UCAFANS.COM | GO UCA BEARS!

It’s early, but i’m starting the thread. I’m pumped about regular football and i can’t wait until 9/4. this will be a tough game, but one we should be ready for and play well in. Defense is back and has depth and hoping Ken Collums has learned more than 5 plays this off-season

you can check out their thread here https://247sports.com/college/arkansas- ... 17/?page=1

seems like they suffer from short term memory loss. the fans, it appears, are expecting to show up and roll. Plus, they literally get every fact wrong about UCAs 2020 season and preseason predictions. I guess they still don’t have reliable internet in the northeast. Good, stay asleep while we raid jonesboro!

Fans don't play and I can assure you from listing to him, Butch Jones is laying awake at night worrying about only two teams, his and yours.

He is mostly worried about his team because while they return most of their players from a team that when healthy was a pretty good team, they have added 50+ newbies, and they are gamechangers for them. That prompted Jones to say, "When you really talk about the first game being a game of unknowns, I’m thinking there is not another team in the country that is more unknown than us.”.

Jones said he thinks your team could win a "National Championship", so while this might be the most talented , athletic, deepest team in their history, they know they have their hands full on September 4th. They know if they don't play well they will get beat.

And to make a point I have been making on a Razorback site and taking nothing away from your talented team this A-State team is not like any A-State team ever. I gave these players who are not expected to be on their 2-deep when they play you , and who offered them, as an example of why.

CB Kenneth Harris - Memphis, Minnesota and Louisiana-Monroe

S Antwon Fegans- Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, Arkansas, Kansas and Virginia Tech.

S Travian Thomas- Arkansas, Georgia Southern, Akron, Liberty, Western Kentucky and Georgia State.

LB Jaden Harris- Louisiana-Monroe, Memphis, Texas State and Mississippi State.

LB Vershad Richardson -Texas Tech, TCU, SMU, Colorado State, Memphis, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana, ULM, North Texas, Texas State and Southern Miss.

WR David Clayton- Connecticut, Hawaii, Tulsa, Colorado State and New Mexico State

WR Javan Hawes- East Carolina, Minnesota and Purdue.

QB Allan Walters- Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Michigan, among others.

WR Ahyheem Walled- Virginia, UCLA, Iowa State, Michigan State and SMU, among others.

RB Alan Lamar- Miami (OH), Illinois, Memphis, ULM and Vanderbilt.

RB –Isaiah Azubuite- Iowa, Kansas State, Wisconsin, Bowling Green, Central Michigan and East Carolina.

S Justin Parks- Appalachian State, FAU, Georgia State, Liberty, Louisiana, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Southern Miss, South Alabama, Toledo, Troy and UAB.

S Cam Jeffery-Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Auburn.

LB Ethan Hassler - Southern Miss, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Liberty, Louisville, Memphis, Tulsa and Wake Forest.

OL Austin Woods- Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Tulane and Texas State.

DE Corbet Mims- Arkansas, Louisville, Memphis, Ole Miss, Missouri, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Oregon, Missouri, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

DL Jalil Muhammad- Appalachian State, Baylor, Memphis, Maryland, among others.

OL Christian Hoz-Marshall, Navy, UCF, Louisiana and Troy.

DL Derus Jackson-Memphis, Liberty, Middle Tennessee and UAB.

That they have these caliber recruits on the bench and not even in their 2-deep, and there were more but this makes the point, is unprecedented in their programs history. You have never faced an A-State team with this much talent and depth....not even close.

Not that you cannot beat them, you certainly can, so enjoy the game, the challenge, and appreciate the talent that both teams bring to the field in this game. The whole state needs to know how talented both teams are.

Edited note: Butch Jones has forbade anyone associate with their program, coaches, players-although the media has been trying to trick them into reveling it, whoever from discussing their depth chart. Has asked fans that support the program at a level that allows them to watch their scrimmage-they run the media off, not to discuss it either, but did not say they could not discus who was not on the 2-deep.

FBS teams have these typical advantages over FCS teams:

1. Typically better talent level. P5 and G5 teams usually get the top talents from high school.
2. Greater number of talented players.
3. 20+ more scholarship players.
4. More staff and resources to train that talent.
5. Usually bigger facilities and larger home crowds to back their team to motivate them.

You can name off a thousand recruits in the two deep that SEC offers.
It doesn’t matter. The reasons listed above are typically why FBS teams win and I will say IMO the extra schollys are usually enough.

Can’t tell you how many FCS games I’ve watched where the third quarter ended and the FCS defense is wore out and their FBS opponent simply rotated in the other scholarship players available pulled away.

I would love to see a 63 on 63 scholarship game between the two levels of division I.

If you truly compared things "apples to apples". I`d take the Bears and bet money on them every time. Remember Texas Tech? Ole Miss?
22 extra schollys is a whole team. Offense and Defense.

GO BEARS!

I cant believe the fans don’t play the games. wild

Little different when UCA and A-State play, and not the same as playing other FBS programs. A-State knows how good a team has to be to be in the hunt for a NC at the FBS level, and from listening to their coaches and players I cannot find one that thinks you can win the game. They KNOW you can win the game, if they do not play their best.

The only thing different this go around is the caliber of players, and depth both schools have, and unfortunately I had to use some A-States players to make a point, because it is hard to find out who really offered your players.

IMO the Razorbacks do not have a depth chart good enough to keep some of these players I mentioned off the field, which gives you some indication of the talent in that 50+ players Jones has been able to bring in.

As has been the case about as often as not the last few years, there is a good chance that the consensus out side of the state at the end of the season might again be that the best FBS team in Arkansas, is in Jonesboro.

