FRESNO, Calif. — Hawai'i running back David Farmer had heard the stories about the tough-as-leather Fresno State football fans. All true, said Farmer, recalling the 2006 game, the last time the Warriors had played in Bulldog Stadium.

"As we were walking up the tunnel to halftime," Farmer said, "a little 6-year-old boy walked out of the line and came up to me and said: 'Hey, No. 48, you (bleepin') suck!"

Safety Keao Monteilh said the Warriors are bemused by the Bulldog fans' creative jeers.

"They chant somebody's name, then say, 'You suck!' " Monteilh said. "But they can't pronounce my name. They can never do it."

In Pat Hill's 12 season as Fresno State's head coach, the Bulldogs are 51-14 in Western Athletic Conference home games.

UH head coach Greg McMackin reminded his team of the difficult atmosphere during yesterday's walk-through workout at Bulldog Stadium.

McMackin, who succeeded June Jones as head coach in January, ended the Warriors' ritual of practicing at alternative sites on the road. Under Jones, the Warriors practiced at high schools, community centers and pro facilities.

"It's good to get out here," McMackin said at the end of yesterday's 45-minute walk-through in preparation for tonight's game against 22nd-ranked Fresno State.

"It's going to be full," said McMackin, gazing around the stadium, "but we've been in a lot bigger stadiums. There's going to be a good crowd. It'll be a good football crowd. It will be exciting."

It also will be another must-win game for the Warriors, who are 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the WAC.

The Warriors still remain in contention for a postseason berth. If they have a winning regular season, they are assured of an invitation to the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl. That means they need to go 6-3 the rest of the way.

But the sand is running out on their chase for a WAC title. It would be difficult to lose two games and still claim the undisputed championship.

"We can't look far ahead," McMackin said. "We have to try to win one game a week."

The Bulldogs are an imposing obstacle. They have one of the best offensive trifectas: quarterback Tom Brandstater, running back Ryan Mathews and tight end Bear Pascoe. Their defense is physical, and they are proficient kick blockers.

Most of all, Monteilh said, Fresno State "has always been a big rival. It's a big game."

McMackin told his players: "We just need to stay together as a team, and play better than we did last week."

The Warriors squandered a 17-7 halftime lead in last week's 20-17 loss to San Jose State. They were undone by six turnovers, including five in the second half.

But the Warriors have had a spirited week of practice. And quarterback Inoke Funaki, who will start his third game, has adjusted to the modified four-wide offense. Rollout plays were added last week to make use of Funaki's elusiveness.

"We're taking advantage of his abilities," McMackin said. "That's what you do as a coach. You find a guy with ability and try to mold it a little bit. We don't want to leave the run-and-shoot, because we believe in it. But there are some things you can do that are very simple that will complement the run-and-shoot and make us a little more versatile."

The Warriors appear to be in relative good health. Linebacker Adam Leonard and defensive end David Veikune will both play. They had missed practice time because of nagging ailments.