Bowls within reach for UH
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
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SPONSOR: ConAgra Foods WHEN: 3 p.m. Dec. 25 TEAMS: UH with one more win vs. Conference USA team WHERE: Aloha Stadium TICKETS: $40, $25, $15. Available at Aloha Stadium box office (including at tonight's game), UH Stan Sheriff Center ticket office, UH Campus Center or by phone, 484-1122 San Jose State at Hawai'i WHAT: WAC football, San Jose State (4-5, 2-2) at Hawai'i (6-2, 5-1) KICKOFF: 6:05 p.m. today TV/RADIO: Live on Oceanic Digital 255 and 256 (pay per view) 6:05 p.m. Delayed on K5 at 10 p.m./Live on 1420 AM |
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If the Warriors win, they will secure a berth in the inaugural ConAgra Foods Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Day.
The Warriors, who are 6-2 overall and 5-1 in the Western Athletic Conference, need to finish the regular season with a winning record to qualify for the automatic berth. They play 13 regular-season games this year.
By qualifying for a postseason game, each UH player is eligible to receive a daily allowance of about $125 — tax free — for the five days leading to the Christmas bowl. With the school expected to cover the cost of lodging and meals, the players would be able to pocket most of the moolah. This week, the rallying cry among the Warriors is, "Win one for the per diem!"
"I need some money, especially during Christmas time," offensive tackle Uriah Moenoa said.
"That would come in handy," quarterback Tim Chang added.
But the Warriors, who have won three in a row, face an opponent equally hungry for a postseason berth. Despite losing their past three, the Spartans remain in the running for a berth in the third Silicon Valley Bowl, which is played in San Jose State's stadium.
The Spartans, who are 4-5 overall and 2-2 in the WAC, need to win three of their final four regular-season games to meet the NCAA bowl-eligible requirement of a winning record. (This year, teams playing 12 games also can qualify with a 6-6 record.)
Fresno State played in the first two Silicon games, and the five-member selection committee, which includes three SJSU officials, would prefer a different representative from the WAC.
"It's within reach," wide receiver Charles Pauley said of the Spartans' chance for a winning record. "We have seniors who deserve it. We'll do whatever we can to win three out of the four. Our goal is to go 4-0. I feel we're capable of doing that."
The Spartans have had one winning season since 1993, and they have not competed in the postseason since the 1990 California Bowl, when they were members of the Big West Conference. The Big West no longer competes in football.
The Spartans also are burdened by a schedule in which they play 13 consecutive games, nine of which are on the road.
"As long as the field is 100 yards long, we don't care where we play or how often we play," Pauley said. "We don't care about not having any byes. If you like what you're doing, you don't get tired. We love playing football. If you're tired, you just suck it up and do your job."
Fitz Hill, in his second season as SJSU coach, built unity with lively practices and inspirational speeches. The Spartans' media guide is printed horizontally, with an 11 inches-by-8 1/2 layout. Unlike most guides, which have separate sections for all-league candidates, the Spartans list their players alphabetically, regardless of honors or class standing.
"I'm a big fan of Coach Hill," said quarterback Scott Rislov, a junior-college transfer who noted that all jobs were open during training camp.
Rislov said the Spartans are optimistic as they enter the stretch run. "We're looking at a bowl game as our goal," Rislov said.
