The University of Hawaii Warriors have already been whupped by the Fighting Irish, at least according to one set of stats.

UH football players ranked second to last in graduation success rates compared with 67 other schools that are going to postseason bowl games. By contrast, UH's Sheraton Hawaii Bowl opponent, Notre Dame, came in second from the top, according to a study released yesterday that examined NCAA-generated graduation rates of freshmen who enrolled in 2001.

Navy was No. 1.

“;We've been working hard since I've been here to make sure our guys graduate,”; said Hawaii head football coach Greg McMackin, who was hired in January to replace June Jones, who recruited those UH players analyzed in the study. “;We want to graduate 100 percent of our players, win the WAC and go to a bowl game.”;

Hawaii's football student-athlete graduation success rate was a dismal 42 percent, in stark contrast with Notre Dame's 94 percent, according to the report by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida. Of Hawaii's black football players, only 40 percent are graduating; 60 percent of its white players are getting diplomas.

“;We have 18 guys (out of 35 seniors) who are going to walk in two weeks,”; McMackin said. “;That's way more than a school record (for a fall commencement). Everybody else is working toward graduating in the spring.”;

McMackin said the staff put an emphasis on summer school this year, with the team averaging a 3.1 grade-point average in the session.

“;The number is not where we want it to be,”; UH athletic director Jim Donovan said, “;but it represents a period before Coach McMackin and I were here. We are working very hard to improve our graduation rates not only for football, but for all our programs. Our job is to prepare student-athletes for life, and academics and graduation are the key components.”;

Overall, football players from Bowl Subdivision schools are graduating more, and more bowl-bound black football players are graduating, but still at lower rates than their white teammates, the study shows.

Of the 68 schools going to bowl games, 19 graduated less than 50 percent of black players, the report shows. However, the number of bowl-bound schools that graduate at least half their players rose from 88 percent last year to 91 percent this year.

The UH student-athlete graduation rate for all sports was at 67 percent, again falling second to last of the 68 teams reviewed. Only Fresno State ranked lower with 61 percent.

The spokeswoman for the UH-Manoa Chancellor's Office deferred comment to the Athletics Department.

Navy had the best football graduation rate among bowl teams at 95 percent and tied Notre Dame for the best among blacks with 93 percent.

The University of Arizona had the worst football graduation rate, 41 percent, and among black players, 29 percent.