UH backup QB Akina will have dad watching

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

HOUSTON — If University of Hawai'i backup quarterback Kainoa Akina plays today, his father, Duane, will be there to watch for the first time in his son's four-year college career.

But it wasn't as easy as buying a ticket.

Duane, a Punahou School graduate, is the co-defensive coordinator for the University of Texas which has an open date this week before playing Rice next week.

NCAA rules do not allow coaches to "scout" their opponents' games in person. But a coach may attend the game of a son or daughter.

But just to cover all the bases, Texas head coach Mack Brown called Rice coach Ken Hatfield to explain the situation. Hatfield said he understood. "A father should be able to see his son play," Hatfield said. 'That's the right thing to do."

But Hatfield joked that he'd better not find out that Kainoa Akina's "uncle" Dick Tomey showed up, too. Tomey, a former UH coach, is the Longhorns' associate head coach.

Kainoa Akina, who was a high school star in Tucson, Ariz. when Duane was an assistant under Tomey at Arizona, started seven games at Eastern Michigan in 2001. He redshirted after transferring to UH in 2002 and played in one game last season.

• The eyes have it: Hatfield joked that he felt there was a conspiracy last year when the Owls stayed at Turtle Bay before their game with UH.

There was a Hawaiian Tropic bikini contest taking place at the hotel while Rice was there. "I'll say it distracted our players," Hatfield said. "Our guys ended up as elevator operators."

UH won, 41-20.

• Owls thrive on home turf: UH, which no longer plays on Astroturf at Aloha Stadium, will see it today for one of the few times anywhere.

The Owls have 8-year old AstroTurf 12, which is no longer made, and is beginning to show signs of wear.

The Owls like the surface, which Hatfield said he believes accentuates the team's speed in running the triple option offense.

• Call the coach: The Western Athletic Conference office said it "will be contacting" UH head coach June Jones about, "his lack of participation" in the conference's weekly telephone press conference.

Jones has been absent from the call the last two weeks, and commissioner Karl Benson said he will "remind Coach Jones of his obligations and responsibilities to the league."

• Game on TV in Texas: The game, which is being shown in Hawai'i on KFVE (Channel 5), is being produced for television by the SportsWest Network. It will also be shown in Houston and Amarillo.

ESPN Gameplan, a subscription service, may also pick up the telecast, WAC officials said.

SportsWest, which airs WAC, Mountain West and Big Sky Conference games is being purchased by College TV Sports and, in 2006, will become part of the Mountain West Conference Network.

AND WHAT'S MORE . . .

Las Vegas oddsmakers have listed the Warriors as two-point favorites for today's game. Only in their last game at Rice in 2002, when they were 5-point picks, have the Warriors been this far from home and still been favored before.

After season-opening wins at UH and North Texas, Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger told the Associated Press, "There's no way I could have expected to go out on the road and for them to get two wins." Both against bowl teams — both of whom won their bowl games.

Hatfield said at least six of his players' families had to evacuate from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama because of Hurricane Ivan, which pounded the Gulf of Mexico

The weather forecast is for temperatures in the mid-70s at the 7:05 p.m. (Central Time) kickoff tonight. The high today is expected to be 96 degrees.

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