Central Arkansas (10/7/19) playoff game

[fdbird83]

Game will be televised on ESPN College Extra. Most sports bars have these channels available (Directv 788-798). Though a channel # has not been assigned yet.

Game will be on 793 on Directv at 2pm.

UNI vs SDSU AT on 789

 

[RBFANTOO]

Game will be televised on ESPN College Extra. Most sports bars have these channels available (Directv 788-798). Though a channel # has not been assigned yet.

Game will be on 793 on Directv at 2pm.

UNI vs SDSU AT on 789

Thank you.

 

[RedbirdSoxFan]

Game will be televised on ESPN College Extra. Most sports bars have these channels available (Directv 788-798). Though a channel # has not been assigned yet.

Game will be on 793 on Directv at 2pm.

UNI vs SDSU AT on 789

Thank you.

I believe you need to have the ESPN College Football Package in order to view these games.

 

[fdbird83]

Game will be on 793 on Directv at 2pm.

UNI vs SDSU AT on 789

Thank you.

I believe you need to have the ESPN College Football Package in order to view these games.

I pay and extra 10-15 dollars a month for an extra sports package. This package includes all of the different fox sports networks.

 

[fourthandshort]

for those not aware ... like most of our games this year, this game will again be on ESPN3 as well .. so you subscribe on line for $5 per month, and stream it over internet.

You can cancel anytime if you do the month to month for $5 per.

 

[ISU85]

for those not aware ... like most of our games this year, this game will again be on ESPN3 as well .. so you subscribe on line for $5 per month, and stream it over internet.

You can cancel anytime if you do the month to month for $5 per.

ESPN3 is not ESPN+, should be free to view.

 

[fourthandshort]

for those not aware ... like most of our games this year, this game will again be on ESPN3 as well .. so you subscribe on line for $5 per month, and stream it over internet.

You can cancel anytime if you do the month to month for $5 per.

ESPN3 is not ESPN+, should be free to view.

oh right .. totally spaced out. Good catch.

 

[Virginia Redbird]

This comment is a little of the topic but it relates to the upcoming game so I am going to post it anyway. Last weeks game against SEMO was on ESPN3 and I thought the announcers did a great job with the broadcast. Usually on ESPN+ you get the home announcers and it is very obvious they are "homers" in most cases (ISU announcers as well). I thought the broadcast team did a very balanced and informative job with the broadcast. They played it pretty neutral but what hit me the most was they seemed to be knowledgeable about both teams. My impression from the ESPN+ broadcasts is the homer announcers know their team very well but do next to no prep regarding the opposing team. I am hoping for similar coverage for the Central Arkansas game. Dominating the game helped enjoy the broadcast last week but I thought the announcers were pretty good. Sometimes on the ESPN+ broadcasts when the Birds are on the road I end up turning the sound down or off.

 

[StLRedbird]

Looking back at the ISU-UCA playoff matchup from 2016. The 'birds led 17-7 going into the 4th quarter when a blocked punt returned for a touchdown ignited a Bear rally. The wheels really came off the Redbird cart that quarter as I thought they won the first three quarters handily. Most of the seniors and RS juniors were there for that game and probably want revenge. JR rushed once.

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/c...cle_d2290bea-8d93-5f4e-aa85-736177067cc2.html

CONWAY, Ark. — George Odum suddenly found himself with a free path to Illinois State punter Reece Attard.

The resulting blocked punt was extremely costly to the Redbirds.

Odum's block was returned 4 yards for a touchdown by Jakari Dillard to ignite a 24-point University of Central Arkansas fourth quarter as the 14th-ranked Bears rallied to oust ISU, 31-24, in an FCS first-round playoff game Saturday before an Estes Stadium crowd of 3,165.

 

[drewherridge1]

https://goredbirds.com/news/2019/12/4/illinois-state-athletics-to-host-football-watch-party-prior-to-mens-basketball-game-vs-morehead-state.aspx

 

[Virginia Redbird]

Looking back at the ISU-UCA playoff matchup from 2016. The 'birds led 17-7 going into the 4th quarter when a blocked punt returned for a touchdown ignited a Bear rally. The wheels really came off the Redbird cart that quarter as I thought they won the first three quarters handily. Most of the seniors and RS juniors were there for that game and probably want revenge. JR rushed once.

https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/c...cle_d2290bea-8d93-5f4e-aa85-736177067cc2.html

CONWAY, Ark. — George Odum suddenly found himself with a free path to Illinois State punter Reece Attard.

The resulting blocked punt was extremely costly to the Redbirds.

Odum's block was returned 4 yards for a touchdown by Jakari Dillard to ignite a 24-point University of Central Arkansas fourth quarter as the 14th-ranked Bears rallied to oust ISU, 31-24, in an FCS first-round playoff game Saturday before an Estes Stadium crowd of 3,165.

