After 32 seasons and 247 games in the only collegiate conference home it has known, the University of Hawaii football team prepares for its final spin around the Western Athletic Conference.
Saturday’s game at Louisiana Tech begins the countdown toward Mountain West Conference membership in 2012 for the WAC’s senior member.
It has been an eventful stay, marked by a 128-117-2 WAC record and four conference titles. With seven WAC games to play, here’s a look at UH’s most memorable WAC victories to date:
» 1. Hawaii 39, Boise State 27. Nov. 23, 2007: It was billed as the biggest game in WAC history, a nationally televised elimination match to determine which team would have a path to the Bowl Championship Series. It also stands as UH’s only victory in 10 conference meetings with the Broncos and sole unshared WAC crown.
» 2. Hawaii 31, Fresno State 24, double OT. Nov. 13, 1999: One season after going 0-12, UH earned a share of its second WAC crown en route to a 9-4 finish that marked the biggest turnaround in NCAA history.
» 3. Hawaii 42, Wyoming 18. Nov. 21, 1992: Earlier in the evening Fresno State knocked off San Diego State, giving UH a chance to grab a piece of its first WAC title.
» 4. Hawaii 56, Brigham Young 14. Oct. 28, 1989: UH had never beaten BYU in a WAC contest (0-9). Prior to the game, head coach Bob Wagner told the team a victory over the then-No. 18 Cougars, "doesn’t have to be close." It wasn’t.
» 5. Hawaii 59, New Mexico State 24. Nov. 27, 2010: The Aggies’ defense begged the potent UH offense to run and Alex Green obliged with a school-record 327 yards and three touchdowns, giving the Warriors a share of the WAC title.
» 6. Hawaii 59, BYU 28. Dec. 1, 1990: Athletic director Stan Sheriff was so irritated at talk that the previous year’s victory over the Cougars was a "fluke" that he pointedly told some league people, "We’re going to do it again, just wait and see." On game night, in fact, some callers to radio station KGU asked if a replay was airing. It was a night in which UH quarterback Garrett Gabriel outshone Ty Detmer, who had been awarded the Heisman Trophy earlier in the day, and the No. 4 Cougars.
» 7. Hawaii 20, Southern Methodist 0. Sept. 25, 1999: UH’s 24-game WAC road losing streak, a stretch of futility that covered parts of eight seasons, ended in domination of the Mustangs at the Cotton Bowl.
» 8. Hawaii 28, Nevada 26. Nov. 16, 2007: Playing largely without injured quarterback Colt Brennan, who made a cameo appearance, it was left to kicker Dan Kelly to overcome two "icing" attempts by the Wolf Pack and serve up the dramatic game-winner, a 45-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining, in Reno, Nev., to keep alive the drive to the Sugar Bowl.
» 9. Hawaii 6, Air Force 3. Sept. 12, 1992: Down to its third string quarterback, Rodney Glover, early due to injuries to Michael Carter and Ivin Jasper, two Jason Elam field goals and a stout defense got UH on track toward the Holiday Bowl.
» 10. Hawaii 45, Louisiana Tech 44, OT. Sept. 8, 2007: With Sugar Bowl scouts on hand, UH’s run for the BCS nearly got sidetracked in the WAC opener. But Kelly’s 49-yard field goal with 1 minute, 34 seconds left in regulation helped send the game into OT. Brennan’s 6-yard pass to Jason Rivers broke the tie and defensive coordinator Greg McMackin’s high-stakes blitz paid off to preserve it when Gerard Lewis batted down a 2-point conversion attempt.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
