The two local players discussed their respective football programs and began to compare what each Division I school had to offer.

"Ellie is such a nice, quiet kid, not a guy to complain," Rainbows head coach Fred vonAppen said. "He told me that Viliami talked about how they take charter flights wherever they go.

"Our guys have never experienced that, so they don't know any better. But after hearing what Viliami said, Ellie told me, 'Coach, I hope I get to fly on a charter plane one time before I graduate.'

"This is what we're trying to get across to this administration. Players talk to other players. It's something symbolic that goes to the heart of what you're trying to do."

To a man, the UH players backed what vonAppen and his assistant coaches are fighting for. They believe upgrading the program will give Hawaii a better image on the recruiting trails.

"Coach vonAppen is a winner and he knows all those little things come into play," strong safety Doe Henderson said. "In recruiting, players go to other schools and they see all this stuff they're getting if they go there.

"When they come here on a recruiting trip, it's a whole different story. We're not even on the same playing field as the other universities. It's a big step.

"A lot of guys are trying to help their families, who don't have a lot of money. They're depending on the universities as your means of support, your scholarship."

It also has to do with image. There are a lot of choices out there. Different things appeal to different recruits. You have to have a broad base of appeal.

"If they make some changes, it will be a place a lot more recruits would like to come to," wide receiver Dillan Micus said. "I venture to say we're probably lower than most Division I programs.

"The players have put in a lot of time and effort out on the practice field. Maybe our record doesn't show it, but we're trying.

"And just because we're 0-3, doesn't mean we deserve to sit in the airport two hours before the plane takes off. Then there's only one bus waiting for us in San Francisco.

"Over the trip, a lot of us weren't fully fed. A lot of kids were hungry. I was myself. The food wasn't sufficient, so it sends a great message to us as players and to the fans that he does care."

Caring seemed to be the central theme most of the players rallied around. After being walloped by Wyoming last Saturday, the players need all the support they can get from the coaching staff.

"We know coach vonAppen is behind his players 100 percent," senior quarterback Glenn Freitas said. "He's trying to get the best things for his players. We appreciate that because we've been working hard to get better."

Junior free safety Eddie Klaneski believes the players need something for their extra efforts on the practice field and in the weight room.

"The players deserve more," Klaneski said. "If the administration can't see that, then they can't expect us to be a better team.

"We talk to our friends who play on the mainland. They tell us that they get all this kind of good stuff and we don't get anything. They say they don't know how we can handle that. It's hard.

"So it's great that coach vonAppen is pushing for better stuff. He's a real cool coach who backs up his players. He was a player himself and knows how we feel."

Junior quarterback Johnny Macon believes it's long overdue.

"We're beneath every Division I team in the country," Macon said. "The facilities and all this other stuff, so I think it's good he's coming in and trying to change things.

"Young men coming out of high school don't always know where they want to go, so they compare what other schools are offering.

"What does Hawaii have to offer as far as facilities go? If the University of Hawaii wants to have a top-notch program year after year, then they have to do something before it's too late."

Teams: Boise State Broncos at Hawaii Rainbows

When: Saturday, 7:07 p.m., Aloha Stadium.

Weekend update: Boise State lost to Eastern Washington, 27-21, onSaturday when Maurice Perigo scored on a 28-yard interception return with 4:52 remaining. Boise State, was held to 43 yards rushing in the first half.

Facts & figures: Boise State, which bolted the Division I-AA Big Sky Conference to join the Division I-A Big West this season, is 1-2.