Warriors face 'must' win WAC game
| • | Warriors, 'Pack play match game |
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Don't adjust the calendar.
It is indeed the first Saturday in October and, yes, the title chase likely will end for the loser of tonight's Western Athletic Conference football game between Nevada and Hawai'i at Aloha Stadium.
Both enter with 0-1 WAC records.
In the previous six seasons, no WAC champion had more than one league loss.
The last time a WAC champion had two losses was in 1999, the year after eight teams ceded from what was a 16-school league. UH, then known as the Rainbow Warriors, shared the league title with Fresno State and Texas Christian. All were 5-2.
"We entered (this season) with three goals: win every game, win the WAC championship, go to a bowl game," UH quarterback Colt Brennan said. " Obviously, we didn't get the first goal. Now we have to put ourselves in the best spot to win the WAC. That starts with Nevada."
Both teams were victimized by unfortunate schedules. The Wolf Pack opened the season, on the road, against Fresno State. UH's WAC opener was on the road against nationally ranked Boise State, which has won four consecutive league titles.
"I don't think anybody enjoys playing a league game, on the road, to open," said Nevada coach Chris Ault, whose team won a share of the WAC title last year. "That's what happened to us. . . . Television dictates. That's yesterday's news. We have to move forward."
Noting recent WAC history, Jones declared this as a "must" game.
"They're all going to be like that for the rest of the (WAC) season," Jones said. "I've always said the road to the WAC championship goes through Fresno and Boise. It also goes through Nevada."
That Nevada has elite status is remarkable, considering it joined the WAC in 2000, and was 5-7 in 2004.
But Ault, a Hall of Fame coach, has been the engineer of the resurgence — as athletic director, where he led the three-phase movement to improve the athletic facilities, and as head coach. He returned to the sidelines in 2004, leaving his job as athletic director.
He immediately began an extreme makeover. He changed the football team's uniforms, helmets and logos.
"The (logo) we had before didn't fit the appetite," he said.
He brought back Chris Klenakis as offensive coordinator, and sent away disruptive players.
"The 1990s, we were very powerful," Klenakis said of the Wolf Pack's success in the Big West Conference.
After that, when Ault "retired" from coaching to become full-time athletic director, Klenakis said, "I think the attitude had been lost. . . . Our first year (back) here (in 2004), we had to re-establish the attitude. We had to eliminate some of those who didn't believe in it. Last year, we had kids who believed in what we do. That helped, obviously, in our success last year."
Tim DeRuyter, Nevada's defensive coordinator, said: "Coach Ault does a great job of instilling core values into our players. Our guys know what Wolf Pack football is. The guys who buy in do so whole-heartedly."
Most of all, quarterback Jeff Rowe said, "We're still hungry. Even though we won last year, we didn't let it get to us. We feel we're in the hunt. We have to get it again. It's all about the chase.
SPENCER'S FAST FRIEND
Nevada wide receiver Caleb Spencer, a Kamehameha Schools graduate, received help from UH safety Leonard Peters in preparing for his wedding.
The players became fast friends last year, when the WAC Football Media Preview was held in Reno. Peters was representing the Warriors.
Peters, a professional dancer, taught Spencer and his groomsmen the slap dance. They performed the dance at Spencer's wedding in June.
"It turned out good," Spencer said. "Leonard was our kuma hula."
The two also trained together this past summer. "That guy works hard," Spencer said. "He's a beast."
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UH FOOTBALL
WHAT: University of Hawai'i (2-2, 0-1 Western Athletic Conference) vs. Nevada (3-2, 0-1 WAC) WHEN: 6:05 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Aloha Stadium TV: Live on Oceanic cable pay-per-view digital. Call 625-8100 on O'ahu or (808) 643-2337 statewide. Delayed on KFVE Sunday 10 a.m. AUDIO WEBCAST: espn1420am.com VIDEO WEBCAST: Available through Hawaiian Telecom and KFVE. Tickets available for single game at $9.95, a full season for $39.95. Go to www.hawaiiantelmedia.com RADIO: Live on ESPN 1420, with warmup show at 4 p.m. Neighbor Island simulcasts on KAOI on Maui/Kona, KPUA in Hilo and KQNG on Kaua'i TICKET PRICES: $38 sideline, $32 South end zone, $27 North end zone (adult), $22 North end zone senior citizen, $22 North end zone students 4-18, $5 UH students. TICKET SALES: Available online at www.hawaiiathletics.com, by calling 944-2697 (BOWS) between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or at Stan Sheriff Center, Aloha Stadium, UH Campus Center, RainBowtique at Ward Centre and Windward Community College's OCET Office during business hours. Convenience fees may apply. UH STUDENTS: Chancellor's Office is providing free bus transportation for UH students. Buses will pick up students on Dole Street in front of the Gateway House two hours before game time. The buses will leave the stadium 30 minutes after the game and return to the Gateway House. Signup sheets are at the front desks at each UH residence hall. PROMOTION: "Military Night," with members of each branch of the Armed Services being honored at halftime. Also, each member of the Armed Services, both active and reservists, will receive two tickets for the price of one (no limit). Valid military identification card is required when purchasing tickets. Offer available at the Aloha Stadium in advance and on game day. It is only available at the Stan Sheriff Box Office in advance (Monday- Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Tickets are in special sections. Other restrictions may apply. GATES OPEN: Parking lot 2:30 p.m.; Stadium gates 3 p.m. PARKING: $5 ALTERNATIVE PARKING (no tailgating): • Leeward Community College (free with $2 charge for shuttle service); • Kamehameha Drive-In ($5 with free shuttle service); • Radford High School ($3 with no shuttle service). All shuttle service runs from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and approximately one hour after the game ends. SECURITY: Only fanny packs, purses, backpacks and handbags will be allowed into stadium (subject to check). TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Sports Radio 1420 will provide traffic advisories and updates before each UH football home game. BUS SHUTTLES: Roberts Hawaii is offering round trip "air conditioned" shuttle bus services to Aloha Stadium for $6 from three O'ahu areas. Bus No. 3 will pick up at the Hawai'i Kai Park n' Ride at 4 p.m., at Bank of Hawai'i at Kahala Mall at 4:15 and proceed to the stadium. Bus No. 2 will pick up at the Kailua District Park, Kainalu Avenue at 4:15 p.m., at Windward Mall Shopping Center on Alaloa Street facing Sears at 4:30 and proceed to the stadium. Bus No. 1 will pick up at the Mililani Mauka Park n' Ride at 4:30 p.m. and go directly to the stadium. Reservations are required and service is first come, first serve. Call Roberts School Bus at 832-4886 for reservations and additional information. CITY BUS SERVICE The FootballExpress offers 17 pickup locations throughout O'ahu. The first trip from each location leaves approximately three hours before kickoff and the last trip leaves approximately 90 minutes before the game. Return trips leave as soon as the bus is full, with the final trip leaving 30 minutes after the game ends. Honolulu pickup locations are at Ala Moana, downtown, Hawai'i Kai, Kahala Mall, Kaimuki, Palolo, Waikiki and the University of Hawai'i. Leeward pickups are at 'Ewa Beach, Kapolei, Mililani Mauka and Village Park. Windward pickups are at Kalaniana'ole Highway and Kailua Road, Kailua Road at Keolu Drive and Hele Street, Kailua Road at Hahani Street, Kane'ohe Bay drive at Mokapu Boulevard and Kane'ohe Bay Drive at Makalani Street. Rates are $3 one way and $6 roundtrip. Passes and transfers are not accepted. For information, go to: http://www.thebus.org
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Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.