Who has the best college football team in Arkansas might be decided on the the 4th.

Arkansas State should be pretty good. But the difference in the two teams will be depth due to the difference in scholarships. That's been proven over and over, year after year.

Sadly ASU will never be considered for a national championship.
The HAVES in the P5 have created an even further divide from FBS G5 and FBS P5 this year alone.

Even with an undefeated season the best ASU can hope for is a really good bowl game. But ASU Athletic Admins knew they when they went FBS. It's one of the reasons I hear NDSU fans say they don't want to go FBS. I'm sure eventually they will but they will be giving up all the chances at a national championship, which they have dominated since going FCS, even if most fans don't care who won the FCS championship...at least they have a chance at one...which nearly ALL the FBS doesn't. ASU is not in the conversation as long as there is a P5.

That part of your post is true the rest is kind of true, but misleading.

Aside from the COVID season last year , A-State is proof a decade of winning at the FBS level will do wonders for your programs image. It will also allow you to attract coaches and players- like the ones that are not expected to be on he field when they play you unless one of the teams is really having a bad day, that any FCS and many FBS would die for.

No FCS team has a chance of recruiting players like this period, end of conversation much less to set on the bench.

Two SBC teams are in the top 25 and neither are more talented than A-State, and I give them no more chance of leaving Jonesboro with a "W" than UCA. Which wins would resonate with the national media more?

As for UCA beating A-State , can you beat them?'....... , yes you can, so enjoy the game.

Hats off to A-State for what they have done in FBS....I still marvel at the program's ability to change head coaches and still excel....

UCA should have beaten both Colorado and Texas Tech but late turnovers really hurt....we shut down a decent Ok State run game and with a little more offense it might have been a last minute affair....the game at Ole Miss was pretty impressive also...we also have played La Tech very well (had our chance for sure to win the OT game) and they, similar to A-State, have a very solid FBS program...

We just have a very small margin of safety.....we have to play like New Hampshire played us in the playoffs.........great tackling, no big mistakes, create some turnovers and excellent execution....otherwise the depth issue bites most every FCS team vs a good FBS program....

There are very few games I would rather see this season other than UCA vs A- State....

When the "elite" programs break off from the NCAA D1, maybe FBS (in whatever form survives) will have a championship tourney but no one will know...sort of like who knows who wins AAA minor league baseball....

Go Bears!!!

this G5 game will be no different then any other we’ve played recently. don’t turn the ball over, no special teams mistakes and take advantage of opportunities that are given. we’ll have a decent shot if that happens and with all the experience coming back, i’m hopeful it will

Yes. The way college football will be administered in the next 5 years will be very different than what we have now. We’re likely on the way to 3 tiers of football in D1

Almost certain that the FBS schools (P5 and G5) will be give more autonomy, and basically separate from the rest of the NCAA, but almost certainly will be in a reorganized NCAA.

The Big 10 has already told the MAC, and the SEC does not have to tell the SBC that they are goin along for the ride if they have anything to say about it, and they do.

ESPN just went all in on the SBC based to a large degree on what the SEC said is going to happen. Most think the SEC and SBC should operate out of the same building anyway, and while always obvious to the media who have made note of it , probably never more than last year.

SEC's relationship with the Sun Belt Conference keeps fall football a reality.

"The SEC and Sun Belt Conference are closely related. That relationship is helping the Sun Belt move forward with football season."

"We provide an opportunity for each other," said Georgia State Athletics Director Charlie Cobb. "With the shared geography, it allows both leagues to function at the levels they want to function."

"I wouldn't say that [the SEC and Sun Belt] are interdependent," Cobb said. ......, I think it speaks to our shared values and shared commitment."

"The SEC and Sun Belt share much of the same geographical area. The two conferences have teams in six states. They have shared game officials, referees and a replay center since 2013 and will do so through, at least, 2022."

https://www.wbir.com/article/sports/sec ... d81e119058

Sun Belt & ESPN Expand Media Rights Partnership

https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2021/7/2 ... rship.aspx

and what most in Arkansas don't know is that A-State would have likely had to drop down to a lower division or go independent if Frank Broyles had not stepped in and saved their conference, to help them. He got an embarrassing loss for doing so.

I don't think most ASU fans take this game lightly at all. There is a lot of excitement about finally getting a new coach and the level of professionalism, work ethic and organization he brought to the program. The success in the portal and the HS recruiting has already been a huge improvement with a lot of newcomers (50+) mixed in with an offense that lost one OL and one WR and gets a healthy Marcel Murray back.

That said, so many new faces and a new staff can sometimes take a while to come together. Last time we played, our QB was making his first ever start in a D1 game and it showed.

Hope the weather and covid cooperate and we see a huge turnout!

Actually, the four team playoff gave the G5 a slight chance and the proposed expansion guarantees at least one G5 team in the playoff. Two would have been in at a minimum last year. The truth is that the gap between the P5 and G5 has always been similar to what it is now but the bigger gap is between the G5 and FCS in terms of budgets and exposure. Whether you prefer one or the other is a matter of opinion but lost of national championship caliber programs have jumped to FBS when presented with the opportunity in the last couple of decades. The budget at ASU has gone from around $11 million to around $40 million in the last decade. The TV money keeps growing, every game is on some ESPN or other national platform and as of this year ESPN is airing more weekend games for the SBC.

The money has improved facilities, the fan experience and pays for the other athletic programs.

FCS teams can compete on the field with lots of FBS teams and the product is a great one. If granted the opportunity, I believe most FCS programs would like to move to FBS for the benefit of the athletes and the fans.