OPPONENTS
The Rocky Road
Every other year Hawaii is at a distinct disadvantage in the Western Athletic Conference football race before it even begins. A scheduling quirk puts the Warriors on the road against WAC powers Boise State and Fresno State during the same season, every even-numbered year.
Of course, that means UH hosts both in the odd-numbered seasons (however, one of college football's biggest homefield advantages didn't matter last year, when the Warriors lost at Aloha Stadium to both).
The double road whammy was especially ugly in 2004, when the Broncos busted the Warriors 69-3 and the Bulldogs bit them 70-14.
If playing the top two teams in the WAC at their own lairs isn't enough, don't forget that UH opens its 2006 season at Alabama -- one of the most storied locales in all the land, a program always deep in talent. And the Warriors beat the Tide at Aloha Stadium in 2003, so revenge is a factor.
Hawaii went 2-3 on the road last fall, and quarterback Colt Brennan and the rest of this new breed of Warriors showed signs that they don't care if a game is on the moon. They truly believe they can win anywhere.