Be there early for Purple-Gray Scrimmage to see starters

Central Arkansas is running out of days to get all of fall camp practices in and once you think about it, figuring out what’s going to happen Wednesday evening is easy.

There will be the Purple-Gray scrimmage at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on The Stripes at Estes field but the starting quarterback was settled Saturday. Everything in the scrimmage will be to determine depth rotation.

After Saturday’s scrimmage, UCA coach Nathan Brown said Donovyn Omolo will start at quarterback, according to a story by Sam Lane at Arkansas Online. Experience probably played a big role in that, despite some Bears fans wanting other candidates.

Last years disolved into a complete mess of a 3-9 season. Brown probably knows that doesn’t play well at a program like UCA. By all reports during the offseason, nobody is really more aware of that than him.

Despite what a lot of folks say, quarterback is the most important on a team and not very many teams playing for a championship are doing it without that position settled. It’s not necessarily how many big plays the quarterback makes but how bad ones he can avoid.

Last year had too many bad plays all year long.

UCA Bears coach Nathan Brown during scrimmage in fall practice. | Ted McClenning-allBears+ Images

Focus turns to the season opener

Classes begin Thursday and students started moving in over the weekend. The scrimmage Thursday evening is offering free Papa John’s pizza to the first 100 students that show up. There will be plenty available to buy.

Following the scrimmage, the Bears had Sunday as an off day and essentially a walk-though Monday morning. That leaves them with two practices left in fall practice before the classes get under way and that’s what the scrimmage Thursday night will likely take one of the days.

All the focus now, though, is on getting ready for the opener on Thursday night, Aug. 27, at Tennessee-Martin in a game that starts at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.

Key takeaways

• Nathan Brown named Donovyn Omolo the starting quarterback Saturday, so Wednesday’s Purple-Gray scrimmage is about depth chart battles, not the top job.
• UCA is squeezing in its last two fall camp practices around the scrimmage before Thursday’s first day of classes.
• Everything points toward the Aug. 27 opener at UT Martin, where a settled quarterback room is supposed to fix what went wrong in a 3-9 season.