FRESNO, Calif. >> The last screwdriver thrown — allegedly — in the University of Hawaii football team’s direction here was more than a decade ago, and the infamous x-rated razzing of a Rainbow Warriors practice from the rowdy fraternity row rooftops here is two decades into the past.

The notorious, gauntlet-like “Red Mile” has been all but eliminated, and the two coaches, June Jones and Pat Hill, who stoked what was once a heated rivalry in its heyday, won’t be on the premises.

But these Rainbow Warriors shouldn’t need the crutch of past feuds or tales of ancient slights and once-upon-a-time villains to fuel them today for the 51st renewal of their most-active series. Not with what potentially lies before them.

The Warriors have hit a point where the outcome of their season is in the balance, and that should be motivation a plenty. As the saying goes, after the rigors of spring practice, fall camp and the early season, the games you remember are the ones played in October and November, and here we are, smack dab in it.

After a surprising 6-1 (3-0 Mountain West Conference) start, the ’Bows find themselves at 6-3 (3-1), still seeking, for a third week in a row, the victory that would assure them bowl eligibility and the first winning regular season in eight years.

The streaking Bulldogs (6-1, 3-0 MWC), winners of five games in succession, might not be the ideal opponents against which to accomplish the breakthroughs, but the quickly diminishing number of games left on the schedule doesn’t leave UH with many options to pick and choose its spots, either.

After today’s game there will be just three more opportunities, two more of which — Utah State (6-1) and San Diego State (6-1) — will likely find the ’Bows as underdogs again, though probably not as heavily as the 24-point number they are today on the vegasinsider.com consensus of Las Vegas betting lines.

While Nevada-Las Vegas (2-5) at Aloha Stadium appears the most winnable of the remaining contests, does Hawaii really want to prolong until Nov. 17 (or later) — under who-knows-what circumstances — the necessity of getting that clinching victory?

The Warriors will be without all-conference linebacker Jahlani Tavai today, the result of an apparent shoulder injury suffered last week. As the 13-game regular season takes its toll, who knows how many could be on the injury list in coming weeks?

Just two weeks ago UH was talking excitedly about being in the thick of the West Division title race for one of the rare times in its seven seasons in the conference. With a victory here the Warriors could be right back in it. But two losses makes for a much tougher slog to a long-eyed divisional title and a place in the MWC championship game.

We’ve seen the ’Bows at their season’s worst over the course of the past two games, the beginning firepower and momentum of the early season having faded in losses to Brigham Young and Nevada.

Now, the question is: Can the Rainbow Warriors summon up something approaching their best, which is what they figure to need to win today at Fresno State?

With all that they have on the table in front of them and all there is to gain, really, what other inspiration should you need at this point in the season?

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.