College Football Notebook | 10-0 Hawaii hosts WAC showdown
HONOLULU - Hawaii’s to-do list: Win the Western Athletic Conference title, go 12-0, secure a berth to a Bowl Championship Series game and knock off a big-name program. Sound familiar?
The 14th-ranked Warriors are trying to repeat Boise State’s magic from last season. But to do so, they need to first get past the 17th-ranked Broncos tonight.
On the line for Hawaii (10-0 overall, 7-0 WAC) is its perfect season, BCS hopes, first outright conference title and some respect.
“Obviously, we’re playing for a lot,” said standout quarterback Colt Brennan, who will start for Hawaii after recovering from a Nov. 10 concussion. “It almost seems like the situation is bigger than us. All we can do is focus on the game itself and hopefully get that victory.”
Since joining the WAC in 2001, Boise State (10-1, 7-0) has dominated the conference - and Hawaii. The Broncos are seeking a seventh straight victory over the Warriors and their sixth consecutive WAC title. Boise State hasn’t given up hope of making it to the big stage for a second consecutive year.
“This is, as we say every week, our bowl game right now,” said Broncos running back Ian Johnson, who is averaging 104.9 rushing yards a game and has scored 15 touchdowns.
Hawaii, 15th in this week’s BCS standings, needs to finish 12th or higher to secure a spot in a BCS bowl. Boise State is 19th.
Boise State, which ended last season with a 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, has won 23 of its last 24 games. Hawaii has won 20 of its last 21, including 11 in a row.
“It is the biggest game in WAC history,” conference commissioner Karl Benson said. “It has all the buzz and all the hype that we were expecting it to have.”
The game is expected to have plenty of scoring, as Hawaii leads the nation with an average of 48 points and Boise State is third with 44.2 points.
“For us to compete, it’s probably going to have to be [high scoring],” Broncos coach Chris Petersen said. “They’re a hard team to match in terms of points, but we’re going to have to get some things done on offense.”
Hawaii ends its regular season at home against Washington on Dec. 1. Boise State’s loss was a 24-10 setback at Washington on Sept. 8.
Boise State represents this season’s lone ranked opponent for Hawaii.
“The only time we’ll be able to silence the critics is if we’re to go to a BCS bowl and play a big-time school and we win,” Brennan said. “Until then, we’re still going to have people who hate.”
Notes
• No. 1 Louisiana State, which hosts Arkansas today, needs a victory to carry national-championship hopes into the Southeastern Conference title game Dec. 1 in Atlanta. Some wonder whether it will be the last game LSU’s Les Miles coaches at Tiger Stadium.
Miles is mentioned as a prime candidate to replace Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, who is stepping down after the season. Miles is a former Michigan player and assistant.
“We’re not letting any of that [Michigan talk] get in our heads,” LSU linebacker Luke Sanders said.
• Five years later, Texas A&M is back where it started. In 2002, the Aggies were 6-5 heading into their regular-season finale with Texas, and disgruntled fans were calling for a coaching change. The Longhorns beat the Aggies 50-20 and three days later, Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum was fired.
Today, the scenario is much the same. Dennis Franchione succeeded Slocum, but he has failed to lead the Aggies back to prominence and is likely coaching his last game for A&M, even if the Aggies (6-5, 3-4 Big 12) beat the 13th-ranked Longhorns (9-2, 5-2).
• Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, recovering from a concussion, was cleared to play Saturday against Oklahoma State.