HONOLULU (AP) -Colt Brennan isn’t surprised by Hawaii’s perfect 8-0 start and believes the 12th-ranked Warriors are just getting going.
Hawaii’s star quarterback said he withdrew from the NFL draft and returned for his senior season, in part, to lead the team to an undefeated year. With the season two-thirds over, that goal is looking more attainable each week.
“At this moment, I definitely expected to be 8-0. Right now, everything’s all good,” he said Monday. “Coming up is where it’s time to rise up and make a statement.”
The Warriors moved up four spots this week in the AP poll to their highest ranking in school history after a 50-13 rout Saturday night over New Mexico State. They also moved up three spots to No. 14 in the latest BCS standings.
Hawaii can automatically qualify for a BCS bowl by finishing in the top 12 of the standings.
Warriors coach June Jones said he won’t pay too much attention to the polls until the end of the season.
“I don’t look at it because it doesn’t matter. It’s only going to matter if we keep winning,” he said.
The Warriors have won 18 of their last 19 games, a school-record 12 straight conference games and matched the best start since 1973, when Hawaii was an NCAA Division II team.
Hawaii, which has a bye this week, has so far played several lackluster teams. It will have its toughest challenge during the final stretch of games, including three at Aloha Stadium. The Warriors host Fresno State on Nov. 10 before traveling to Reno to face Nevada.
They cap their Western Athletic Conference season at home against No. 21 Boise State on Nov. 23 in a game that most likely will determine the conference champion. Hawaii then finishes the regular season against Washington.
“This is exactly where we want to be,” Brennan said. “We’re in the driver’s seat. …These next four games will say a lot about our football team. If we win all four, I think we would’ve said enough. It’s all about getting victories,” he said.
On Monday, Brennan was named the WAC offensive player of the week for his performance against the Aggies. He was 29-for-46 for 425 yards and six touchdowns.
The six scores gave Brennan 119 career passing TDs, two shy of tying the record held by Brigham Young’s Ty Detmer, who played from 1988-91.
It was the first time Brennan said he felt at full strength. He’s been dealing with an ailing right ankle he sprained in September.
“It just felt like I finally got out there and I was myself again,” he said. “Now I’m so excited to get back out there. It feels like the season is about to start against Fresno State.”
Brennan, one of the most accurate passers in NCAA history, struggled his first games back from the ankle injury, throwing a flurry of interceptions.
“Because I struggled early on, everybody’s kind of written me off,” Brennan said. “I don’t think people realize that I’m really hungry and I’m about to have a run that I’m really excited about.”
Brennan wants to close out his record-breaking career at Hawaii with a strong finish.
“That’s something I really want to do – really go out on a blazing note,” he said.
Brennan believes he’s still in the hunt for the Heisman Trophy. He could have a strong case with several top teams falling and if Hawaii goes undefeated.
“If we’re 12-0, chances are, my numbers will be where they need to be to get respect,” he said. “Really, the Heisman has been about the best player on the best team in the country. It hasn’t been about the overall best player. That’s why my team really is the deciding factor whether I go to New York.”
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