[ HULA BOWL ]
Smoker, McCown
coming to Maui
The Hula Bowl Maui added some serious offensive firepower to the Kai team yesterday. Quarterbacks Jeff Smoker of Michigan State and Luke McCown of Louisiana Tech are now expected to play in the Jan. 17 college all-star game at War Memorial Stadium in Kahului.
"We're still waiting for the official response from Luke, but his agent seems to think that's just a formality, and Jeff accepted today," Hula Bowl spokesman Jason Johnson said yesterday. "Our rosters are still pretty fluid, but this definitely gives us a boost."
It's a much needed one, since Hula Bowl officials learned last week that record-setting Texas Tech quarterback BJ Symons is out with a torn ACL he's been playing on most of the season. Also, Colorado State quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt could be out with a hand injury.
Matt Schaub of Virginia is the only quarterback other than Van Pelt on the Aina roster, so the game might need to add one more QB.
Smoker and McCown are both four-year starters and good NFL prospects.
Smoker missed five games of the 2002 season due to substance-abuse rehab. But he still managed to pass for 8,932 yards and 61 touchdowns in his Spartans career.
McCown passed for 12,994 yards and 88 touchdowns in his career and owns virtually all of Louisiana Tech's passing records. His career yardage puts him second to Ty Detmer's 15,031 on the all-time list, one spot ahead of former LaTech quarterback Tim Rattay.
This season, McCown led the Bulldogs to one of their biggest wins, a 20-19 victory at Michigan State against Smoker's Spartans.
McCown had less fortune in two meetings with Hawaii. As a freshman in 2000, he passed for 255 yards at Aloha Stadium, but the Bulldogs lost to UH 27-10. This past season, the Warriors won 44-41 in Ruston, despite McCown's 405 passing yards and three touchdowns.
For Hula Bowl Maui information, call (808) 874-9500 or go to www.hulabowlmaui.com.