It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t impressive in the classic sense of the term, but the Hawaii Warriors defeated the Washington Huskies to complete the only perfect season in the Football Bowl Subdivision for 2007. June Jones and Colt Brennan won’t reach the BCS title game, but they definitely deserve a BCS bowl after doing what their 119 competitors couldn’t.
Yes, only one team in major college football avoided a single defeat from Labor Day weekend through the first Saturday of December. That ballclub resides on the island, as the heroes of Honolulu became the Western Athletic Conference’s likely successor to Boise State in a prime-time January throwdown. Saturday night’s heartstopper against the Huskies represented the latest in a long line of white-knuckle victories for Hawaii, as this talented team once again showed that its considerable athleticism is actually exceeded by its uncommon mental toughness. On a night when the Warriors stared down a 21-point deficit and faced the prospect of a somewhat ruined season, a team with so much at stake found the focus needed to avoid a descent into panic. On a night when West Virginia cracked under tremendous pressure, the Warriors pulled another close win out of the fire. It was truly just another day in paradise for a team that has earned every blessing that has come its way.
In the immediate aftermath of Hawaii’s narrow win over Washington, credit and attention will unavoidably and–to some extent–deservedly flow to Brennan, the star quarterback who likely punched a ticket to New York for next Saturday’s Heisman Trophy award ceremony. With evidently abundant amounts of poise and pocket presence, Brennan displayed the leadership and the skills needed to bring his team back from a 28-7 first-half hole. The customary combination of laser-like throws and unerring instincts enabled the sensational signal caller to calmly pick apart the Huskies’ young secondary, especially in the final ten minutes when the Warriors stormed to victory. This contest did absolutely nothing to diminish the deservedly glowing reputation of an all-time great in the world of college football.
With that having been said, however, the biggest reason the Warriors completed their perfect regular season was a defense that simply didn’t quit. After being eviscerated by the Huskies in the game’s first 23 minutes, coordinator Greg McMackin’s defense shut out Louis Rankin, Jake Locker, and the rest of a purple-shirted offense that overwhelmed the home folks coming out of the gate. Washington started the proceedings by staggering the Warriors with equal doses of power and speed. The hulking heavies from the Pac-10 leaned on their WAC counterparts, and before anyone’s seat was warm in Aloha Stadium, Ty Willingham’s boys had attained a lightning-quick 21-0 advantage. It looked as though a pancake-flat Hawaii defense was going to get lit up for more than 40 points at the very least.
How impressive it was, then, that McMackin’s players rallied ’round the flag to keep Washington off the scoreboard for the game’s remaining 37 minutes. With renewed energy in the trenches and sustained focus in the secondary, Hawaii forced Locker to be more of a thrower and less of a runner. The Warriors created third and long situations and were able to get off the field much more quickly as a result. As the possessions and punts piled up, momentum steadily shifted sidelines, and at the end, Hawaii had a tidal wave of confidence in tow. Even when the Huskies marched down to the Hawaii 4 in the game’s final seconds, the Warriors’ defense didn’t miss a beat. An interception of Locker in the end zone with three seconds left preserved the win for college football’s one remaining unbeaten team. While Washington once again lost a game it had been dominating (the Huskies fell victim to a number of similar setbacks in 2007), Hawaii demonstrated its ability to continuously prevail when other weaker teams would have flinched and faltered. If a college ever offered a course on “learning how to win football games,” only one school would earn an A-plus after 12 regular-season games: yes, it’s the University of Hawaii. Now, the prize student of this just-completed regular season will likely have the chance to pass a challenging final exam: in the Sugar Bowl against a very formidable SEC opponent that will be named in roughly 16 hours.
Hawaii might not be overwhelming or consistent, and the Warriors–if subjected to a season of slugfests in a major conference–might not fare that well. However, you can’t say that anyone in the United States does a better job of winning than this team. The Warriors deserve a BCS bowl bid more than any other at-large candidate. The college football community should relish the prospect of a BCS bowl with Colt Brennan in it. The young man deserves such a reward after lifting his team to the winner’s circle in a season finale that was much closer than much of America expected.
Source: Instant Analysis: Washington-Hawaii
