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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, July 29, 2001

WAC touts new stability

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

RENO, Nev. — "The Biggest Little City in the World" was an effective backdrop for a portrait of college football's most dysfunctional family.

In this Nevada city of hasty marriages and quicker divorces, where "standing pat" is considered an achievement, at least at the black-jack table, the Western Athletic Conference was at home.

The "big news," league commissioner Karl Benson proudly announced during his annual speech at the WAC Football Media Preview, was that, for the first time since 1997, there were no lame-duck members.

The statement was meant as a pledge of solidarity; that the WAC, which lost Texas Christian but added Louisiana Tech and Boise State this month, had found stability. There would be no membership changes in the future — well, at least, for another year.

And so, the snapshot of the WAC was this: No news had finally become good news.

"I hope this is it," Fresno State quarterback David Carr said. "It's time to start developing rivalries."

But, after all, this is the WAC, and there are as many divisions as time zones. WAC coaches bickered over the league's new television deal with ESPN, which required the WAC to play on two Fridays, and pouted that, for now, 10 football teams are playing for two spots in postseason bowls. Last year's nine-team WAC had up to four available bowl berths.

The ESPN matter was settled when Benson agreed not to schedule any Friday night games in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. The five WAC schools from those states did not want to play on a night reserved for high school football, fearing it would hurt recruiting.

Still, those five will share equally in the money received from ESPN, the equivalent of siblings receiving the same allowance for performing vastly different chores.

The league's answer to the number of bowl opportunities was to try to start one of its own — in Hawai'i, with the University of Hawai'i serving as a partner in the effort. But with UH probably assured a berth if it meets certain performance goals, an Isle bowl wouldn't necessarily serve all of the WAC's needs.

Even the scheduling presented problems. To ensure a balanced home-and-home schedule, each team will face all but one of the other nine WAC schools. This year, the league's best teams — Fresno State and Texas-El Paso — will not meet.

The byes were determined through a random drawing, Benson said, yet FSU coach Pat Hill and UTEP coach Gary Nord expressed disappointment in not meeting. The league's geographic opposites — UH and Louisiana Tech — also will not meet.

These matters were brushed off as part of the learning process. Now, league officials say, is the time to rebuild a league that endured the secession of eight schools in 1999, the addition of Nevada last year and the two transactions this month. The first step was the media preview, which included players from each team, and was set in a hotel that featured a bowling center, mall, indoor driving range and, fittingly, a wedding chapel.

Here is a look at the WAC:


BOISE STATE BRONCOS

• 2000 season: 10-2; Humanitarian Bowl.

• Head coach: Dan Hawkins.

• Sweet: The top two rushers, five of the top six receivers and seven offensive linemen return from a team that led the nation in scoring last year.

• Sour: The steersman of that offense, quarterback Bart Hendricks, is now with the San Diego Chargers.

• Player to watch: Junior free safety Quintin Mikell amassed 217 tackles in his first two seasons.

• Fun fact: Bronco Stadium is not for the birds; many have crash-landed after mistaking the blue turf for water.


FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

• 2000 season: 7-5; Silicon Valley Football Classic.

• Head coach: Pat Hill.

• Sweet: With a creative sign-and-develop program, the Bulldogs recruit several academic non-qualifiers each year who sit out a season and then, with their grades in order, have three seasons of eligibility remaining. Not only do those players have the talent to play at top-tier schools, but, FSU officials insist, they're also graduating.

• Sour: One of the league's top passing offenses, led by All-WAC quarterback David Carr, is hindered by an inconsistent running attack.

• Player to watch: Therrian Fontenot, who was not academically eligible as a freshman, could be the answer at tailback. In 1999, Fontenot had the fastest time over 100 meters among California high school sprinters.

• Fun fact: Linebacker Marc Dailey won the showcase showdown as a contestant on the television game show, "The Price Is Right."


HAWAI'I WARRIORS

• 2000 season: 3-9

• Head coach: June Jones.

• Sweet: Quarterback Tim Chang, the WAC's Freshman of the Year after passing for 3,041 in 10 games last season, has improved his timing and patience.

• Sour: The interior defensive line, which was supposed to have been upgraded through recruiting and development , will be without injured Lui Fuga for the first two games and prized recruit Isaak Sopoaga until next season. Sopoaga, who is expected to earn an associate degree in December, hopes to enroll at UH in January.

• Player to watch: Left defensive end Laanui Correa was the star of spring practice, pressuring quarterbacks from the strong side and turning the running lanes into dead ends.

• Fun fact: Free safety Jacob Espiau was a pizza deliveryman this summer.


LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS

• 2000 season: 3-9.

• Head coach: Jack Bicknell.

