Sports Watch
JUNE Jones said it in jest and it elicited a big laugh from the Honolulu Quarterback Club yesterday. But, it might not be a bad idea. UH football turnaround
coming, but this week?What?
Kicking the opening kickoff out of bounds against Southern California Saturday night, that's what.
Hawaii football fans remember last year when Arizona's Chris McAlister returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown as Dick Tomey's Wildcats never looked back.
There, in one stunning play that took a mere 16 seconds, was a microcosm of the entire 1998 Rainbow football season - the worst in UH history. The Rainbows never recovered, finishing 0-12 and extending the nation's longest losing streak to 18 games.
Talk about having the bubble burst. There had been so much expectation for the Rainbows last year after they had closed the previous season, losing 23-22 to Notre Dame, which had to kick a last-second field goal to avert maybe its most ignominious defeat.
Thankfully, the Fred vonAppen Era is over. His three-year record of 5-31 included the worst two seasons in the history of Rainbow football.
Now, along comes Jones. June Jones.
And with him, renewed optimism for a downtrodden football program called a "Division-I impostor" by one national football magazine.
JONES anticipates a sellout crowd. Maybe it won't be, but if more than 42,000 fans show up, it'll be the largest attendance at Aloha Stadium since the 1994 season opener against Brigham Young.
Great expectations once again.
That's why you hate to see the bubble bursting again with USC's R. Jay Soward returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown.
And believe me, Soward's quite capable of doing just that. He has kickoff returns of 98, 95 and 78 yards for touchdowns in addition to punt runbacks of 80 and 74 yards for touchdowns.
So you can see why Jones' suggestion - even if made tongue-in-cheek - about kicking it out of bounds might be a good stratagem after all.
That, or electing to receive the opening kickoff if the 'Bows win the coin toss.
The real expectation for Jones & Company, though, shouldn't come against the Trojans. They're too formidable a foe for any thought of an immediate Rainbow resurrection. .
"We are going to turn things around here," Jones said. "But it's not going to be done overnight."
Or in Game One, for that matter.
"We are going to have to overcome obstacles. This week it happens to be USC," Jones said.
"Emotionally, we'll have no trouble getting up for this game," said Jones, who knows, too, that the Rainbows also play with great emotion in every season finale.
It's how they perform in other games during the season that will count.
Jones hopes his players - and fans, for that matter - can muster the same kind of enthusiasm for Eastern Illinois next week as they will this Saturday against the Trojans.
"I'm excited about this season. We are not where we want to be, but we'll get there. And I know we're going to play our asses off."
He was also gratified by the public's response to his hopes for the football program.
"I knew people will step up when I took this job," Jones said.
"This can be one of the greatest homefield advantages any team can get. We have nine home games and we can win close games with the help of our fans. They can be our 12th Man."