The motivational speakers who coach college football will take help from anywhere they can get it. Fresno’s a tough
UH O-line ready
‘Hill’ to climbBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comThat includes Hawaii's June Jones. He smiles every time he recalls the comment by Fresno State's Pat Hill after UH beat FSU 38-34 at Aloha Stadium last year.
"I think Pat Hill said it best when he said last year that it's never close at their place.
"That's good to hear," Jones said with a grin yesterday.
Hill's comment, made out of frustration, made him look like a sore loser and a pregame trash talker at the same time -- it's hard to find better locker room wallpaper than that.
Hill's right. The closest UH has come to winning in Fresno since a 24-24 tie in 1985 was the 45-27 loss in 2000.
Hawaii has won the last four meetings at Aloha Stadium, none by more than 12 points.
Are the Bulldogs becoming the Warriors' true rival?
"Since we played them in '99 and it was an overtime game and we won (31-24), the emotions from that still linger on. It still upsets them when we go there," Jones said. "The rivalry stuff, you have to ask the players."
Sophomore right tackle Uriah Moenoa said the feisty Fresno State fans add spice and motivation to the game.
"I love that stuff. It gets you pumped up. Their fans talk trash and I feel sorry, because they make their players get hurt on the field," Moenoa said. "It just pisses us off and we can't take it out on anyone but their team. Until the game is over, and then we can probably take it out on them."
Theft investigation: Gary Jutz, manager at the Radisson Waikiki, said Honolulu police are investigating the theft of Tulsa's video equipment from locked meeting rooms at the hotel on Saturday while the Golden Hurricane were playing Hawaii at Aloha Stadium.
Tulsa coach Keith Burns said the equipment, including two TV screens and two VCRs, is valued between $6,000-$10,000.
Bulldogs hitting again: Fresno State, known for its hard hitting, practiced the past month without full-contact drills (similar to Hawaii's practices).
But after last Friday's 67-21 loss at Boise State, Hill has his players knocking each other around again.
"I got away from the things that made us what we are," Hill told the Fresno Bee. "I got soft. (Contact in practice is) what we need to do if we're going to make a run at the end to get ourselves into a bowl game for the fourth straight year.
Back in the fold: UH running backs Michael Brewster (sprained ankle) and Mike Bass (sprained knee), safeties Leonard Peters (abdomen) and Hyrum Peters (arm stinger) and defensive lineman Houston Ala (sprained ankle) were back practicing yesterday after missing all or part of Saturday's game with injuries.
Jones said they should all be ready to play Friday, with the possible exception of Bass.
Bowl games count: UH quarterback Tim Chang could have three more games than previously thought to go after the NCAA Division I-A career passing yardage record.
Until this year, bowl games did not count in career statistics. But that rule was changed, and Chang could have up to 34 more games instead of 31 in his pursuit of Ty Detmer's mark of 15,031 yards for Brigham Young.
Chang, a third-year sophomore, has 6,267 yards passing in his first 20 games.
Short yardage: Game balls from Saturday's 37-24 victory over Tulsa went to Chang, defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga and special teams player Keith Bhonapha. ... Fresno State opened as a 2 1/2-point favorite.