Posted on: Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Fresno State's Hill wants to play UH twice in '05

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By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

FRESNO, Calif. — Let's play two?

That's not just Ernie Banks talking, that's also Fresno State football coach Pat Hill, who said he would like to schedule the University of Hawai'i twice next season and beyond.

In addition to the scheduled Western Athletic Conference game with the Warriors, Hill said yesterday he would like to set up a non-conference game. "I wouldn't mind playing Hawai'i twice a year, home and home," Hill said. "And Boise."

Hill said he hasn't mentioned it to UH head coach June Jones yet but will bring it up "unless he hears about it first." The teams meet here Friday in a game to be televised by ESPN.

Hill said Fresno State, which is scheduled to play at Oregon next year, is looking for three more non-conference games for 2005 after Texas Tech and Kansas "bought out" scheduled visits to Bulldog Stadium.

"With all of our problems having non-league games, I even talked to Karl Benson (WAC commissioner) about scheduling a non-league game with Hawai'i and Boise State. I wouldn't be beyond that. I'd rather schedule good teams and have games that people want to watch. I wouldn't mind, like next year when we go to Hawai'i (for a conference game), having Hawai'i come here (non-conference) and we just go home-and-home every year."

Benson said: "Pat is always looking to maximize scheduling opportunities, so this doesn't come as a surprise. But it would have to go before and get the support of the rest of the league."

Such a proposal would likely run into opposition because having top teams play twice instead of once would make it more difficult for a team to go undefeated and qualify for a lucrative Bowl Championship Series berth.

"A lot of us are having a hard time scheduling. Boise State is going to have a hard time scheduling," Hill said. "Hawai'i may not because people like to go over there. But there aren't a whole bunch of people too interested in going to Boise or Fresno. It is a tough deal."

Fresno State opened the season with wins on the road against Washington and Kansas State to vault into the Top 20. But then the Bulldogs suffered WAC losses to Louisiana Tech, Texas-El Paso and Boise State before rebounding to 5-3 with wins over Southern Methodist and Rice.

Still, Hill said he remains adamant about scheduling tough teams. "My philosophy of scheduling won't change," he said. "We just got into a slump. I still want to play good teams."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.