The last time the University of Hawaii football team played a schedule that looked this favorable on paper, the Warriors won all 12 of their regular-season games and went to the Sugar Bowl.
That was 10 years ago, and UH got a rude awakening against Georgia on New Year’s Day, 2008. The 41-10 loss confirmed that Hawaii’s regular-season schedule — which included two games against FCS opponents — was a joke … by big-time standards, anyway.
Now, in 2017, things are different. And a schedule less arduous than those of recent years is more than welcome.
The Rainbow Warriors are in a rebuilding process with second-year head coach Nick Rolovich. The new era got off to a pretty good start last year, as UH went 7-7 for its first non-losing season since 2011.
Barring a serious regression or huge rash of injuries, the schedule for this fall bodes well, and is a good fit for a program still climbing back to respectability.
Hawaii’s 2017 opponents combined to win 60 and lose 89 games last year, for an average record of 5-7. Only four opponents had winning records last fall.
In 2015, Hawaii faced an early-season gauntlet of games at Wisconsin, Ohio State and Boise State; the Rainbow Warriors were shut out in all three and never recovered, going 0-8 in Mountain West games.
Last year’s nonconference slate was nearly as challenging, with losses against Cal in Sydney, at Michigan and at Arizona. The difference was UH weathered the storm, and generally competed well in conference play.
Geography will always present challenges for the only college football team in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with its nearest opponents thousands of miles away.
But this schedule — with two byes — is about as good as it can get. And, it should be remembered that it works the other way, too; teams coming to Hawaii for games are up against one of the toughest homefield advantages in the sport.
The downside is the UH athletic department won’t be getting huge payouts like it did for going to Ohio State and Michigan. The closest thing to a so-called bodybag game is at UCLA. But the Bruins were 4-8 last season, and are counting on a comeback by injured quarterback Josh Rosen.
Just six of UH’s games are away from Aloha Stadium, compared to seven last year. And the only back-to-back road ventures are separated by a bye week.
The farthest road game, at Massachusetts, is the first game of the season, and is followed by a home game against an FCS team (and not a very good one), Western Carolina.
As for conference opponents, UH dodges nemesis Boise State. The Warriors have beaten the Broncos just once since they’ve been in the WAC and MWC together, when they were one of the few decent teams on Hawaii’s schedule during that magical 2007 season.
So, unless the Rolovich Era suffers a sophomore slump, a winning season is there for the taking for Hawaii.
It’s early, and of course some of these teams will improve from last year. But from here, for now, it looks like 8-4 and a repeat appearance in the Hawaii Bowl is not out of the question.
Also, a regular season that concludes with a game against Brigham Young always makes things interesting for Hawaii fans — especially those of a certain age.
That goes for Rolovich, too, who passed for eight touchdowns in a 72-45 season-ending romp against the Cougars in 2001. But the then-quarterback, now-head coach likes the 2017 schedule for an off-field reason.
“We don’t have any excuses to not have a positive semester academically,” Rolovich said.
UH FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 26 — At Massachusetts (2-10 in 2016)
Sept. 2 — Western Carolina (2-9)
Sept. 9 — At UCLA (4-8)
Sept. 16 — Bye
Sept 23 — At Wyoming (8-6, lost 24-21 to BYU in Poinsettia Bowl).
Sept. 30 — Colorado State (7-6, lost to Idaho 61-50 in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)
Oct. 7 — At Nevada (5-7)
Oct. 14 — San Jose State (4-8)
Oct. 21 — Bye
Oct. 28 — San Diego State (11-3, beat Houston 34-10 in Las Vegas Bowl)
Nov. 4 — At UNLV (4-8)
Nov. 11 — Fresno State (1-11)
Nov. 18 — At Utah State (3-9)
Nov. 25 — BYU (9-4, beat Wyoming 24-21 in Poinsettia Bowl)
