A stopover in Conway, Arkansas last season for a walk-through practice gave UWF's football team its first glimpse of the Central Arkansas football program.

A much different scenario now awaits.

Fresh off their smashing debut as a Division I member, the Argos will face their first road trip and play their first United Athletic Conference game on Saturday night (6 p.m.) against the Central Arkansas Bears on their unique multi-color field at Estes Stadium.

"Excited about another opportunity, taking the show on the road," said UWF coach Kaleb Nobles, whose team practiced at this stadium before playing Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on Oct. 4 last year. "Everybody is excited about starting the season at home. That's easy to get up for and get excited for. Now, you find out what kind of team you have, going on the road to play in a tough environment against a really good team, Central Arkansas."

"We got a chance to do a walk through there," Nobles said. "Our players have seen the field and locker room, so it shouldn't be unfamiliar territory for us. One thing that stands out is that purple and gray (stadium) turf. You see it on film and you cannot miss it anywhere. It is an awesome field, a good environment. We will find out what it will look like Saturday. I am sure it will be rocking with it being (Central Arkansas) first home game."

Both teams pulled off upset wins in season-openers Aug. 27. The Bears won at Tennessee-Martin (36-24). UWF stunned Southern Illinois in a 34-31 thriller as a 20-point underdog.

The feats earned both teams acclaim. Central Arkansas, which finished 3-9 last season, vaulted to No. 24 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 FCS poll. In the other FCS poll, Stats Perform FCS Top 25, UWF has popped in at No. 25, making that another feat in the team's fledgling,10-year history.

Both teams had players receive conference honors. Bears' quarterback Donovyn Omolo was named the UAC offensive player of the week. UWF defensive end Byron Puryear was named defensive player of the week. Both teams were among the 22 games last week in Week 0 of DI college football.

In addition, the Argos were named Stats Perform team of the week in the FCS division.

"I had a little more time to let it sit for a little while," said Nobles in reflecting on the win. "I'm really proud of our guys for how they played and handled adversity. It was certainly a game where we have a lot to correct, but it's easier to correct those things after a win, rather than it is a loss. I love how our guys played. We fought for four quarters and played together for 60 minutes. I enjoyed the long weekend. I kinda like doing that, so we get a chance to have a little bit more time before the next game, but Central Arkansas also played on Thursday so it's all equal going into Saturday."

The game is one of UWF's longest road trips this season, a 538 mile journey from Pensacola. Central Arkansas, a football program that began in 1901, was once a member of the Division II Gulf South Conference before making the move in 2007 to FCS Division I.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH
Here are a few standout elements about Saturday's matchup:

 --- The Bears' Omolo is a transfer QB, who played last season at Division II Central Missouri. He is a Conway, Arkansas native, so returning home for his first game figures to bring added emotions.
Omolo completed 20 of 27 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns against UT-Martin. He also had an interception returned for a touchdown.

"We watched him last year (during film reviews) when they played Delta State," Nobles said. "He's a left handed guy, really quick, fast release. He is a quick runner. You have to make him beat you on the outside (when he's running)."
 Three of the Bears' top receivers return, so the passing game matchup will be a big one.

--- UWF sophomore quarterback Ty'ray Davis won in his starting debut. The Orlando native passed for 107 yards and two scores and rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown. He did not throw an interception. Davis emerged from preseason practice in a quarterback battle among three players.

   "Ty'Ray does some things in the run game with his legs that you can't predict or stop sometimes on defense," Nobles said. "And that is where college football is going. You better have a quarterback that can move and get out of trouble."

--- With 73 new players on a remade roster, including new starters on the offensive and defensive lines, UWF answered questions about the line-of-scrimmage matchups with Southern Illinois. The Argos also committed just five penalties for 48 yards.
    But the Argos did fumble four times, losing three of those drops. That was one of the points of emphasis this week in practice.

"Our guys were really disciplined and paid attention to detail in a lot of ways," Nobles said. "We did a lot of good things. I was really proud of our line of scrimmage (both sides). We did a great job of blocking on offense and then moving the line of scrimmage on defense. The D-line did a great job of creating disruption and throwing off (quarterback pass) timing.

"Now we have to go play and be consistent."
 
WANT TO WATCH?
WHO: UWF Argos (1-0) vs. Central Arkansas Bears (1-0)
WHEN: Saturday, 6 p.m.
WHERE: Estes Stadium, Conway Arkansas
RADIO: SportsRadio Pensacola (99.1 FM, 1330 AM)
LIVE STREAM: ESPN-Plus.