The University of Hawai'i football team leaves for New Orleans tomorrow night and as surely as the Warriors will hear jazz when they get there, they can also expect more pointed questions raised about strength of schedule.

Both that of the conference from which they come and, by reflection and association, their own.

East Carolina's 41-38 win over 11-point favorite Boise State yesterday in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl at Aloha Stadium was but the latest stumble by a Western Athletic Conference representative in the postseason. On the heels of New Mexico's 23-0 blasting of Nevada, the WAC is not just providing but gift-wrapping ammunition to those who would question its credentials this season.

While the East Carolina players hollered for respect following Ben Hartman's game-winning 34-yard field goal, allowing the Pirates (8-5) to hold off Boise State (10-3) after losing a 24-point third-quarter lead, some of the Broncos said they were "devastated" by the loss. And the WAC has to, at least, be concerned about its stock these days.

Boise State, at No. 24 in the BCS standings, was the strongest, most well-regarded team on the Warriors' schedule this season. The Broncos were considered the second-best team from a non-guaranteed Bowl Championship Series conference and, closer to home, the only ranked team the Warriors played. An ESPN Bowl Challenge sampling had 98 percent of respondents picking the Broncos over the Pirates.

To have the Broncos dominated for much of yesterday's game and, eventually, lose to an East Carolina team that did not make Conference USA's title game didn't do much to polish the WAC's image. Nor did having Nevada, a team UH needed a field goal to beat, so thoroughly worked over by a middle-of-the-pack Mountain West Conference team. Still to play is Fresno State, which meets Georgia Tech Dec. 31, the day before UH's Sugar Bowl appearance against Georgia.

Far from being the dominant WAC team of the first part of the 21st century, Boise State looked ordinary for 2 1/2 quarters yesterday, notably without, at least in part, some of its key performers due to injury (two) and suspension (two). An announced crowd of 24,079 had to wonder what happened to the real Broncos. "We didn't play Bronco ball," quarterback Taylor Tharp acknowledged. "We kinda gave it to them," safety Marty Tadman said.

Indeed, this was one we're not used to seeing from Boise. Missed tackles by the dozen. Turnovers (four) and shaky execution were uncharacteristic of the precise, confident Bronco teams the WAC had come to fear.

Meanwhile, Pirates running back Chris Johnson was a man among boys, breaking tackles, running over, around through and, even hurdling defenders. His 408 all-purpose yards — 223 rushing, 153 kickoff return and 32 receiving — was the kind of effort the Broncos had not had to contend with in the WAC.

The Pirates saluted Boise State's run of WAC titles and remarkable consistency, but they also liked to point out that theirs was by far the more challenging schedule this season. With losses to Virginia Tech, West Virginia and North Carolina State and a win over North Carolina, they took delight in noting they had played four times as many BCS opponents as Boise State.

"Now, maybe we can get some respect," Hartman said.

As for the Warriors, without any support from the rest of the conference so far in postseason, the already considerable burden of carrying the WAC banner just got heavier.

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

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