CONWAY, Ark. _ The combination of a fast start and a fast finish carried the University of Central Arkansas Bears to a 37-25 victory over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in their home finale on "The Stripes" on Saturday afternoon.

The Bears (5-4) scored on their first four possessions of the game _ including a 96-yard kickoff return by Cameron Myers on the game's opening kick _ to go up 24-0, then converted touchdowns on their final two possessions to seal the win and avenge a 31-28 last-second loss to the Colonels three weeks ago in Richmond, Ky.

"We've played a team twice already this year, Missouri State, but this one was a little different scenario,' said Brown, whose team swept the two games with MSU. "Coming off a loss against the team, and a dramatic, tough loss, I thought our players responded quickly. I thought that emotion was what carried us to begin the game. If you were at the game at Eastern Kentucky I think you realize how disappointed and frustrated we were with that loss. And our guys sat on that. Our guys wanted this game bad.

"And I think you saw the sheer emotion. And I think the opening kickoff like it was and just having the momentum, the way our offense scored on our first four drives, it was huge to see and huge in the outcome of the game. We hit a little lull there at the end of the first half and start of the second half, so having that fast start was huge when it was all said and done. '

Myers took the opening kickoff the distance for UCA's first kickoff return for a touchdown since Dwayne Smith went 93 yards against Abilene Christian in 2016. That gave the Bears a 7-0 lead just 11 seconds into the game. They followed that with a 30-yard field goal by Seren Hughes-Ford, the Bears' starting punter who was also pushed into kicking duties with the absence of UCA's top two kickers. 

Next was a 69-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open sophomore Tyler Hudson from junior Luke Hales, who started his first game since 2018 with starter Breylin Smith sidelined as well. Hudson, the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year in 2019, finished with eight receptions for 154 yards . Hales completed 20 of 32 passes for 324 yards and a pair of touchdowns, his third career 300-yard passing game.
 

But it all started, literally, with Myer's kickoff return.

"I bet it happens two or three times a year in all of college football where you take the opening kick back,' said Brown. "It just gets your whole team going. The next thing you know we are up 24-0. Just an unbelievable job and an unbelievable effort. Like I said, I think there was so much pinned up emotion from that loss three weeks ago that that just culminated in how our team was feeling. That was a perfect start to that game.

  "It just gave us life. It gave our defense life, it gave our offense life. Hey man, the pressure is off, we already got 7 on the board, now we can play a little looser. And I think the offense played very loose to begin the half and I think that's why we had success. We let it hang out there.'

Myers described it as perfect execution by the kickoff return group.

"I knew something was going to happen,' said the running back/return specialist from Plant City, Fla., who said he had predicted as much the previous day in practice. "It was a  left return and I saw a hole. And that hope happened to close and to my left I saw another hole. I slid out of there and (all) I saw was purple and gray stripes. (And) I'm not going to get caught.'

Senior running back Kierre Crossley added UCA's fourth score early in the second quarter with a 2-yard run, capping an impressive 99-yard, 12-play drive that took just 4:41. It was UCA's second 99-yard scoring drive in the past two games.

However, the Colonels (2-6) would not roll over, scoring 25 consecutive points in the second and third quarters to grab a 25-24 lead with 2:00 left in the third quarter. The Bears got another huge kickoff return from Myers, this one a 56-yarder to the EKU 44 that set up 7-play, 44-yard scoring drive, capped off by a 1-yard run by redshirt freshman running back Marshun Douglas that returned the lead to UCA at 30-25 with 14:21 remaining.
 

UCA's defense forced a punt and the Bears put together a 14-play drive that covered 89 yards and used up 7:46 of the remaining time, eventually scoring on a 12-yard pass from Hales to junior wide receiver Lujuan Winningham with just 2:33 left to play. On EKU's ensuing possession, Colonels' backup quarterback Isaiah Velez was sacked and stripped by junior tackle Jalen Bedell and sophomore defensive end Logan Jessup picked up the fumble and return it nine yards to the EKU 22 to seal it.

"That 90-yard drive there to seal the game was probably the biggest drive of the year,' said Brown. "When you talk about the circumstances, the way the momentum of the game was going, to take close to 7-8 minutes off the clock and cap it with a touchdown to make it a two-possession game. And really a two touchdown possession game, was huge.'

  Brown was not surprised by yet another second-half comeback from the Bears.

"I think they do have poise. I think they've been in situations that are tough and tight many, many times,' he said. "And I thought they responded in a really positive manner tonight.'

UCA's defense, led by Jessup, recorded 13 tackles for loss _ accounting for minus 52 yards _ including five sacks. Jessup and senior A'Javius Brown both finished with 3.0 tackles for loss and had a sack apiece while Jessup led the way with a career-high 10 tackles. Bedell had a pair of sacks for UCA's defense, which was on the field for 35:55. 

The Colonels ended up outgaining the Bears 419-399 in total offense but also ran 15 more plays. UCA averaged 6.7 yards per offensive play. Winning had a couple of highlight-reel catches in the first half among his five receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Junior Mitchell Perkinson had four receptions for a career-high 68 yards, including a big 20-yarder on the final drive that converted a third down and another that drew a pass interference later in the clinching drive.

UCA closes out the 2020 season next Saturday, facing Top 25 Louisiana at 1 p.m. in Lafayette, La.