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Friday, October 6, 2000
Warriors FORT WORTH, Texas -- At some out-of-the-way high school in preparation for the biggest game of the year, the University of Hawaii football team had its best practice since June Jones was named head coach.
looking sharp for
Horned Frogs
Hawaii coach June Jones is
upbeat after practice deep
in the heart of TexasBy Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinThat's what Jones said, anyway, as the Warriors get set to face No. 14 Texas Christian tomorrow at 6 a.m. (HST) in a game that will be broadcast regionally on Fox Sports Southwest.
Jones has been asked repeatedly this week if the Warriors are up and ready to go because of the caliber of opponent. And he repeatedly has said TCU has nothing to do with the mental framework of his team.
So coach, why would the team have its best practice ever at a place called Hebron High School just north of Plano, Texas, and a little east of Carrolton? He paused for a moment, fixed reporters with that steadfast gaze of his and said, "Our guys get up for every game. You guys keep asking me that question, but every game our kids come to play. They play hard. We may not win, but we play hard.
GAME DAY
What: Western Athletic Conference football.
"You never know. Sometimes you don't practice good and you win. Sometimes you practice real well and you lose. You never know how it's going to shake out. But everybody was sharp. We had no mental errors, we caught the ball, we threw the ball, the defense ran like they can run. It was real sharp."
And still, that may not be enough to upset a team favored by five touchdowns in its own back yard. Granted, the Texas-Oklahoma game being played 40 miles away in Dallas is grabbing most of the headlines here in the Metroplex, but this is a major event for two teams seemingly headed in the opposite direction.
Hawaii has lost its first three games by a combined 67 points, while TCU has been busy winning its first four games by a combined 131 points. On paper, this would seem one of the biggest mismatches of the season. But they don't play it on paper.
"We play it on a field where good things could happen for us if we do what we're supposed to do," freshman quarterback Timmy Chang said. "This is an important game for us because we want to get our first win. And if we can make something happen on Saturday, it would be sweet."
There's no denying that. At the beginning of the season, many pundits figured both teams could be unbeaten, giving it the kind of marquee attention rarely seen in the Western Athletic Conference. Two of the league's best coaches matching wits with equally talented teams. But somewhere along the way, Hawaii jumped the tracks and fell to 0-3.
It's unlikely the Warriors will find themselves in time to procure one of the biggest upsets of the weekend. But what they can do is play a respectable game on both sides of the football and see where it takes them.
"We feel like our defense is good enough to match up with their offense," UH defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said as the sun went down on the western horizon. At the start of practice, the temperature was a healthy 88 degrees. But by the time things ended, a strong breeze had kicked up, bringing a cool front with it and a 70 percent chance of rain over the weekend.
"Is that good for us or bad?" Lempa said. "I'm not sure. But I do know our guys will be ready to play. They know what kind of challenge it's going to be. Stopping their option game and setting up our offense with good field position will be necessary for us to stay in the game. If we let them get out on us, then it will be difficult to stay with them because this is an outstanding football team."
TCU head coach Dennis Franchione isn't one to argue with this notion. He has 18 returning starters on a team that has the second-best scoring defense nationally and the second-best running back in LaDainian Tomlinson. For the Horned Frogs to receive one of the two at-large bids in the Bowl Championship Series, they must run the table and do it impressively.
"And that still might not be enough," Franchione said. "We can't worry about that. We just have to play our opponent each week and take care of business. It's a cliche, but that's how championships are made. By going out and executing each and every weekend, no matter who's lined up on the other side of the ball.
"Hawaii is still trying to find itself. They appear to have settled on a quarterback and that should help them find an identity. This is a dangerous football team because they haven't played a complete game yet. If they do, then we have to play well to win."
The Warriors will be without starting strong safety Dee Miller, who didn't make the trip because of a pulled hamstring. Offensive tackle Chris Pinkney also was left behind because of an irregular heartbeat. Lui Fuata will start at left tackle and Jacob Espiau will step in for Miller.
"It's good that we practice in the morning because the kickoff is at 6 a.m. our time," Jones said. "The trip has gone as planned. We'll go home tonight, get a good rest, have a walk-through tomorrow and be ready for the game on Saturday. We still have a long way to go, but we're getting there one weekend at a time."
Classic rivalry:
A top-three team from the Mountain West Conference will play the Western Athletic Conference western division champion in the first Silicon Valley Football Classic Dec. 31, bowl officials announced yesterday.The game will be played at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Calif., and be broadcast on Fox Sports Net Television.
"This agreement assures an outstanding competitive experience in our inaugural game," said Chuck Shelton, executive director of the bowl.
Each team will be paid $1.2 million, according to the bowl's Web site.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
