SAN JOSE, Calif. » Maybe Walter Murray needs to show up at more University of Hawaii football games.

"This is my first one since my playing days," the UH wide receiver great from the 1980s said at halftime of the Rainbow Warriors’ 13-0 win at San Jose State on Saturday afternoon. "I had to find a green shirt."

Murray, now an insurance broker up the bay in Oakland, talked story at the break with Dick Tomey, his Hawaii coach who later in his career led the Spartans to some success.

It brought back memories.

Tomey’s formula was defense and special teams and the offense not making crucial mistakes.

All of it wasn’t always popular with the fans, and sometimes what were solid college football concepts — at least back then — seemed to slow down talents like Murray.

But they often worked, or kept Hawaii in games against powerhouses. Yes, the game has changed. A lot. But those principles remain valid, at least sometimes.

The Norm Chow detractors say that’s not how you play football anymore, and it’s especially not palatable when a mediocre-at-best team like San Jose State runs up and down the field against you — even if it doesn’t score.

In some ways, it’s hard to argue against. But it’s also hard to rationally discount against any win, even an ugly one.

If UH beats UNLV and doesn’t embarrass itself at Fresno State, the chain of command will feel justified in not even trying to scrape together buyout money.

On Saturday, UH kept the Spartans punter off the field … I’m not really sure what that means, it’s just fun to say, and you’d expect it the other way around in a shutout, right? What is certain is that the Spartans joined a long list of teams that wish it hadn’t had to deal with the Hawaii punter, Scott Harding.

It was pretty crafty of the Spartans to put the visiting athletic director and his guests in Suite 13. But no one would say UH didn’t have some luck Saturday.

Combined with the way the basketball teams started out, it was a good three days for the Rainbow Warriors and Wahine. These Hawaii 5-0 weekends don’t come around too often. I can’t remember the last one, assuming there was one.

But many "fans" continued to prefer focusing on firing the football coach whose team just won 13-0, envying Florida because it has the money and inclination to buy out its coach without blinking.

I know the comments section under the column is not the place to find logic, but sometimes you do get unintended humor like this:

"Chow is a ‘LOUSY HEAD COACH’ no matter how many more games we win."

Some may see a certain Yogi Berra-esque wisdom in that. To me it’s just a statement worthy of ridicule.

Maybe Chow should be gone … but not if his team wins out.

Whatever the future of the football coaching staff may be — and UH sports in general — it’s pretty sad when people who call themselves fans can’t take a little time from their frustration and hate to enjoy a 5-0 weekend.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.