Associated Press: Thursday's bowl watch: It's SMU vs. Nevada in Hawaii Bowl

June Jones heads back to Hawaii, this time to coach the SMU program he revitalized in the Hawaii Bowl.

AP photo

Jones has resuscitated an SMU program that had long been mired in futility after being hit with the NCAA's death penalty. Around here, he's known for turning around a once-dismal Hawaii program and guiding the Warriors to the Sugar Bowl before abruptly leaving for Dallas.

The Mustangs (7-5) finished 1-11 the past two seasons, including their first under Jones, but can wrap up the year with a win like they did in the 1984 Aloha Bowl.

"It's just nice to finally put an end to the death-penalty talk," linebacker Chase Kennemer said. "It's all you hear about. So it's special to be on the team that finally put an end to that and I couldn't think of a better destination than Hawaii to go to our first bowl game."

The program that produced Doak Walker, Don Meredith and Eric Dickerson was discovered in 1987 to have paid players, then lied about it in a cover-up that included a former Texas governor. Because the school already was on probation, the NCAA shut the football program down for the season and school officials chose to sit out another year before restarting in 1989.

They won two games that first season and have had nine seasons with zero, one or two wins.

MORE COVERAGE

• Honolulu Advertiser: Game will be a tale of two offenses.
• Honolulu Star-Bulletin: Bowl spiced up with return of June Jones.
• Dallas Morning News: June Jones was the right hire for massive rebuilding project.

None scheduled.