Idaho no longer soft touch

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

Idaho used to be regarded as a designated win on the schedule of every Western Athletic Conference team. Note the "used to be," because the Vandals are one of biggest surprises in all of college football this year.

The former doormat is 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the WAC following a last-minute 29-25 road win over San Jose State last week.

It was Idaho's fourth straight win, the last three coming against bowl-eligible teams from a year ago -- Northern Illinois, Colorado State and San Jose State.

So, Idaho has lots of momentum and is 11.5-point favorite going into Saturday's home game against Hawaii, losers of three straight.

Baldwin graduate JoJo Dickson is playing a big role in Idaho's resurgence after going 2-10 last season and claiming only three wins in coach Robb Akey's first two years on the job.

The junior linebacker is the team's second-leading tackler with 33. Dickson has also intercepted a pair of passes, one that led to a field goal last week, and, in an earlier game, returned a pick 74 yards for a score in a win over San Diego State to earn WAC defensive player of the week.

Among the several other players from Hawaii on the roster is former Damien star Kama Bailey, a dangerous kickoff return specialist.

Idaho has improved firepower, led by tailbacks DeMaundray Woolridge, a 5-9, 241-pounder, and Princeton McCarty.

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Weaknesses exposed by Bulldogs

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

With quarterback Greg Alexander, Hawaii was a team that would have to scramble to collect the required seven wins to become bowl eligible. Without him for the rest of the season, UH chances of earning a berth in the Hawaii Bowl appear remote, indeed.

That's not good news for the cash-strapped UH athletic department. Or, for that matter, organizers of the Hawaii Bowl, who could end up with a Christmas Eve match-up between mainland teams when travel to the islands is down because of the economic times.

Hawaii's shortcoming were all painfully evident on a rainy Saturday night at Aloha Stadium as Hawaii suffered a 42-17 spanking at the hands of WAC rival Fresno State.

UH struggled in all phases. Two breakdowns on special teams — a blocked field-goal attempt and a muffed punt return — set up two touchdowns. On defense, UH allowed 277 rushing yards.

On offense, one drive ended with an end-zone interception; another imploded because of five penalties, including two holding violations.

Replacement QB Brant Moniz threw for 283 yards and two scores, but completed just 24 of 52 and suffered a pair of picks. But his receivers dropped four passes, and a potential TD pass to Greg Salas was nullified because of a holding call.

The loss was Hawaii's third straight, dropping its record to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the WAC, going into this week's road game against surprising Idaho. The Vandals are 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the WAC following a 29-25 road win over San Jose State. Idaho linebacker JoJo Dickson, a junior from Baldwin, had a pick against the Spartans and ranks second in tackles for Idaho with 33 stops this season.

MIL RECAP: Week 6 of the MIL football season opened with the most dramatic finish of the season on Friday and the most lopsided game on Saturday.

Lahainalua narrowly avenged an earlier loss to Maui High by edging the Sabers 16-14 on David Arcangel's 20-yard field goal with one second remaining in the game. Friday's victory improved Lahianaluna's league record to 3-2 for a 2-game lead over Kamehameha in Division-II.

On Saturday, Kekaulike used a double-barreled running attack featuring Charles Spencer and Wayne Namahoe to open up a half-game lead over idle Baldwin in the D-I standings with a 50-9 rout of Kamehameha. Spencer rushed for 193 and two touchdowns on 23 carries, while Namahoe – filling in as the starting fullback for the injured Reyn Yoshiura – ran for 155 and three scores on 18 carries.

Na Alii are 4-1, with Baldwin at 3-2. The Warriors fell to 1-4.

This week, Maui High and Badwin renew their rivalry at War Memorial Stadium on Friday. On Saturday, Kekaulike will celebrate homecoming against the visiting Lunas.

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Not sold on Broncos ... yet

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

Call me stubborn if you will, but I'm still not sold on the Denver Broncos, despite their 4-0 record, gaudy defensive stats and a sensational scoring play by the formerly disgruntled Brandon Marshall in last week's 17-10 win over visiting Dallas.

A Broncos' win over visiting New England this Sunday would go a long way toward reducing my skepticism, largely resulting from the fact that two of Denver's defensive gems came at the expense of the offensively-challenged Browns and Raiders.

Although Tennessee is 0-4, head coach Jeff Fisher shrewdly announced right after last week's 37-17 loss to Jacksonville that Kerry Collins was still his starting QB, fully anticipating lots of negative reaction from fickle fans and media.

The same people who were booing Vince Young a year ago are the same folks who are now clamoring for his return as the starting QB.

Earlier this week, 70 percent of the respondents in an internet poll said Young should be the starter in Sunday's game against the Colts.

Fisher has wisely turned a deaf ear on the armchair quarterbacks, figuring he's better off sending the 37-year-old veteran up against the Colts rather than Young, who last started a game in Week 2 of last year.

But if the Titans lose this week, it won't be long before Collins gets cast aside and Young gets another shot at showing that he's got the skills and smarts to lead a quality NFL team.

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UH faces long odds at home

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

I don't know how you like Hawaii's chances on Saturday night against WAC rival Fresno State, but the odds-makers aren't giving UH much of a shot. Hawaii is a 9.5-point underdog at home to a 1-3 team.

But that's what happens to a team that:

Just lost its starting quarterback, Greg Alexander, to a season-ending knee injury. Failed to reach the end zone in last week's nationally televised debacle, a 27-6 loss at LaTech. And whose defense can't seem to find a way to stop the run.

With Alexander out, local boy Bryant Moniz ascended to the starting job. A former star player at Leilehua, Moniz had one successful season of JC ball at Fresno City College – throwing for 18 scores – before deciding to return home and walk on at UH.

Hawaii coach Greg McMackin's QB options were limited. The prior No. 2, Brent Rausch is out for least another week while mending a broken pinky on this throwing hand. And Steve Austin, the previous No. 4 moved up two notches to the backup role.

Hawaii also could turn to converted running back Inoke Funaki, who had one his best performances behind the center in a road win over Fresno State last season.

Don't be fooled by Fresno's 1-3 mark. The Bulldogs again have played an ambitious schedule, losing 34-31 in overtime at unbeaten Wisconsin, 51-34 at home to sixth-ranked Boise State and 28-20 to eighth-ranked Cincinnati.

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BCS snubs small conferences

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

I am convinced that a team from a non-BCS conference will never play in a BCS
title game.

That's because the big-time conferences, which created and dominate the
process, will never allow it to happen. And neither will the voters who take part in
the two polls that comprise two-thirds of the BCS formula. It's college football's
version of a glass ceiling.

BCS busters will have to be content with playing in the other big-money bowls,
just not the one used to determine the national title.

Such has been the recent case with the likes of Boise State, Hawaii and Utah – with
mixed results.

Boise State stunned Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and Utah
soundly defeated Alabama 31-17 in last season's Sugar Bowl and, after the fact,
was ranked second in the country.

But UH showed it was not ready for prime time when it was hammered 41-10 by
Georgia in the Sugar Bowl two season ago.

Cross Houston off the BCS buster list for this year after the No. 12 Cougars were
beaten 58-41 by UTEP and dropped completely out of the latest Top 25 rankings.

That leaves Boise State and TCU as the only unbeaten non-BCS teams. Despite
improving its record to 5-0 against D-I-AA UC Davis, Boise State slipped a spot in
the rankings to No. 6. TCU moved up one place, to No. 10, following a win over
SMU.

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Close calls for Bears, Na Alii

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

When King Kekaulike's defense forced a 3-and-out on the opening drive and then marched right down the field to take a 6-0 lead on Reyn Yoshiura's 2-yard run four minutes into the game, it seemed as if Na Alii were in for an easy night. Well, so much for first impressions.

Maui High hung tough despite Andrew Conti's line-drive 39-yard field goal just before the half, giving Kekaulike a 9-0 lead.

The Sabers scored with nine minutes left in the game on Vanesi Uta's quarterback sneak and we're still flinging the ball in the final minute in search of a win before their last drive ended with a pick.

Kekaulike was fortunate to pull out a 9-7 victory and pull even with Baldwin for first place in Division I with 3-1 marks. But Baldwin also was lucky to a win the night before at Kamehameha

Again, first impressions were deceiving. After controlling the game early Baldwin needed a 70-yard TD hookup between QB Brock Shishido and Ro Wilson with 1:22 left to escape Kanaiaupuni Stadium with a 24-21 win over the gritty Warriors.

After a bye week, the Lunas return to action on Friday against Maui High. The Lunas lead D-II with a 2-2 record. Sabers are 1-3. On Saturday, Kamehameha visits Kekaulike. Baldwin gets the bye.

Other weekend prep football results:

Top-ranked Kahuku capitalized on a pair of second-half turnovers and rallied to a 16-14 win over No. 4 Farrington. … No. 6 Kamehameha picked off four passes in a 15-6 win over formerly top-ranked and current No. 3 Saint Louis, which suffered its second ILH loss of the season … Unranked Kapolei shocked No. 2 Mililani 41-26 thaks to a pair of long punt returns. …

No. 5 Iolani defeated Damien 35-6. … No. 7 Leilehua beat Nanakuli 47-7 as Andrew Manley threw for 3 TD in the 1Q and finished with four scoring passes. … No. 8 Waianae beat Waipahu 35-20. … No. 10 Kauai High eased to a 24-0 win over Kapa'a.

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Time to panic for 0-3 teams

By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com

Knowledgeable baseball fans are well aware that their sport's regular season is a marathon. But NFL fans should also be aware that, as a result of a much shorter schedule of 16 games, their season is a relative sprint.

Since the playoffs were expanded to 12 in 1990, 76 percent of the teams – 62 of 82 -- that started the season with three straight wins went on to make the playoffs. Last year, each of the four teams that opened 3-0, including three eventual division champs, qualified for postseason play.

But fans whose teams have gotten off to a 0-3 start have every reason to be in panic mode. Over that same span, less than 2 percent of the teams -- a mere 3-of-204 -- that started 0-3 reached the playoffs: The '92 Chargers, '98 Bills and '98 Lions.

That doesn't bode well for Tennessee, Carolina and Miami – three teams that qualified for last year's playoffs but remain winless.

Of the three, Tennessee has the best chance of bucking the long odds, starting with a win over struggling Jacksonville this weekend.

Carolina has fallen apart since being beaten at home in the playoffs by Arizona, while Miami is saddled with a back-breaking schedule after having gone from 1-15 to 11-5 and a playoff berth last season. Miami hosts Buffalo this week. Carolina is idle.

The other four winless teams are – and never were -- going anywhere. Cleveland, Kansas City, St. Louis and Tampa Bay are all every bit as bad as expected.

LOCAL BOYS IN BIGS: Within the past year, Maui's Shane Victorino has won a World Series ring, captured a Gold Glove and was the National League's starting center fielder in the All-Star Game.

The times could get even better. The Phillies have clinched a third straight NL East title and will next open a bid to become the first team to double up as World Series champs since Yankees in 1999 and 2000.

Victorino has become an integral part of a team that includes former MVP's Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins, as well as All-Star Chase Utley. The pitching staff features some familiar names as well: Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez.

Shane is batting .293 with 10 homers and 61 RBI. His 13 triples rank first in the majors. His 101 runs rank eighth, 39 doubles ninth, 25 steals ninth in the NL.

He's become something of a cult figure in Philly and popular nationally thanks to his playing style and the success of his title team.

While the spotlight is constantly on the Phillies and, by extension, Shane, that is hardly the case for Kurt Suzuki.

He has been one of the most productive and consistent players for his team. Unfortunately, the reliable catcher labors in relative obscurity for the struggling Oakland Athletics. Kurt is having a very solid season of his own, batting .272 and leading the team with 36 doubles, 236 total bases and 87 RBI.

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