If what happened in 1955 happened now, SportsCenter would run top-of-the-hour highlights, the game would be trending on Twitter and Facebook posts would have thousands of "likes."
As it stands, Hawaii’s 6-0 victory over top-ranked Nebraska was an upset for the ages, a matchup between David Spade and Goliath.
For that September game, the Rainbows took a nine-hour flight to Los Angeles, where they trained at USC for three days. Then they took an eight-hour flight to Lincoln, Neb.
Each of the 28 Rainbows was greeted with an ear of corn and deepest sympathy.
"There were people who came up to us and said, ‘I hope you don’t get hurt,’ that kind of stuff," recalled Saturday’s honorary game captain Don Botelho, who was a running back, quarterback, punter and kicker for the Rainbows that day.
The local newspaper billed the game as "The Scrimmage Before Ohio State."
The wise guys placed the Rainbows as 50-point underdogs.
Even Mother Nature was not cooperative. It was 95 degrees with 28-mph winds at kickoff.
On that game day, Memorial Stadium was the third-most populated area in Nebraska.
"We only had 28 guys," Botelho recalled, "but we had 28 angry guys. It was 28 guys who were ticked off about the whole attitude."
Hartwell Freitas scored the game’s only touchdown. Botelho missed the extra-point kick.
"Maybe," Botelho said of the only missed PAT of his UH career, "it’s because we didn’t need it."
Seven UH starters played every snap on offense and defense.
"That was quite a game," Botelho said.
After another day in Lincoln, the Rainbows then made the eight-hour flight to the Bay Area for the following week’s game against San Jose State. The Rainbows lost.
"Two things," Botelho said of that loss. "We left it on the field against Nebraska. The other issue is we got a little too big-headed."
Six years later, UH’s Board of Regents voted to close the football program because of a lack of finances. Then-head coach Jimmy Asato, with an assist from Botelho, helped resurrect the program a year later.
On Thursday, Botelho spoke of the lessons in sticking together against a bigger opponent, remaining humble to the sport and said that, in Hawaii, football will never die.
"It’s such an honor," Botelho said of being captain.
UH head coach Norm Chow said Botelho has "done some amazing things. He’s a good guy."
HAYNES ON THE FIELD
Wide receiver Vasquez Haynes was back practicing Thursday after recovering from pneumonia-like symptoms.
Haynes had five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown in the 42-37 loss to Fresno State on Saturday.
COFER SWITCHES POSITIONS
Craig Cofer, who has been at defensive end the past month, practiced as a tight end on Thursday. Cofer played both positions in training camp.
Cofer is insurance at an under-staffed position. Tight end Jordan Pu‘u-Robinson will miss the next two games because of a partially torn MCL in his left knee. Harold Moleni, who did not play against Fresno because of concussion-like symptoms, has been cleared to practice.
