University of Hawai'i assistant football coach Mouse Davis acknowledges he might just give his "friend" Nevada head coach Chris Ault a call this week and wish him luck in the Wolf Pack's regular season finale.

He says this with a sly chuckle because, well, they're not really friends at all. More like 30-something-year antagonists with long memories.

Let's put it this way: they've been feuding since June Jones played quarterback for Davis and Portland State against Ault in the 1970s and any win over Nevada comes with a little extra satisfaction. Any loss a little more pain.

So the remarkable thing is that for perhaps the first time, Davis and the Warriors are in Ault's corner this week. Staunchly so. Even if it is only for about three hours or so on Saturday before UH plays Purdue.

The time, UH hopes, Nevada beats Boise State in Reno and, by the way, delivers a co-championship of the Western Athletic Conference to Hawai'i's trophy case.

While most of the WAC membership has its eye on the financial prize of approximately $600,000 each that would come with Boise State playing in a Bowl Championship Series game, the Warriors would like a piece of the conference championship and the rings that go with it. Well, at least the players and coaches would. We'll let you surmise about what the bean counters are dreaming of.

Not that UH, which has had four consecutive deficit budgets entering the past fiscal year, couldn't use the money. But WAC titles in football have been more rare (2 in 27 years) than balanced budgets. The last one (titles, that is) coming in 1999, Jones' first season. Besides, administrators get paid to balance budgets (or not) and football coaches get paid to win titles.

And UH would sure like to have some hardware to show for what has so far been a special 9-2 (7-1 WAC) season and be made more so with a title. But now that UH has played its last conference game of the season, the only way that happens is if Nevada does itself and, coincidentally, UH a favor Saturday.

The Warriors haven't been above asking for help in the past. Indeed, UH got its first WAC title in 1992 in similar fashion. UH was 6-2 in the WAC that season but after beating Brigham Young and Fresno State, needed help to tie Marshall Faulk and San Diego State, which had been every bit the nemesis that Boise State has become. The Warriors got it when Fresno State and its irascible head coach, Jim Sweeney, beat the Aztecs, 45-41.

Now that Ault and Nevada could answer UH's prayers, the Warriors know who they are rooting for, past feelings aside. Well, maybe some of them anyway. Said Davis, choosing his words carefully, "I wish the Nevada football team all the luck this week."

"Tell Hawai'i we'll do our best for you," a Nevada official chuckled.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.