Welcome to the Sugar Bowl?
2006: Hawaii at Alabama
-- Bama won 25-17 in the season opener. Colt Brennan went 30-44 for 350 yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT against a pretty solid Tide defense. The 2006 Tide squad which couldn't score in a Whore House during the Dentist Convention in Vegas out gained the Warriors 378 total yards to 372. Hawaii was held to 22 yards rushing. Key to the game: Bama had zero turnovers, and they forced Hawaii into 3 turnovers. An 11-3 Hawaii team couldn't beat a 6-7 Bama team.
2003: Alabama at Hawaii
-- Bama lost 37-29. The Tide was banned from bowls, but they found a loop hole which allowed them to finish their season in Hawaii. The NCAA let's (or used to anyway) you play 1 extra game per season in years that you go to Hawaii. So the Tide scheduled two games at Hawaii (2003 and 2002) to function as bowl games for the probation stricken team. Bama went 4-9 on the season in a transition year that saw Mike Shula take over after Spring Training was already completed. In typical "Don't Play Games In Hawaii b/c the Refs will KILL You" fashion, Bama had 10 penalties to the Warriors 4. Total yardage was identical, but the Tide had 3 turnovers to Hawaii's 1. Bottom line: A very bad Bama team lost to a pretty decent Hawaii team in an anti-climatic post-Auburn debacle.
2002: Alabama at Hawaii
Alabama won 21-16. Much like the 2003 game, this was played after the regular season was complete so that they probation riddled Tide would have a de facto bowl game. Bama ran for 280 yards as they finished the game with comparable net total offense yards. Much like the 2003 game the penalty flags fell to the benefit of the Warriors (12 Bama Flags to 5 Hawaii Flags). The "Don't Call us Rainbow" Warriors had 5 turnovers to Bama's one. Bama finished the season 10-3 while Hawaii finished with 7 wins. Bottom line: A good Bama team barely beat a mediocre Hawaii squad in front of wildly partisan officials.
The Moral of the Story:
We can't just throw our helmets out there and expect to win. We have to play smart and protect the football. If we do, we'll win a game that has the ball moving up and down the field at a brisk pace for both squads. Frankly, this game should be very entertaining. Our DBs aren't exceptional and their passing game (gimmick or not) is effective. The Warriors will score points on us, but we have the talent and offense of our own to win by 10+...if we take them serious.
I'm looking forward to this.
PWD
