Hula Bowl brings QBs of two No. 1 teams together

Associated Press
Nebraska's Scott Frost, at the East-West Shrine Game on Saturday

With no national championship game, they had to go a long way to meet on a football field

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

WAILEA, Maui - It will be the first and only time Scott Frost or Brian Griese lose a college football game this season.

The starting quarterbacks for this Sunday's Hooters Hula Bowl led their respective teams to a share of the mythical national championship. Griese keyed Michigan's win over Washington State in the Rose Bowl to culminate a 12-0 campaign.

The next day, Frost was instrumental in Nebraska's Orange Bowl victory over Tennessee to complete his team's perfect 13-0 run. But despite the Cornhuskers' strong finish, the writers for the Associated Press awarded their national championship trophy to the Wolverines.

The coaches, who vote in the USA Today/ESPN poll, narrowly gave their national title to Nebraska.

Granted, both senior quarterbacks wanted to settle their differences in a true national championship game. But the fact they finally face each other on a football field on Maui makes this weekend's college all-star game an intriguing one.

''It's kind of funny we had to come all the way over here to play against each other in a game,'' Frost said yesterday after arriving from San Francisco. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 68 yards to lead the West to a 24-7 victory in Saturday's 73rd annual East-West Shrine Classic.

''It's going to be a good time going head-to-head with Brian,'' Frost said. ''I wish we could have met in the national championship game, but it wasn't meant to be.

''I don't know Brian real well, but I know what he has accomplished and I respect what he's done. And I'm sure he feels the same way about me. It's going to be a sportsman-like game and should be a lot of fun to compete against each other.''

Griese didn't arrive from an NCAA awards banquet in Atlanta until the late afternoon. He wasn't aware he and Frost would be the starting quarterbacks for the 52nd annual Hula Bowl, but like his Nebraska counterpart, he believes the game will be a lot of fun.

''I've had enough of being serious about a lot of things this season,'' Griese said. ''I just want to come over here and have a good time, and try to relax. I didn't know that we were starting, but yeah, that could be pretty interesting.

''I finally got to meet (Nebraska head coach) Tom Osborne at last night's awards banquet. I congratulated him and I'll congratulate Scott Frost when I see him for winning part of the national championship. He had a hell of a team and a hell of a year.''

Like Frost, Griese wishes the two could have met to settle who was the true No. 1 team.

''I would have loved for that to happen,'' Griese said. ''I'm sure he would have, too, but the way things went, we didn't have the opportunity. I still believe we would have won had we met.''

As you might expect, Frost saw things a little differently.

''I think we deserved it,'' Frost said. ''It's a shame the way things are set up right now that you can't have that game be played. But since it can't, I think both teams deserved to share that title.

''I think it would have been a real crime if either team hadn't gotten it. It's hard to say which team would be better. Obviously, I think we would win if we played them, but it's all speculation. I'm just glad we were able to share the crown.''

Just what the future holds for either player in the National Football League is anybody's guess. Frost is one of three quarterbacks on the South. He will share playing time with North Carolina's Chris Keldorf and Georgia's Mike Bobo. Griese and Notre Dame's Ron Powlus are the quarterbacks on the North.

Griese completed 175 of 277 passes for 2,042 yards and 14 touchdowns during the regular season. Frost became only the 10th quarterback in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 and pass for 1,000 yards. His 2,332 total yards was one short of setting a team record for Nebraska.

''I'm not sure how the NFL scouts see me,'' Frost said. ''Since I was basically an option quarterback, they may see me as a runner or a guy who can play free safety on defense. I'm not sure how I will fit into a team's plans.''

Griese is more of what NFL teams are looking for in a quarterback. At 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, he has the prototype size, but some question his arm strength.

''This is an opportunity for me to visit with different NFL teams,'' Griese said. ''I think everybody has a pretty good idea of what I can do, so I plan to go out and have a good time this week, and see where it takes me.''

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Flutie silent on Bills' talks

The CFL star quarterback, on Maui as a guest of the Hula Bowl, is being wooed by Buffalo

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

WAILEA, Maui - Doug Flutie was as talkative as the Heisman Trophy he's representing at this week's 52nd annual Hula Bowl when asked yesterday about his pending chances with the Buffalo Bills.

It was reported over the weekend that his agent is trying to work on a deal that would bring Flutie back to the National Football League for the first time since he left the New England Patriots in 1990. Wade Phillips is the new head coach and is apparently interested in Flutie, who has been quite a sensation in the Canadian Football League the past seven years.

''He doesn't want to talk about it because he really doesn't know anything yet,'' a Heisman Trophy spokesman said during last night's Hula Bowl welcome dinner at the Aston Wailea. ''He said he's still waiting to hear from his agent how the negotiations are going.''

Hula Bowl chief executive officer Lenny Klompus also spoke with Flutie about his chances of returning to the NFL. He gave Klompus a similar response.

''He told me everybody is asking him about Buffalo and he really doesn't know anything yet,'' Klompus said.

The Hula Bowl invited Flutie and Oakland Raiders receiver Desmond Howard to Maui to take part in its Heisman Trophy autograph session. Both arrived yesterday with the 90 Hula Bowl participants. And while the college all-stars were barraged by plenty of autograph seekers, Howard and Flutie went virtually unnoticed.

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