Five months ago, when the University of Northern Colorado athletic director asked, "would you be interested in playing Hawai'i?" Bears' football coach Scott Downing's eyes lit up.

"I said, 'well, yeah!' " Downing recalls envisioning a 2009 or 2010 "trip of a lifetime" game, and years to prepare.

"(Then) I said, 'when?' He said, 'this year,' " and Downing recalls, "I said, ' ... wow!'"

Wow, indeed. The game Downing thought would look good on the schedule well down the road instead is suddenly staring the Bears in the face masks, 20 days away, on Sept. 1 at Aloha Stadium.

So when, during a course of a phone interview, sounds of a spirited UH practice could be heard in the background, Downing begged a reporter for some bird's-eye information on what the Warriors were working on. Jokingly, we think.

A sense of humor should come in handy in Year 2 of an already ambitious Bears' construction project, made all the more challenging by the late addition of the season opener with UH as the first of five road games in the beginning six weeks of the season.

The Warriors are the only Division I-A team on the Bears' schedule in 2007, and the first UNC has played in two decades. Since this is UNC's first season as a full-fledged I-AA member, after moving up from Division II, the original plan had been to hold off against I-A competition until Purdue in 2008. Even that was considered a daunting reach for a program whose timetable calls for being competitive in the Big Sky Conference next year.

The Bears' 2007 schedule had been considered full at 11 games, and already heavily front-loaded with road games when they started spring practice. Challenge enough, certainly for a team coming off a 1-10 season and minus its biggest offensive threat, 1,000-yard rusher Andre Wilson, and returning only one top contending running back who had a carry last season. Tough enough when the returning quarterback had only two touchdown passes in six starts.

But when UH, desperate for a 12th game for its own schedule, made an offer the Bears couldn't refuse — pitching a package that guarantees transportation, hotel and meal costs plus tossing in $65,000 cash — financially strapped UNC jumped at the deal. And immediately became what one Las Vegas oddsmaker said should be a "high 40- to 50-point" underdog. If anybody dares to put down a betting line.

Now, Downing, a former assistant at Nebraska, Purdue and Wyoming, could have unleashed a scream to echo in the Rockies, and few would have blamed him. Instead, he maintains, he's OK with the UH game.

"We have to be," he said. "I think it is exciting for our players and our program. It gives us more exposure in recruiting and, also, is a good test, a good measure of our program. Certainly, we know we have a big hill to climb, but you don't know where you are unless you test yourself against somebody."

While the Bears lack in number of scholarships, number of coaches, budget dollars and experience to the Warriors, one edge they might have is in facilities. Once the preseason training home of the Denver Broncos, Downing said UNC's Greeley, Colo., campus has, "six lighted practice fields — two synthetic and four natural grass — outside our stadium."

Told he might be the envy of UH coach June Jones in that regard, Downing said he would be willing to consider a trade. "Tell him to put some of his (players) on the waiver wire and we can talk," Downing joked.

Like we said, a sense of humor might be one of the best things Downing has going for him next month.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.