Bowl, pride at
stake tonight

Hawaii is after a postseason bid
and MSU a .500 record

You're bigger and faster. You've got a stable of solid running backs. The other team is last in the nation against the run.

Michigan State at Hawaii Where: Aloha Stadium When: Today, 6:35 p.m. Tickets: $17 to $35, $3 for UH students for this game. TV: Live, ESPN2 (no local blackout) Radio: Live, KKEA 1420-AM Internet: KKEA1420AM.com

Just line up and pound away, right? It worked for Fresno State against Hawaii.

Michigan State coach John L. Smith says it's not that easy. He wishes it were. Then he could have spent more time jogging on the beach this week instead of prepping his Spartans (5-6) for the Warriors (6-5) in a final regular-season game for both with bowl implications for UH and pride implications for MSU. The teams square off in an ESPN2-televised game today at Aloha Stadium, kickoff at 6:35 p.m.

"You can say they're weak against the run. Well, if we find a mismatch, we'll definitely try to exploit it," Smith said. "But is that enough?

"Thirty (points) might not be enough. Fifty might not be enough," Smith said.

Smith's fear of Hawaii's run-and-shoot passing attack sounds genuine. Although MSU has some local knowledge with former UH defensive coordinator Chris Smeland in the fold, his tenure here was long before Hawaii coach June Jones brought the four-receiver scheme to Manoa. The Spartans don't see much of that kind of thing in the Big Ten, and that unfamiliarity is what did in MSU's conference cohort Northwestern last week, a 49-41 victim of UH's aerial circus that ranks third in the nation with 325.5 yards per game.

"We're going to have a good rotation of players coming in and out," Spartans defensive tackle Domata Peko said. "Because of their offense, and because of the heat."

Jones says he has the willies, too, after watching a horror film entitled "Michigan State 49, Wisconsin 14."

"They're fast and big. The scheme John L. brought in is unique to the Big Ten. You combine that with the size of their receivers and the speed of their running backs, and it's pretty scary," Jones said.

The Spartans attack by committee, with Jason Teague (654 yards), DeAndra Cobb (600) and Jehuu Caulcrick (587) sharing the load.

Quarterback Drew Stanton is a threat, too. He rushed for 611 yards with five TDs, when he wasn't throwing for 1,271 and seven. He and fellow QBs Damon Dowdell and Stephen Reaves were vulnerable to the interception, though, combining for 17 picks allowed.

Hawaii quarterback Tim Chang did an outstanding job of decreasing his interceptions this season. Although he is the NCAA all-time leader in the category, as he is in passing yardage, Chang has thrown only 13 INTs this season. That's really good when put next to 30 touchdown passes.

If the Warriors lose, it's the last game for Chang, and he and 24 other seniors will be honored in the annual senior walk. (Receiver Rene Melson is a senior, but he is petitioning the NCAA for an additional season and will not participate in the festivities.)

"It really hasn't hit me yet," Chang said of the impending end of his college career. "I guess because we're still trying to win a big game."

A victory would give the Warriors a third consecutive Hawaii Bowl bid. A loss would leave the game with a matchup of Alabama-Birmingham against Troy or Akron.

The UH seniors who began playing in 2001 enter the game with a 34-17 record; they are 37-26 since 2000, when most of them redshirted but Chang and defensive tackle Lui Fuga played. (Fuga was also on the 1999 team that went 9-4).

Key Matchup MSU punter Brandon Fields vs. UH punt returner Chad Owens A punter with a great leg like Fields (nation-leading 48.3 yards per kick) is a great asset, especially in a low-scoring, field-position battle. But what about in a high-scoring shootout as tonight's game promises to be, when one of the most dangerous return men in the nation is salivating 50 yards downfield? Fields will have to decide whether to kick shorter and away from Owens, or risk allowing him an eighth career TD return. Hawaii is 6-0 in games in which Owens has taken a kickoff or punt to the house.

If the Warriors win tonight, defensive back Abraham Elimimian, offensive lineman Uriah Moenoa and kicker Justin Ayat will be the first Hawaii four-year starters to finish their careers with four winning seasons since 1982.

"There's a lot of emotion when your senior year is ending and you played from young time," said senior Chad Kapanui, a key special-teams performer all four years. "This year went by so fast."

Kick returner/receiver Chad Owens has started the past three seasons, but was also a key to UH's late run in 2001 that ended with a 72-45 thumping of Brigham Young that featured two touchdowns on returns by Owens.

