Hawaii always finds a way to spoil the day for San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. » Can anyone really blame San Jose State for not jumping at the chance to keep its football series with Hawaii going?

Tonight’s nationally televised encounter is the last scheduled between the schools — at least for now — as UH leaves the Western Athletic Conference for the Mountain West next season.

If the host Coach Mack (Mike MacIntyre) can pull off an upset against the visiting Coach Mack (Greg McMackin), whose Warriors are favored by about six points, the ledger will close even at 17 wins apiece, plus a tie. But in recent years UH has taken most of the W’s. The games are usually very close, however — especially those played here at cozy Spartan Stadium.

My memory of this series goes back to 1975, when I was a freshman at Branham High School in San Jose, a year before returning home to Hawaii. Santa Clara had a football team then, quarterbacked by one of the most acclaimed high school athletes to come out of Hawaii, Saint Louis product Kaipo Spencer. Spencer still holds Santa Clara records for passing, and was involved in a wild shootout with Portland State.

But San Jose State was the real talk of South Bay college football that fall, fielding one of its best teams ever. The Spartans were 15th in the Associated Press Top 20 (that’s as deep as the rankings went in those days) with one game left to play — at Hawaii.

The Rainbows, as they were then known, were 5-4 headed into the game against the 9-1 Spartans, who featured stars Wilson Faumuina on the defensive line and Rick Kane at running back. But UH beat San Jose State 30-20, and so much for its national ranking. It seems the Spartans never quite recovered, mostly just hanging on as a Division I program in the decades since. (Notable exceptions are a 9-2-1 season in 1990 and Dick Tomey guiding the 2006 team to 9-4, including a New Mexico Bowl win).

San Jose State got a prime opportunity for revenge, with compound interest, 32 years later. In 2007, Hawaii arrived in the Silicon Valley with a 6-0 record and its own spot in the rankings. On a rainy, muddy field, San Jose State led Heisman finalist Colt Brennan and the Warriors by 14 with 4 minutes left. But the Warriors pulled off one of their biggest miracles in a 12-0 regular season that included many. A fumble by San Jose State, which was best in the nation at not coughing up the ball, keyed the rally.

The Warriors won that game in overtime, and did so again the last time they were here, in 2009. That was the first game for San Jose State after former Hawaii head coach Tomey announced it would be his last season as the Spartans coach. Tonight he returns as UH’s special teams coach. The Spartans’ frustrations also included a 13-10 loss to Hawaii, with a couple of officials’ calls going against San Jose State in the final minute with the ball near the Hawaii goal line.

Tonight, I see pressure on the quarterbacks as the deciding difference. Hawaii has produced 19 sacks and San Jose State just three. Give Bryant Moniz time to make plays, and you’re toast.

But history tells us it will likely be close — it usually is when these teams have met here since the turn of the millennium, but Hawaii always wins.