They raised the Western Athletic Conference Football Championship trophy to the heavens in spirited triumph and passed it around so everybody in the mass of humanity knotted at midfield of Aloha Stadium could see it, touch it and admire it last night.

Even at 30 pounds, requiring two people to carry it to the podium, it was light compared to the historic load that had finally been lifted from the University of Hawai'i football team's shoulder pads in a milestone 39-27 victory over five-time conference champion Boise State. After 28 years, seeing was finally believing for the Warriors, who won their first outright WAC football title and, at 11-0 with one regular-season game remaining, kept alive dreams of an unbeaten season and a Bowl Championship appearance.

Much of the largest crowd ever to see a UH home game, 49,651, stayed to relish the exorcism of a team that Hawai'i had not beaten in six conference tries and to bay at the full moon while chanting, "BCS ... BCS" long after lights on the ESPN2 cameras had been turned off.

The turf turned mosh pit as students and fans stormed the field. Security settled for protecting the goal posts and the departing Broncos. UH fans, meanwhile, danced and hugged. They posed for pictures to mark the occasion. Amid a deafening roar, someone yelled: "Did you ever think you'd see something like this?"

It was a celebration long in coming and one that, until recently, many had wondered would happen at all. UH had shared two WAC titles (1992 and '99) but had never owned one outright and had never done it on the verge of a perfect season. As recently as 1998, UH was 0-12, tying an NCAA record for futility. There had been calls to drop down to a less-competitive division, if not give up football.

"I'm very happy for the state of Hawai'i," UH coach June Jones said.

So when senior offensive guard Hercules Satele screamed, "This is for all the UH teams before us, all the guys who wanted to be here," many nodded in unison and thrust fists in the air.

Fans, who had hoisted "We Believe" signs that reflected the mantra of this team, took up the cry of "Beat Washington!", next week's opponent and all that stands between UH and a 12-0 regular season.

The Warriors won their first game against a nationally-ranked team this season by taking a page out of Boise State's playbook. They dominated the second half on defense and offense, outscoring Boise State 20-10 over the final two quarters. The defense played its best of the season, holding Boise State to a season-low rushing total of 101 yards, Colt Brennan passed for 495 yards and five touchdowns, and slotback Davone Bess caught a school-record 15 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

Then, with his team holding a first down at the Bronco 1-yard line and time to punch in a final score in front of a national TV audience that included poll voters and bowl committees, Jones did a classy thing. The right thing. Something worthy of a champion. He had his team take a knee and run out the clock.

It was a fitting gesture of respect to the 10-2 Broncos, who had represented the conference well in their five-year run and showed the way to the BCS.

"The (New England) Patriots would have gone for the points," said UH assistant coach Rich Miano. "But June has too much respect for Boise for something like that."

Broncos safety Marty Tadman said, "We played our hearts out, but they earned it. They belong in the BCS. We showed the WAC champion deserves to be there and they are the champs now."

"I'm overwhelmed and ecstatic," Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said. "This isn't just a football team. They've taken on an aura."

Realtor Artie Wilson, who played on the legendary "Fabulous Five" UH basketball teams of the early 1970s, said, "This is bigger (than the Fabulous Five times) because there's just so many more people involved."

KHNL-TV anchor Howard Dashefsky, who played on the 1980 UH baseball team that went to the College World Series national championship game, said these Warriors "are bigger, way bigger. And this is a big-time atmosphere."

WAC commissioner Karl Benson said, "I would hope this performance will validate (in the poll voters' eyes) the season Hawai'i has had so far and that it will be reflected in the polls (tomorrow)." UH, currently 15th in the BCS, needs to climb into the Top 12 by the Dec. 2 final printout following the Washington game to receive an automatic berth, probably to the Sugar Bowl.

Not that some fans were taking any chances, yelling, "Can you hear us in New Orleans?"

At times, it seemed like the celebration at Aloha Stadium was indeed that loud.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.