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Kalani Simpson

Sidelines

By Kalani Simpson


Jones now the king
of the WAC


HAWAII 31, Fresno State 21.

Big, big, big.

Big because this was on the road. Because of history. Because of BYU 35, Hawaii 32. Boise State 58, Hawaii 31. No wins since 1973. The Red Mile.

This was big because Timmy Chang passed a test that mattered. Because he's a different man today.

Chang was impressive. He was very, very good. He made great throws, pressure didn't get to him. He looked like a high school All-American, a prize recruit.

Maybe having Nick Rolovich on the sideline was what Chang needed. He looked like Rolo on Friday. Not during plays, but between them. Did you see him yelling at Fresno players, the way he handled himself with his teammates, the way he handled himself with June Jones?

This was a new Chang. Rolo-Chang. He had the same attitude that Rolo had. He carried himself like the quarterback.

In the early weeks of the season Chang seemed to be desperately seeking everyone's approval. He knew how everyone felt about his injuries, his interceptions, and he acted like it. No more. Now he was sure of himself, and he knew it, and he played like it.

The rest of the WAC can blame Fresno State for unleashing this monster. For letting this happen.

In the past when Chang struggled there was usually something that happened to take his confidence away. This time there was an early interception that was wiped out by a late hit that didn't hurt. Fresno was able to hit Chang a few times, but only hard enough to make him feel tough about himself. Never hard enough to shake him.

And as the game went on, he grew.

This was big because Jones is now officially the big dog among conference coaches, eclipsing Pat Hill. The ESPN2 crew went on and on about how much Hill rides officials (if he's half as hard on them as Jones is, I feel sorry for the men in stripes). But it was Hawaii that got several "home" calls on the road. Hill had their names right, but to no avail.

He was getting outcoached and outpresenced by the man across the field.

Even with a punt blocked for a touchdown, Jones and Kevin Lempa were able to push the right buttons at the right times. Hill, meanwhile, went away from a running game that Hawaii couldn't stop, and of course UH had adjusted by the time Hill tried it again. When you've got a steamroller you don't get cute. Hill did.

And every time a Fresno State offensive play lasted longer than a few seconds, somebody was holding.

Deep into the corner, into coverage (when you know what happened last time), when you have two plays to get a first down that puts you into field-goal range?

No, Fresno State got no breaks from the officials, and made all the wrong moves besides.

No, Hill is no longer king of the WAC. He lost this battle of attitude and swagger.

With this win, and where it was, Jones and UH won the right to become the conference's star names.

It seems ridiculous to say so under these circumstances -- Boise State will win the WAC and Boise State is better than both of these teams. Boise State drilled both of these teams! But for the sake of this argument, that's irrelevant in the long run because, A) There is some doubt that BSU will be able to hang onto Dan Hawkins for much longer; and B) If Boise becomes the WAC's flagship team, then the conference is in big, big trouble.

This was a contest to see who would be ESPN's WAC poster boy.

This was not a great Bulldog team. But that doesn't matter. What matters is where, and when, and who, and how. This was no runaway at Aloha Stadium. This was the Red Mile, down in the fourth quarter on the road, this was Chang, touchdown on a fourth-and-four.

Big. Big, big, big.



Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com



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