Warriors get awe out of way

Hawaii visits an empty Bryant-Denny Stadium to prepare for today's test in Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. » The Hawaii football team's walk-through was more like a photo day. The players (half of them barefooted) snapped dozens of pictures of each other in cavernous Bryant-Denny Stadium yesterday.

The Warriors -- even those with likely NFL futures -- know that just being here, not even taking into account the actual playing in the game against Alabama today, is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and opportunity.

For a few minutes, they weren't football players. They were tourists.

Not that June Jones had to measure the field for the Warriors, like Gene Hackman in "Hoosiers." But Jones did make sure to have his team come through the former playground of Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Shaun Alexander and all the others yesterday to stave off any gee-whiz factor today. Of course, it will be different with more than 92,000 red-clad Crimson Tide fans.

The best advice might be to not look up -- literally and figuratively.

"They've handled it pretty well so far," said Jones, who even admitted to a little bit of chicken-skin himself yesterday. "We'll see tomorrow."

The older UH players have been to the Los Angeles Coliseum to take on USC, and the underclassmen will visit The Swamp in Gainesville, Fla., in 2008.

But there's something about Alabama that sets it a little bit apart, even though the Crimson Tide's last national championship came in 1992. For pure aura, perhaps only Notre Dame offers a more tradition-rich college football environment.

Much of it has to do with the legendary Tide coach, Paul "Bear" Bryant.

"He could've been governor, but he didn't need to," said UH assistant coach Mouse Davis, who met Bryant in the 1970s when he was the speaker at Oregon's annual athletic awards banquet. "He already had more power."

As Lynyrd Skynyrd sang, "In Birmingham they love the govna'." But not in Tuscaloosa if he was a Tiger.

"The fans booed the governor at games because he went to Auburn," Davis said. "The Bear told them to stop. At the next game everybody clapped for him. Because The Bear said to."

Some fans refuse to believe Bryant died in 1983, one year following his retirement after posting 323 college wins and six national championships.

"There are people here who wouldn't be surprised if he just showed up and started coaching again," said David Wasson, sports editor of the Tuscaloosa News. "They'd just say, 'What took you so long to get back, Coach?'"

If Bryant were still alive, he'd be 92.

That is what Alabama coach Mike Shula must deal with, at a program where nothing short of beating Auburn, winning an SEC championship and contending for that 13th title is acceptable. Yesterday, statues were erected of Bryant, Frank Thomas, Gene Stallings and Wallace Wade -- the four coaches to bring national championships to Alabama, signifying completion of the $50 million athletic facility renovations here.

Today, Shula has the added pressure of playing a team that beat his first Tide edition in 2003. And the general consensus is that the Warriors are not the typical cupcake season-starter.

"This is probably one of the best (teams) they've had since June Jones has been there." And, he said, "Hawaii is, by far, our toughest opponent for a season opener."

Shula would not disclose if any Alabama players would be suspended for today's game. Outside linebacker Juwan Simpson, receiver D.J. Hall and linebacker Travis Sikes may miss at least part of the game for off-field issues.

Neither team is expected to be missing starters due to injury, although Hawaii starting guard John Estes (groin) and No. 2 outside linebacker Amani Purcell (foot) were limping earlier in the week. Alabama No. 2 running back Glen Coffee (knee) is out and starting kicker Jamie Christensen (groin) is probable.

OF COURSE, Jerry Glanville was unfazed by it all yesterday.

The UH defensive coordinator paid his respects to Bryant (with whom he once interviewed for a job) by re-enacting Bryant's famous pose in which he leans against a goal post.

"I'm waiting for his spirit to come inside of me," Glanville said.

The Hawaii defense will need more than that to slow the 'Bama running game today, which is led by one of the nation's best tailbacks, Ken Darby. He is on pace to become the all-time leading rusher at Alabama, passing reigning NFL MVP Shaun Alexander of the Seahawks.

"I think their offense is a pro offense. They look very much like the Cincinnati Bengals or the San Diego Chargers. They know what they're doing," Glanville said. "They'll keep running it if you can't stop it. If you want to see the pass, stop the run."

If the Warriors don't shed blocks and tackle, they'll crash and burn like Glanville himself did in a 1990 car race at the Talladega Superspeedway, which the police-escorted team buses passed on the way to Tuscaloosa from Atlanta yesterday.

"The car disintegrated and I was sitting in a seat with just a steering wheel," Glanville said.

He felt that way many times last season as UH gave away yards and points like leis at the airport in his first year as Warriors DC. But he contends the returnees are a year smarter and the newcomers are strong and fast enough to do the job.

Sophomore linebacker Adam Leonard, one of five Warriors on defense and six total making their first Division I starts, agrees.

"We really want to take this opportunity to show that no matter who's in there, to show our defense is better than it was last year," Leonard said. "To beat the best puts a great mark on your defense, and that's what we gotta do."

Glanville will surely have them blitzing to try to rattle Alabama's new starting quarterback, sophomore J.P. Wilson.

HAWAII QUARTERBACK Colt Brennan, who led the nation in passing yards and touchdowns last year, is eager for the Warriors offense to prove itself against a big-time opponent.

It's one thing to torch New Mexico State. This is something else. Or is it?

"You've got to expect to win every time, or you're never going to win. At the same time we have an unbelievable test in front of us -- Alabama, one of the most storied football programs in America," Brennan said.

"We've got a lot on our plate, they've got a lot on their plate having to replace most of their defense and with a new quarterback. I think it's going to be a great football game. I think it'll come down to who can pull it off in the fourth quarter."