Hawaii wins over
ESPN again

If some people showed up for the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Friday mostly for the halftime show featuring "American Idol" star Jasmine Trias, that's fine with Pete Derzis.

The senior vice president of ESPN Regional Television, which owns the game, said one of his goals is to make the Hawaii Bowl "more than a football game."

The game, in which Hawaii beat UAB 59-40, drew a crowd of 38,322 with 39,754 tickets issued. It was the best attendance in the three-year history of the Hawaii Bowl.

Derzis, like anyone else with a stake in the game's existence, was relieved when UH qualified for the bowl by winning its last three regular-season games.

"I'm a realist," Derzis said. "I know if Hawaii doesn't get in it hurts us. So the goal is to build the game in a broad-based way. We want to make it something the city and state can be proud of, even if UH isn't in it."

The good-sized crowd, exciting display of offense and halftime show had Derzis smiling throughout. Western Athletic Conference commissioner Karl Benson and Hawaii Bowl executive director Jim Donovan were also beaming.

Overnight TV rating numbers won't be available until Monday because of the holiday, an ESPN spokesman said yesterday.

Next year's game is the last in the four-year Hawaii Bowl contract that includes the WAC, Conference USA and ESPN.

UH is guaranteed a spot in the game if it is bowl-eligible.

Stock rising?: Things could get to the point where NFL scouts don't care if Chad Owens is small and not that fast.

His quickness and strength and knack for making big plays might get him drafted.

"He's the heart and soul of that football team," UAB coach Watson Brown said.

Owens scored 12 touchdowns in UH's last three games, 10 by receiving, two by punt return.

"I've never heard of anything like it," Warriors coach June Jones said. "They will say he's too small (for the NFL), and he'll do the same stuff there."

UH receiver Jason Rivers said Owens was a topic of discussion across lines during the game.

"A UAB player asked me how Chad got so quick. I told him, 'I'm still trying to get on his program,'" Rivers said.

The retiring type?: UH athletic director Herman Frazier said the school will consider retiring Tim Chang's number.

"I think he did a terrific job," Frazier said. "If ever a number should be retired, it's No. 14."

Blazer building: Even though they lost, the Blazers didn't walk away empty-handed.

"The ultimate goal is to win, but it was a great experience," said UAB senior wide receiver Bradly Chavez, who finished with five catches for 81 yards. "Playing a bowl game sets the bar for the teams coming in for the next few years."

Junior quarterback Darrell Hackney was also positive about the future.

"It does wonders for our program," he said. "We've been second in our league three times (since joining C-USA in 1999), so we'll do nothing but grow from this experience."