HONOLULU, Hawaii _ The competition and the environment change dramatically this Saturday for the undefeated University of Central Arkansas Bears.

The No. 12/14 Bears, 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Southland Conference, put that perfect start to the season to the test against the FBS University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at 11 p.m. (CT) Saturday at the Aloha Bowl.

"It's not going to get any easier,' said UCA head coach Nathan Brown. "We're looking at a tough test obviously this week. And then have to go on the road after a bye week to (preseason SLC favorite) Nicholls. It's not going to get an easier, and that's the fun part about this. We're going to be forced to improve, we're going to be forced to make adjustments and we're going to be forced to continue to win tough ballgames. And that's what it's about.'

The Bears are making their second trip to the islands, having put a scare in the Warriors in 2009. Hawaii scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:22 remaining after UCA, which led 14-9 at halftime, got a go-ahead touchdown run from running back Brent Grimes with 10 minutes to play. But the Warriors drove 74 yards in just four plays _ including a 66-yard pass on first down _ and scored on an eight-yard pass from quarterback Greg Alexander to Rodney Bradley.

The Rainbow Warriors are 2-1 against an impressive schedule in 2019, beating a pair of Pac-12 teams in Arizona (45-38) in the season opener and Oregon State (31-28) on Sept. 7, both at the Aloha Bowl. Top 25 Washington, also from the Pac-12, beat Hawaii 52-20 last weekend in Seattle. Hawaii will be hosting its earliest Homecoming in school history on Saturday night.

"It's going to be a fun week,' said Brown. "It's something Dr. (Brad) Teague talks about all the time... at the end of the day, it's about these student-athletes and their overall student experience here at UCA. Obviously they're students and we want them to graduate and do right in the classroom and get their degree and have success on the field. But one of the big keys that Dr. Teague runs this athletic program on is student-athlete experience.

"And if this doesn't encompass that in itself, I don't know what does. This is an opportunity that probably a lot of our guys will never have again. And maybe never would have had this opportunity. A lot of these guys, it will be their first plane ride. So this is an unbelievable experience for those guys. 

"And what's meeting us on the other side is a really good football team. They are 2-1 against the Pac-12 right now. Personnel-wise, they'll be one of the best teams we've seen in several years, they really will. Their quarterback can really throw the football. You think back to the (Coach) June Jones days, that's what they're doing right now. They are air-raiding it out, throwing the ball deep, They have a couple of really good receivers, as good a slot receivers as we'll see all year.

"Defensively, they're going to be big, they're going to be strong. They will out-physical you for sure, and that's what we have to get our minds prepared for. It's going to be a tough task, but it's one we're excited and we're ready to go embrace. History shows since we've made the Division I jump, we don't go into any game, and you can talk about Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, , Texas Tech... we're going to go try to win the game. That's what the goal of this trip is about. What the score is going to be, I don't know, because this is a good team. 

"But I promise you this, we're going to go put our boxing gloves on and go to the ring and see what we can do. It's going to be exciting for our players. They're ready to go.  

The Bears have fashioned three fourth-quarter comebacks in as many tries this season, outscoring their three opponents 57-16 in the fourth period. UCA opened Southland Conference play last Saturday at First Security Field at Estes Stadium by outscoring Abilene Christian 22-13 in the final quarter, and 14-3 in the last 10 minutes. Senior Carlos Blackman scored on a three-yard run with 1:30 to play and the Wildcats misfired on a 46-yard field goal attempt with 35 seconds on the clock to give the Bears the 31-30 victory.

The Bears won through the air again, with sophomore quarterback Breylin Smith posting career highs of 36 completions, 53 attempts and 367 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Lujuan Winningham caught six passes for 119 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown, while Blackman had career highs of 12 receptions for 82 yards and another score. 

"Our guys are showing so much resilience, so much poise, so much belief in what we're trying to accomplish,' said Brown. "To win a game in that fashion for a third week in a row is nice. I don't know that I've been a part of three games like that in my coaching career, much less to start out a season with three games like that. I'll never apologize for being 3-0 and 1-0 in the conference, but there is obviously a lot we've got to get cleaned up and get better at.

"What I thought was important (last) Saturday was guys stepping up and making plays. Carlos Blackman had 12 catches. Who would have ever thought a running back would have 12 catches. I thought Breylin (Smith) did a great job reading the defense and taking his check downs. We talk about that all the time and he executed that. BeSean McCray's two-point conversion might have been the biggest play of the game to change the momentum on the reverse.

"Hayden Ray, three for three (on field goals). Who would have thought that it would come down to what he did early in the ballgame to win the game. And then I thought our defense made some timely plays. Again, you just never know what numbers are going to step up. That's what this team's about right now, and it's exciting to watch as coaches, for us to be able to perform like that.'

UCA rushed for just a net of 47 yards and has a season total of 99 yards and 1.2 yards per carry. However, the Bears are ranked fifth in the nation in FCS in passing with 351.3 yards per game. Winningham, from Humble, Texas, is No. 1 in receiving touchdowns with six, No. 2 in receiving yards (477) and seventh in all-purpose yards (159.0).

The Rainbow Warriors are even more prolific through the air than the Bears, averaging 370.3 passing yards per game, and 492.7 total yards of offense per game.

The game will be carried live on The Bear 91.3, The Point 94.1 and on Mountain West Conference Facebook Live.