2017 Central Arkansas Bears football team

American college football season

2017 Central Arkansas Bears football

Southland Conference champion
FCS Playoffs Second Round, L 15–21 vs. New Hampshire
Conference	Southland Conference
Ranking
STATS	No. 10
FCS Coaches	No. 8
Record	10–2 (9–0 Southland)
Head coach	Steve Campbell (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Nathan Brown (4th season)
Defensive coordinator	Greg Stewart (4th season)
Home stadium	Estes Stadium
Seasons← 2016 2018 →

2017 Southland Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 10 Central Arkansas $^	9	–	0	10	–	2
No. 4 Sam Houston State ^	8	–	1	12	–	2
No. 25 Nicholls State ^	7	–	2	8	–	4
No. 22 McNeese State	7	–	2	9	–	2
Southeastern Louisiana	6	–	3	6	–	5
Northwestern State	4	–	5	4	–	7
Stephen F. Austin	4	–	5	4	–	7
Abilene Christian	2	–	7	2	–	9
Incarnate Word	1	–	7	1	–	10
Lamar	1	–	8	2	–	9
Houston Baptist	0	–	9	1	–	10

$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS poll

The 2017 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by fourth-year head coach Steve Campbell and played their home games at Estes Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 10–2, 9–0 in Southland play to be crowned Southland Conference champions. They received the Southland's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost to New Hampshire in the Second Round.

On December 7, head coach Steve Campbell resigned to become the head coach at South Alabama. He finished at Central Arkansas with a four-year record of 33–15.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	6:10 p.m.	at No. 20 (FBS) Kansas State*	No. 15	Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium Manhattan, KS	ESPN3	L 19–55	51,043
September 9	6:00 p.m.	at Murray State*	No. 15	Roy Stewart Stadium Murray, KY	OVCDN	W 41–13	7,456
September 16	7:15 p.m.	Southeastern Louisiana	No. 14	Estes Stadium Conway, AR	ELVN	W 38–6	10,237
September 30	6:00 p.m.	No. 3 Sam Houston State	No. 11	Estes Stadium Conway, AR	ESPN3	W 41–30	11,347
October 7	6:00 p.m.	at Houston Baptist	No. 6	Husky Stadium Houston, TX	FSSW+	W 27–7	2,543
October 14	6:00 p.m.	Stephen F. Austin	No. 6	Estes Stadium Conway, AR	ESPN3	W 24–20	9,263
October 21	6:00 p.m.	at Northwestern State	No. 6	Harry Turpin Stadium Natchitoches, LA	DemonTV	W 45–17	8,252
October 28	6:00 p.m.	No. 20 McNeese State	No. 4	Estes Stadium Conway, AR (Red Beans and Rice Bowl)	ESPN3	W 47–17	9,887
November 4	6:10 p.m.	at Lamar	No. 4	Provost Umphrey Stadium Beaumont, TX	ESPN3	W 42–14	8,417
November 11	6:00 p.m.	at Incarnate Word	No. 3	Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium San Antonio, TX	UIWtv	W 56–10	4,652
November 18	3:00 p.m.	Abilene Christian	No. 3	Estes Stadium Conway, AR	ESPN3	W 34–0	4,325
December 2	2:00 p.m.	No. 21 New Hampshire*	No. 3	Estes Stadium Conway, AR (NCAA Division I Second Round)	ESPN3	L 15–21	6,243
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Game summaries

At Kansas State

Central Arkansas at Kansas State

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 15 Bears	10	6	3	0	19
• No. 20 (FBS) Wildcats	10	28	10	7	55

Date: September 2
Location: Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
Manhattan, KS
Game start: 6:10 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:11
Game attendance: 51,043
Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C) • WSW 7 • Clear
Referee: Brandon Cruse
TV announcers (ESPN3): Play-by-Play: Brian Smoller Analyst: Travis Tannahill

Sources:

At Murray State

Central Arkansas at Murray State

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 15 Bears	10	21	7	3	41
Racers	0	6	0	7	13

