UACFOOTBALL -- Bye, Bye, Bye... NYSNC could be the official musical sponsor for Week 8 around United Athletic Conference (UAC) Football with three squads having the week off from competition. However, the ledger does include a trio of head-to-head contests headlined by a ranked battle between No. 3 Tarleton State and No. 23 West Georgia.

- Week 7 Recap: In another battle of ranked foes, Abilene Christian jumped out to an early lead on the road to hand West Georgia its first home loss of the season... Tarleton State kept itself in the elite group of undefeated squads after topping Utah Tech on the road... The rivalry renewal between EKU and APSU was a back-and-forth battle until a pair of late scores allowed the Colonels to win its 10th consecutive home game... UCA exploded offensively en route to a road win at North Alabama

NOTEWORTHY
- In the latest FCS National Rankings, the UAC saw four teams holding spots in Top 25 lists for the fourth straight week... Undefeated Tarleton State solidified its No. 3-ranking in the traditional polls (AFCA & Stats Perform) along with being listed No. 3 in the first in-season FCS Championship Committee ranking. Abilene Christian moved up to No. 13 (Stats Perform)/No. 17 (AFCA) following its decisive road win at West Georgia, who slipped to No. 23 (AFCA) and the top team receiving votes in the Stats Perform listing. Austin Peay extended its streak of ranked weeks, No. 23 (Stats Perform)/No. 24 (AFCA) despite falling at EKU.  The Colonels collected votes in both polls while Central Arkansas earned votes in the AFCA rankings.

- No. 23 West Georgia (5-2, 2-2 UAC) faces its third consecutive ranked UAC opponent as the Wolves travel to the "Lone Star" state for a match-up with No. 3 Tarlene State (7-0, 3-0 UAC)... The Wolves are seeking to secure their second win over a ranked opponent this season while the Texans are looking for their first ranked victory of 2025

- EKU (3-3, 1-1 UAC) hope to build on the momentum from two wins in-a-row highlighted by an win over ranked APSU last Saturday when they visit North Alabama (1-5, 0-2 UAC)... The Colonels are undefeated at home this year but looking to earn their first road victory

- Southern Utah (1-5, 0-2 UAC) returns from its bye for a key home meeting with No. 13 Abilene Christian (4-3, 3-0 UAC)... The T-Birds have been close in several games against ranked teams this season, having played in a trio of single possession contests, while the defending UAC champion Wildcats look to keep their conference record unblemished

- Three league squads will enjoy a mid-season Saturday off with No. 23 Austin Peay, Central Arkansas and Utah Tech on byes

- For a third consecutive season the UAC had a member squad compete in Week 0 on national television as No. 8/10 Tarleton State blanked Portland State, 42-0, on ESPN2. The win marked the first shutout performance for an FCS team in Week 0 history... The league owns a 2-2 mark in Week 0 play

- Heading into the 2025 season, UAC lineups include a trio of players listed on national award watch lists with Tarleton State QB Victor Gabalis named to the Walter Payton Award list along with a pair of defensive standouts, Lando Brown of Southern Utah and Abilene Christian's Will Shaffer, part of the Buck Buchanan Award list... Gabalis (Offensive) and Shaffer (Defensive) were tabbed the preseason Player of the Year choices by the conference coaches.

- In its brief three-year history, UAC Football has already produced THREE FCS over FBS wins: TSU over Army, 30-27 2OT and APSU defeated MTSU, 34-14 this season | SUU topped UTEP, 27-24 OT in 2024... The UAC now boasts THREE wins over a ranked non-conference FCS foe: ACU over #23 SFA, 28-20 and UWG over #22 Nicholls, 34-10 this season | EKU defeated #16 SEMO, 41-38, in 2023... Additionally, the league owns a pair of FCS Playoff wins in 2024 by the Wildcats and Texans