Frazier wants BCS school for '04 home opener
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
University of Hawai'i athletic director Herman Frazier said he is seeking a team from a Bowl Championship Series conference to replace Sacramento State as the Warrior football team's season-opening opponent in 2004.
Citing financial problems, Sacramento State, a Division I-AA team, has asked to be released from the Sept. 11 game. Frazier said he wants a replacement to come from one of the six power conferences.
Frazier said the replacement game could be played Sept. 4, Sept. 11 or in December. He does not want to schedule a Division I-AA team.
Frazier said the replacement game would be played only on a Saturday in Hawai'i.
"I don't do Fridays," Frazier said, referring to an agreement between the Western Athletic Conference and ESPN to schedule a series of Friday night games. "I get in trouble with the conference for saying that. But the reason Friday is not good for us is for everyone else those games are on Friday night. For us (because of the time difference), it's Friday afternoon. That's not fair to our fans. I'm not doing a Friday afternoon game at home."
• Quiet time: If the Texas-El Paso football players have anything to say about Saturday's game against UH, they will have to wait until after the final whistle.
UTEP coach Gary Nord has banned his players from speaking to reporters this week, team spokesman Jeff Darby announced yesterday. Darby said Nord does not want his players to make any public comments that can be used to motivate the Warriors.
The Warriors, who are 27-point favorites, have won the last two meetings by a combined score of 97-13.
In his four seasons as UTEP's head coach, Nord has exhibited a cautious stance. The last three years the Miners have held training camp in Socorro, N.M, located 200 miles north of the El Paso campus. The team was sequestered part of the time in a Motel 6. Although only one reporter covered training camp, his access was limited to the first 15 minutes of each practice.
• Hold the line: It appears that for the second time this season, the Warriors will start the same offensive line in consecutive games. Freshman Jeremy Inferrera, who started in place of injured Brandon Eaton, is expected to retain the job at right tackle.
Line coach Mike Cavanaugh said Inferrera is "a little more ahead" of Eaton, who has fully recovered from a sprained left ankle. Cavanaugh said UH coach June Jones will decide on the starter.
Inferrera started four games at left tackle before ceding the position to Tala Esera.
"I think (Inferrera) is better on the right side than on the left," Cavanaugh said. "I think he's good enough to play left tackle, but he really excels on the right side. It's more natural for him.
• Travel delay: An expired visa prevented defensive end Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan from attending his father's funeral in Nigeria this week.
Akpan has lived in this country for six years and came to Hawai'i on a basketball scholarship in August 2001. But he said his visa expired in August, and if he were to leave the country, it could take several months before he is allowed to return.
AKPAN
"If I go out, I have to re-apply," he said. "It's going to take a long process. With school on, I don't think I'll be back for my exams."
Akpan said he cannot re-apply while living in this country. He said it could take a month to receive an interview with visa officials, and up to another two months before his request is approved. He said he is allowed to remain in Hawai'i on an expired visa because his football scholarship serves as a sponsorship.
Akpan said he is a Christian, but he adheres to the cultural practices of the Anag tribe. "It's like I feel like a disappointment," Akpan said of missing the funeral. "I'm the only son, and people would like to see the son (at the funeral). I also have chores to do. It is not good, but I just can't leave my education right now. My sisters and my mom understand."
Anag members usually conduct two memorial services. In the second, the family and friends are dressed in black, "like you accept death," Akpan said. "Then you take off the black and wear normal clothes."
He said he will attend the second memorial service.
• Hold me back: Left guard Samson Satele said he did not punch Louisiana Tech linebacker Antonio Crow during a shoving match in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 44-41 victory in Ruston, La.
Following UH running back Michael Brewster's rushing attempt, the teams traded shoves — and much more, according to Bulldog coach Jack Bicknell, who yelled to officials.
"When I pushed him down, (Crow) kind of kicked me and punched me," Satele said. "I held him down, and he started to pull on my face-mask. We were all going at it, our whole offensive line against their whole defensive line. They were frustrated. I didn't punch him, but I held him down. People thought I punched him, but Coach (Jones) says not to punch anybody."
Right guard Uriah Moenoa, a likely defense witness, said: "Fight? There was a fight? What fight?"
Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.
