If there was a regular-season game that announced the University of Hawai'i football team's presence last year, it was the 68-37 demolition of Fresno State.

Tomorrow, the Warriors could use another statement-making performance against the 6-3 Bulldogs to solidify their position in the polls and further their march toward the goal of a Bowl Championship Series berth.

Now, nobody should expect a repeat of the record pummeling the Warriors laid on at Bulldog Stadium, but a nice, solid victory over the Bulldogs, the kind that eluded them at San Jose State and Louisiana Tech, would make for a timely establishment of UH's credentials.

Coming off an open date that saw them drop in most polls — and two open slots in the past three weeks that have left them buffeted by movement around them — there are few better times for the unbeaten Warriors to send a reminder of their resume. And, perhaps, no better remaining opportunities in which to do it.

The Warriors are as rested as they have been and 17 1/2-point favorites on the Las Vegas betting line, which might be the heftiest edge they enjoy the rest of this season. And, unlike the coming two weeks when they play Friday games (including next week at Nevada), they should be as prepared as they're going to get.

Be assured the poll voters will be looking for and expecting a quality effort. "I think the perception is hurt by the fact that they had to come to the Mainland to win a couple of games in overtime," said Chris Fowler of ESPN's College GameDay. "I've seen a lot of their games (and) I'm not ranking them as high as a lot of people are. I've got them at (No.) 16 this week because I saw them struggle with San Jose State and Louisiana Tech and get real lucky to win those games. Had they taken care of business week in and week out, they'd have been higher in my poll," Fowler told college football writers yesterday.

A workmanlike victory over FSU can help remedy some of that as well as provide some momentum going into Reno. The Bulldogs, by virtual of the showings they have put up at Oregon and Texas A&M (overtime), as much as their 6-3 record, are a quality measuring stick. Certainly they are more well regarded than anybody the Warriors have beaten to date.

After being burdened with Northern Colorado, Charleston Southern, etc., for the first two-thirds of the schedule, the Warriors' long-awaited stretch run starts tomorrow. This is where the Warriors make — or break — their BCS dreams. The way to start it is with an exclamation point against Fresno.

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