In addition to four touchdowns receiving last week, Owens got his fourth touchdown on a punt return last week. Tonight, he is matched up against the Spartans' Brandon Fields, who leads the nation with 48.3 yards per punt.

"That's a good thing and a bad thing," Smith said. "Brandon's a great punter, but he could give Chad a lot of room to run. We might want to just keep it away from him. He's the best return man I've seen this year."

UH special teams coach Mouse Davis said Fields creates problems with his directional kicking.

"We've been watching tape, but it's difficult to get a line on where he punts," Davis said.

Hawaii is 6-1 at home and Michigan State is 1-4 on the road.

"The trip to get here, to play football is a very long and tenuous journey. It's a complete day. And then there's the distractions," Smith said.

MSU must put the disappointment of not having a bowl game behind it. The Spartans do have something to play for, though -- a non-losing record.

"If we think about (no postseason), this Timmy Chang guy will tear us up," linebacker Tyrell Dortch told the Detroit News. "A 6-6 record won't get you to a bowl game, but it's not a losing season. You'd rather be even-Steven than be a loser. There's a big difference."

Probable starters

Michigan State
Offense
X	6	Matt Trannon	6-6	217	Jr.
LT	72	Stefon Wheeler	6-5	330	Jr.
LG	74	Kyle Cook	6-3	303	So.
C	51	Chris Morris	6-4	298	Jr.
RG	76	William Whitticker	6-5	329	Sr.
RT	79	Sean Poole	6-7	290	Sr.
TE	81	Jason Randall	6-5	269	Sr.
Z	3	Kyle Brown	6-1	208	Jr.
S	32	Jerramy Scott	5-10	188	So.
QB	5	Drew Stanton	6-3	225	So.
RB	20	Jason Teague	5-9	193	Jr.
Defense
RUSH	59	Clifford Duke	6-3	258	Sr.
DT	96	Domata Peko	6-2	297	Jr.
NG	99	Brandon McKinney	6-3	320	Jr.
STUD	92	Clifton Ryan	6-2	288	So.
MIKE	44	Ronald Stanley	6-0	234	Sr.
WHIP	41	David Herron	6-1	251	Jr.
BANDIT
	34	Tyrell Dortch	5-10	208	Sr.
LC	31	Jaren Hayes	5-9	186	Jr.
FS	25	Jason Harmon	5-11	202	Sr.
SS	36	Eric Smith	6-1	193	Jr.
RC	17	Roderick Maples	5-10	190	Sr.
Specialists
PK	16	Dave Rayner	6-2	209	Sr.
P	8	Brandon Fields	6-6	234	So.
SS	51	Chris Morris	6-4	298	Jr.
LS	56	Brian Bury	6-0	240	So.
H	8	Brandon Fields	6-6	234	So.
KR	21	DeAndra Cobb	5-10	197	Sr.
PR	2	Agim Shabaj	5-10	195	Jr.
or	3	Kyle Brown	6-1	208	Jr.
Hawaii
Offense
X	84	Jason Rivers	6-1	189	So.
H	2	Chad Owens	5-9	177	Sr.
LT	70	Tala Esera	6-3	291	So.
LG	65	Hercules Satele	6-2	279	Fr.
C	64	Samson Satele	6-2	278	So.
RG	66	Brandon Eaton	6-2	291	Jr.
RT	74	Jeremy Inferrera	6-2	284	So.
Y	38	Gerald Welch	5-7	216	Sr.
Z	9	Britton Komine	5-10	188	Sr.
QB	14	Tim Chang	6-1	196	Sr.
RB	6	Michael Brewster	5-5	185	Sr.
Defense
LE	98	Mel Purcell	6-4	266	Jr.
LT	99	Lui Fuga	6-1	294	Sr.
RT	91	Matt Faga	6-2	324	Sr.
RE	30	Kila Kamakawiwo'ole	6-3	241	Jr.
SLB	51	Ikaika Curnan	5-10	221	Jr.
MLB	55	Watson Ho'ohuli	5-11	222	Sr.
WLB	45	Tanuvasa Moe	5-11	210	Jr.
CB	37	Abraham Elimimian	5-10	185	Sr.
SS	42	Leonard Peters	6-1	184	Jr.
FS	8	Landon Kafentzis	6-0	194	Jr.
CB	24	Kenny Patton	6-0	187	So.
Specialists
P	25	Kurt Milne	6-0	196	So.
K	47	Justin Ayat	6-0	201	Sr.
LS	61	Bryce Runge	5-11	236	Jr.
PR	2	Chad Owens	5-9	177	Sr.
KR	21	Jason Ferguson	5-5	157	Fr.
Hold	25	Kurt Milne	6-0	196	So.

