BOISE, Idaho » Hawaii strength coach vs. "Boise State spy" at UH’s football practice? I’ll take strength coach and give you 37 1/2 .

Especially since the coach is Tommy Heffernan and the "spy" isn’t very smart (except he knew to start packing up when Heffernan headed his way). The "spy" had set up his camera in the open and he wore a bright red shirt. He’d arrived late at Meridian High on Thursday, but did get some great shots of UH players milling around and working on their touchdown celebrations.

"If he’s a spy," Hawaii defensive ends coach Cal Lee said, "he’s a bad spy."

More likely he’s a TV guy just trying to gather some background footage for the 6 p.m. news; if the BSU brain trust picks something up, oh well.

Couldn’t be a Boise State spy. As we all know, the Broncos are masters at cover and concealment, the art of camouflage (not to mention deception, with all those trick plays). They spend their redshirt seasons being trained by the CIA.

The only reason they ever win at home is because their field is the same color as their uniforms. Come on, now, really. How does the NCAA let this travesty continue? And why are all those teams with green fields allowed to wear green uniforms?

NEVER MIND the myth. Birds don’t crash land at Bronco Stadium. Visiting football teams do.

But it’s not because of the color of the field — it’s because Boise State has built a great program from the bottom up.

Hawaii special teams coach Chris Tormey used to beat Boise on a regular basis, as an Idaho player and then coach. So if there’s any secret formula, he’s got it and he’s shared it with the rest of the Warriors. Problem is that was a long time ago, when Idaho was the bully big brother, not the other way around.

Need another good omen? A Hawaii guy, Jason Gesser, quarterbacked one of the two visiting teams to win here since 2000, while at Washington State. It would ruin it if we mention how many games Boise won at home in the same span. If you really need to know, just delete a digit from the devil’s favorite number.

LINEBACKER COREY Paredes wasn’t exactly singing the blues during UH’s Bronco Stadium walk-through yesterday.

"Just another field, yeah Coach? The ground is blue, but we’re not looking at the ground."

"That’s right," Lee responds. "Don’t look down. There’s nobody there but our ancestors."

Paredes — one of the best linebackers in the nation — knows you hit them between the numbers. The numbers aren’t blue. They should stand out as good targets.

Maybe it would have made some Hawaii fans feel better if the Warriors wore blue jerseys at the walk-through — or better yet, coach Greg McMackin could have hired his Vegas buddies, the Blue Man Group, for a one-show only appearance as the scout team. Then maybe UH would have a chance today against the Boise State Avatars.

Safety Spencer Smith was here in 2006. "Special teams," he recalls as the difference, when UH fell 41-34. Remember, that was the season Boise State beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, igniting the Midmajor Revolution.

The Warriors then waited all night to leave town because of a flight delay. Smith remembers that more than anybody having problems with the color of the turf. "Not at field level. On film it’s hard to see, but not on the field."

Boise State has the nation’s longest winning streak, 21 games. How does it win the road games, when its uniforms don’t match the field?

Over the years, we’ve seen this perfect host beat UH here with ball control (58-31 in 2002), everything (69-3 in 2004) and interceptions (27-7 in 2008). In 2006, the Warriors really could have won — and they can this time, if they get off to a fast start, avoid mistakes, and force a key turnover or two (a big challenge, considering Kellen Moore has thrown just two interceptions).

The color of the field won’t matter in this likely final visit to the Ty-D Bowl that also amounts to a WAC championship game.

McMackin pointed to the hotel parking lot.

"We’ll play them right out there if they want. We don’t care."