Streaks on line for UH, Boise

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	Boise State at Hawai'i What: WAC football Kickoff: 6:35 p.m. Where: Aloha Stadium Parking: Lots open at 3 p.m.; $5 per vehicle Shuttle: From 4 p.m. Stadium opens: 3:30 p.m.

While BSU clinched the Western Athletic Conference's regular-season title last week, UH also has something to look forward to.

"They're going to a bowl and we're going to a bowl," said Jeremiah Cockheran, a UH wideout and co-captain.

The Broncos (11-1 overall, 7-0 WAC), who have won 17 conference games in a row dating to November 2001, accepted an invitation to play Texas Christian in the Fort Worth Bowl on Dec. 23.

By clinching a winning regular season, the Warriors (8-4 overall and 5-2 in the WAC), met the requirement to play in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Day.

Under these circumstances, tonight's game essentially should be meaningless, except ...

• The Warriors would like to protect their home FieldTurf. They are 6-0 at Aloha Stadium this year and 19-4 since 2001.
• A victory would give the Warriors nine regular-season victories for the fourth time in June Jones' five seasons as UH head coach. The Warriors also can share second place with Tulsa and Fresno State.
• The Warriors can avenge the Broncos' 58-31 rout in Boise last year.

"After the loss last year, and the way they were talking, even as they were beating us ... they're a cocky arrogant bunch of guys over there," Cockheran said. "We take that to mind, especially going into this game. We take it very personal."

UH cornerback Abraham Elimimian said: "I don't really like these guys. They think they created football and they can do whatever they want to do in the WAC. That's what it boils down to."

The Broncos admittedly are confident, although they deny they are arrogant.

"If we're playing well, we feel like there's nobody who can stop us or beat us," BSU receiver Tim Gilligan said. "If you don't feel confident, you're not going to play well or you're going to play timid. You have to play that way sometimes, if not all of the time."

BSU quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie conceded: "We definitely have a swagger. We play like we're going to win every game. We won all of last year's WAC games and all of this year's WAC games so far. Every week we're coming into the game knowing we're the better team and we've got to play well to get a win."

The Broncos have reason to be proud. In the past five games, their average margin of victory is 39.6 points. In each of the past seven games, they have led by at least 18 points at halftime.

They have not trailed in a game since Oct. 4, when Louisiana Tech led 23-16 at the intermission. The Broncos scored 27 of the first 34 of the second half to win.

UH coaches have praised Dinwiddie as college football's best quarterback.

"I haven't seen a better college quarterback since Jim McMahon (in the early 1980s)," said Rich Miano, who coaches the Warriors' pass defense. "He can run. He's smart. He reads the coverages. There are players who will get more hype than him. If he were 6-5, he would be the first pick of the (2004 NFL) draft. He's going to be a great quarterback in the NFL. He's a great quarterback, and Boise is a great team."