GO U-C-A BEARS!
We are only a little over a week and a half away from the first kickoff for the 2014 NCAA College Football Season (and I can't BEGIN to tell you how desperate I am for it to start!).
In anticipation for it, I decided to dedicate a blog looking at which home and away match up I find either intriguing and/or extremely important for each of the Natural State's Division I teams. Without further adieu, let's "Kick" things off with the big boys on the hill... (**NOTE: THE SCHEDULE GRAPHICS ARE NO LONGER ACCURATE AND ARE JUST BEING USED FOR VISUAL SAKE**).
ARKANSAS:
MY HOME GAME PICK: LSU TIGERS (Sat. November 15)
Since it was announced late last year that these two would no longer be playing one another the day after Thanksgiving as well as not playing one another as each other's finale', majority of Hogs fans have been pretty furious over the revelations. It was bad enough that the rivalry game was moved from Little Rock to Fayetteville, but now this?? The whole controversy really stems back to the "Fayetteville vs Little Rock" debate, and I'm very curious as to how the Northwest Fans will respond (really show up) in the coming years. When the two played in Fayetteville back in November 2012, it was the third largest November crowd DW had seen in a 12 year span with just over 71,000 (only two Tennessee match ups from 2006 and 2011 had more with just over 72,000+ in attendance in the month of November). It was already a pretty one sided rivalry affair, with Hogs fans more hyped for this one over LSU fans and though I highly doubt moving the game a little earlier in the season will drastically change that aspect in both fan bases, this has turned into a pretty fun, exhilarating trophy game in last few seasons and I look forward to another spirited contest in the Hill come early November.
MY ROAD PICK: TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS (SAT., September 13)
This picture was taken in November, 1967. The underdog Red Raiders shocked the Razorbacks, and kept Arkansas out of bowl contention that season. In fact, the last time both the Hogs and Texas Tech played one another (in '91 and 92), the results were much the same-A 'W' for Red Raiders, and double 'L' for the Hogs. Fast forward over 20 years later, and both these teams as well as the landscape of college football has drastically changed-though if you think about it, both these squads have followed very similar paths; both have had extremely high moments, taken down the big dogs, ranked in the top ten and also have had very low moments, including losing coaches in rather embarrassing, public fashion. Though Arkansas fans feel very confident going to Lubbock come September (and why not? They are 28-7 overall in the series) I wonder if the Hogs 'D' will be able to stop let alone contain this high flying, explosive offensive that the Red Raiders will be utilizing. If the offense can't at least keep up with Texas Tech, it might be a long afternoon in west Texas.
ARKANSAS STATE
HOME GAME THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT: ULM WARHAWKS
This was a tough pick between the Warhawks or Utah State.
Though in my eyes, the Utah State game is more meaningful in terms of
outside perception (a measuring stick against a quality team from
another 'G5' conference), the ULM game got my pick because of two
reasons: Repeating as Conference champs and increasing ASU's odds
of getting back to a bowl game. After this matchup, the Red Wolves are on the road for the remainder of October, traveling to Atlanta, Cajunland (AKA Lafayette), and concluding in freakin' Moscow, Idaho! Though the Red Wolves should be the overall better team than Georgia State and Idaho, the Louisiana-Lafayette game is going to be an extremely tough matchup for the Pack, and if ASU should drop an 'L' to the Cajuns, ASU CANNOT afford any additional conference loses. If Arkansas State can get a win against both Utah State and ULM, squeeze out 2 of three in that nasty stretch afterwards, then by the time they return home against South Alabama, they could be sitting at 5-3, 3-1 in conference play. That ULM win early on could be the difference.
AWAY GAME THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT: Louisana Lafayette
Who else would this be? The last three seasons, both the Cajuns and the Red Wolves have become the faces and the perennial top guns in the Sunbelt Conference. But because Lafayette has been able to maintain their head man, Mark Hudspeth, and impressive three straight wins in their back-to-back-to-back soldout bowl games in New Orleans, the Cajuns have become the darlings of the league. All the beat writers have ULL as undisputed picks to be the conference champs this year, and if ASU wants a 'four-peat' and truly claim what they feel is their spot as the face of the Sunbelt, it has to take to down the Cajuns in Lafayette on a Tuesday night on national tv.
