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University of Central Arkansas football Coach Nathan Brown wasn't shy this week.

It's not to say that he ever is especially bashful, but his message was clear ahead of UCA's matchup Saturday with Tarleton State, the No. 3 team in the Football Championship Subdivision according to the American Football Coaches Association coaches poll.

"I don't want to make it bigger than the game is to our players," Brown said. "But I do want our fans and our supporters to understand what's at stake, and just the magnitude of you don't get to host a top-three program in your home stadium that often. Tarleton has earned the right to that with the season they had last year, and the resume they built this year, so we know what we're about to be playing against."

The Texans (3-0) have as impressive of a resume to this point as any in 2025; they opened their season with a 42-0 drubbing of Portland State, most recently did the same to Mississippi Valley State 59-3 and, sandwiched in between, took a 30-27 victory in overtime against Army of the FBS.

"Tarleton State is everything as they're advertised (to be)," Brown said. "To me, they have the best FCS resume in the country.

"They've done a good job recruiting and retaining. They have high-caliber coaches. They do it right down there. But look, we got a talented team, too. We've got a physical team, too."

Tarleton State is led by the dynamic duo of quarterback Victor Gabalis and running back Tre Page III. Gabalis is third in the nation with 599 passing yards to go with eight touchdowns and no interceptions. Page is third nationally with 289 rushing yards, averaging 8.1 per carry.

The Texans are fifth in the nation in scoring offense with 43.7 points per game. UCA is tied for 50th at 23.5 points per game, heavily swayed by a 61-6 loss to Missouri.

UCA quarterback Luther Richesson is No. 44 nationally with 356 passing yards. He's thrown for four touchdowns and rushed for 130 yards and another touchdown. Running back Landen Chambers has rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown.

Brown emphasized that the ground game will not only be UCA's key to victory Saturday, but it will be the team's identity all season.

"We're going to run the football, and we're going to run it effectively and efficiently," Brown said. "We're going to be almost, borderline bone-headed running the football. We're going to create deception with movements and motions that are going to allow us those big runs up the middle, but also give us the threat of the edge run as well."

This is the United Athletic Conference opener for both UCA and Tarleton State, the 2024 conference champion.

"It's a chance to start on the top," Brown said. "We've done a good job in this Week 3 for the last two years. ... I think that makes it as big a deal as them being a top-three ranked team."

Saturday's gameTARLETON STATE AT CENTRAL ARKANSASWHEN 6 p.m.WHERE Estes Stadium, ConwayRECORDS Tarleton State 3-0; UCA 1-1TV NoneRADIO KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway; KKPT-FM, 94.1, in Little RockSTREAMING ESPN-Plus