Arkansas State and UCA was a big thing – at least from 1916 to 1947, when the two programs played regularly. And UCA regularly came out on top in those days, although it should be noted that Arkansas State drummed UCA 107 to ZERO in 1917. Despite that victory, the all-time record between A-State and Central Arkansas is 12-13 with a pair of ties. Saturday looks to be the day that Arkansas State evens the score.

Recent History

After calling quits to the series in 1947 (a game that ended in an epic 0-0 tie), the in-state rivalry finally renewed in 1996, with Arkansas State securing a crisp 17-7 win. In modern times, the Red Wolves have compiled a 5-1 record, the only loss a dispiriting gut punch in 2016 that capped an 0-4 out-of-conference slate. If you want to relive that evening, you may do so vicariously through my own painful account.

The last meeting between the two came in Butch Jones’ first season as head coach for Arkansas State. It wasn’t exciting, but A-State did emerge victorious, emerging from halftime down 7-6, flexing from James Blackman to Layne Hatcher who would deliver the 40-21 final. The win would prove to be just one of two wins the program would enjoy in 2021. Grim as that sounds, at least Jones did not break the two capital rules of Arkansas State head coaching that season: 1) Don’t lose to ULM, and 2) Don’t lose to Central Arkansas.

Central Arkansas is An Awfully Tough Way to Start the Season

If it sounds like we’re whining, it’s because we are whining. The Coach’s Poll has UCA ranked the 13th best FCS team in the nation. The soothsayers say UCA will likely win the United Athletic Conference. The offense features three all conference first team members, including quarterback Will McElvain and running back ShunDerrick Powell. This game is not a tune-up.

But then again, the game is an exercise for which the Red Wolves must perform well. Much of what Butch Jones set out to do for the program in 2021 has come to fruition in 2024. The trench men are bigger and more physical. The skill players are stronger and faster. The team has “competitive depth” and is “player led.” This is the year Butch Jones and Red Wolves need to show their cards: is the program ready to compete in the Sun Belt or not? “It’s going to be a four-quarter football game,” said Jones at his Tuesday presser.

Red Wolves Depth Chart

Some slight surprises here: Jordan Mahoney is listed behind Dontay Joyner at cornerback, Jacob Bayer (torn ACL) listed ahead of Mason Meyers at center, and Marvin Ham over Dane Motley. Also, Jayden Jones, the junior transfer from SMU, gets the start at defensive end with Ethan Hassler dinged, and Arkansas/Texas State wide receiver Malik Hornsby is listed not as a receiver but as a kick returner.

Bear to Trap: Will McElvain, Quarterback

McElvain isn’t going to bust a play out of the pocket. In two years at UCA, plus two years at Northern Iowa, the 5’11” signal caller has rushed for a total of 448 yards and 3 touchdowns (372 of those yards were accrued his freshman season). Instead, McElvain is a prolific passer, putting up 2,592 yards and 18 TDs in 2021, then following it up with 2,477 yards and 24 TDs in 2022. Not only did he attend the Manning Passing Academy this season, like A-State QB Jaylen Raynor, he served on the staff as a counselor. As a fifth year senior, McElvain is as poised and cool behind an offensive line as anyone in college football. One caveat: the majority of his receiving targets are gone, leaving a very young and inexperienced wideout corps.

Bear Wrestling: Taming the Offensive Line

Last season, the Bears averaged more than 400 yards and better than 31-points per game by leveraging a big hoss of an offensive line. Not only did this line provide McElvain time to cook, it enabled running back ShunDerrick Powell to put up a 1,0ed00 yard season despite being hobbled by injury.

Many of the beef battleships are back, including all conference first teamer Will Diggins (6’4″ 325-pounds). However, missing are last year’s star center Josh George and his backup Jacob Cox, who are no longer Bears. George’s leadership will be missed in the middle, but UCA always seems to find enough lugs.

Coach Jones Coach Speak of the Day

“We got to make the routine plays routinely.”

What Are Red Wolves Fans Looking For?

In addition to a worrisome offense, the Bears have talent on the defensive side, too, led by linebacker/DE David Walker and defensive back TaMuarion Wilson. Red Wolves fans will want to see the A-State offensive line put the breaks on Walker, who collected 7.5 sacks last season, and witness quarterback Jaylen Raynor put Wilson (two picks) on his heels.

Behind a revamped running game and one of the better wide receiver groups in the conference, the Red Wolves will get their yards and points. Fans will be playing even closer attention to the A-State defense, which features not just new faces, but also familiar faces repositioned in different places – such as Justin Parks moving to Star linebacker and Blayne Toll moving more into the interior.

Key Red Wolf: Charles Wilekes, Linebacker

On Saturday, the defense won’t have to worry about the Bears’ three leading wide receivers from last season: Myles Butler now tends shop for the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee and Jarrod Barnes and Christian Richmond have graduated. In fact, of the eleven Bears who caught passes for UCA in 2023, seven are no longer with the program. Of the Bears’ three leading returning receivers, two are running backs.

With Justin Hodges and his crew shutting down UCA’s cast of inexperienced receivers, it will be up to Charles Wilekes and his cadre of hard-hitting linebackers to put Powell and his running mate Darius Hale in a footlocker. Wilekes, a SBC preseason first team selection, totaled two sacks and 31 tackles last season, bringing solid leadership and experience to a group comprised of savvy A-State vets and talented transfers.

Key Red Wolf: Courtney Jackson, Wide Receiver

The speedy Jackson will be one of a number of focal points for Jaylen Raynor this season, but avoiding the sack-happy paws of David Walker may make the slippery fast Jackson a soothing outlet for quick passes. Jackson is looking to build on last season, which saw the Syracuse transfer collect 680 yards and seven touchdown catches.

The Bottomline

If the Red Wolves lose this game, it will be tempting to shrug our shoulders and point to UCA as “a very good FCS team.” We’ll be quick to mention some of the good things that happened during the course of the game, and we’ll look forward to seeing them applied to Tulsa when then come to visit in Week 2.

But all those positive words would be said through gritted teeth. UCA is a team that the Red Wolves must defeat to not only launch a winning tone, but to dispel any doubts about the course the program has taken the last four years. The team must play with near professional precision, with missed tackles and broken routes relegated to the past. This is Year Four of the Butch Jones Era, and we don’t lose to UCA.

PHOTOS: a mix of me and Sun Belt Media