Saturday, December 8, 2001

[ UH WARRIOR FOOTBALL ]

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UH-BYU in
‘Outcast Bowl’

The 2 programs are playing for
pride after the bowl system
left them wanting

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By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com

You can call today's game the Shunned Bowl.

No postseason invite for Hawaii. No Bowl Championship Series slot for Brigham Young.

This is it for the Warriors, and the Cougars have to settle for the Liberty Bowl.

Today's college football power brokers (read computers and bowl execs) have no respect for an 8-3 team in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, nor for a 12-0 team from a weak conference with a weak schedule.

So whether UH likes it or not, it has something in common with the guys it loves to loathe. In the national picture, the Warriors and Cougars are both bands of outcasts.

While first-year BYU coach Gary Crowton has sounded an empathetic tone for UH's situation, the Hawaii faithful are skeptical of any nice words that come out of Provo, Utah. The wounds are still raw from the Cougars skipping out of the Western Athletic Conference for the new Mountain West in June 1998, leaving Hawaii among the rejects.

This is UH's first crack at the Cougars since, causing a flood of memories about frustration and redemption and more frustration; Hawaii is 8-17 against Brigham Young, and has lost the last six meetings. But UH fans will always have the twin blowouts of 1989 and '90 to savor.

Still, what happened in the past and what could have been in the future will be forgotten this morning at 11, when the Warriors and Cougars renew their somewhat one-sided rivalry at Aloha Stadium before a sellout crowd of 50,000 and a national ESPN2 audience.

Hawaii coach June Jones has pumped up his team by designating it as UH's bowl game.

"It's exciting because it will probably the most-watched game the University of Hawaii's ever had on national television. That does a lot for our state, not just our school," Jones said. "I feel good about where we're at right now. We're getting healthier. It'll be a struggle to beat them, but we're going to battle our asses off."

Brigham Young vs. Hawaii The Cougars are 12-0 overall, 7-0 Mountain West Conference; the Warriors are 8-3, 5-3 Western Athletic Conference Kickoff: Today, 11 a.m. Tickets: Sold out Parking: Gates open to the public at 7:30 a.m.; $3 Radio: Live, 1420-AM on Oahu; 107.9-FM on Maui/Kona, Hilo and Kauai TV: Live, ESPN2

BYU began the week a three-point favorite, but many prognosticators -- and not just those from here -- predict a Hawaii victory.

Some of the reasons:

>> According to the Doak Walker Award voters, BYU's Luke Staley is the best running back in the country. The bad news for the Cougars is that Staley was able to personally accept his award in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday; he is not here with the team because of an ankle fracture suffered last week against Mississippi State.

>> Will BYU lack motivation because of the news that regardless of what they do against Hawaii there is no BCS bowl game in there future?

>> Hawaii's defense -- which seems to average about one healthy shoulder and knee per player -- had a bye week to spend lots of quality time with the trainers.

>> The Cougars practiced in the snow earlier this week. Even in December, the Aloha Stadium turf can be sizzling at midday.

Crowton said the timing of the you're-out announcement from the BCS hurt his team's chances to beat Hawaii.

"They are good. They are good down the stretch. They've beaten BYU at times when BYU was really good," he said. "For them this is a huge game. This is a huge game for us, don't get me wrong. It's a rivalry for Hawaii to play Brigham Young University. It's going to be packed and there is going to be yelling and screaming and it's going to be a great atmosphere.

"The game means nothing when it comes to conference championships or bowl games. All it is is a pride game. ... That's why I really wasn't happy when the BCS came out."

They didn't provide the right data for the bowl computers this season, but both teams figure to keep the stat crew reaching for the pencil sharpener today.

The Cougars average 46.9 points to lead Division I-A and the Warriors are seventh at 37.4. BYU's 537.8 yards-per-game is second in the country, while UH's 446.0 is seventh.

Neither team's defense has been impressive lately; BYU has allowed more than 30 points in seven games and Hawaii won its last two games despite giving up more than 600 yards in each.

With Staley out, the Cougars become unpredictable, especially with Crowton strategizing. As offensive coordinator the past two years, he turned the Chicago Bears into a passing threat, as he did previously as Louisiana Tech's head coach.

"He probably drew up 10 plays on the plane over here," Hawaii defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said.

Ned Stearns, a 6-foot, 215-pound senior, is Staley's backup. He has carried 36 times for 173 yards this season. Crowton hasn't ruled out playing talented receiver Reno Mahe in the backfield, or going without a running back.

"I will probably do all those," Crowton said. "I don't want to give Hawaii my hand as to what we are going to do. I want them to be game-planning trying to figure out what they are going to do."

Jones and Lempa don't care how many yards the defense yields -- and it will probably be a lot with Brandon Doman, the latest in a long line of outstanding BYU quarterbacks, slinging the ball around. If the Warriors, who are plus-7 in turnovers, can come up with some fumbles and interceptions, the coaches will be happy.

"We've got to make plays on defense," Jones said. "They've got an offense like us. They are wide-open, full-throttle. Whenever you get in that kind of game, it's just a couple plays. A couple sacks, couple picks, couple fumbles. As long as we make more plays on defense than they do I think we'll win."

It will also help if linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa and defensive end Travis Laboy can play. Both have battled injuries the second half of the season. Almost everyone on defense has some type of injury.

