WAC commissioner Karl Benson spoke on a teleconference Wednesday morning about five potential new member schools that he and the WAC athletic directors met with Tuesday in Dallas.

They are Montana, Texas-San Antonio, Texas State, Denver and Seattle. Denver and Seattle do not have football teams.

“Getting to a minimum of eight football schools, that is our priority,” Benson said. Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada are leaving the WAC, which would drop the league to six football playing schools.

Montana, which has won  Division I-AA national football championships and is a perennial power at that level, seems to be the prize recruit of this bunch … but also perhaps the most unlikely to make a move. The school is undergoing a feasibility study of going into Division I-A, as well as a change at president. It is the only one of the five schools that did not make a formal presentation during Tuesday’s meetings, Benson said.

“We established mutual interest,” Benson said.

Some have gone as far to say Montana has the potential to be another Boise State, a school that comes up from I-AA able to make a big impact in I-A. That seems pretty assumptive, considering Boise State is ranked No. 3 in the latest football polls.

Benson said the WAC wants to extend invitations “within a 30-to-60 day window,” after WAC officials make campus visits to the prospective new members’ schools.

“There is not a sense uf urgency,” Benson said. “We do not need to make a decision today. There is no rank order.”

He said the timeline is in place to “send a message the WAC is stabilized” and negate negative recruiting of student-athletes.

Most new member schools would likely join the conference for the 2012-13 school year, but Benson said the WAC would be open to 2011-12 entry. But he added that would not lead to early release of Fresno State and Nevada; they are contracted to leave after spring 2012, but both schools want to join the Mountain West Conference in 2011.

Nice get well game for Hawaii, except for the turnovers.

Quirky thing, taking a knee with 5 minutes and change left. Good sportsmanship or patronizing to the opponents? Smart game management or frittering away of opportunity for live reps?

We did find a point spread: confirmed with both sides of the law. Hawaii by 32.

Where are all the students? This is their first “free” game.

can someone please write an article entitled “Who is going to step up for Coach Mack”?
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> Coach Hawkins is definitely on the hot seat this year, and his players came through for him in a “must win” game.  I still think that Colorado is a mediocre team in the Big 12, and that Hawaii had many opportunities to beat them (heck, Hawaii had opportunities to beat USC).  But that’s besides the point.  Like Hawkins, I believe that Coach Mack is on the hot seat this season.  So, who will step up for Coach Mack this season?  Which players are going to play (with heart and perseverance) for their coach, and win those “winnable” and “must-win” games?
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> I’m looking at this offense and I’m thinking that there is so much talent on that side of the field.  So, is it the coaching that is lacking?  There seems to be a lack of creativity on the part of the offensive coaches (especially when calling red zone offense plays —- what about naked bootleg, power I with Jake Heun at Fullback, option with Austin).  It is hard to believe that the O-line can’t push back the opposing team for a 1 or 2 yard gain (that;s pretty pathetic).  It seems a waste to not get Green and Dimude into the offensive schemes (more running plays, screens, shovel passes).  You have these 2 talented RBs, and they are mostly used for blocking.
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> Not sure what is going on with the defense.  I thought that the defense was supposed to be ahead of the offense after fall camp?  Again, is it the players or the coaching?  The D-line isn’t set (heck many times the linemen are running onto the field while the opposing team is snapping the ball).  Tackling is horrible (players not wrapping up).  LBs are not filling the gaps; missing assignments.  DBs letting receivers get behind them.
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> Sorry, I digress…  it’s just frustrating.  seems like the Warriors are under achieving.
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> So, who is going to step up for Coach Mack?
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> thanks for your ear,

G

Two failures to score from the 1 and 3 yard lines in the first quarter came back to haunt the Warriors.

Greg McMackin with a huge understatement: “We had some missed opportunities.”