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Sports Watch
REMEMBER the start of the 2000 University of Hawaii football season? The optimism coming off a 9-4 season and a victory over Oregon State in the Jeep Oahu Bowl? Can’t have enough
QBs, LBs and RBsEverybody was talking about another WAC crown, a possible Top 25-ranking and a repeat bowl appearance under June Jones, who had turned the UH football program around.
And about all the quarterbacks Jones recruited. He had seven on hand in fall camp.
Where or when is he going to play them all, was the question everyone was asking.
Well, what UH fans have discovered soon enough, is that all the rose-colored views of the season have vanished along with the Rainbow nickname.
As for all of the quarterbacks, as well as an abundant supply of linebackers, running backs and defensive linemen on the roster, Jones and the rest of us learned soon enough about another reality in college football:
You can never have enough quarterbacks, running backs and linebackers.
A rash of injuries has reduced Jones to scrounging around to find replacement parts. He now has walk-ons filling at the latter two positions.
With the 2000 season already gone south, his team is now only playing for pride, not bowl games.
Unlike San Jose State last week and Fresno State this Saturday. They're playing for what UH was playing for last year.
As if the Bulldogs don't have motivation enough, they have a revenge factor going. They remember all too well last year's 31-24 double overtime loss to Hawaii. That cost them the outright Western Athletic Conference title.
That might not have settled well with Fresno State, but the resulting three-way tie with TCU and Hawaii for the league championship proved beneficial to the WAC, which sent three teams to bowl games.
Fresno State coach Pat Hill isn't taking Hawaii lightly despite his Bulldogs being 22 1/2-point favorites.
"I find it very hard to believe this is a 1-6 football team," he said. "They're a lot better than their record indicates."
However, it doesn't look good for Hawaii.
Fresno is a difficult place for other teams to play, according to Hill. His Bulldogs are 18-3 with a 13-game winning streak at home.
SO the question isn't if the Bulldogs will win, but which one of them will earn the honor as the WAC player of the week.
Don't laugh. In each of the five WAC defeats so far this season, an opposing player has won the award at UH's expense: UTEP quarterback Rocky Perez, Tulsa wide receiver Donald Shoals, TCU running back LaDainian Tomlinson, Rice linebacker Dan Dawson and San Jose State running back Deonce Whitaker.
I'd keep my eyes peeled on Fresno State's passing combination of David Carr and Rodney Wright, or on Paris Gaines, a great name for a running back.
It's not going to help Hawaii's cause that freshman quarterback Tim Chang will sit this game out.
He's still suffering from after effects of that helmet-to-helmet blow by San Jose State linebacker Josh Parry which sent him to the sidelines with a cut and a mild concussion.
By now, that has been replayed as often as Roger Clemens' beaning of Mike Piazza.
Upon further review, Parry probably would have gotten fined if it were an NFL game. But not in college ball.
Meanwhile, Chang not only lost his helmet, he also lost part of his first name since then. He's now Tim instead of Timmy. Part of growing up, I guess.
And what's with the UH football program and name changes, anyway?