason All-Southland First Team a season after tossing an FCS-record 57 touchdowns.

UCA was again picked second.

“Absolutely, it does get frustrating to be just a little short each year,” said senior quarterback Hayden Hildebrand, who threw for 3,051 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season. “I guess we turn that into motivation. You hate to lose. The next time it rolls around, we’ll play Sam Houston knowing what they did to us last year. You just learn from it. That’s all you can do.”

UCA has not beaten Sam Houston since Campbell was hired in December 2013, and the Bears have been outscored 139-67 in their three meetings since. Sam Houston gave UCA its only conference loss last season, 59-23, when the Bearkats defense intercepted Hildebrand twice and sacked him four times.

“Not a pleasant thought in my mind,” Hildebrand said.

“They’re a good team. Not taking anything from them. But we’ve proven ourselves to be a playoff contender, and it’s time to take that next step. [Sam Houston is] the type of competition we have to compete with in the playoffs. The last 10 teams left will be all of that caliber. We have to come back stronger.”

Sam Houston entered the FCS playoffs as the No. 4 seed, before losing to No. 5 seed and eventual national champion James Madison 65-7 in the third round. UCA won its first playoff game since 2011 in a 31-24 victory over Illinois State before losing 31-14 at No. 2 Eastern Washington.

Campbell outlined UCA’s

defensive strengths as reasons the Bears could make a further push. The unit returns six starters from the group that ranked first in the conference in points allowed per game (21.7) and yards allowed per game (336.3). In the preseason All-Southland First Team, 3 of the 5 defensive backs were from UCA, and the program’s

five overall first-team members were the most in the conference.

Sam Houston State led the Southland in passing yards per game (368.3) and points per game (49.5)

“Against Sam Houston State, you better be good in the secondary,” Campbell said. “And we’ve got three preseason

all-conference secondary guys, and two all-conference pass-rusher guys. We need to rush the passer against these guys. We don’t specifically build [a team to beat] Sam Houston. They’re the hot hand here late, but you want to build the best team against anybody.”

UCA finished second in the Southland in scoring offense (33.1) last season, and the offense returns nine starters — including the entire offensive line of whom Hildebrand said “I’m best friends with all of them.”

The Bears will replace its two top scorers: running back Antwan Wells (593 yards, 10 touchdowns) and the program’s all-time leading receiver Desmond Smith (893 yards, 8 touchdowns). Sophomore Carlos Blackman led the Bears in rushing as a true freshman last year (616 yards, 5 touchdowns), and Hildebrand said senior wide receiver Brandon Cox (204 yards, 2 touchdowns) will be an “explosive” option at both slot and wide receiver.

UCA travels to Kansas State (Sept. 2) and Murray State (Sept. 9) before hosting preseason projected No. 4 Southeastern Louisiana (Sept. 16) and Sam Houston State (Sept. 30). Campbell said early victories would give the Bears a “head start” on “high ground.”

A fourth consecutive loss to Sam Houston State would likely provide the opposite feeling.

“We’re going to do our best to make sure it doesn’t happen again this year,” Hildebrand said. “Everybody talks about the Southland Conference championship, and we want to be able to beat them. We want to change that, and we think we can do it.”

Campbell