GREENBELT, Md. >> Hawaii football fans have had little to cheer about this season as the Rainbow Warriors head into today’s game at Navy at 0-8.
Unfortunately for UH, none of the four other winless teams in the FBS are on its schedule of four remaining games.
Time is running out for the Futile Five to post a win. Georgia State, Hawaii, Miami (Ohio), Southern Miss and UConn are a combined 0-42.
UConn got whooped last night by Louisville, 31-10. Georgia State can’t lose this weekend, but that’s only because it doesn’t play.
Southern Miss and Miami (Ohio), like Hawaii, will try to finally break through today as underdogs.
Here’s a closer look at the O-fers:
>> Georgia State (0-9). Most lopsided loss: Oct. 5, Alabama 45-3. Closest heartbreak: Sept. 21, Jacksonville State, 32-26 in overtime. Remaining: Louisiana Lafayette (7-2), Arkansas State (4-4) and South Alabama (3-5).
That’s low: The Panthers, led by first-year coach Trent Miles, a former Hawaii assistant, lost their first two games against FCS opponents, Samford and Chatanooga, by a combined 38 points, and never recovered.
Prospects: Not good; the Pirates only have a realistic chance in one game, the season-ender against South Alabama. Remember, UH beat South Alabama last year.
>> Hawaii (0-8). Most lopsided loss: Nov. 2, Utah State 47-10. Closest heartbreak: Oct. 12, UNLV 39-37. Remaining: Navy
(4-4), San Diego State (4-4), Wyoming (4-4), Army (3-6).
That’s low: Hawaii has allowed its opponents to score on turnovers when UH had the ball in the red zone in two consecutive games.
Prospects: Army leads the nation in rushing and UH is 120th. San Diego State has won four of its past five. It looks like it will come down to the Army game at Aloha Stadium to determine if Hawaii’s 2013 team is as bad on paper as the group that went 0-12 in 1998.
>> Miami (Ohio) (0-9). Most lopsided loss: Nov. 5, Bowling Green, 45-3. Closest heartbreak: Massachusetts, Oct. 12, 17-10. Remaining: Kent State (2-8), Buffalo (7-2), Ball State (9-1).
That’s low: It’s not good when the best thing about your team is your helmets.
Prospects: It’s today or never for the 2013 Red Hawks. Kent State is beatable.
>> Southern Miss (0-8). Most lopsided loss: Sept. 28, Boise State, 60-7. Closest heartbreak: Oct. 5, Florida International, 24-23. Remaining: Louisiana Tech (3-5), Florida Atlantic (3-6), Middle Tennessee (5-4), UAB (2-6).
That’s low: This was a ranked team that won the Hawaii Bowl two years ago? No way.
Prospects: The rest of the ledger isn’t daunting, but the Golden Eagles have allowed at least 55 points in their past three games.
>> UConn (0-8). Most lopsided loss: Oct. 26, UCF, 62-17. Closest heartbreak: Sept. 21, Michigan, 24-21. Remaining: SMU (3-4), Temple (1-8), Rutgers (5-3), Memphis (1-6).
That’s low: That near-upset of Michigan seems like decades ago.
Prospects: Temple and Rutgers make the Huskies most likely to avoid the fate of a winless season.
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Reach Star-Advertiser sports columnist Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com, and read his "Quick Reads" blog at quickreads.staradvertiserblogs.com.
