CONWAY -- Central Arkansas reached the brink of an at-large berth in the FCS playoffs Saturday night in large part because of its ability to overcome frequent injuries to key pieces all season.
The Bears finally hit their limit in their regular-season finale at Estes Stadium.
Running back Blake Veasley left in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury and didn't return, leaving UCA's offense without a seasoned back against No. 12 Sam Houston State. The senior then watched the second half on crutches as an ineffective Bears offense was unable to keep up with the explosive Bearkats, who scored five consecutive touchdowns in a 42-13 victory that likely earned them an at-large berth in the national playoffs.
Coach Steve Campbell has made a point all season to not use injuries -- UCA has lost two quarterbacks, a starting receiver and three running backs to various injuries at times this season -- as a reason to explain his team's shortcomings. Campbell didn't Saturday night, either, but acknowledged Veasley's absence might have altered the direction of a game that could end up being UCA's last this season.
"I think maybe when Blake went down, maybe that did a little something to our psyche," Campbell said. "I don't know. Maybe adding them all up finally got to be a little much for us to overcome."
It was certainly too much for UCA to overcome on this night.
The No. 25 Bears (7-4, 7-2) drove into Bearkats' territory on their first two drives, but settled for Jace Denker field goals. The second came from 35 yards out and pulled the Bears within 7-6. But Veasley went down earlier on that drive, and when Sam Houston State's Cory Avery scored on a 45-yard run on the first play following a UCA turnover on downs, the Southland's best offense was off and running.
Avery scored on a 3-yard run on its next drive, Jared Johnson then followed with a 50-yard pass to Gerald Thomas and closed the half on a 3-yard fade pass to LaDarius Brown that gave the Bearkats (8-3, 7-2) a 35-6 lead at halftime.
"It went boom, boom, boom," Campbell said.
UCA receiver Desmond Smith said his teammates felt "gloom" in the locker room at halftime, but insisted they never thought they were out of it.
"We have an explosive enough team where we feel like we can come back from deficits like that," said Smith, who caught 6 passes for 65 yards while playing with an injured hip.
That thought was put to rest permanently on the Bearkats' first drive of the third quarter, when Jalen Overstreet scored on a 30-yard run to make it 42-6.
Sam Houston State finished with 548 yards of offense -- 280 passing and 268 rushing -- led by Johnson, who was 15 of 30 for 279 yards and 2 touchdowns. Avery gained 109 yards and scored 2 touchdowns and Overstreet gained 75 with 2 scores.
"They're very balanced," Campbell said. "There's a reason they're a good football team."
UCA didn't score its first touchdown until late in the third quarter, when Hildebrand, who twice left the game after rolling an ankle, connected with Jatavious Wilson for a 28-yard touchdown to make it 42-13. Hildebrand finished 17 of 33 for 189 yards and 1 touchdown with 2 interceptions.
Jeff Anderson filled in for Veasley with 15 carries for 86 yards, Darrien Daniels had 58 yards on 15 carries and the Bears finished with 184 yards rushing. But Hildebrand acknowledged, too, a missing element with Veasley joining Dominique Smith, who has missed the last three games with a concussion, on the sideline.
"That might have had something to do with it," Hildebrand said. "I can't really put my finger on what went wrong, but it seemed like everything that could go wrong for us in the first half -- it happened."
Now Campbell and his players wait for the FCS playoff selection show at 10 a.m. today. Campbell and UCA Athletic Director Brad Teague, who is on the selection committee, said this week that UCA would be a virtual lock with a victory. Neither was sure with a loss.
Campbell said Saturday night that he hadn't compared his team's resume with others, but feels he has coached one of the FCS' best 24 teams this season. UCA finished in a tie for second in the Southland, with its only losses to McNeese State, which UCA led in the fourth quarter of a 28-13 loss last month, and Sam Houston State, both are expected playoff teams.
"I think we're very, very deserving of getting in," Campbell said. "We've won seven out of eight and should have won the eighth. And then, tonight, we just dug ourselves in a bit of a hole and couldn't dig out."
Sports on 11/22/2015