THANKFULLY, history doesn't repeat itself. UH can’t afford
to be overconfidentOtherwise, the University of Hawaii football Rainbows would have played a great game only to lose to Minnesota as they did a year ago in their season opener against Boston College.
The games were eerily similar in that the 'Bows held 11-point leads late in the fourth quarter.
Only, this time the Gophers couldn't dig themselves out of the hole as Boston College did. Only, this time the Gophers didn't rally from that deficit to win on a field goal on the last play of the game as the Eagles did.
As for the Rainbows, they entered week two feeling good about themselves after playing Boston College close. Likewise, they are now feeling pretty good about themselves -- more so since they won -- after their showing against Minnesota.
Heck with close losses. Winning's mo' bettah.
That euphoria didn't last long last season as the Rainbows lost the following week to unheralded Ohio University. Then in their third game, they got bombed by Wyoming, 66-0, and there went the season.
Another jittery parallel is shaping up. Coming off their victorious opener, the Rainbows this time face Cal State Northridge, another unheralded opponent. A Division I-AA team at that. And let's not even get into the fact that Hawaii's third game of the season will be against Wyoming -- again. Who comes up with this script?
At least this time, the Rainbows won't be taking Northridge lightly as they did Ohio. Not after the Matadors scored a 63-23 victory over Boise State with quarterback Aaron Flowers throwing for 442 yards and six touchdowns in their opener.
IF you remember, the 'Bows had to rally in the fourth quarter to beat Boise State, 20-14, last year. And, lest you forget, Hawaii's secondary has yet to prove itself, Minnesota notwithstanding.
Besides, as coach Fred vonAppen will be the first to remind anyone within ear shot, the Rainbows aren't that good a team yet to be counting their victories.
This is a team that clearly won't -- and can't -- be overconfident. Not after finishing 2-10 last season.
Which reminds me, the Rainbows' 17-3 victory over the Gophers didn't impress sports columnist Dan Barreiro, who was covering the game for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
"Hawaii will not win another three games all season," wrote Barreiro, who ranked the Gophers' loss as the worst in Minnesota's football program in the last 11 years.
He noted that the Gophers were pounded by Nebraska (56-0), Michigan (58-7), Penn State (56-3), Iowa (45-34) and Ohio State (45-0) and even lost to San Diego State, 48-17. But at least the Aztecs had big-time players in Marshall Faulk and Darnay Scott.
Nothing, though, compared with that loss to Hawaii, which Barreiro called a bad team in a bad conference.
Boy, how can the Rainbows think of even being overconfident even against Cal State Northridge after comments like that?
WHICH also reminds me, should the 'Bows ever lose this Saturday night at Aloha Stadium to the Matadors, it would rank as one of the most embarrassing defeats in UH football history, by my own reckoning.
It's no knock against Northridge, vonAppen or this year's Rainbows. It's simply that a defeat would only mean that after 24 years -- when the two teams last met -- the UH football program really hasn't gone anywhere.
In 1973, the Rainbows were playing in the college division, now known as Division I-AA. They moved up to Division I-A several years later. Losing to Northridge now would make it seem as though the 'Bows are on a football treadmill. A lot of steps taking you nowhere