[ UH FOOTBALL ]
Hawaii focused
on bowl this year
Last year they were just happy to have a bowl game.
This year the Hawaii football team wants to win it.
UH coach June Jones said the Warriors will be more serious about preparing for the Hawaii Bowl than they were in 2002. Hawaii (8-5) plays Houston (7-5) at Aloha Stadium on Christmas.
"Last year we were there to enjoy the moment," Jones said. "This year we want to win a football game."
Underdog Tulane was more focused than UH last year and beat the Warriors 36-28.
Some programs use the additional bowl game practices to give young players they plan to use in the next season repetitions with the first team. UH did some of that last year, but Jones said not this time.
"No, it will just be our normal practice routine," he said.
The Warriors had last week off after a regular-season-ending 45-28 loss to Boise State. But Jones plans to practice all 10 days from now until the game.
"We'll party on Dec. 26," he said last week at the team banquet.
Jones said he cannot discuss the possibility of players not being academically eligible for the game.
Some starters will likely be ineligible due to the Western Athletic Conference's six-credit rule, several sources have told the Star-Bulletin.
"It would be a violation for me to address that," Jones said. "And some guys are still taking finals."