• Sweet: As an independent last year, the Bulldogs rented out themselves as pay-for-play opponents to meet the bills. As a league member this year, they have a chance to compete for a title and bowl berth.

• Sour: Old habits don't die. Seven of 11 games will be played on the road.

• Player to watch: Luke McCown, the youngest of college football's three Throwin' McCown Brothers, set four NCAA freshman passing records last season.

• Fun fact: Bicknell was quarterback Doug Flutie's center at Boston College.


NEVADA WOLF PACK

• 2000 season: 2-10

• Head coach: Chris Tormey.

• Sweet: After last year's hazing, in which 11 freshmen played regularly, the Wolf Pack are more prepared for its second season as a WAC member.

• Sour: The Wolf Pack need to pack on more strength; only two players bench pressed at least 400 pounds last year.

• Player to watch: Herman Ho-Ching, the younger brother of former UH player Daniel Ho-Ching and a top high school prospect, could improve an offense that averaged 67 rushing yards per game. But Ho-Ching, who transferred from Oregon, still needs to qualify academically.

• Fun fact: Defensive tackle Pat Estes is the nephew of former Isle football standout Rockne Freitas.


RICE OWLS

• 2000 season: 3-8.

• Head coach: Ken Hatfield.

• Sweet: The Owls, who were forced to use four quarterbacks last year because of injuries, are at full strength, even before signing six high school quarterbacks. The roster includes 26 seniors.

• Sour: All of the experience might mean little against another brutal schedule, which includes road games at Nebraska and Fresno State.

• Player to watch: The 6-foot-2 Gavin Boothe, who can clear 7 feet in the high jump, offers a receiving threat to the Owls' triple-option offense.

• Fun fact: In man's worst nightmare, safety Jason Hebert suffered a ruptured testicle when he was kicked during a game last year. "It was a one-in-a-million injury," said Hebert, who missed two games. "Doctors who have been practicing for 30 years had never seen that. And, yeah, I heard every joke from my teammates."


SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS

• 2000 season: 7-5.

• Head coach: Fitz Hill.

• Sweet: Deonce Whitaker, who was fourth in the nation with 1,577 rushing yards last year, will earn an extra season when he receives a bachelor's degree next week, a requirement for a student-athlete who entered an NCAA school as a non-qualifier.

• Sour: The Spartans did little in the offseason to improve a defense that relinquished the most yards of any Division I team last year.

• Player to watch: Left tackle Chris Fe'esago, the nephew of former UH and San Francisco 49er standout Jesse Sapolu, has eased the stress on quarterback Marcus Arroyo.

• Fun fact: Hill has a doctorate in education and served in the military during Operation Desert Shield and Storm. He was named after President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.


SOUTHERN METHODIST MUSTANGS

• 2000 season: 3-9.

• Head coach: Mike Cavan.

• Sweet: After blowing 52 percent of their field-goal attempts last year, the Mustangs went out and signed two kickers.

• Sour: Linebacker Vic Viloria, who led the WAC with 130 tackles, did not practice in the spring because of severe neck stingers. It is not known how much he will participate in next week's training camp.

• Player to watch: Kelan Luker, who redshirted last season, apparently has won the quarterback job vacated when Josh McCown transferred.

• Fun fact: Viloria is nicknamed "Junior" after San Diego Charger linebacker Junior Seau.


TEXAS-EL PASO MINERS

• 2000 season: 8-4; Humanitarian Bowl.

• Head coach: Gary Nord.

• Sweet: Defensive coordinator Bob Wagner, a former UH head coach, inherits a defensive line that returns seven of eight players.

• Sour: The Miners must replace last year's starting kicker and punter, as well as All-WAC quarterback Rocky Perez.

• Player to watch: Brian Natkin was an All-WAC tight end last year; his successor, Joey Knapp, is faster, stronger and a better athlete, according to Nord.

• Fun fact: All-WAC wideout Lee Mays was so proud of his league championship ring, he wore it while competing in NCAA track meets.


TULSA HURRICANE

• 2000 season: 5-7.

• Head coach: Keith Burns.

• Sweet: Burns watched the videotapes, crunched the numbers and found the Hurricane were successful on 92 percent of their play-action passes. Trouble was, "waggle play-action" was called only a few times a game. Quarterback Josh Blankenship will make sure that play will be put in heavy rotation this year.

• Sour: Stop the roller-coaster. Last year, the Hurricane lost their first two, won their next three, lost five in a row, then won the final two.

• Player to watch: As good as Donald Shoals is as a receiver, he's even better as a punt returner.

• Fun fact: Burns lost 40 pounds by running every day, avoiding Ron's Hamburger Stand and kicking a daily addiction of 10 to 12 cans of Dr. Pepper.