CONWAY, Ark. _ A third-team quarterback was more than enough to carry the No. 18/20 University of Central Arkansas Bears to an easy 66-35 victory over the Houston Baptist Huskies on Saturday night before a crowd of 10,210 at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.

Luke Hales, in his first career action for the Bears, threw a touchdown pass on his first ever attempt and finished the night 16 of 27 for 304 yards and four more touchdowns as the Bears improved to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in Southland Conference play. The 66 points was the most the Bears have scored since a 70-0 win over HBU in 2014.

Hales, the Greenwood native playing in place of redshirt freshman starter Breylin Smith (broken ankle) and junior backup Kirk Baugh (shoulder injury), also recorded his first career rushing touchdown as the Bears piled up 254 yards on the ground, led by sophomore Kierre Crossley with 147 yards on 12 carries, an average of 12.2 yards per carry. Junior Carlos Blackman had UCA's other rushing touchdown on a one-yard push in the second quarter.
 

UCA scored quickly on its first two offensive possessions of the game, on Hales' 65-yard pass to a wide open senior receiver Jakari Dillard on the Bears' second play of the game, and on Hales' two-yard run on UCA's sixth play. UCA's third touchdown, at the 6:42 mark of the first quarter, was another Hales-to-Dillard pass, this one covering 31 yards, good for a 21-7 lead. That score was set up by an interception by sophomore Jackie Harvell at the UCA 46.

The Huskies (1-4, 0-3) stayed within striking distance of the Bears for the first quarter, trailing just 21-14 after 15 minutes. But the Bears added two more touchdowns in the second period, on Blackman's one-yard run and a 71-yard pass from Hales to sophomore Brandon Myers down the right sideline to give UCA a 35-21 halftime lead. UCA had 350 yards of total offense in the first half on just 36 plays ( 9.7 yards per play).

The UCA lead reached 49-21 less than four minutes into the second half as Hales found Myers again for a 42-yard touchdown on a one-play drive. UCA's Juan Jackson forced a fumble on HBU's ensuing possession at the Huskies' 12 and linebacker Reggio Dean scooped it up and scored from the 6 at the 11:17 mark of the third period.

UCA, which forced four turnovers (2 fumbles, 2 interceptions), got two more scores down the stretch, with senior Matt Cummins kicking a 19-yard field goal late in the third period and Hales hitting sophomore tight end Josh Nix with a 14-yard touchdown pass on the Bears' first possession of the fourth quarter for his first career touchdown reception.
 

For the game, UCA totaled a season-high 558 yards of total offense, averaging 7.5 yards per play. The Bears' defense held HBU to just 75 rushing yards. Sophomore quarterback Bailey Zappe threw for 346 yards and four touchdowns but attempted 54 passes, threw two interceptions and was sacked three times. HBU running back Dreshawn Minnieweather, who came into the game second in the SLC in rushing at 98.7 yards a game, was held to 37 yards on nine carries.

UCA sophomore Jaylin Small added UCA's other interception late in the fourth quarter. Also in the fourth quarter, feshman defensive end Jeremiah Gray forced a fumble and redshirt freshman Caden Brown recovered for UCA in HBU territory. Jackson, a junior safety from Gardendale, Ala., led the Bears with 13 tackles and a forced fumble, while Dean had 7 tackles and had a pair of tackles for a loss. UCA totaled eight tackles for loss, including three sacks. Thirty different players recorded tackles for the Bears, who kept their perfect record (5-0) against HBU since the Huskies joined the SLC. 

UCA, which played three of its first four games away from home, returns to the road next weekend at Stephen F. Austin. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. in Nacogdoches, Texas.