Schedules

Michigan State (5-6, 4-4 big ten)
Sept. 4	at Rutgers	L, 19-14
Sept. 11	Central Michigan	W, 24-7
Sept. 18	Notre Dame	L, 31-24
Sept. 25	at Indiana	W, 30-20
Oct. 2	at Iowa	L, 38-16
Oct. 9	Illinois	W, 38-25
Oct. 16	Minnesota	W, 51-17
Oct. 30	at Michigan	L, 45-37 (3OT)
Nov. 6	Ohio State	L, 32-19
Nov. 13	Wisconsin	W, 49-14
Nov. 20	at Penn State	L, 37-13
Today	at Hawaii
Hawaii Warriors (6-5, 4-4 WAC)
Sept. 4	Florida Atlantic	L, 35-28 (OT)
Sept. 18	at Rice	L, 41-29
Oct. 2	Tulsa	W, 44-16
Oct. 9	Nevada	W, 48-26
Oct. 16	at Texas-El Paso	L, 51-20
Oct. 23	San Jose State	W, 46-28
Oct. 29	at Boise State	L, 69-3
Nov. 6	Louisiana Tech	W, 34-23
Nov. 12	at Fresno State	L, 70-14
Nov. 19	Idaho	W, 52-21
Nov. 26	Northwestern	W, 49-41
Today	Michigan State

Statistical comparison

MSU	Category	UH
28.6	Scoring	33.4
235.8	Rushing	94.8
211.6	Passing	325.5
447.5	Total Offense	420.4
22.1	First Downs	22.0
11.4	FD Rushing	5.1
9.5	FD Passing	15.6
1.2	FD Penalty	1.3
25.9	Points Allowed	38.3
177.2	Rushing Allowed	258.5
190.2	Passing Allowed	210.0
367.4	Total Offense Allowed	468.5
	(above stats are per-game averages)
8-45	Interceptions -- Yards	13-65
45.0	Punting	38.0
60-529	Penalties	67-569
18-7	Fumbles-lost	18-7
29:16	Ave. Time of Possession	27:54
65-163	Third Down Conversion	63-147
6-12	Fourth Down Conversion	4-13

Key players

Rushing	A	Yards	Avg	TD
Jason Teague, MSU	137	654	4.8	5
Drew Stanton, MSU	84	611	7.3	5
Michael Brewster, UH	100	622	6.2	6
West Keli'ikipi, UH	52	261	5.0	5
Passing	A	C	I	Y	TD
Drew Stanton, MSU	188	119	6	1,271	7
Damon Dowdell, MSU	114	66	6	657	4
Tim Chang, UH	507	298	13	3,437	30
Kainoa Akina, UH	19	7	4	84	0
Receiving	Rec	Yards	Avg	TD
Matt Trannon, MSU	33	386	11.7	2
Jerramy Scott, MSU	34	337	9.9	3
Chad Owens, UH	81	893	11.0	11
Jason Rivers, UH	64	779	12.2	6
Tackles	S	A	Tot	FL/S
Ronald Stanley, MSU	70	48	118	8/2
Eric Smith, MSU	64	41	105	3/0
Jason Harmon, MSU	45	50	95	1/0
David Herron, MSU	48	39	87	6/3
Roderick Maples, MSU	49	17	66	1.5/1
Leonard Peters, UH	64	36	100	6/1
Melila Purcell, UH	42	22	64	15.5/6
Watson Hoohuli, UH	36	26	62	6/.5
Tanuvasa Moe, UH	26	26	52	5/2
Abraham Elimimian, UH	36	11	47	2.5/.5
Kenny Patton, UH	32	15	47	.5/0

WAC standings

	Conference			Overall
	W	L	Pct	W	L	Pct	Str
Boise State	8	0	1.000	11	0	1.000	W22
UTEP	6	2	.750	8	3	.727	L1
Fresno State	5	3	.625	8	3	.727	W5
Louisiana Tech	5	3	.625	6	6	.500	W1
Hawaii	4	4	.500	6	5	.545	W2
Nevada	3	5	.375	5	7	.417	L3
Tulsa	3	5	.375	4	8	.333	W2
SMU	3	5	.375	3	8	.273	L1
Rice	2	6	.250	3	8	.273	L6
San Jose State	1	7	.125	2	9	.182	L7

Today's game
Michigan State at Hawaii