BYU, UH interested in renewing rivalry

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Staff Writer

Bronco Mendenhall, Brigham Young University's new head football coach, said he is interested in renewing the longstanding series with the University of Hawai'i.

"Our schedule has been established through the next five years," Mendenhall said through an athletic department spokes-man. "Looking past that, I think it would be good for both programs to renew the rivalry. It is something I'm interested in looking at."

The schools last met in 2002, when BYU won 35-32, and are not scheduled to play again.

UH coach June Jones said he's also interested in adding to the series. "Very much so," Jones said. "It definitely makes sense for both schools. There's a lot of interest and history from the old Western Athletic Conference."

Athletic director Herman Frazier is responsible for UH's football scheduling and Jones said he planned to talk to Frazier about the BYU possibilities.

In the last couple years, UH had pursued extending the series and then-athletic director Val Hale was in favor. But Gary Crowton, who favored the series when he took the job in 2001, changed his mind following the 72-45 loss that concluded that regular season.

Crowton was forced out last month and replaced by Mendenhall, his defensive coordinator. BYU's new offensive coordinator is Robert Anae, a Kahuku High graduate who has degrees from UH and BYU.

UH and BYU first met in 1930 and with 27 meetings (BYU leading 19-8) it is one of the Warriors' longest running series. In the 29 seasons between 1974 and 2002, the schools met 23 times with the combination of UH joining the WAC in 1979 and BYU's ties here helped make the series a big draw.

But after the Warriors thumped BYU on national television in 2001, ending the Cougars' bid for an unbeaten season and scuttling any claim to a Bowl Championship Series berth, Crowton had no interest in extending the UH series past the contracted 2002 game.

"I'm as human as the next guy," Crowton said after the 2001 game in which his lumbering linebackers were no match for UH receivers. "And, I didn't like standing out there on the Hawai'i sideline for 4 hours watching us get beat. That wasn't easy for me. I kicked the ground so many times the toe nail on my big toe came off."

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