It ain’t over till it’s over. The classic Yogi Berra quote sure seems trite after seeing this Warrior football season devolve into a downward spiral that has been unfamiliar during the program’s recent history. The Warriors have a lot of
It ain’t over till it’s over.
The classic Yogi Berra quote sure seems trite after seeing this Warrior football season devolve into a downward spiral that has been unfamiliar during the program’s recent history.
The Warriors have a lot of things working against them right now, the series of which began back before the season even started.
The first prolem was the unfortunate comment that Coach McMackin made to the press regarding last season’s meeting with Notre Dame that – from an outsider’s perspective – created a negative vibe about the program. Not necessarily that it would have caused negativity in the UH locker room, but the public’s focus was now on something negative, when it should have been on the excitement a new season typically brings.
We had to watch Coach Mac, who is regarded as nothing but the nicest guy by those who have met him, awkwardly backpedal when he realized his blunder.
The face he made was like your friend’s when a Hillary Duff song comes on during their iTunes shuffle. It’s a look of immediate recognition, followed by embarrassment/horror, finishing up with the “let’s just keep this between us” face.
Once that story died down to just a mild bonfire, the season finally began with what was supposed to be an easy toppling of Central Arkansas. Well, what it lacked in one-sidedness, it made up for with excitement as UH pulled out the come-from-behind win with a last-minute touchdown drive.
The collective sigh of relief I wrote about at the time turned into downright enthusiasm after the Warriors headed out to Seattle and flew home 2-0 after a dominant win, highlighted by quarterback Greg Alexander’s 453-yard performance against Washington St.
On the verge of a 3-0 start, the worm turned on another last-minute touchdown. Only this time, the Warriors were on the wrong side. The 34-33 loss to UNLV will likely be remembered as the season’s turning point.
The following game was a chance for a nationally televised audience to watch Alexander’s high-octane attack. Only nobody told Louisiana Tech, which lit up UH for 352 yards on the ground in a well-scripted 27-6 win.
Oh, and then there was Alexander. The quarterback who seemed destined to challenge the NCAA passing leaders was knocked out of the game by the Tech defensive front. We later found out the knee injury would require season-ending surgery.
Since that time, the Warriors have found themselves unable to hang with Fresno State and losing to Idaho for just the second time ever.
The schedule only gets more difficult with unbeaten Boise State coming to Aloha Stadium on Saturday, their eyes set squarely on crashing the BCS, once again.
But the one thing that has remained constant during this four-game losing streak has been the effort. Even facing adversity, the team remains committed to playing hard and never giving up on a game.
Quarterback Bryant Moniz, who started the season as the No. 3 option, has turned in a couple solid performances in his first two career starts. He seemed to get more comfortable at the end of the Fresno State loss and carried it over to Idaho, where he tallied 360 passing yards with two touchdowns (one rushing).
What this team needs is something, anything to go right. A little luck that can spark a rush of success. Starting the season with a scandal and a season-ending injury to your quarterback would seem to undo just about any program. But those that can face the adversity and rise above it are the ones that benefit in the long run.
So, yes Yogi. It’s not over till it’s over. There are seven more opportunities to take a stand and turn things around.
Let’s just hope it won’t be deja vu all over again.
