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    CONWAY, Ark. _ The University of Central Arkansas Bears will close out one of the more unique seasons in school history on Saturday afternoon with an unusual type of Senior Day in the final home game on "The Stripes" at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.

    The Bears will recognize and salute 18 seniors in their final home game when they host the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at 3 p.m. That group of seniors, who have won 29 games over the past three-plus years, have done a remarkable job navigating through an unprecedented season brought on by COVID-19. These seniors have won two Southland Conference championships and made two appearances in the FCS Playoffs.

    The Bears stand 4-4 this season against one of the toughest schedules in school history, one featuring a record three FBS programs. With the NCAA granting basically a "free" year for all student-athletes this fall, many of the players could return again next season. UCA head coach Nathan Brown said that will all be decided after the season. For now, it's time to salute the 2020 seniors.

    "The way we're choosing to honor those guys is, they are seniors in our program this year,' said Brown. "And whether they choose to come back or we choose to have them back, whatever their next steps in life are, we'll cross that bridge when it comes. But we want to honor all those guys for the way they have led us through this crazy year.

    "If we didn't have this group of seniors, and they way they've responded and reacted and led through this covid era of 2020, we wouldn't be where we are as a football program. And we definitely wouldn't be in Game 9 of the 2020 football season. So we'll honor all of those guys Saturday. It will obviously look a little different. Their families won't be involved like most Senior Nights because of covid restrictions. But we want to make sure we honor all those guys.

    "And if they choose to come back, then we'll honor them again next year.'

    To add another strange element to the final home game, the Bears will be taking on the Colonels for the second time in three weeks. EKU pulled out a 31-28 victory over the Bears on Oct. 24 in Richmond, Ky., answering UCA's late touchdown with the game-winning score with just 6 seconds left. And it's UCA's second time this season to play a team twice after a two-game sweep of Missouri State.

    "Looking forward to Game 2 against Eastern Kentucky,' said Brown. "We talked to our players constantly this week about the opportunity that is at hand, and one that you don't get very often when you play football. A chance to play an opponent twice, and especially an opponent that you lost to prior in the year. So to get an opportunity to avenge that tough loss in the last six seconds is something that is exciting for our program and for our guys.

    "We're just excited we get to welcome Eastern Kentucky to "The Stripes.'"
 

    The Bears overcame deficits of 17-7 and 24-14 in the first meeting, scoring two touchdowns in the final 4:35, including a one-yard keeper by quarterback Breylin Smith with 1:21 remaining. However, the Colonels (2-4) drove 77 yards in eight plays and scored on a 21-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Dakota Allen to Matt Wilcox in the final seconds.

    "Credit goes to Dakota Allen and the EKU players for making plays on that final drive,' said Brown. "We've been in that position a lot of times. People around our program know that over the last two or three years, we've been known for our fourth-quarter comebacks. Making enough plays late and then our defense coming up big at the end to win football games.

    "And it got reversed in that game. It was an humbling moment for our program, it was a humbling moment for our players. Because we've been on the other end of that so many times. A great learning moment, though. And that's what makes football so fun. I know I was, our team was on the butt end of the result of this one, but man, the sheer emotions of football.

    "We're there with 1:10 left, jumping up and down excited thinking we won the football game. And then with six seconds left, we're deflated. And that's what makes the sport of football, especially college football, so exciting and what makes it so intriguing.'   

    UCA is coming off a bye week after a convincing 52-10 win over Missouri Western on Oct. 31, while EKU lost 24-6 at home to Stephen F. Austin last Saturday.

    "The bye week was good for us,' said Brown. "We've been pretty banged up the last few weeks. We traveled to Eastern Kentucky minus 16 or 18 scholarship players with various injuries.  So it was good to have a game like we had against Missouri Western, probably our most complete game. And then coming into a bye week to really sit back, rest and recover, and just get our last little bit of wind before these last two-week stretch of ending the season.

    "I like where our team is at, I like the direction we're in. We are who we are at this point. We know who is not going to be back. We have a lot of key players who aren't going to walk back through that door and be available this year. But this bye week was an opportunity to work young guys that are going to be counted on these last two weeks. Maybe some names and numbers who weren't a part of the depth chart to begin the year.

    "But we've done a great job recruiting here over the last couple of years to develop depth and I feel like that depth has been able to show this year.'

    Despite the current .500 record, Brown said the 2020 season has definitely benefited the program.

    "When we made the decision to continue to play this fall 2020 schedule, it was with the future in mind,' he said. "I think the 2020 season has been better because we're playing it. We also thought into the future, the 2021 and 2022 seasons, how that would affect us if we tried to play in the spring. I think there's no question we made the right decision. There's no question that our players are to be commended to get to this point. We've been at this longer than anybody in the country. We played a Week Zero game so we reported for practice before anybody.

    "To say this season is a success is an understatement in my opinion.'

    The game will be carried live on ESPN3, The Bear 91.3 and The Point 94.1.