Jones: Trip was
good experienceDespite two losses, the UH coach
says it was the "biggest thing that
ever happened to this school"
Some consider Hawaii's recently completed football road trip a disaster. The Warriors stumbled home after two embarrassing losses on national television with the head coach calling his own team stupid and arrogant.
June Jones is far from happy with his team's performance, especially Friday's mistake-ridden 33-22 loss at Nevada-Las Vegas.
But as the Warriors begin preparations to host Rice on Saturday, Jones said the trip (which also included a 61-32 loss at Southern California) was a good experience for his team.
"I think it's the most positive thing that's ever happened to the school," Jones said yesterday at his weekly news conference. "We took a step into the next arena. We have never walked into the Coliseum, down the tunnel, into a game like that. Even the bowl game at the Holiday Bowl was not like anything in the Coliseum. That's what I'm saying. We were in the big-time.
"Now, we didn't win in the big-time. But it was the biggest thing that ever happened to this school, just being there. ... Even though we lost. The biggest crowd in the history of Vegas. More people watched this at home than any games we've ever seen. And we gave the two of them away and we could have beaten them both."
It was actually the third largest crowd at Sam Boyd Stadium, but Jones' point is valid in the sense that a lot of people saw the Warriors play.
He said playing two consecutive games on the road is less than ideal, but the situation could come about again.
"Do we desire it? No," Jones said. "But I think the way scheduling is going, I think in the future we will probably have it happen again."
Jones also said he doesn't want to shy away from elite competition, at home or on the road.
"I would think that we're headed in that direction with our scheduling, and rightfully so," he said. "The contracts we will sign, if we go to an Oklahoma, if we go to a Florida, if we go to a Georgia, we'll get more money than we get for any bowl game we've ever played in."
UH athletic director Herman Frazier said the program did not make a profit off the USC game because it is part of a home-and-away series that concludes with a game at Aloha Stadium in 2005.
"We exchange checks," Frazier said.
Frazier also said the football trip was a positive step despite the team's performance.
"It was a tough road trip," he said. "But we have to use it as a learning experience."
It seems if the Warriors learned anything, it's what not to do. As he did after the game Friday, Jones ripped his team for mental errors and individualism.
"I thought that we did a lot of things incorrectly, and we didn't take care of the football (six turnovers). And if you don't take care of the football and be selfish, you're not going to win a lot of games. Especially on the road," Jones said. "We were undisciplined, selfish and turned the ball over."
Jones also said he won't allow the practice of players individualizing their helmets with tape to continue. No customizing of uniforms will be allowed, he said.
"They think they're pretty good. And they're arrogant. And they haven't done anything. So they better come back to reality pretty fast," Jones said of his team. "You got tape on the back of your helmet. ... You do little things that are not team-oriented, you become undisciplined."
Some of the tape messages were in tribute to sophomore slot receiver Nate Ilaoa, who underwent season-ending knee surgery last week.