There's no secret what Hawaii will try to do when it has the ball. The pass-happy run-and-shoot has clicked for back-to-back 52-point games against Miami (Ohio) and Air Force as quarterback Nick Rolovich gets better with each game.

Rolovich, who passed for 1,005 yards and 12 touchdowns in those games, is fairly confident the Cougars won't throw anything at him he hasn't seen before.

"I don't think it's too complicated as far as we'll pretty much know what they'll do," said Rolovich, who has led UH to victories in seven of its last eight games. "They won't shift too much on us or jump coverages. They're pretty much set in what they do. But a couple teams have come in and done completely different than what we had planned for, so you can never say for sure."

Just as no one knows for sure yet what Ashley Lelie will do -- except perhaps himself and a close circle. UH's record-breaking junior wide receiver said he will decide after today's game if he will make himself available for the NFL Draft. A tip-off will be if he joins the 21 seniors in their annual walk around the stadium to commemorate their final game.

"I don't think it could end any better," senior slotback Craig Stutzmann said. "BYU's a big-time rival. We're having a good year, they're having a good year. It's a storybook ending, and we have to lay it all on the line, it's our last game.

"They kicked our butts pretty bad last time (31-9 in 1998)," he added. "It left a bitter taste in my mouth, especially since I thought it was the last time I'd get to play them. This time we're going to put it on them and leave that taste in their mouths."

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PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

BRIGHAM YOUNG

Offense
WR	10	Andrew Ord (6-2, 200, JR)
WR	20	Reno Mahe (5-11, 190 JR)
WR	82	Soren Halladay (6-1, 195 SR)
TE	89	Spencer Nead (6-4, 260 JR) or
	86	Doug Jolley (6-4, 241 SR)
LT	79	Dustin Rykert (6-7, 301, JR)
LG	54	Teag Whiting (6-3, 298, SR)
C	68	Jason Scukanec (6-2, 285, SR)
RG	69	Aaron McCubbins (6-3, 295, SR)
RT	65	Ben Archibald (6-4, 303, JR)
TE	80	Jeb Putzier (6-5, 234, SR)
QB	11	Brandon Doman (6-1, 195, SR)
HB	3	Ned Stearns (6-0, 215, SR)
Defense
LE	93	Brett Keisel (6-5, 269, SR)
LT	94	Jeff Cowart (6-4, 259, JR)
RT	95	Ifo Pili (6-3, 315, SO)
RE	92	Ryan Dennely (6-2, 238, SR)
LB	43	Greg Sasser (5-9, 206, SR)
LB	34	LaGary Mitchell (6-1, 244, SO)
LB	44	Kris Foster (5-11, 220, JR)
ROV	9	Quintin Mikell (5-10, 197, JR)
FS	13	Travis Burgher (6-1, 204, SO)
LC	6	Julius Brown (5-10, 184, SO)
RC	16	Gabriel Franklin (5-10, 179, FR)
P	37	Keith Schuttler (5-11, 191, JR)
PK	19	Nick Calaycay (5-7, 168, JR)
Hold	11	B.J. Rhode (6-4, 230, JR)
PR	87	Tim Gilligan (5-8, 164, SO)
	9	Quintin Mikell (5-10, 197, JR)
KR	36	Brock Forsey (5-11, 198, JR)
	3	David Mikell (5-10, 195, SO)
Snap	62	Tom Anderson (5-11, 240, SR)

HAWAII

Offense
WR	18	Justin Colbert (5-7, 160, JR)
WR	85	Channon Harris (5-8, 151, SR)
LT	53	Lui Fuata (6-2, 313, JR)
LG	76	Manly Kanoa (6-4, 320, SR)
C	66	Brian Smith (6-2, 284, SR)
RG	65	Vince Manuwai (6-2, 285, JR)
RT	69	Uriah Moenoa (6-4, 331, FR)
WR	2	Craig Stutzmann (5-11, 194, SR)
WR	8	Ashley Lelie (6-3, 187, JR)
QB	12	Nick Rolovich (6-2, 200, SR)
RB	1	Mike Bass (5-6, 158, FR) or
	24	Thero Mitchell (5-10, 215, JR)
Defense
LE	58	La'anui Correa (6-4, 267, JR)
LT	70	Mike Iosua (6-3, 270, SR)
RT	92	Lance Samuseva (5-11, 285, SO)
RE	6	Joe Correia (6-3, 240, SR)
LB	44	Matt Wright (6-1, 222, JR)
LB	54	Chris Brown (6-2, 258, JR)
LB	46	Keani Alapa (6-0, 222, SO) or
	2	Robert Grant (6-1, 191, SR)
CB	33	Hyrum Peters (5-8, 190, SO) or
	37	Abraham Elimimian (5-10, 180, FR)
CB	17	Kelvin Millhouse (6-1, 198, SO)
S	3	Jacob Espiau (5-10, 196, SR)
S	13	Nate Jackson (5-10, 163, SR)
P	49	Mat McBriar (6-1, 202, JR)
PK	47	Justin Ayat (5-11, 203, FR)
Hold	22	Jared Flint (6-5, 210, SR)
PR	82	Chad Owens (5-8, 175, FR)
KR	82	Chad Owens (5-8, 175, FR)
Snap	66	Brian Smith (6-2, 284, SR)

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UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii