Buddy Wilson was just using an example, explaining the difference a home crowd can make for a football player.
He turned out to be prophetic.
“This game’s about adrenaline,” said the former Ohio State linebacker, who is also the father of University of Hawaii freshman linebacker Riley Wilson. “When you’ve got a state and your parents and your friends from school cheering you on, it gets you going. When you break that finger, it doesn’t hurt as bad and you can keep playing.”
Wilson said that on Thursday. On Saturday, he was among the thousand spectators allowed on the premises of the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex to be at the first UH home game this season with fans in the stands.
And lo and behold …
The Warriors’ explosive playmaker Calvin Turner injured a finger late in the first half. After getting treatment for it, he returned to the game and rushed for a 75-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, giving UH the lead it would keep in its 48-34 victory over New Mexico State.
It’s really hard to put a number on home-field advantage. Some gambling houses use 2 1/2 or 3 points as a baseline. But it varies, and it has often been said that UH’s home-field advantage is much more than the average, partly because of the long trip to get here, partly because of the passion of Hawaii’s fans and partly because of the temptations of paradise.
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But with the coronavirus and the state’s conservative approach in regards to it, the fans had not been a factor since the 2019 Hawaii Bowl, in which UH beat BYU 38-34 at Aloha Stadium in front of a crowd listed at 21,582.
The Warriors won Saturday because they are more talented than the Aggies, and they made more big plays and fewer mistakes than the visitors — just as was the case when UH beat NMSU at its place in Las Cruces last month.
Yes, the fans did their part to help the Warriors, as much as a thousand of them can, with quite a few of them ensconced in suites. The hundreds in the outdoor bleachers yelled at the right times, when the Aggies had the ball — especially on third and fourth downs. The cheerleaders led the cheers, and the band played on.
There was even a cowbell. Sorry, you know I can’t resist: More cowbell.
And that brings us to the point: This must be viewed as just a start, and now that athletic director David Matlin and his staff have proven they can indeed do their job and safely manage an event while following COVID-19 protocols (which was ridiculous to question in the first place), a much larger gathering should be allowed at the next home game, Nov. 6 against San Diego State.
Why not go ahead and fill ’er up with 9,000?
Hey, I watch college football games all day on TV every Saturday and see those unmasked wall-to-wall crowds at the big boy stadiums and wonder why we don’t just go for it … especially since UH’s rules require vaccination and masks.
That’s enough mitigation for me, and I’m in an “at-risk” demographic, and I’m all for public health and safety.
On a sidenote, but an important one, the tribute to Colt Brennan and official retirement of his number deserved a full house. There are many thousands of fans who would’ve come for that even if there wasn’t a game to see.
San Diego State is undefeated and nationally ranked. The Warriors will need to be at their best to compete with them, and a larger, louder crowd would be a big help.
“Hopefully it will increase from here,” said Todd Graham, who finally got to have fan support at his ninth home game as Hawaii coach. “It’s been a long haul. Probably one of the strangest things last year. An empty stadium. Especially Aloha Stadium. I’m very grateful we had our family and friends and just to see people happy and smiling and cheering, because that’s what it’s about.”
“What drives a home-field advantage is the students, the band, the cheer and the home crowd,” he said. “When the other team is on offense our band can’t play, but our fans can scream and holler. Having people who understand the game, they know how to engage. Hopefully in the near future we can have a full house.”
So, yeah. More cowbell. And a lot more fans. Unless some new COVID strain arises, I hope UH asks the governor and mayor for 9K to be allowed at Ching when the Aztecs come to town, and they have the good sense to say yes. I’m afraid we’ll have to settle for 4,500, but I have confidence that Matlin and his crew can handle a full house and so should the government leaders.
Bring the noise.
