Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Central Arkansas' purple-and-gray turf will be the backdrop for the SLC-TV Game of the Week Saturday as  UCA (3-3, 2-1) hosts McNeese State (3-2, 2-0). Kickoff is scheduled for 3:05 p.m.

While UCA quarterback Nathan Dick continues to stack yards onto his career passing total, it will be the defenses of both teams that will likely invite the most attention. Bears lineman Jermayne Lett and Cowboys lineman Desmund Lighten were both featured as CollegeFootballPerformance.com's National Defensive Performers of the Week.

Lett hit six solo tackles last week at Nicholls and assisted on two others. He sacked quarterback Landry Klann three times for a loss of 16 yards. The Bears won the game, 37-31.

Lighten made 12 tackles during McNeese's loss to Texas State last week. The Bobcats ended McNeese's three-game winning streak 21-14, though the Cowboys made more gains in total offense, 365 yards to 249.

There's more to Saturday's rivalry beyond being conference opponents. UCA Coach Clint Conque was an assistant coach at McNeese State during the late 1980s. One of Conque's current assistant coaches, Slade Nagle, played for the Cowboys, leading the team at quarterback to a Southland title in 2001.

The rivalry match-up is also known as the "Red Beans & Rice Bowl," with a black iron pot trophy as the prize for the winner. UCA is the current possessor of the pot, and has kept it after two of the last three meetings.

This SLC-TV Game of the Week can be seen in central Arkansas on KARZ-TV, Channel 42.

Here is how UCA ranks in its averages, nationally and in the Southland Conference after Week 6.