Date: September 9
Location: Roy Stewart Stadium
Murray, KY
Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 2:46
Game attendance: 7,456
Referee: Andrew Faust
TV announcers (OVCDN): Play-by-Play: Neal Bradley Analyst: Josh McKeel

Sources:

Southeastern Louisiana

Southeastern Louisiana at Central Arkansas

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	3	0	3	6
• No. 14 Bears	7	7	21	3	38

Date: September 16
Location: Estes Stadium
Conway, AR
Game start: 7:15 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 2:58
Game attendance: 10,237
Referee: K. Boitman
TV announcers (ELVN): Play-by-Play: Steve Sullivan Analyst: Fitz Hill

Sources:

Sam Houston State

Sam Houston State at Central Arkansas

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 3 Bearkats	7	10	7	6	30
• No. 11 Bears	14	17	3	7	41

Date: September 30
Location: Estes Stadium
Conway, AR
Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:44
Game attendance: 11,347
Referee: Brandon Cruise
TV announcers (ESPN3): Play-By-Play: Randy McIlvoy Analyst: Shea Walker Sideline: Tatum Everett

Sources:

At Houston Baptist

Central Arkansas at Houston Baptist

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 6 Bears	14	0	7	6	27
Huskies	7	0	0	0	7

Date: October 7
Location: Husky Stadium
Houston, TX
Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 2:23
Game attendance: 2,543
Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C) • WSW 7 • Clear
Referee: Dan Lewis
TV announcers (FSSW+): Play-by-Play: Tom Franklin Analyst: John Harris Sideline: Maya Golden

Sources:

Stephen F. Austin

Stephen F. Austin at Central Arkansas

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lumberjacks	0	14	3	3	20
• No. 6 Bears	7	7	3	7	24

Date: October 14
Location: Estes Stadium
Conway, AR
Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:25
Game attendance: 9,263
Referee: Vidal Jones
TV announcers (ESPN3): Play-by-Play: Lincoln Rose Analyst: Nate Griffin

Sources:

At Northwestern State

Central Arkansas at Northwestern State

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 6 Bears	10	14	14	7	45
Demons	3	7	7	0	17

Date: October 21
Location: Harry Turpin Stadium
Natchitoches, LA
Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 5:06
Game attendance: 8,252
Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C) • SSE 5 • Overcast
Referee: Ross Smith
TV announcers (DTV): Play-by-Play: Patrick Netherton Analyst: Richard deVargas Sideline: Tony Taglavore

Sources:

McNeese State

McNeese State at Central Arkansas<
(homecoming)

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 20 Cowboys	10	0	7	0	17
• No. 4 Bears	9	21	14	3	47

Date: October 28
Location: Estes Stadium
Conway, AR
Game start: 6:00 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3:30
Game attendance: 9,887
Referee: Scott Campbell
TV announcers (ESPN3): Play-by-Play: Jeff Brightwell Analyst: Stan Humphries Sideline: Tatum Everett

Sources:

At Lamar

Central Arkansas at Lamar

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 4 Bears	14	7	21	0	42
Cardinals	7	0	0	7	14

Date: November 4
Location: Provost Umphrey Stadium
Beaumont, TX
Game start: 6:10 p.m. CST
Elapsed time: 3:03
Game attendance: 8,417
Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C) • S 8 • Partly cloudy
TV announcers (ESPN3): Play-by-Play: Dan Gresham Analyst: Lemont Williams

Sources:

At Incarnate Word

Central Arkansas at Incarnate Word

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 3 Bears	14	28	0	14	56
Cardinals	3	0	0	7	10

Date: November 11
Location: Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium
San Antonio, TX
Game start: 6:00 p.m. CST
Elapsed time: 2:50
Game attendance: 4,652
Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C) • E 7 • Cloudy, showers
Referee: Ray Edwards
TV announcers (UIWtv): Play-by-Play: Chris Reyes Analyst: Jaime Valdez

Sources:

Abilene Christian

Abilene Christian at Central Arkansas

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	0	0	0	0
• No. 3 Bears	14	6	7	7	34