A "crowd" of 3,165? I guess ISU is not the only school that has problems attracting fans to FCS playoff games! Maybe they can do better this Saturday...according to their website the stadium capacity is 10,000.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

This comment is a little of the topic but it relates to the upcoming game so I am going to post it anyway. Last weeks game against SEMO was on ESPN3 and I thought the announcers did a great job with the broadcast. Usually on ESPN+ you get the home announcers and it is very obvious they are "homers" in most cases (ISU announcers as well). I thought the broadcast team did a very balanced and informative job with the broadcast. They played it pretty neutral but what hit me the most was they seemed to be knowledgeable about both teams. My impression from the ESPN+ broadcasts is the homer announcers know their team very well but do next to no prep regarding the opposing team. I am hoping for similar coverage for the Central Arkansas game. Dominating the game helped enjoy the broadcast last week but I thought the announcers were pretty good. Sometimes on the ESPN+ broadcasts when the Birds are on the road I end up turning the sound down or off.

:text-+1: I too thought the announcers did a very good job last week. It seems as though regular season game announcers are determined by the host school for ESPN+. (?) I think it would be very wise for ISU (and any other host school) to spend money on some good announcers and broadcast equipment as this is an opportunity for ISU to look good to many alums/fans experiencing any of their athletic games via telecast. Do a poor job and ISU and the athletic program look weak and vice versa. Going forward it is likely more people may be viewing from afar than actually attending the game live.

 

[StLRedbird]

A "crowd" of 3,165? I guess ISU is not the only school that has problems attracting fans to FCS playoff games! Maybe they can do better this Saturday...according to their website the stadium capacity is 10,000.

In their defense, it was Thanksgiving weekend. I don't recall seeing many students around. In similar circumstances, I think we draw 5-6K, maybe 7-8K for a "sexy" opponent. Conway is a nice mid-western town. Reminds me a little of Murray, Ky.

Anyone going there should consider Tacos4Life if you get a jones for that sort of thing. Be prepared to wait in line with the locals. Don't be surprised if they want to talk football.

 

[Bear22]

Greetings everyone. UCA fan here. Look forward to a good game tomorrow. I watched some of your game against SEMO and was very impressed with your defense as well as obviously the running game. Our defense has struggled at times defending the run this season and we have also really had a hell of a time trying to run the ball. I fear this could really bite us in the game tomorrow.

That being said, our QB has had a really strong year. He’s made some mistakes and had a bit of a turnover bug as of late, but in the last two games of the season he seemed to get back to being his usual self. We have some very impressive young WR’s and some good RB’s but like I said, we’ve still struggled a lot in our run game. Run blocking has really been an issue for us. Size-wise, we’ve got a pretty good sized front 7, which I see some others have already mentioned on here. Our O-line is one of the biggest in our conference as well, but still that hasn’t translated to running the ball well. We’ve won quite a few close games this season, so I’d like to think our guys would feel comfortable in a close game tomorrow, but we shall see.

I know our defensive coaches will really be keying in on your RB but I’m not sure if that will make a difference. He looks like a grown man amongst boys out there. Was really impressive what he did last week and all season from what I can tell.

Weather wise, it should be perfect tomorrow. High of 52 and sunny. The university has promoted this game pretty heavily from what I can tell, so I’m hoping for a good crowd but who knows.

Hope to see a good contingent of your fans at the game. Anyone on here making the trip? And if any of you are making the trip and tailgating, be sure to grab alcohol in Pulaski County (Little Rock) because the county Conway is in is a dry county (don’t even get me started on that.)

 

[Total Red]

I'll be interested to see what Jefferson does with another week of practice at QB. They had to keep it simple for his first start but hopefully they were able to add a few plays and a couple of wrinkles for this one.
If we're behind in the 4thQ and need to throw more I think we'll see Hatfield.

 

[ISUBU]

I attended that game in 2016. It was a very disappointing loss as we had that game under control. Just goes to show that you can't let up and that things can change quickly. Inferior teams block punts, recover fumbles, make miracle catches and have other unexpected things happen that can flip a close game.

It is not a bad drive to Conway, but it isn't a one day round trip. What struck me about their stadium and set-up is that they have a typical two lane street on the north edge of the stadium that has people parked and tailgating. Also, the back of the general admission side of the stadium is only about 15 or 20 feet away from a larger building. You could watch the game out the window, and they may have even had some suites up there. I remember thinking that it was a good way to share usage, and possibly a creative way to build some suites.

I too thought the announcers last week didn't sound like homers. But I also heard them confusing the players from the two teams at times. That doesn't happen when you have a home crew working the games. I recall them mentioning which games they were covering this week, so they must have been ESPN announcers. We generally do have a professional announcing team cover our games. And I'll add that some of the work our media students do is outstanding.

 

[fourthandshort]

Greetings everyone. UCA fan here. Look forward to a good game tomorrow. I watched some of your game against SEMO and was very impressed with your defense as well as obviously the running game. Our defense has struggled at times defending the run this season and we have also really had a hell of a time trying to run the ball. I fear this could really bite us in the game tomorrow.

