# 2018 Central Arkansas Bears football team

The 2018 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by first-year head coach Nathan Brown and played their home games at Estes Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 6–5, 5–4 in Southland play to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place.

## Preseason
### Preseason All-Conference Teams

On July 12, 2018, the Southland announced their Preseason All-Conference Teams, with the Bears having 11 players selected.
Offense First Team
* Carlos Blackman – Jr. RB
Defense First Team
* Chris Terrell – Jr. DL
* Eric Jackson – Sr. DL
* Juan Jackson – Jr. DB
Offense Second Team
* Josh Nix – So. TE
* Adrian Harris – So. OL
* Hunter Watts – Jr. OL
Defense Second Team
* Cardell Best – Sr. DL
* Nathan Grant – So. DL
* Raphael Garner – Sr. LB
* Cedric Battle – Sr. KR

### Preseason poll

On July 19, 2018, the Southland announced their preseason poll, with the Bears predicted to finish in third place.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Sam Houston State | 187 (10) |
| 2 | Nicholls State | 173 (6) |
| 3 | Central Arkansas | 170 (5) |
| 4 | McNeese State | 159 (1) |
| 5 | Southeastern Louisiana | 119 |
| 6 | Stephen F. Austin | 90 |
| 7 | Abilene Christian | 89 |
| 8 | Northwestern State | 86 |
| 9 | Incarnate Word | 53 |
| 10 | Lamar | 52 |
| 11 | Houston Baptist | 32 |

### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Buck Buchanan Award | Chris Terrell | DE | JR |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 6:00 p.m. | at Tulsa* | No. 16 | H. A. Chapman StadiumTulsa, OK | ESPN3 | L 27–38 | 18,356 |
| September 8 | 6:00 pm | Murray State* | No. 17 | Estes StadiumConway, AR | SLC Digital | W 26–13 | 6,121 |
| September 15 | 7:00 p.m. | at Southeastern Louisiana | No. 18 | Strawberry StadiumHammond, LA | ESPN+ | W 33–25 | 6,485 |
| September 29 | 3:00 pm | at No. 21 Sam Houston State | No. 13 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX | ESPN3 | L 31–34 $^{OT}$ | 7,598 |
| October 6 | 6:00 pm | Houston Baptist | No. 20 | Estes StadiumConway, AR | Bear Nation Network | W 66–35 | 10,210 |
| October 13 | 3:00 p.m. | at Stephen F. Austin | No. 18 | Homer Bryce StadiumNacogdoches, TX | ESPN3 | W 27–17 | 5,976 |
| October 20 | 6:00 pm | Northwestern State | No. 15 | Estes StadiumConway, AR | Bear Nation Network | W 38–17 | 6,754 |
| October 27 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 14 McNeese State | No. 13 | Cowboy StadiumLake Charles, LA (Red Beans and Rice Bowl) | ESPN3 | L 21–23 | 11,208 |
| November 3 | 6:00 pm | Lamar | No. 19 | Estes StadiumConway, AR | ELVN, CST, SLC Digital | L 24–38 | 10,874 |
| November 10 | 3:00 pm | Incarnate Word | | Estes StadiumConway, AR | SLC Digital | L 27–40 | 4,457 |
| November 17 | 2:00 p.m. | at Abilene Christian | | Wildcat StadiumAbilene, TX | ESPN+ | W 16–7 | 8,006 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### At Tulsa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Bears | 13 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
| • Golden Hurricane | 7 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 38 |

### Murray State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Racers | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| • No. 17 Bears | 7 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 26 |

### At Southeastern Louisiana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 18 Bears | 0 | 13 | 14 | 6 | 33 |
| Lions | 7 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 25 |

### At Sam Houston State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| No. 13 Bears | 3 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| • No. 21 Bearkats | 0 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 34 |

### Houston Baptist

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Huskies | 14 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 35 |
| • No. 20 Bears | 21 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 66 |

### At Stephen F. Austin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 18 Bears | 7 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 27 |
| Lumberjacks | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |

### Northwestern State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Demons | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| • No. 15 Bears | 14 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 38 |

### At McNeese State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 13 Bears | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| • No. 14 Cowboys | 17 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 23 |

### Lamar

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Cardinals | 21 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 38 |
| No. 19 Bears | 10 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 24 |

### Incarnate Word

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Cardinals | 3 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 40 |
| Bears | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |

### At Abilene Christian

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Bears | 0 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 16 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 13–T | 20 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 19 | RV | RV | RV | |
| Coaches | 15 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 19 | RV | — | — | |