LITTLE ROCK — When Central Arkansas visited Georgia Southern in 2006, Nathan Brown called it an opportunity to take down Goliath.
“Goliath” was Georgia Southern, which had won six NCAA Football Championship Subdivision national championships (1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2000).
UCA was in its first season as a Division I member after moving up from Division II and wasn’t eligible for the FCS playoffs until 2010. The Bears were 7-3 entering their final regular-season game at Georgia Southern on Nov. 18, 2006.
“We were kind of the new kids on the block and really, in all reality, we still kind of hold that chip on our shoulders as the new kids on the block,” said Brown, who was the Bears’ quarterback in 2006 and is in his third season as the team’s quarterbacks coach. “I remember vividly that week of preparation being a high sense of urgency. To a certain extent, it was kind of our playoff game that year.”
The Bears completed an 8-3 season with a 34-31 overtime victory over the Eagles in front of 11,159 at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Ga. James Paul made a 25-yard field goal in overtime for the Bears, who finished No. 24 in the final FCS top 25 poll.
UCA visits Georgia Southern for the first time in six years Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs, and Coach Clint Conque still calls that 2006 meeting a “benchmark victory” for his program.
“They were down a little bit,” Conque said of Georgia Southern, which finished 3-8 under Brian VanGorder in 2006, “but they had better players than we had.”
UCA, which got a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Cameron Kinard to open the game, trailed 28-21 at halftime and 31-21 with 12:38 remaining in the third quarter. But the Bears pulled within 31-24 on Paul’s 21-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the third quarter, and Brown’s 27-yard touchdown pass to Brent Grimes tied the game at 28-28 with 7:43 remaining in regulation.
Defensive back Tristan Jackson intercepted Georgia Southern quarterback Travis Clark. Paul had a chance to give the Bears a three-point lead, but he missed a 22-yarder wide right with 4:36 remaining as the Eagles took over.
“Everybody was mad I missed the kick, but not mad at me,” Paul said. “One of my coaches said, ‘You’ve never missed two in a row. You’ll get another chance.’ ”
After Georgia Southern place-kicker Jonathan Dudley’s 32-yard attempt was short with 45.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter, UCA stopped the Eagles on fourth down in overtime and Paul got a chance at redemption.
The Bears took over at the 25 and Brown gained 12 yards on a keeper. Four plays later, Paul nailed a 25-yarder.
“When James knocked that kick in, it was obviously a very tough and nervous situation,” said Brown, who completed 18 of 31 passes for 279 yards for 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions against the Eagles. “To be able to beat a team like that the last game of the year and get to come home with a good taste in our mouth going into the next year is huge.”
UCA has a plaque in the north end zone at Estes Stadium honoring the 2006 team, which Conque calls “The Trailblazers.” That team, which played as an independent, also beat Missouri State, South Dakota and current Southland Conference rivals Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin.
Since moving up to Division I, UCA is 54-27 and has won two Southland Conference championships (2008, 2012). It will make its second consecutive FCS playoff appearance this weekend.
“That game put a bow on a season that blazed a trail for future successes,” Conque said. “I told our team that after the game: The foundation was laid with this win. I don’t care if they were 3-8, 4-7, whatever. We played against Jayson Foster — a year later, he won the Walter Payton Award. They had terrific football players. Size, speed, length. They played in the playoffs the year before.
“It gave us that national recognition. They don’t lose very often in Paulson. That was a fun day.”
Up next CENTRAL ARKANSAS
AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN
WHAT Second round of FCS playoffs WHEN 1 p.m. Central Saturday WHERE Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, Ga. RECORDS Central Arkansas 9-2, 6-1 Southland Conference; Georgia Southern 8-3, 6-2 Southern Conference COACHES Central Arkansas: Clint Conque (98-53 in 13 seasons); Georgia Southern: Jeff Monken (29-11 in three seasons) SERIES Central Arkansas leads 1-0 RADIO KHLR-FM, 106.7, in Benton/Little Rock; KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway; KCNYFM, 107.1, in Conway INTERNET ESPN3.com, ucasports.com
FCS at a glance
SATURDAY’S GAMES
All times Central
Central Arkansas (9-2) at Georgia Southern (8-3), 1 p.m.
New Hampshire (8-3) at Wofford (8-3), 1 p.m. Coastal Carolina (8-4) at Old Dominion (10-1), 1 p.m. Illinois State (8-3) at Appalachian State (8-3), 1 p.m. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (9-2) at Sam Houston State (8-3), 3 p.m. South Dakota State (9-3) at North Dakota State (10-1), 3 p.m. Wagner (9-3) at Eastern Washington (9-2), 5 p.m. Stony Brook (10-2) at Montana State (10-1), 6 p.m.
Sports, Pages 24 on 11/29/2012