That being said, our QB has had a really strong year. He’s made some mistakes and had a bit of a turnover bug as of late, but in the last two games of the season he seemed to get back to being his usual self. We have some very impressive young WR’s and some good RB’s but like I said, we’ve still struggled a lot in our run game. Run blocking has really been an issue for us. Size-wise, we’ve got a pretty good sized front 7, which I see some others have already mentioned on here. Our O-line is one of the biggest in our conference as well, but still that hasn’t translated to running the ball well. We’ve won quite a few close games this season, so I’d like to think our guys would feel comfortable in a close game tomorrow, but we shall see.

I know our defensive coaches will really be keying in on your RB but I’m not sure if that will make a difference. He looks like a grown man amongst boys out there. Was really impressive what he did last week and all season from what I can tell.

Weather wise, it should be perfect tomorrow. High of 52 and sunny. The university has promoted this game pretty heavily from what I can tell, so I’m hoping for a good crowd but who knows.

Hope to see a good contingent of your fans at the game. Anyone on here making the trip? And if any of you are making the trip and tailgating, be sure to grab alcohol in Pulaski County (Little Rock) because the county Conway is in is a dry county (don’t even get me started on that.)

Welcome Bear22 ... appreciate the pregame dialogue. Nice season for you guys and Southland seems to be getting stronger.

We're expecting a tough close game this week. Itll be a good pass offense against a good run offense. Our QB position and pass game has been pretty unstable as of late after our QB went down early in game 11. Tough adjusting without a strong #2 but we started to settle down last week.

But we owe you guys 4th qtr after our little implosion in 2016.

All for a trip to Fargo in December !!!!!

 

[fourthandshort]

I got it wrong in my head a couple times when I said UCA throws 65% of the time ... they throw 56% of the time .. still a lot. And against our run defense, they may throw closer to 65%.

Anyway .. they can throw it, and struggle to run it.

 

[Phantom]

This is what, the 3rd or 4th time we've played UCA?

I remember the first matchup with them in 2006. It was our home opener with some real good buzz after a solid '05 and coming literally a foot shy of beating Kansas State in week 1. UCA had some real cool fans that made the trip up and tailgated next to us. A late pick-6 by future NFLer Tom Nelson sealed up a tough 18-3 win in the driving rain --- followed immediately by a group of us sprinting from the Zoo, soaked, to catch a ride downtown to see Hairbangers Ball at Daddios bscene-drinkingcheers: :music-rockout:

I can't remember five minutes ago, but I can recall details like that for some reason...

 

[fourthandshort]

so don;'t get me started in 2016 game .. woops, too late

Here is box score

Team 1 2 3 4 Score
ISU 10 7 0 7 24
UCA 0 7 0 24 31

Here is their total yards by drive for first 3 qtrs:

1,3,-5,5,6,57 (12 plays),15 (6 plays),-6 ... that is not per play, that is per drive. Robinson had more than that on our first drive against SEMO.

So 66 total net yards on 36 plays over 8 drives .. less than 2 yards per play for 3 qtrs. One more cut of the data that will astound you .. of the 66 net total yards, 59 came on 1 long pass play in Q# , after which they still had to punt because they got a penalty and sack after that .. noting this is "net", so it takes offensive yards less offensive penalties. That means on 65 plays, they combined for 6 net yards, plus the 1 play for 59 yards thru 3 qtrs.


Here is their drive charts.

UCA 1st H26 15:00 Kickoff H27 14:09 Punt 3-1 0:51
UCA 1st H35 11:35 Kickoff H38 10:34 Interception 3-3 1:01
UCA 1st H13 05:58 Kickoff H08 04:49 Punt 3--5 1:09
UCA 1st H04 03:43 Punt H09 02:00 Punt 3-5 1:43
UCA 1st H43 01:56 Fumble H49 00:10 Punt 3-6 1:46
UCA 2nd H43 13:53 Punt V00 09:51 * TOUCHDOWN 12-57 4:02 #
UCA 2nd H41 05:38 Kickoff V44 03:25 Punt 6-15 2:13
UCA 2nd H19 01:18 Punt H13 00:00 Punt 3--6 1:18
UCA 3rd H35 15:00 Possession H35 14:56 Kickoff 0-0 0:04
UCA 3rd H02 10:17 Punt V40 09:10 Punt 4-58 1:07
UCA 3rd V21 06:25 Fumble V12 05:24 Downs 4-9 1:01 #
UCA 3rd H16 03:45 Punt H16 03:14 Punt 3-0 0:31
UCA 3rd H15 01:47 Punt H33 00:19 Punt 5-18 1:28

But then we have 2 special teams mistakes .. blocked punt for TD in fist minute of Q4, then they started moving the ball and fter their next score, we got a 15 yard penalty, which they assessed on their KO .. so they onside kick from the 50 to our 38. We hold but they get a FG .. 10 points justy like that. We lost our mojo from there, and lose by 7.

Robinson was true FR and just back from injury that game after month+ off .. had 1 carry for -6 yards. he wasn't ready to go, plus we had nice stable of RBs that year anyway.