With all the talk and the barely tethered hopes of a special season for the University of Hawai'i football team, you could see this saga coming down to, appropriately enough, special teams performance, good or bad.

That's something to think about as the Warriors take aim at their dream of an unbeaten regular season, particularly when Fresno State and Boise State, teams that have set the standard on special teams play in the Western Athletic Conference for years, are two of the biggest roadblocks in the four games standing between UH and a Bowl Championship Series post season.

Neither the Bulldogs nor Broncos have leveled off much this year. Six of the 10 WAC Special Teams player of the week citations have gone to either a Fresno State or Boise State player. Between them, they top four of the six major special teams categories in the WAC.

The Warriors should know well what a pivotal role special teams can play in a successful BCS run. They come by this knowledge the hard way, malfunctions in the kicking game helping to provide the margin in last year's 41-34 loss at Boise State. If the Broncos don't take advantage of a muffed snap on a point after attempt, returning it for a score, and other breakdowns, maybe their run to the Fiesta Bowl gets canceled in September. Perhaps the longest run of domination since the Brigham Young days could've ended in 2005 or 2006.

But then special teams has been a mainstay of the Broncos' remarkable five-year run of WAC championships. In 2005, the Broncos used a 92-yard punt return, a 69-yard return of a blocked field goal and the return of a PAT to hold off UH, 44-41. In six meetings, the Broncos have manufactured 32 points on special teams against UH. Small wonder they have managed to win six in a row against UH since joining the WAC.

Nor has Fresno State lacked for big-play performance on special teams at UH's expense, scoring on blocked punts or kicks four times in the past decade. UH has taken back none against either team in those spans.

The good news is the Warriors are enjoying one of their most productive special teams seasons. Not since Chad Owens ran wild in 2004 with five punt returns for scores has special teams emerged as this much of a weapon. Four times — versus two by opponents — the Warriors have returned a punt or kickoff for a touchdown this season. Call it special delivery. Placekicker Dan Kelly has the longest field goal in the conference (54 yards) and Ryan Mouton is second in kickoff return average (31.3 yards).

If the Warriors can keep it up, polishing up several fronts to meet the challenges of Fresno State and Boise State, this season could, indeed, turn out to be something special for UH.

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