ASSOCIATED PRESS Fresno State's Brian Morris tried to block a pass attempt by Tim Chang during Friday's game. The pass fell incomplete.

Warriors hit bottom
against run

Hawaii gave up 503 rushing yards
and nine rushing TDs in Friday’s
loss to Fresno State

Can't stop the run.

It's a terrible label for any football team, and a losing record almost always comes with it.

Lopsided losses The Hawaii football team has allowed more than 60 points in a game 11 times in the program's history. Four of them have been in the past six years with June Jones as coach. Score Opponent Date 75-0 Pacific Dec. 16, 1949 74-20 Stanford Jan. 2, 1949 73-12 Nevada Dec. 17, 1948 70-14 at Fresno State Nov. 12, 2004 69-3 at Boise State Oct. 29, 2004 68-21 at Michigan State Oct. 2, 1948 68-3 Nebraska Dec. 4, 1976 66-0 at Wyoming Sept. 14, 1996 63-0 at Colorado State Oct. 4, 1997 62-7 USC Sept. 4, 1999 61-32 at USC Sept. 13, 2003 SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII

What's worse is when you can't stop the run even when you know it's coming. That's how it was for Hawaii on Friday night in Fresno. The Bulldogs did nothing fancy. They just rammed the ball down UH's throat for 503 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. It translated into a 70-14 disaster for the Warriors, who finished their Western Athletic Conference season 4-4.

"We kind of knew exactly where they were going to run it," Hawaii coach June Jones said. "But they just physically kicked our butts."

"There was no trickery to their plays," UH defensive tackle Lui Fuga said. "We made no adjustments, we were outplayed and outcoached. We couldn't figure out what was wrong. Is it a curse? Is it the road? It's obvious we're not the same team on the road as we are at home."

The common denominator is definitely the road. UH went 0-4 away from home this season, being outscored 231-66 in the process.

Fortunately for the Warriors (4-5 overall), their final three games are all at home. UH still qualifies for the Hawaii Bowl with wins over Idaho, Northwestern and Michigan State.

But a sweep doesn't seem likely -- home or not. Hawaii might make it through the first two, but the Spartans rushed for 430 yards in their 49-14 victory over No. 4 Wisconsin yesterday.

And after Friday and yesterday's games, the Warriors passed Army -- the team that went into the weekend ranked last against the run. UH -- No. 116 out of 117 teams going into the weekend -- went from 254.0 to 281.7 in rushing yards allowed per game, passing the Black Knights in defensive futility.

What can be done about it at this point?

"We can tackle better and coach better," Jones said.

UH's defense doesn't get all the blame for Friday's disaster (the second on ESPN in two weeks, including the 69-3 debacle at Boise State). Hawaii's offense didn't get a first down until 4:30 of the first quarter, and the Bulldogs scored the first 49 points.

"Giving up 70 is bad enough," Jones said. "But if you score 50 you feel better about it. But we were not doing anything on offense."

The Warriors were inept at stringing together plays this season on the road.

"We're so fragile with our momentum now," he said. "We do it at home, but on the road we don't pick up the energy."

Some players have gotten to the point where the discouraging losses have affected their focus and effort, said Fuga, who is one of four team captains.

"Yes, there is some of that, and we can't have them on the team," Fuga said. "It affects the whole group. One guy does it, it becomes a virus, and it's not fair to the rest of the team, especially the guys who are playing hurt. Our motto going in was 'One dream, one team.' Everyone has to hold on to it."

Jones said he disagrees with the assessment by Fuga and cornerback Abraham Elimimian. Elimimian, also a co-captain, said after Friday's game that some players "gave up tonight ... and they know who they are."

Said Jones yesterday: "There was nobody giving up."