For the third straight season, Hawai'i began with an opening day loss, this time on one of college football's biggest and most-storied stages, at Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium. The good news...the Warriors were in this one until the very end, toe-to-toe with the mighty Crimson Tide, with a chance to tie it up and send the game into overtime.

The Warriors fell eight points short in a 25-17 loss, but gained an experience that no other Warrior team in recent history enjoyed.

Hawai'i made the 4,500-mile journey to the other end of the United States and made of game of it in front of the largest crowd to attend a college football game in the State of Alabama (92,138), also the largest crowd any Warrior team has ever played in front of.

The bad news...there is no such thing as a moral victory. This week, the Warriors face a rejuvenated UNLV team and second-year head coach Mike Sanford. UNLV is coming off a controversial, 16-10, loss at Iowa State. Rebel back-up quarterback Shane Steichen tossed a hail mary into a flock of players in the endzone on the final play of the game. Rebel receiver Aaron Straiten appeared from the flock with the ball in his hands, but amidst the celebration from Iowa State players, the officials ruled the pass incomplete and the game over.

UNLV starting quarterback Rocky Hinds, who threw for 322 yards in the season opener against Idaho State, left the game with a knee injury in the second quarter. The Rebels are awaiting the results of and MRI to determine Hinds' status for this week's game.

Hawai'i used the bye week to rest up and iron out the kinks from game one. Upon further review, Warrior head coach June Jones said everything he saw on tape against Alabama, the dropped passes, the missed assignments, the fumbles, is 100 percent fixable.

"I don't talk about the physical errors," Jones said. "These guys don't intentionally make physical mistakes and they don't like making them anymore than I like watching it. I just talk about the mental errors and try to fix those."

This week's game marks the last before opening Western Athletic Conference play at Boise State. A loss would put the Warriors at 0-2 for the third straight season. Hawai'i began the 2004 season 0-2 and finished 8-5, earning an invitation to the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl. Last season, the Warriors began 0-2 and finished 5-7.

A win would send the Warriors into Boise, Idaho, where they have lost by a combined score of 127-34 in two tries.

"Student Night" At UNLV Football Game
UH students can register at Gate 7 for the opportunity to win great prizes from Vacations Hawaii and California Hotel & Casino. Also, there will be giveaways and free ti leaves. Students will be provided free bus transportation to the game. The buses will leave at 4:00 p.m. from the Gateway House on Dole Street on the UH campus and return there 30 minutes after the game.

GAME 2
SATURDAY, SEPT. 16, 2006
6:05 PM
ALOHA STADIUM
HONOLULU (50,000)
UNLV (1-1, 0-0 Mountain West Conference)
AT
HAWAI`I (0-1, 0-0 Western Athletic Conference)

TELEVISION: Live statewide on Oceanic Cable Pay-Per-View digital channel 256 with Jim Leahey (play-by-play) and Russell Yamanoha (color). Call (808) 625-8100 on Oahu or (808) 643-2337 statewide. PPV delayed broadcast Saturday, Sept. 16 at 10:30 p.m. Rebroadcast, Sunday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. on KFVE channel 5.

RADIO: Live on ESPN 1420 with Bobby Curran (play-by-play), Robert Kekaula (color), and John Veneri (sideline). Don Robbs hosts the "Warrior Warm-up" beginning at 4:00 p.m., and also the halftime show. Neighbor island simulcasts can be heard live on KAOI on Maui/Kona, KPUA in Hilo and KQNG on Kauai.

AUDIO WEBCAST: Live on the web at espn1420am.com

VIDEO WEBCAST: Saturday night's is also available via webcast through Hawaiian Telcom and KFVE. Fans from all over the world can purchase "iTickets" for a single game ($9.95), a full season (one sport for $39.95) or an all-season pass (all sports for $69.95) good for all UH athletic events produced by KFVE. Just visit www.hawaiiantelmedia.com.

PARKING GATES: Parking lot gates at Aloha Stadium will open at 2:30 p.m. Parking is $5. Alternate parking is available at Leeward Community College (free with a $2 charge of shuttle service, and at Kam Drive-In for $5 and free shuttle service. All shuttle service operation runs from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and approximately one hour after the game ends. Parking is also available at Radford High School for $3 with no available shuttle service. No tailgating is allowed at alternate parking sites.

STADIUM GATES: Stadium gates will open at 3 p.m.

STADIUM SECURITY: Security measures are in effect. Only fanny packs, purses, backpacks and handbags will be allowed into the stadium (subject to check). There will be no illegal contraband, weapons, fireworks, coolers, cans bottles, air horns, noisemakers, cans and bottles, umbrellas, outside food and/or beverages allowed inside the stadium gates.

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Sports Radio 1420 will provide traffic advisories and updates before each UH football home game during the 2005 season.

-UH-