BOISE, Idaho — A not-so-strange thing happened during the Hawai'i football team's walk-through yesterday at Bronco Stadium.

Nothing.

The Warriors did not gasp in the thin air of a campus 2,704 feet above sea level.

They did not stammer in the cool temperatures that dipped into the high 50s.

And they were not swallowed by the magnitude of the Blue Monster — the blue-turfed stadium — where Boise State has won 97 percent of its games (35 of 36) since 2003.

In the empty stadium, the sound of silence was motivational.

"They have great fans," UH head coach Greg McMackin said of today's nationally televised game against 15th-ranked Boise State, "and if we want to keep them out of it, we have to do our job."

During June Jones' tenure as UH head coach, the Warriors never practiced the day before a game in Bronco Stadium. Instead, the Warriors practiced at high school fields or community centers. For some road games, the Warriors did not practice in the same state.

But these are different times under Jones' successor, McMackin.

McMackin led the Warriors' walk-through practices at Florida, Oregon State, Fresno State and, at last, at Bronco Stadium.

"I wanted them to get used to the place," McMackin said.

Empty of fans, Bronco Stadium is tastefully simply. There is a rubber-coated track that surrounds the blue field.

There are open spaces between the sideline and end zone seats.

A sign welcomes visitors. It is located on the inside of the stadium, facing the field.

The elevation is not as drastic as other mountain-based schools. There was concern that the thin air would dry out hands, making the football appear to be slippery.

"(Long-snapper) Jake (Ingram) worries about that," said punter/holder Tim Grasso, who was raised in Utah. "He thinks he'll dry up like a fish without water because he's an island boy. It's not that big of a deal. It doesn't affect me. (The region is) where I've lived. We'll be all right."

McMackin said the keys are "hydration and being in condition. This team is in great condition. We've shown that in fourth quarters, and we've shown that in (the humidity in) Florida. Hydration is a big part of that."

McMackin said he plans to rotate players on the offensive and defensive lines.

"We have depth," McMackin said.

So, too, does Boise State. What's more, the Broncos are starting to reap the rewards of their BCS victory two seasons ago.

The Broncos completed one of the top recruiting classes a month after defeating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Five true freshmen played last season, and six members of that recruiting class are in the No. 1 rotation, including quarterback Kellen Moore.

The Broncos have become a widespread attraction. Their roster consists of players from 18 states, as well as three from Canada and one from the Netherlands.

"They play together and they make plays and they're well-coached," McMackin said.

QB RAUSCH CLEARED

The NCAA yesterday overturned its previous decision and declared backup quarterback Brent Rausch eligible to play in today's game against Boise State.

But the ruling came too late to help Rausch, who was left behind in Honolulu after the NCAA's initial ruling Tuesday. The Warriors had filled their 65-player travel roster before departing Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm frustrated the way the whole thing happened," UH athletic director Jim Donovan said.

During an orientation meeting Aug. 2, Rausch inadvertently input the wrong code on an eligibility form. The mistake was detected the day before the past Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech.

UH appealed, arguing that Rausch, who transferred from College of the Desert in May, had met the NCAA eligibility requirements but was being punished for a clerical error.

Wednesday morning, Rausch had yet to be cleared. Jake Santos replaced Rausch on the 65-player roster.

"I don't think you (should) penalize a kid for something that is clerical in nature," Donovan said.

Donovan said the NCAA yesterday agreed. But it was too late to help Rausch — or the Warriors.

"I feel bad for Brent most of all," Donovan said. "That was my concern. I think that's what we're all here for, the student-athletes. It's great for Jake to be here, but it shouldn't have tied the coaches' hands to make a decision like that."

Visit Tsai's blog at http://warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com.