Hawaii Tangles With Spartans in TV Game

By Fred Guzman

Hawaii has an excellent opportunity to win the championship in its final season in the Western Athletic Conference.  But in order to achieve that imminently attainable goal, UH has to win games like tonight’s nationally televised road test against San Jose State.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m., Hawaii time.  The game will be televised on ESPN and broadcast locally on KNUI AM-900.

UH shared the WAC title last season with Boise State and Nevada. Boise State is no longer in the mix, having left for the Mountain West Conference, where it presumably will be joined next season by UH, Fresno State and Nevada.

That is, if the Broncos don’t trot off to another league.  The Big East has discussed adding the Idaho school as a football-only member.  Do they still teach geography at American universities?  Just asking.

Fresno State, at 2-4, and Nevada, at 2-3, are both down this year, opening the door for UH to make a serious title run. At 3-2, Hawaii is the only WAC team currently with a winning record.  Counting UH’s 2-2 mark outside the league, WAC teams have combined for a dismal 11-23 record against non-conference competition.

That said, don’t overlook 2-3 Utah State, which has played some top programs tough – including heart-breaking road losses against defending national champion Auburn and in-state rival BYU.

UH got off to a winning start in the WAC two weeks ago with an 44-26 road win over Louisiana Tech as quarterback Bryant Moniz threw for 410 yards and four scores – three of them for 210 years to fellow senior Royce Pollard.

Hawaii got a much-needed bye last week to break up a stretch of three straight away games over a four-week  stretch.  The team returns home next Saturday, hosting New Mexico State.

San Jose State is coming off a 29-16 loss to BYU, dropping the Spartans to 2-4 after having won their previous two outings.