Cincinnati, UH admit there's much at stake

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Sure, tonight's football matchup between host Hawai'i and Cincinnati is just another non-conference game.

It is, except Cincinnati spent its own dime to charter a flight from Ohio to the Islands, using the extra money it earned for hosting second-ranked Ohio State earlier in the season.

It is, except UH slotback Chad Owens, who has suffered from a sprained right knee the last five weeks, is willing to give it a shot tonight; that during Thursday's practice at Aloha Stadium, the Bearcats exchanged uniforms to disguise their identities from UH spies; that the Warriors are implementing a new defensive scheme to slow the Bearcats' multi-look attack, and that the Bearcats need to win two of their final three games to become eligible for postseason consideration.

"There's a lot of motivation to play a top-25 team," UC cornerback Zach Norton said of UH, which broke into the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll this week. "It's a great team we're playing. We're going to try and come out and beat them."

After a 2-5 start, the Bearcats have won three in row to move into contention for one of five bowls with ties to Conference USA. Their preference is the AXA Liberty Bowl in Memphis, a six-hour drive from the UC campus. The Bearcats only can be considered for the Liberty Bowl, which pays each participating team $1.5 million, by winning or earning a share of the C-USA title.

"We know we have to win these three games," UC quarterback Gino Guidugli said.

Jones has expressed concern about the Bearcats, who beat C-USA leader Texas Christian and Louisville. They lost by four to Ohio State, blowing a chance to take the lead when a Guidugli pass was intercepted in the end zone in the fourth quarter, and by three to West Virginia. Their average losing margin is 7.8 points.

"Early in the season, I thought we would be a lot better than what we are," UC cornerback Blue Adams said. "I'm just happy where we are right now. We got back into it, and we're ready to go right now."

The Bearcats have an aggressive pass rush, and Norton and Adams are two of the best cornerbacks in C-USA. The Bearcats said they are eager to face the Warriors' run-and-shoot offense. UH averages an NCAA-best 520.9 yards per game.

"It's a great chance to make a name for ourselves," Norton said. "Our defense is playing well. It's a great opportunity to show that we can play with the best offense in the nation."

Norton and Adams can play at either corner, and they are more concerned about focusing on UH's schemes than personnel. When asked if he would be defending Justin Colbert, UH's leading receiver, Adams said, "Who? I don't even know who that guy is. But if he happens to come to my side, hey, let's dance a little bit."

UH linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa also welcomes the challenge of facing a productive offense.

"There's a lot we have to prove," Tinoisamoa said of the pressure of being a nationally ranked team. "A lot of people don't think we belong up there. A lot of people want to knock us off. That's what we've got to fight against. We have to play our hardest. If we win these (final three regular-season games) people might say, 'Hey, they really belong.'"

Tinoisamoa, who was part of Jones' first UH recruiting class in 1999, recalled the long ascent.

"This isn't just a one-year thing," Tinoisamoa said. "It's built up over four years. There were times when we went 9-3 and still weren't ranked. There were times we were 3-9 and felt totally out of it. We gained that respect by winning on the road, winning at home and doing all of the things to be a top-25 team. Now that we're here, we don't want to leave."