Football
High-Flying Offenses Likely Key for UCA, Abilene Christian Today
The Bears and Wildcats meet at 3 p.m. and fans can watch on ESPN+ in what could be scoring battle
CONWAY, Ark. — Using abbreviations for things this week in Central Arkansas’ game at Abilene Christian could just complicate things unbelievably. The defenses may feel the same way.
We’ll handle that first statement with this: UCA plays ACU in a UAC game. Got it?
The pressure will be on the defenses of the Bears and Wildcats, though. These are the two best offenses in the conference. The No. 5/7 Bears and No. 16/17 Wildcats will kick off at 3 p.m. at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium. It will be UCA’s second consecutive game against a Top 25 opponent after dispatching No. 19/25 Lamar last week at home at Estes Stadium.
UCA (4-1, 1-0) has the top rushing team in the UAC, averaging 273.8 yards per game on the ground. ACU (3-2, 2-0) features the top passing offense at 321.2 yards through the air per game. The Bears are No. 1 in scoring at 40 points per game, followed closely by the Wildcats at 38.4.
ACU has a slight edge in total offense, with a 488.2 to 486.4 lead over UCA.
On the defensive side, UCA is allowing only 19.0 points per game, which leads the conference, while ACU’s defense is giving up 31.0. The Bears’ last four opponents, all FCS level teams, have averaged just 15.2 points against UCA.
UCA is coming off a convincing non-conference victory over Lamar, one in which the Bears rushed for 295 yards and totaled 453 yards of total offense. Senior running back ShunDerrick Powell had 187 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, while senior running back Darius Hale ran for 96 yards and another touchdown.
That running back pair has combined for 6,309 career rushing yards.
The Bears’ defense held Lamar to just 220 total yards, including 108 on the ground.
ACU quarterback Maverick McIvor has thrown for 1,606 yards and 11 touchdowns with just two interceptions this season. UCA quarterback Will McElvain is second in the league, averaging 202.4 passing yards per game. McElvain surpassed the rare 10,000-yard passing mark against Lamar and now has 10,034 career yards at Northern Iowa and UCA.
Powell, who leads the nation in all-purpose yards, also ranks second in the FCS in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, yards per rush and rushing touchdowns. The Hoxie, Ark., native has five consecutive 100-yard rushing games this season, with a low of 126 yards at Lindenwood and a high of 187 last week versus Lamar.
ACU had a 200-yard rusher last Saturday, with senior Sam Hicks going for 203 yards on 12 carries in the Wildcats’ 55-30 win over Utah Tech in St. George, Utah. Hicks was named the UAC Offensive Player of the Week, an honor both Powell and McIvor have earned this season.
UCA also has two Defensive Player of the Week winners in defensive end David Walker and safety TaMuarion Wilson. ACU placekicker Ritse Vaes earned the Specialist of the Week honor earlier in the year.
UCA returns home next week for two consecutive games, against West Georgia on Oct. 12 and North Alabama on Oct. 26.
Information from UCA Sports is included in this story
