By David McCollum thecabin.net Copyright 2009 The Cabin. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

HONOLULU — After a long day with an unexpected traffic stop, the University of Central Arkansas Bears stopped traffic themselves Wednesday night upon their arrival at Waikiki Beach.

The day began for the UCA football team about 4 a.m. as the Bears bussed to Dallas, where they took an eight-hour commercial flight to the islands. They immediately went to about a 1 1/2-hour practice session at Aloha Stadium.

With no fanfare, they checked into their hotel about 8 p.m. Hawaii time (1 a.m. Conway time). They headed to a buffet dinner about 8:30 p.m. at a restaurant about three blocks away. The line of UCA coaches, players, managers and trainers, numbering about 80, stretched about 2 1/2 blocks blocking a couple of intersections, causing more than a few passing glances and angering a couple of cab drivers who had to stop on a green light.

Conque had consulted with coaches who had had experience with teams in Hawaii including former University of Hawaii coach Dick Thomey, Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly and Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley.

"All of them told me to work the team out as soon as possible when we arrive," Conque said. "That's why we went immediately to practice. It was a real long flight but the players told me they felt better after the workout and a shower."

The Bears will visit Pearl Harbor this morning, have a catered lunch at Aloha Stadium and practice for the final time this afternoon in preparation for Friday night's season-opener against the University of Hawaii. UCA players will be locked down beginning this evening and will have their team and position meetings at the hotel, which overlooks Waikiki Beach.

On the way to Dallas, two of the three busses transporting the UCA team were stopped by the Texas Highway Patrol near Mount Pleasant.

"I was in the lead bus and we went about 10 miles to a rest stop and waited," Conque said. "They (law enforcement officials) took the other two busses back to Mount Pleasant and inspected them. I really don't know why. I've heard they've had some problems with illegal immigrants being transported through Texas in charter busses.

"It's just another thing that happened to us in Texas. It seems every time we take a team into Texas, there is some kind of problem. I don't know what it is about UCA and Texas."