Central Arkansas Season Preview
Central Arkansas will have a different look in 2010 after the departure of 23 seniors from last year's squad, including defensive end Larry Hart, who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars and Brent Grimes, the school's career scoring leader.
Aside from inexperience and youth, a challenge facing coach Clint Conque will be blending five new faces on the coaching staff. If that was not enough, a challenging 11-game schedule awaits the Bears, who have completed their transition to Division I and are fully eligible for postseason play.
Conque's first win of the 2010 season will tie him for the most victories in program history. His current record is 73-43, putting him one win behind Harold Horton.
On offense, the Bears will have a new starting quarterback for the second consecutive year after the graduation of Robbie Park. In fact, the entire starting backfield will be new as running backs Grimes and Leonard Ceaser were seniors last year.
Conque, new offensive coordinator Matt Middleton and Nathan Brown, the school's former record setting quarterback and new quarterbacks coach, will have options behind center. The only returnee with experience is Arkansas junior transfer Nathan Dick, who backed up Park last in 2009. Dick, who started several games at Arkansas as a freshman, should open fall practice as the projected starter. Wynrick Smothers, Jim Youngblood and Ryan Howard could also figure in the mix.
Running back will be manned by sophomores Jackie Hinton, Terence Bobo and Anthony Blackmon. Hinton saw the most action in 2009, rushing for 127 yards on 20 carries, and also catching three passes for 40 yards. Bobo redshirted in 2009 after playing in 11 games as a true freshman and rushing for 135 yards. Blackmon played in eight games in 2009, rushing for 35 yards and catching five passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.
The Bears' receiving corps returns junior Willie Landers, UCA's top deep threat, who missed the 2009 season to a knee injury. Landers earned honorable mention all-conference honors as a sophomore when he caught 44 passes for 735 yards and seven touchdowns. Senior Kenneth Roby, juniors T.J. Adams, Isaiah Jackson, Joseph Harris and sophomore Dominique Croom provide strong options at the wideout position. Jackson and Croom are the top returning receivers with 20 and 19 receptions, respectively, a season ago
The offensive line lost substantial talent in 2009 but does return two starters, including honorable mention all-conference selection Austin Emerson. Junior Logan Roubique, sophomore Corey Howard and junior Matt Dickerson all have starting experience. Rogeric Govan, Joe Lehocky, Nate Richards and Dominique Allen fill out the rotation.
Defensively, the Bears lost their top three tacklers. The top returnee, junior linebacker Lamar Moore, had 50 tackles in 11 games in 2009. Also returning is senior Tok Opeloye and junior Jessie Sims. Rounding out the linebacking corps will be junior Frank Newsome and redshirt freshmen Justin Heard and Keaton Stigger.
The Bears are just as young in the secondary after losing two all-conference players. The only returning starter is senior corner Henry Minor who had 39 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 2009. Junior Jerrel McKnight has experience at free safety, while sophomores Desmond Wilcox and Marcus Dumas have time in at cornerback.
Up front, senior Markell Carter is poised for an award-winning season at one end after recording 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season, along with 47 tackles and two fumble recoveries. Junior Trey Lippe will man the other end after moving from the interior line. He had 20 tackles with 4.5 tackles for lossas a backup in 2009. Transfer Jermayne Lett will figure in the mix as will freshman Taylor Schuyler from Bixby, Okla. On the inside senior tackle Hutton Andrew and senior noseguard Kit Coleman provide valuable experience, as well as sophomores Larry Duvall and Marshall Loyd.
On special teams UCA returns second-team all-conference kicker Eddie Carmona, who will also take over the punting duties this season.