The_Red_Patriot
10/17/2007, 10:39 AM
You barley beat San Jose St because of weather/field conditions? What a baby!!! Guess they can't play when the field is muddy.
Hawaii coach to SJSU: Your field was "atrocious"
By Laurence Miedema
Mercury News
Article Launched: 10/15/2007 07:11:29 PM PDT
Hawaii Coach June Jones on Monday blasted the conditions at Spartan Stadium as "atrocious" and "an embarrassment for a Division I field."
Jones' criticism began Friday night, immediately after the 16th-ranked Rainbow Warriors rallied for a dramatic 42-35 win over San Jose State before a national television audience. In an interview with ESPN on his way to the locker room, Jones said: ". . . if it had had not been these conditions, I think we would have scored another 60 points or so . . ."
SJSU athletic department officials declined to comment about Jones' remarks to reporters Monday.
"We'll just take our cue from Coach Tomey and look toward Saturday's Fresno State game," SJSU spokesman Tom Hastings said.
Jones' first salvo Monday came in his opening remarks on the Western Athletic Conference coaches weekly teleconference. That's when he noted that the "field conditions were atrocious" after he complemented his team for "hanging in there through a lot of adversity."
Jones later criticized the grass surface at Spartan Stadium when he was was asked by a reporter if the weather was soley responsible for the poor conditions.
"To me, it was kind of an embarrassment for a Division I field to be in that condition," Jones said.
Asked Monday about the field conditions, SJSU Coach Dick Tomey said, "It was tough footing for both teams, but I think both teams handled it reasonably well."
Jones' remarks came shortly before WAC
Commissioner Karl Benson said ESPN was "elated" with the broadcast from Spartan Stadium.
Benson defended SJSU's facilities by saying he had seen the field in worse conditions before a new drainage system was installed in recent years. Benson singled out two Silicon Valley Classic Bowl games as being bigger mud baths than Friday's game.
"It rained all day," said Benson, who was at Spartan Stadium for the game. "Any time you have a grass field you are going to experience the wet, soggy conditions. But in my observation, the conditions Friday night were much better than what I have seen in previous years."
• Wet gloves were the culprit for one of the few missed interceptions of Dwight Lowery's Spartan career. Midway through the second quarter, a Colt Brennan end zone pass went through Lowery's hands and deflected into the arms of Ryan Grice-Mullen to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead.
By the SJSU coaching staff's count, it was the second time Lowery has not caught a ball that was within his grasp. The All-American cornerback has made 12 interceptions in 20 games at SJSU.
"I had made some tackles that took me out of bounds just prior to that, and bracing my falls, my gloves got soaked," said Lowery, who later returned a punt and an interception for SJSU's first two touchdowns. "It seemed like the ball went directly through the triangle in my hands."
• Tomey said fullback James T. Callier might be limited in practice this week because of a back injury. Tailback Yonus Davis, after taking last week off, also is questionable heading into the week.
• Callier's fumble in the final minutes against Hawaii was SJSU's first lost fumble since the Fresno State game last season. The Spartans ran 542 offensive plays in 37 quarters between lost fumbles.
• Will Johnson, who made all five of his extra-point attempts and missed a 47-yard field goal attempt, will retain the place-kicking duties for the Fresno State game.
Hawaii coach to SJSU: Your field was "atrocious"
By Laurence Miedema
Mercury News
Article Launched: 10/15/2007 07:11:29 PM PDT
Hawaii Coach June Jones on Monday blasted the conditions at Spartan Stadium as "atrocious" and "an embarrassment for a Division I field."
Jones' criticism began Friday night, immediately after the 16th-ranked Rainbow Warriors rallied for a dramatic 42-35 win over San Jose State before a national television audience. In an interview with ESPN on his way to the locker room, Jones said: ". . . if it had had not been these conditions, I think we would have scored another 60 points or so . . ."
SJSU athletic department officials declined to comment about Jones' remarks to reporters Monday.
"We'll just take our cue from Coach Tomey and look toward Saturday's Fresno State game," SJSU spokesman Tom Hastings said.
Jones' first salvo Monday came in his opening remarks on the Western Athletic Conference coaches weekly teleconference. That's when he noted that the "field conditions were atrocious" after he complemented his team for "hanging in there through a lot of adversity."
Jones later criticized the grass surface at Spartan Stadium when he was was asked by a reporter if the weather was soley responsible for the poor conditions.
"To me, it was kind of an embarrassment for a Division I field to be in that condition," Jones said.
Asked Monday about the field conditions, SJSU Coach Dick Tomey said, "It was tough footing for both teams, but I think both teams handled it reasonably well."
Jones' remarks came shortly before WAC
Commissioner Karl Benson said ESPN was "elated" with the broadcast from Spartan Stadium.
Benson defended SJSU's facilities by saying he had seen the field in worse conditions before a new drainage system was installed in recent years. Benson singled out two Silicon Valley Classic Bowl games as being bigger mud baths than Friday's game.
"It rained all day," said Benson, who was at Spartan Stadium for the game. "Any time you have a grass field you are going to experience the wet, soggy conditions. But in my observation, the conditions Friday night were much better than what I have seen in previous years."
• Wet gloves were the culprit for one of the few missed interceptions of Dwight Lowery's Spartan career. Midway through the second quarter, a Colt Brennan end zone pass went through Lowery's hands and deflected into the arms of Ryan Grice-Mullen to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead.
By the SJSU coaching staff's count, it was the second time Lowery has not caught a ball that was within his grasp. The All-American cornerback has made 12 interceptions in 20 games at SJSU.
"I had made some tackles that took me out of bounds just prior to that, and bracing my falls, my gloves got soaked," said Lowery, who later returned a punt and an interception for SJSU's first two touchdowns. "It seemed like the ball went directly through the triangle in my hands."
• Tomey said fullback James T. Callier might be limited in practice this week because of a back injury. Tailback Yonus Davis, after taking last week off, also is questionable heading into the week.
• Callier's fumble in the final minutes against Hawaii was SJSU's first lost fumble since the Fresno State game last season. The Spartans ran 542 offensive plays in 37 quarters between lost fumbles.
• Will Johnson, who made all five of his extra-point attempts and missed a 47-yard field goal attempt, will retain the place-kicking duties for the Fresno State game.