Big shoes to fill: Park, Dick competing for spot vacated by prolific Bears OB.(COLLEGE: University of Central Arkansas)

Last season the UCA Bears rode Nathan Brown and a high-octane offense to a first-place finish in the Southland conference. This year, they will either be riding a capable career back-up or a highly touted transfer from Arkansas.

Fifth-year senior Robbie Park enters fall practices as the projected starter mostly due to his extensive knowledge of the offense. Arkansas transfer Nathan Dick will attempt to make a push during two-a-days.

Park, who backed up Nathan Brown during his prolific career at UCA, has only one career start but will have learned under one of the best to play the position in the state's college football history. Conque stressed the fact that whoever comes into the position will have unreasonable expectations after Brown threw for 10,558 yards and 100 touchdowns in his career.

"Robbie has command and control of our offense," coach Clint Conque said. "He really understands what we try to do on the offensive side of the ball."

"I think that you never replace a player like Nathan," Conque added. "I think you can give other people the opportunity to fulfill that role, but you can't replace him."

After starting two games for the Razorbacks last season, Dick is seeking to be the next great Nathan to throw the ball for the Bears. His SEC experience has the coaching staff excited about what he can do.

"He is a very talented young man who grew by leaps and bounds during the 15 days we were here for spring ball," Conque said. "He continues to get a grasp of the offense."

Dick, the younger brother of recent Razorback graduate Casey Dick, decided to transfer after it looked like Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson would be competing for the starting job. Dick is still adjusting to a new offensive scheme and could push Park for playing time once fall camp begins Aug. 2.

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Freshman Trae Cook from Muskogee (Okla.) will also be in the mix, giving the Bears a dual-threat option if they want to go that route. Conque is excited that there is competition for the position, believing it will make all the players involved better.

"This is the bedrock of our program," Conque said. "The players that give us the best chance to win on game days will be the ones that are out there."

Whoever takes over at quarterback will not be looked at to be the star of the team like a year ago. That distinction goes to senior defensive end Larry Hart. Hart, who was the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year last year and was named to numerous All-American teams, will lead a stout defense that returns nine starters.

The defense may have to carry things as the offense replaces quite a bit of its key personnel from a year ago and struggled some during the spring. UCA has seven starters returning, but must replace its top playmakers.

"Any time you lose an All-American quarterback, an All-American tight end [Marquez Branson], two offensive linemen and your leading receiver you're going to have some issues," Conque said. "We were a little disjointed in spring ball."

The defense, led by Hart, seems ready to step up its game and compensate for a decrease in offensive production. Conque knows that Hart, who had 12 sacks last year, must be a catalyst for his defense.

"He's just a big-play guy," Conque said. "He's a threat to the offense on any given snap."

"He has a unique combination of speed, athleticism and strength," Conque added. "He plays very low, with great leverage."

Hart is not the only player on this defense that could garner post-season acclaim, however. There are as many as four other defensive standouts who will help Hart shut down Southland opponents in 2009.

Taylor Scott, who played his high school football at CAC, will join Hart on the defensive line at the tackle position. They will form a highly disruptive tandem that should spend as much time in the opposing backfield as they do on their side of the ball.

Pieri Seazell, a safety, and Anthony Gambles, a cornerback and punt returner, will team up in the secondary to lock down opposing receivers. At the linebacker position, James Lancaster from Cordova, Tenn. will shoot the gaps created by Hart and Scott and make plays all over the field for new defensive coordinator Matt Williams. )

BEARS REWARDED WITH TRIP TO HAWAII

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Central Arkansas is playing a bowl game in September. Sort of.

Actually, the Bears are opening the season Sept. 5 in Hawaii, but they're looking at it as like a postseason reward. Because the Bears are still ineligible for post-season play due to their transition to Division-l, the coaches are looking at this game as sort of a regular-season bowl game.

Coach CLINT CONQUE also views this game as a bonus for the large senior class that has not been able to play in the postseason during their time in Conway

"This is a reward for our players, particularly our seniors, for taking us through this transition," Conque said.

Conque, like many coaches before him, is a little worried that his team will lose focus while in the islands. Not to mention more than 3,500 miles separate Honolulu and Conway.

"Logistically it's difficult to make the trip, then once you get down there, there are a lot of distractions," Conque said. "I think having 23 seniors, that that leadership will help us get focused."

Football won't be the only focus. UCA players, staff and coaches will travel to Pearl Harbor while in Hawaii.

"We're going to take them to Pearl Harbor before the game," Conque said. "We think that's important."

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