Ledger includes pair of UAC league tilts, three match-ups against Big Sky foes
Week 3 action around United Athletic Conference Football is headlined by a pair of league tilts including a rematch of the defacto 2023 UAC Championship game pitting Austin Peay against No. 7 Central Arkansas on “The Stripes” in Conway, Ark. Eastern Kentucky welcomes league newcomer West Georgia for the Colonels home debut in the other conference clash. North Alabama visits co-defending OVC-Big South Champion UT Martin in a big inter-regional rivalry while a trio of conference squads square off against Big Sky Conference opponents.
NOTEWORTHY
– Eight of the league’s nine teams will hit the gridiron over six games on Saturday as Tarleton State becomes the first squad with a bye after playing in Week 0… Week three marks the first Saturday that no UAC member will be facing off against an FBS opponent
– Southern Utah made league history last weekend after topping FBS member UTEP on the road to secure the UAC’s first win over an FBS opponent… UCA nearly pulled off the feat in their season opener at Arkansas State, but a controversial review on a late scoring play ended the Bears bid for history
– RANKED TEAMS: For the first time in league history, a trio of UAC teams were ranked in one of the two FCS national polls with Central Arkansas (#7), Tarleton State (#16) and Abilene Christian (#25) all listed on the Stats Perform Top 25… UCA (#7) and TSU (#17) were also ranked in the latest AFCA FCS poll with ACU joined by Austin Peay and Southern Utah in the receiving votes category
– RANKED FOES: Southern Utah follows up its win over FBS foe UTEP with a home battle versus #12/15 ranked UC Davis in the league’s lone game against a ranked foe
– EYE ON THE (BIG) SKY: Saturday pits three UAC teams against members of the Big Sky Conference (one of the premier FCS conferences)… Opponents this week include: Northern Colorado (ACU), UC Davis (SUU) and Northern Arizona (UT)… League teams went 2-3 against the Big Sky last season and dropped the only previous meeting between the conferences this season
– After earning the UAC’s first FBS win, the T-Birds look to collect the league’s first victory versus a ranked FCS squad on Saturday… EKU defeated #16 Southeast Missouri last season for the conference’s first and only win over a ranked opponent in its two-year history
– No. 25 ACU enters the weekend as a ranked team for the first time since 2012 (during their D2 era)… The Wildcats are 11-6-1 all-time versus Northern Colorado including a 31-11 win last year
– Colonels not only playing their first home game but also the first game against an FCS foe after opening the season with back-to-back FBS foes… UWG’s schedule includes seven home games and just four road contests but this marks the Wolves second consecutive game away from home
– The UAC “Game of the Week” features the league’s defending champion Austin Peay visiting preseason favorite and nationally-ranked No. 7 Central Arkansas in a rematch of the conference title game from a year ago won by the Govs, 14-12, in Clarksville… APSU is undefeated in UAC play having gone undefeated last season… Bears own a 4-1 lead in the all-time series including a 1-0 mark on “The Stripes”
– Playing for the fourth straight week, UNA seeks its first win of the season in an intra-regional rivalry game at UT Martin… Lions have won last five meetings wit hthe Skyhawks and hold a 19-13-1 advantage in the series… North Alabama has produced all three of the UAC Freshman of the Week award winners this season
– Looking to build on its first FBS win since 2013 (def. UTEP), Southern Utah hosts No. 12 UC Davis in their home debut with hopes of avenging a tough 23-21 loss last season in California
– Utah Tech wraps up the day’s action hosting Northern Arizona, a squad the Trailblazer topped 51-36 a year ago… All-time series with NAU is tied 1-1
MILESTONE WATCHES:
– Maverick McIvor (ACU QB) needs 13 yards to reach 5,000 career passing yards
– ShunDerrick Powell (UCA RB) needs 20 yards to reach 3,000 career rushing yards
– Will McElvain (UCA QB) needs 430 yards for 6,000 career passing yards
– Kayvon Britten (TSU RB) needs 186 yards for 3,000 career rushing yards
– Takairee Kenebrew (UNA WR) needs 29 yards for 2,000 career receiving yards
– Darius Cooper (TSU WR) needs 64 yards for 2,000 career receiving yards
– Southern Utah Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald has 98 career coaching victories
SCHEDULED GAMES
#25 Abilene Christian vs Northern Colorado
#7 Central Arkansas vs Austin Peay
Eastern Kentucky vs West Georgia
North Alabama vs UT Martin
Southern Utah vs #12 UC Davis
Utah Tech vs Northern Arizona
