CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Hawaii's Jason Ferguson, who is wearing the same number (2) as Chad Owens, returned kickoffs last season, averaging 21.2 yards per runback. This year, the 5-foot-5 Ferguson will get to showcase his talents at slotback for the Warriors.

Small world

Hawaii slotback Jason Ferguson
will live out his dream of being
on the same field with USC

But instead of wearing the crimson and gold
of the Trojans, he'll be playing against them

USC at Hawaii When: Saturday Time: 1:05 p.m. Where: Aloha Stadium TV: ESPN2, live

Throughout his high school years, Jason Ferguson kept a picture of the Los Angeles Coliseum posted above his bed. It was the last thing he saw every night before he closed his eyes and dreamt of playing football for USC.

Before his junior year at Fairfax High School, he shined bright at a one-day Trojans summer camp, and the dream seemed on a freeway toward reality.

After a day of eluding the best defenders from the city and beyond, it was a USC assistant who finally blew him up, hurting him worse than any linebacker could. But as he does on the field after a solid hit, Ferguson popped right back up.

"I was heartbroken at first. But as soon as they told me I was too small, I just crossed them off my list, quick," Ferguson said. "Anyone who tells me I'm too small, they don't know me."

On Saturday at Aloha Stadium, he gets to live the revised version of his dream ... playing against the Trojans. Ferguson, now a sophomore at Hawaii, gets his first career start at slotback.

"I decided they better hope they never got to play against me. That's why this is like a dream come true to me," Ferguson said after practice this week. "I haven't forgotten that day."

Ferguson, a 5-foot-5 jitterbug of a running back at Fairfax, was a two-time all-city selection in football. But he learned that being one of the best high school players in Los Angeles didn't mean you get to play at the local college that doesn't recruit, but rather, selects.

"I was a huge SC fan. If you grow up playing football in L.A., you love SC," he said. "That was the place to be."

If being small wasn't enough of an obstacle, Ferguson had another one thrown in front of him his junior year at Fairfax. A torn ACL dried up whatever recruiters were left.

Except for June Jones and Hawaii.

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Jason Ferguson, left, caught a ball during the Warriors' practice on Tuesday.

The knee (since recovered) was one thing, a bit of a risk. But a lack of size has never bothered Jones. The run-and-shoot needs a lot of fast and quick players, and they don't need to be tall to be effective.

Jones, then coaching the Houston Gamblers, was the first to take a chance on "The Ice Cube."

"Gerald McNeil," Jones said. "Who thought he could play at (5-feet-7 and) 139 pounds? And he played a long career."

McNeil eventually took his blazing speed to the NFL, and made it to the Pro Bowl as a kick returner.

The latest undersized receiver to star in the run-and-shoot is Chad Owens, who was a second-team All-American all-purpose player last year for the Warriors and is now turning heads in the Jacksonville Jaguars camp. He was Ferguson's mentor, and the sophomore wears Owens' old No. 2, at Owens' request.

"Jason's similar to Chad," Jones said. "His separation and his quickness. He's very smart. Not as big as Chad, but his quickness and elusiveness is very similar to Chad. And he's a tough kid. A real tough kid."

Even at UH's limited contact practices, the 160-pound Ferguson takes some tough licks -- as he did returning kickoffs last year, a task at which he averaged 21.2 yards per runback.

"You always know he's going to play as hard as he can," junior cornerback Kenny Patton said. "Every play. He doesn't get intimidated because he's small. He plays like he's 6-5."

Teammates say Ferguson is a leader, despite his stature and relative inexperience. They say he has a sixth sense for what the Warriors need at any given time.

"He really gives us a lot of intensity," Patton said. "He makes people laugh. It always depends on the situation. He pumps us up when we need to be pumped up, he calms us down when we need that. He's a motivator and he's got a lot of charisma."

Quarterback Tyler Graunke said Ferguson "takes his personality onto the field."

"He somehow makes everyone laugh, but he gets everyone fired up, too," Graunke said.

Ferguson said he might not be playing college football if not for Jones and UH.

"This is the perfect place for me," he said. "Coach Jones, he doesn't care if you're short. As long as you give him your all and you can get it done and you correct your mistakes, it doesn't matter how big you are. He'll let you do it."

Graunke has heard Ferguson's story of unrequited love with the Trojans. He can relate, himself being unrecruited except by Hawaii because of his lack of size, despite holding Arizona state high school passing records.

On Saturday, they get to see how their slingshot works against Goliath.

"I know he's happy to be here, and I'm happy to have him here to throw to," Graunke said.

The picks

Today

Saturday

Louisiana-Lafayette (plus 40) at No. 2 Texas
Longhorns prep for Buckeyes on Sept. 10. ... TEXAS 61-14.

UAB (plus 23 1/2) at No. 3 Tennessee
QB Darrell Hackney gives UAB a shot. ... TENNESSEE 41-21.

Northern Illinois (plus 18 1/2) at No. 4 Michigan
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is five wins shy of 100. ... MICHIGAN 35-14.

Miami of Ohio (plus 14) at No. 6 Ohio State
Buckeyes are 3-0 against RedHawks. ... OHIO STATE 37-10.

TCU (plus 26 1/2) at No. 7 Oklahoma
Sooners are TB Adrian Peterson's team now. ... OKLAHOMA 48-16.

Wyoming (plus 23) at No. 10 Florida
Urban Meyer debuts against former MWC rival. ... FLORIDA 39-24.

Ball State (plus 38 1/2) at No. 11 Iowa
Hawkeyes had nation's second-worst running game in '04. ... IOWA 44-14.

No. 18 Boise State (plus 7) at No. 13 Georgia
Bulldogs power vs. Broncos finesse. ... GEORGIA 35-30.

Georgia Tech (plus 7) at No. 16 Auburn
Two of nation's toughest defenses. ... AUBURN 16-13.

No. 17 Texas A&M (minus 1 1/2) at Clemson
Clemson's Tommy Bowden enters another season on hot seat. ... TEXAS A&M 29-24.

Sacramento St. (no line) at No. 19 California
Golden Bears have won seven straight at home ... CALIFORNIA 55-6.

No. 22 Boston College (minus 2 1/2) at BYU
Only meeting came in 1985, a 28-14 BYU win. ... BYU 23-21.

Notre Dame (plus 3) at No. 23 Pittsburgh
Pitt QB Tyler Palko tossed five TD passes vs. Irish last season. ... NOTRE DAME 36-28.

Western Michigan (plus 33) at No. 25 Virginia
Broncos have lost 10 straight. ... VIRGINIA 39-6.