HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Steve Campbell had faith Central Arkansas' stout defense could hold up in its toughest test of the season.
Campbell also had belief the Bears offense could match Sam Houston, the FCS's top-ranked team with the division's top-ranked offense.
Neither happened at Browers Stadium, where UCA and Sam Houston met on the final week of the regular season to settle the Southland Conference title.
No. 1 Sam Houston State turned five UCA turnovers into 24 points and Jeremiah Briscoe threw seven touchdown passes to break a single-season school record in a 59-23 runaway to capture the league title and likely wrap up a first-round bye in the FCS playoffs.
UCA settles for a second-place finish in the Southland, but it's possible UCA will have another game to play when the 24-team FCS playoff field is released today.
"We don't want to go out like this," Campbell said. "We're a better football team. We played too good to go out like this."
Briscoe took all the drama out of the first regular-season finale matching unbeaten Southland teams in 28 years.
Briscoe threw a touchdown pass on the game's opening drive, 4 more in the first half and 2 in the third quarter to lead an offensive effort that put up more points, total yards (500) and passing yards (431) than any Bears' opponent this season.
Campbell, the Bears' third-year coach, said he still thinks his team is worthy of the FCS playoffs, which will be revealed at 10 a.m. today. The Bears (9-2, 8-1) could have clinched a spot with a victory, but that fact didn't make the loss any more difficult to endure.
"You got your butt whipped," Campbell said. "The only thing that mattered to me. We got whipped. And I don't care if it's early or late or a scrimmage. They all feel the same. It's no fun."
Briscoe went 5 for 5 on the game's opening drive and found Parker Murry open for a 2-yard touchdown to make it 7-0.
UCA's Antwon Wells fumbled at the Sam Houston 16, and Briscoe led a drive that produced a 23-yard Luc Swimberghe field goal.
Another UCA fumble, by running back Carlos Blackman in the middle of the defense, set up Briscoe's 3-yard pass to Collin Rison to give the Bearkatz (11-0, 9-0) a 17-0 lead less than 11 minutes into the game.
"It all happened fast," said Campbell, of the turnovers. "You can't have the mistakes that we had today and have a chance to win."
Briscoe's touchdown pass on the game's opening drive gave the Bearkatz a lead they would never relinquish.
Fumbles ended UCA's first two drives and the third ended in a punt before the Bears drove 70 yards and a 14-yard pass from Hayden Hildebrand to Desmond Smith made it 17-7.
Campbell said he thought the drive, which was capped by Smith's leaping catch over a defender in the end zone, would get his team in gear in the second quarter.
But Smith, who caught nine passes on his way to breaking the UCA career record for receptions with 217, said he never had the same feeling.
UCA put up 365 yards of offense, and Hayden Hildebrand completed 28 of 44 passes for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns. But it was held to 96 yards rushing, a season-low, and had 5 turnovers, its second-most in a game this season.
"We never hit stride," Smith said. "Even after the touchdown, I still felt like there was this doom in the air, just us not being able to do anything."
Briscoe hit Yedidiah Louis for touchdowns of 40 and 21 yards after Smith's touchdown, and Briscoe hit Jaylen Harris for a 55-yard pass, his 52nd of the season.
Matt Cummins' 33-yard field goal made it 38-10 at halftime, and the Bearkatz were well on their way to snapping the Bears' eight-game winning streak.
"We took apart one of the best teams in the country," Sam Houston State Coach K.C. Keeler said. "When you see those guys on film, you see how good they are on defense and the numbers prove them out."
UCA came into Saturday's game holding teams to 13.8 points and 285.1 yards per game, both tops in the Southland. But Sam Houston State's Spread offense led the Southland in scoring (51.5) and yards (583.1) per game.
Campbell said he decided against any major changes on defense, instead trusting his unit that got UCA a chance to play for a league title.
"They're as good as advertised," he said of Sam Houston. "We could have done things differently, but I didn't not want to do what got us here."
Smith said the offense, at times, felt pressure to keep up with the Bearkatz, who added touchdowns throws from Briscoe to Louis of 46 and 10 yards in the third quarter and a 17-yard Remus Bulmer run in the fourth.
"I felt like we had to match them and outplay them," he said.
Sports on 11/20/2016