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Show 988 September, 26, 1988 Chronicle - Page Twenty Seven PORT Hawaii offense routs U. By Kent Condon Utahn enjoys 48-2- 0 homecoming 0 - Chronicle sports editor The University of Utah football team was hoping to find a victory at the end of Hawaii's rainbow. What it found was a punishing running back, an unforgiving defense and a quarterback who had a career game. By Dirk Facer Chronicle assistant sports editor (("'4 j . Welcome back. ' What the Utes found, and had, was a Saturday night at Rice Stadium m front of a surprising crowd of 32,892 partisan Utah fans, Hawaii crushed the Utes The win improved the Rainbows' record to 0 while the Utes fell to Tilings looked good for the Utes early in the game as they inarched 61 yards to score on 48-2- 0. cili Jflftli 1-- 2. 4-- ill oPiiii f long night. their nrst possession. U. sophomore quarter back Scott Mitchell connected to split end strike and Scott Aaron Grimm tor a Lieber added the extra point ' and the nation's sec Utah was up quick, ond best offense appeared to be picking up where it left off last week in Champaign, iff. The Utes defense, however, also picked up where it left off, and the Rainbows quietly countered. Seven plays and 61 yards later the score was tied at 7 apiece. But in the first half Utah's defense wasn't the problem. Poor kick coverage and costly ratf' .iK:w:iv:A:;::,'V:,:" :1; ;:.vrm3 jf;'.v::-:j & if. :; times and they were holding up pretty well,1' U. football coach Jim Fassel said. The second half started out with a bang for Hawaii as Larry Khan-Smit-h returned the opening kickoff 70 yards to the Utah 22 yard line. The defense, again put in a bad situation by special teams, held its ground and the Rainbows had to settle for a field goal by Jason Elam. Then it was Utah's turn. In the Utes' first two games of the season they outscored .....y. S!S!?Ss ( sass. 20-1- 4. r i Kent Condon- for a change." As a freshman, Lopati garnered WAC hon- 34-ya- Chronicle photo by Andrew Holloway U. quarterback Scott Mitchell and the rest of the Utes found the going rather tough against Hawaii. Despite constant pressure, Mitchell managed to throw for 0 loss to the Rainbow Warriors Saturday at Rice 389 yards en route to Utah's Stadium. Utah is now 2 overall. 48-2- 1-- rd from Hawaii quarterback Warren Jones. "I'm just trying to get myself back into the game. I still make a lot of mistakes, but tonight I really improved," Lopati said. "I'm glad I improved against Utah. I'm working hard and still trying to learn the game again. I've been out for a long time." in third quarters. 10-ya- rd Lake City for the game was former Highland High School standout Junior Lopati. Although Lopati was oncea U. recruitment choice, the senior slot back chose to attend the University of Hawaii instead. It is a decision Lopati does not regret Despite limited action in 1986, Lopati will attempt to complete his first full season in what is now his senior year. Ironically, Lopati returned to the form he displayed as a freshman in the recent Utah game. Lopati gained 40 rushing yards in five carries and caught a touchdown pass 35-ya- rd UtalTwould need such an effort against Hawaii to help preserve its conference title hopes and avoid losing for the second time in as many weeks. Utah marched 40 yards for a touchdown pass from Mitchell to capped by a Grimm with Lieber again adding the extra point, closing the score to "football " on page twenty nine 0. tions. , J-- Jf put our defense in the hole a lot of 35-- 0 48-2- ors while gaining over 400 yards in six games. He redshirted in 1985 as a sophomore and was sidelined last season due to a variety of ailments including two major knee opera- turnovers left the the Utes' "D" with its backs to the end zone more than once. theiropponents unleashed a feverish attack in downing the Utes Among those who enjoyed returning to Salt happy with my choice to go to Hawaii," Lopati said. "The people have been so nice to me and I think I was ready 7-- 0, "We part it was very forgettable! Hawaii "I'm 12-ya- rd 1 Saturday night at Rice Stadium, a large crowd of students returned to the U. to begin another academic year. The event was memorable for some, but for the most The road back has been tough for the injury-ridde- n Lopati, but it has come as no coach Bob Wagner that to Hawaii surprise he has succeeded. "(Lopati) was a great player for us as a freshman. He was the catalyst of our offense that year," Wagner said. "He is such a positive person and he plays with a lot of spirit. Junior has showed his great spirit and positive attitude by the way he has come battling back." see "junior" on page twenty nine - Surprise! BYU not only WAC team to watch There was a time, a long time or so it seemed, when WAC post season play was limited to the few or the Now four games into the young season, singular-BY-U. a new trend of upstart teams is making the Cougars conference domination seem like a tiling of the past. This new era of competitive football in the WAC actually began a few years back when Air Force fielded a competitive team on a regular basis. Two years ago San Diego State got its charter membership to the conference footWAC elite when it won its first-evball championship. Then last season Wyoirring returned to the form of the Cowboy conference champs of old. The Pokes went undefeated last year and played tough against Iowa in the Holiday Bowl before succumbing to the Big 10 Hawkeyes And what about the Miners? UTEP, once the conference laughing stock, is making a name for itself and is slowly emerging from the WAC cellar. Hawaii's 0 start this season seems to be right in bringing home the conference crown. But the folks from Laramie and the like have LaVell to thank for leading the way. And although the Cougar supply of All American quarterbacks appears to runto adapt to the ning thin, Edwards has, the know-ho- : w er 20-1- 9. 4-- line. - '. I think you get ' the ' . . ., picture. This year the conference may have the greatest parity ever. The Cougars, Rainbows, Cowboys,for Miners and Falcons are all viable candidates ? ; changes. More and more, teams around the WAC are taking on a Cougar look and the quarterbacks and receivers around the conference are cashing in. Last season Todd Santos led San Diego State and finished out his career with the Aztecs as the NCAA all-tiyardage leader. Kelly Stouffer boosted Colorado State's program while calling the signals for the Rams and is now playing for the Seattle Seahawks. And now this year's hottest conference passer, Scott Mitchell, can be found throwing the ball for the crimson and white. The Utes beat out the Cougars in the recruiting of Mitchell and now Utah boasts the total offense leader in the nation. offense of Mitchell fits in well with the Utah Coach Jim Fassel. Fassel arrived in Utah to cure offense of former the . pass-)riente- d Utah coach Chuck Stobart. Other schools have opted for new coaches such as Wyorning's Paul Roach, who, in his second year at he helm of the Cowboys, is undefeated in WAC play. Bob coach enjoyWagner of Hawaii is another second-yea- r ' season. the benefits of successful a ing football ; The University of Hawaii team is team on offense the rise, thanks in part to a new installed by Wagner. Wagner feels that the other WAC teams are finally catching up to the Cougars. "(BYU) did a great a job in getting ahead of everybody," Hawaii football coach Bob Wagner said. "It gave gave the other teams in the conference something to shoot at. Now in the WAC the offenses are very aggressive. And I think that is one of the reasons we are doing so well in our intersectional games." For whatever reasons, the WAC is now a wide open conference, and it is definitely a conference where potent offenses are the rule rather than the exception. And that is welcome news to all those fans of WAC schools other than BYU who were forced to persevere the lean years when BYU owned the WAC, winning titles from 1978 to 1985. So look out for the Rainbows. Don't laugh at the Miners. And know the Cowboys are for real. Cougar fans relax. With Edwards around, things still can't go too wrong. run-and-sho- ot |