FRISCO, Texas - Texas State will take on No. 19/20 Central Arkansas Saturday in the Toyota Game of the Week on the Southland Conference Television Network. The telecast begins at 6 p.m. and the teams will kick off five minutes later.

The Bobcats were the Southland Conference champions last season though it was the Bears who finished with the best overall and league records. Central Arkansas was ineligible for the championship and cannot be the Southland's automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division I playoffs during its transition from Division II. That will change next year when UCA is expected to become a full Division I member. Last year, Central Arkansas finished 10-2 overall and 6-1 in conference play while Texas State was 8-5 overall and 5-2.

This year, the teams enter with identical 5-3 overall records though the Bobcats are 3-1 and are in a four-way tie for first in the league standings. The Bears sit just one game back at 2-2 in league play after dropping a 25-21 decision at Southeastern Louisiana last week. Texas State is riding a three-game win streak after a 28-7 win over Stephen F. Austin a week ago.

Among teams in the Football Championship Subdivision, Texas State ranks ninth in total offense (437.), 10th in passing (283.2), 12th in scoring offense (33.6) and 25th in passing efficiency (140.06). Receiver Da'Marcus Griggs average 7.6 receptions per game to tie for sixth in the FCS and his 86.5 receiving yards tie him for 15th. Quarterback Bradley George is averaging 281.0 total yards to tie for 12th nationally.

Central Arkansas leads the Southland in scoring defense, limiting opponents to just 15.4 points per game. The Bears also lead the conference in kick returns (24.8) and feature one of the top place-kickers in the nation. Eddie Carmona has connected on all 11 field goals, including four last week, and has converted all 29 PATs.

Central Arkansas leads the all-time series with Texas State 2-0 after picking up a 31-24 victory last year in San Marcos, Texas. The Bears won 63-21 in Conway in 2007.

The Southland Conference Television Network is now in its second season. The 2009-10 slate includes 11 football games, 16 men's and women's basketball games and championship games of the soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball conference tournaments. The same broadcast team is back this year. Doug Anderson will handle play-by-play duties, while LaDarrin McLane will serve as the color analyst.

Currently, there are 10 affiliates in the three-state network, including KARZ-TV in Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Conway, Ark.; WBTR-TV in Baton Rouge, La.; WSTY-TV in Hammond, La.; KPXJ-TV in Shreveport, La. and Texarkana, Texas; KUIL-TV in Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas; MyTX 18 in Tyler, Longview, Nacogdoches and Lufkin; KTBU-TV in Houston, Baytown and Sugar Land, Texas; Suddenlink Communications in Lake Charles, La.; Time Warner Cable in Arlington, Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Edinburg, Harlingen, Killeen, Plano, San Antonio, San Marcos, Temple and Waco, Texas; and Grande Communications on the Texas State University campus in San Marcos, Texas.

Fox College Sports will also broadcast the games on a tape-delayed basis each week. Saturday's game between Texas State and Central Arkansas will be rebroadcast on Fox College Sports Central Sunday at 4:30 p.m., CDT.

All Southland TV games will be streamed live to SLC NOW, the conference's live and on-demand video and audio channel on Southland.org. All SLC NOW programming is free to anyone who registers on the site.

For more information about Southland TV and SLC NOW, please visit the conference Web site, Southland.org.

Where to watch the game this week: