Aloha Bowl, Blue-Gray Game Are on Holiday Football Menu

Hawaii sees the Aloha Bowl as an opportunity to earn the national respect it has long sought.

The 25th-ranked Rainbows (9-2-1), of the Western Athletic Conference, will try to add a bowl victory to a long list of 1989 accomplishments when they meet No. 22 Michigan State (7-4) of the Big Ten Conference today.

“This is a chance to show the country what we’re all about,” Hawaii Coach Bob Wagner said. “I mean, they come from one of the oldest conferences in the country and we come from the youngest. This is a very big step for our program.”

For Michigan State, making its fifth bowl appearance in six years, a win would help prove that despite four losses this is one of its best teams.

The day will also provide a chance for seniors in the Blue-Gray all-star football game in Montgomery, Ala., one final chance to display their skills for pro scouts that might be watching.