Utah State expects on-time kickoff for UH football game
University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors' freshman defensive lineman Kennedy Tulimasealii, left, and sophomore offensive lineman Calen Friel play tic-tac-toe in the lobby of the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel today in Newport Beach, Calif. The team, which is scheduled to play Utah State in Logan, Utah, has been delayed by the Los Angeles International Airport shooting.
LOGAN, Utah >> Utah State officials said Saturday’s game against the University of Hawaii will go on as scheduled despite the Rainbow Warriors being delayed in Los Angeles after an airport shooting.
Doug Hoffman, Utah State associate athletic director said, “All indications are that they (the Rainbow Warriors) will get into Logan, Utah, tonight, it is just a matter of when.”
“With that being said, there are really no alternative plans in place right now,” he said. “We’re expecting Hawaii to get in tonight and (the game) to start at its original time.”
The Mountain West Conference confirmed that statement this afternoon.
Kickoff for the Mountain West Conference game to be aired nationally on the CBS Sports Network is 10 a.m., Hawaii time.
UH coach Norm Chow earlier today had said that Mountain West Conference and CBS Sports officials had been negotiating to possibly delay the game.
The Warriors, who departed Honolulu Thursday afternoon on a 10-day, 10,000 mile road trip that will also take them to the U. S. Naval Academy Nov. 9, stayed overnight in Manhattan Beach, a close drive from LAX.
The charter flight was scheduled to depart for Ogden, Utah, at 10 a.m Pacific time. But UH officials were told the flight would depart, at the earliest, at 10 p.m. With the travel time by bus to Logan and time difference, the Warriors might not arrive at the hotel until about 2 a.m. (Mountain time) on Saturday.
Chow said he was told part of the problem is the charter flight was re-routed to Arizona this morning.
UH athletic director Ben Jay, whose flight from Honolulu landed at LAX this afternoon, was stuck on the runway, but did send a text message to the Star-Advertiser.
“Yes, we intend to play at 2 p.m. (Mountain time) assuming we can get out of LAX on our Southwest charter at 10 p.m. (Pacific time and) get to Logan at 2 a.m. We are Hawaii tough and we will show up and play.”
UH spokesman Derek Inouchi said several options were considered, including taking buses to Utah. But Inouchi said UH’s equipment is stowed at the airport.
Inouchi said the players are passing the time with additional film study, meetings and lunch at the hotel. “All we can do is wait,” he said.
Hoffman said the Aggies expect a crowd of about 20,000 for the game.