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF
ALABAMA A&M:
UAPB has a tough time when it comes to playing the Alabama A&M Bulldogs...I mean TOUGH. UAPB has only beaten the Bulldogs three times out of the last thirteen matchups! (In an interesting note, one of the those victories came in 2006...only to lose to the Bulldogs again in the same season in UAPB's only other trip to the SWAC championship, 22-13). This will be the last game at home and of the season, and if the Golden Lions want to rebound from a disastrous 2013 season and send the seniors off right, they need to beat A&M.
SOUTHERN JAGUARS
The image above was taken after a thrilling, last second one point victory for the UAPB Golden Lions over the Southern University Jaguars in 2011. No, they're not shaking hands but rather viciously beating the hell out of one another. One thing I love about the SWAC is the fact that practically everybody HATES one another, and UAPB/Southern is no exception. The Jaguars would get even against UAPB by squeaking by against them last season, spoiling the Golden Lions homecoming 29-21. Southern is also the SWAC's current defending champions, and if Monte Coleman and his Lions want to get back in the race let alone have a say in the conference showing, winning in Baton Rouge is a must.
UCA BEARS
HOME MATCHUP THAT INTRIGUES ME: UT-MARTIN
Last season, UCA travled to Martin, Tennessee to face the Skyhawks. The Bears at the time were ranked #7 in the FCS polls and many felt this would be a relatively easy victory for the Bears. However, the Skyhawks stunned UCA, by blocking the Bears last second field goal attempt to secure the one point victory, 24-23. Though UCA would recover to win the following week against Missouri State, this lost, along with the shellacking Mcneese State put on UCA weeks later-really seemed to deflate and knock the wind out of the 2013 Bears. I expect some added emotions in this year's rematch.
AWAY GAME THAT INTRIGUES ME: @ STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
UCA fans considers Mcneese State their top rival (as the name of their match-up has been dubbed the "Rice and Beans Bowl"). However, this match-up may knock that right out of the water. Anytime you go up against your former coach, especially in conference play, their's ALWAYS going to be high emotion and intensity between the sidelines. When longtime coach Clint Conque suddenly departed for SFA, their was an absolute shock wave throughout the UCA community. Come October 4th, both coaches and players can down play this in the media but make no mistake-this is going to be a statement game for both teams. Should be intense.
UCA BEARS
HOME MATCHUP THAT INTRIGUES ME: UT-MARTIN
Last season, UCA travled to Martin, Tennessee to face the Skyhawks. The Bears at the time were ranked #7 in the FCS polls and many felt this would be a relatively easy victory for the Bears. However, the Skyhawks stunned UCA, by blocking the Bears last second field goal attempt to secure the one point victory, 24-23. Though UCA would recover to win the following week against Missouri State, this lost, along with the shellacking Mcneese State put on UCA weeks later-really seemed to deflate and knock the wind out of the 2013 Bears. I expect some added emotions in this year's rematch.
AWAY GAME THAT INTRIGUES ME: @ STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
UCA fans considers Mcneese State their top rival (as the name of their match-up has been dubbed the "Rice and Beans Bowl"). However, this match-up may knock that right out of the water. Anytime you go up against your former coach, especially in conference play, their's ALWAYS going to be high emotion and intensity between the sidelines. When longtime coach Clint Conque suddenly departed for SFA, their was an absolute shock wave throughout the UCA community. Come October 4th, both coaches and players can down play this in the media but make no mistake-this is going to be a statement game for both teams. Should be intense.
BONUS PICK: BATTLE OF THE RAVINE (HENDERSTON STATE REDDIES V. OUACHITA BAPTIST TIGERS
In the little town of Arkadelphia, Arkansas...with a population of just over 10,000 lies one of the most storied and unique rivalries not just in the Natural State, by all of college football. The series, which began play in 1895, is the longest continuous rivalry in division II college football, and slowly but surely as the years have gone by has begun getting more and more regional and national exposure. Last season, ESPN College Gameday sent camera crews out to cover the unique rivalry. The bitter rivals-LITERALLY located on opposites side of the road-shut down Arkadelphia and the town splits 50/50 between Reddies and Tigers faithful. Here's some highlights of last year's barnburner match-up (and no doubt a taste of what surely will come in 2014).
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