2014 Team Previews: Central Arkansas

STORYLINES

• Coach Steve Campbell begins his tenure at UCA with an opening game at FBS Texas Tech on Aug. 30 in Lubbock. The Red Raiders, under first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury, finished 8-5 overall last season and beat No. 16 Arizona State 37-23 in the Holiday Bowl.
• The Bears are picked fourth in both the coaches’ and sports information directors’ preseason Southland Conference polls. UCA finished tied for third last season after being picked second in both polls.
• The Bears had nine season-ending injuries a year ago, including All-Southland quarterback Wynrick Smothers and All-Southland tight end Chase Dixon. On the plus side, after the rash of injuries, UCA returns 19 players with starting experience and 54 lettermen.  
• The Bears are set for an FCS non-conference matchup with national implications when they take on Montana State in Bozeman on Sept. 13 in the first meeting between the FSC powers.
 
OFFENSE
• UCA’s offense returns all but three starters from last year’s 7-5 team. The top returnees are wide receivers Dezmin Lewis and Damien Watts, linemen Cole Caruthers and Kyle Stoffer, quarterbacks Ryan Howard and Taylor Reed and running back Willie Matthews.
• Lewis is a first-team preseason All-Southland Conference selection after recording 50 receptions for 721 yards and seven touchdowns. Lewis is on the College Football Performance Awards watch list for wide receivers.
• UCA had 17 different players catch a pass last season, with six catching more than 30. Of those, 11 of the top 12 pass catchers return this season. The only one missing from the top 12 is tight end Chase Dixon. Fourteen of the overall 17 are back, missing only two others who are no longer with the program. UCA receivers caught 361 passes for 3,979 yards, an average of 331.6 yards per game.
• UCA has a stable of experienced running backs, led by senior Willie Matthews, who gained a team-high 564 yards (4.4 per carry) and scored five rushing touchdowns a year ago. He was also UCA’s second-leading receiver with 45 catches for 265 yards. junior Blake Veasley and sophomores Kelton Warren and Jeff Anderson.
 
DEFENSE
• The Bears lost their No. 1 tackler on defense in linebacker Justin Heard, but return their No. 2 tackler in cornerback Dillion Winfrey (56 tackles) and No. 3 tackler in defensive end Jonathan Woodard (49 tackles/10.5 TFL/7 SK). Returning safety Marvin Mitchell was UCA’s interceptions leader with three.
• Junior Jonathan Woodard continues UCA’s streak of talented defensive ends as he was a first-team All-Southland selection last year after being named the Freshman of the Year in 2012. Woodard has been named to the College Football Performance Awards defensive ends watch list.  
• UCA was No. 1 in the Southland Conference last season in red-zone defense, allowing a opponents’ score 65.8 percent of the time, well ahead of second place Southeastern Louisiana (71.4 percent). The Bears allowed 20 red-zone touchdowns and just five field goals in 12 games. They also forced three fumbles, intercepted two passes and stopped the opponent on fourth down six times inside the 20-yard line.
• UCA was second in the Southland Conference in rushing defense in 2013, allowing just 150.4 yards and less than one touchdown per game on the ground.
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
• UCA’s special teams unit returns intact except for the punter. All-Southland senior Eddie Camara and junior Jace Denker split time in the placekicker role last season, with Camara making 8 of 14 field goals and 35 of 37 extra-point attempts and Denker going 3 for 5 asnd 14 for 14. Camara made two field goals of 40+ yards. The pair split the kickoff duties as well, with Denker kicking 40 times and Camara 34.
• Camara is second in career PATs at UCA with 137 (record is 138), tied for second in career PAT percentage (96.4) and fifth in total points scored (242). He is also third in career field goals (35) and third in career FG percentage  (72.9).  
• Jatavious Wilson was second in the league in kickoff returns last season with a 30.6-yard average, with a pair of touchdowns, including a 93-yarder. Wilson, a preseason All-Southland selection, also caught 41 passes for 409 yards and two more touchdowns as a backup receiver and rushed 11 times for 80 yards.    

 

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