After a week of adjusting to the time change and humidity, 11th-ranked Kansas State and Boston College are ready for the Aloha Bowl today.
"Offensively, we have to be prepared to protect the quarterback (Chad May) against Boston College's blitz and pressure package and we'll have to establish a balance between running and throwing," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said Saturday."On defense, we'll have to be well-prepared for the run and watch for play-action passes. The special teams will have to be careful and not let the other team break off a big play."
Coach Dan Henning said Boston College initially had difficulty adjusting to the humidity. He also noted that the players - on their own - set up a time-management program that kept their focus on the game.
"We had to deal with the humidity because we hadn't had to deal with it for 21/2 months," he said. "They've made the adjustment."
On the time-management situation, Henning said he wanted his team to enjoy its stay in Hawaii, but even the players noticed some lackluster early practices.
"Our first few days here weren't good," he said. "But the players got together and set limits on themselves so they could focus on the game first."
Even All-America tight end Pete Mitchell admitted as much.
"Our first practice wasn't one of our better ones," he said. "But that was to be expected. As far as the game goes, we're well-prepared."