“We’ve got to win every game,” he said. “That’s the only way to get the respect and attention that we want.”

What the Warriors want is a BCS bowl bid, and they now stand 11/12ths of their way to that dream.

All that remains in their way is a disappointed band of Washington Huskies.

The Huskies (4-8) concluded their Pacific-10 Conference season Saturday with a 42-35 loss to Washington State.

However, Washington coaches and players say they are grateful that they have one more chance to ease their pain Saturday (8:30 p.m., ESPN2) by spoiling Hawaii’s dreams in what will certainly be a loud and full Aloha Stadium.

“We’ve got an opportunity to go play a football team that gives us an opportunity to recover some of the things that we’ve lost this year,” coach Tyrone Willingham said. “We’ve got an opportunity to play a football game in December. When you start playing in December, usually good things are happening, and we want to start recognizing that.”

The Warriors (11-0) want to play in January.

Following the model of Western Athletic Conference rival Boise State last season, Hawaii set a preseason goal of going through their regular season undefeated, earning a BCS bowl invitation and then showing the world they belong with the big boys.

There have been few big boys in the regular season. For issues financial, logistical and competitive, major schools – and even mid-majors – have been reluctant to travel two time zones west of the U.S. mainland to play a dangerous opponent featuring an explosive run-and-shoot offense they are unlikely to see at any other time.

Even the NCAA rule that allows schools visiting Hawaii to play an extra game didn’t help much.

“We’ve seen coaches make the decision that they would just as soon play 12 and not play that extra game,” WAC commissioner Karl Benson said. “I know that the University of Hawaii went through scheduling challenges. … I think the decision that the Pac-10 made to play nine conference games is going to have an effect on our ability to schedule the Pac-10.”

Hawaii ended up with the relatively weak nonconference slate of Northern Colorado, UNLV and Charleston Southern, which is hurting the Warriors in the polls and BCS rankings.

Even the Western Athletic Conference schedule served up a menu of cushy opponents until last weekend when Hawaii faced – and passed – its biggest test: a 39-27 win over Boise State.

That not only clinched Hawaii’s first outright WAC championship, but it moved the Warriors to No. 12 in the BCS rankings. That is the minimum necessary for a spot in one of the five BCS bowls.

But to close the deal they must defeat Washington, Hawaii’s only opponent from a BCS conference, and one that also beat Boise State, 24-10, back in September.

“There’s a lot on our plate this year,” Brennan said before the season. “I know everybody talks about an easy schedule, but you’re got to win 12 games, and you’ve got to do it in easy fashion.”

The Warriors have done that.

Despite injury problems, Brennan ranks second nationally in total offense and fourth in passing efficiency. The Warriors rank first nationally in scoring offense with an average of 47.2 points per game, second in passing offense and third in total offense.

In Washington, they will face a team that ranks 98th in total defense, 94th in scoring defense.

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