Date: November 18
Location: Estes Stadium
Conway, AR
Game start: 3:00 p.m. CST
Game attendance: 4,325

Sources:

FCS Playoffs

New Hampshire–Second Round

FCS Playoffs Second Round

	1	2	3	4	Total
• No. 21 Wildcats	7	0	7	7	21
No. 3 Bears	7	0	0	8	15

Date: December 2
Location: Estes Stadium
Conway, AR
Game start: 2:00 p.m. CST
Television network: ESPN3

Sources:

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Final
STATS FCS	15	15	14	12	11	6	6	6	4	4	3	3	3	10
Coaches	15	16	16	13	12	8	6	6	4	4	3	3	3	8

References

"South Alabama Names Steve Campbell Head Football Coach".
^ "Football vs Kansas State University on 9/2/2017". Retrieved September 6, 2017.
^ "Football vs Murray State University on 9/9/2017". Retrieved September 10, 2017.
^ "Football vs Southeastern Louisiana University on 9/16/2017". Retrieved September 20, 2017.
^ "Football vs Sam Houston State University on 9/30/2017". Retrieved October 10, 2017.
^ "Football vs Houston Baptist University on 10/7/2017". Retrieved October 10, 2017.
^ "Football vs Stephen F. Austin on 10/14/2017". Retrieved November 14, 2017.
^ "Football vs Northwestern State University on 10/21/2017". Retrieved November 14, 2017.
^ "Football vs McNeese on 10/28/2017". Retrieved November 14, 2017.
^ "Football vs Lamar University on 11/4/2017". Retrieved November 14, 2017.
^ "Football vs University of the Incarnate Word on 11/11/2017". Retrieved November 14, 2017.

v t e Central Arkansas Bears football
Venues	Estes Stadium (1939–present)
Bowls & rivalries	1937 Charity Bowl 1947 Kickapoo Bowl McNeese State: Red Beans and Rice Bowl
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t e Southland Conference football champions
College Division	Lamar Tech (1964) Lamar Tech (1965) Arlington State & Lamar Tech (1966) UT Arlington (1967) Arkansas State (1968) Arkansas State (1969) Arkansas State (1970) Lamar, Louisiana Tech, & Trinity (1971) Louisiana Tech (1972)
Division II	Louisiana Tech (1973) Louisiana Tech (1974)
Division I	Arkansas State (1975) McNeese State (1976) Louisiana Tech (1977)
Division I-A	Arkansas State & Louisiana Tech (1978) McNeese State (1979) McNeese State (1980) UT Arlington (1981)
Division I-AA/FCS	Louisiana Tech (1982) North Texas State & Northeast Louisiana (1983) Louisiana Tech (1984) Arkansas State (1985) Arkansas State (1986) Northeast Louisiana (1987) Northwestern State (1988) Stephen F. Austin (1989) Northeast Louisiana (1990) McNeese State & Sam Houston State (1991) Northeast Louisiana (1992) McNeese State (1993) North Texas (1994) McNeese State (1995) Troy State (1996) McNeese State & Northwestern State (1997) Northwestern State (1998) Stephen F. Austin & Troy State (1999) Troy State (2000) McNeese State & Sam Houston State (2001) McNeese State (2002) McNeese State (2003) Northwestern State & Sam Houston State (2004) Nicholls State & Texas State (2005) McNeese State (2006) McNeese State (2007) Central Arkansas (2008) McNeese State & Stephen F. Austin (2009) Stephen F. Austin (2010) Sam Houston State (2011) Central Arkansas & Sam Houston State (2012) Southeastern Louisiana (2013) Sam Houston State & Southeastern Louisiana (2014) McNeese State (2015) Sam Houston State (2016) Central Arkansas (2017) Incarnate Word & Nicholls (2018) Central Arkansas & Nicholls (2019) Sam Houston State (2020) Incarnate Word (2021) Incarnate Word & Southeastern Louisiana (2022) Nicholls (2023) Incarnate Word (2024)
National championships in bold

Categories: