"If you don't gamble, you don't have a chance to be great."

— June Jones, University of Hawai'i football coach

The last time it had a chance to beat the University of Southern California, the University of Hawai'i football team tossed more than passes at the Trojans, it threw the whole playbook, too.

"The muddle huddle, halfback pass ... you name it," recalled quarterback Jeff Duva. "We had trick plays and gadget plays."

Had a wide-open Duva been able to hang on to a pass from running back David Toloumu at the 4-yard line, UH would have taken a 12-7 lead with eight minutes left in the third quarter of an eventual 21-5 loss to the eventual 1978 national champion Trojans.

Which makes you wonder what forms of trickeration await the Trojans tomorrow at Aloha Stadium. You can bet USC is pondering the possibilities.

To expect UH to match up man for man with the two-time defending national champions is asking a lot. So, the question isn't whether head coach June Jones will reach into the playbook, it's just how deep, how often and how successfully.

Not that Jones needs the challenge of playing the No. 1 team to chuck convention out the window. This is a man who, after all, was pulling plays out of his sleeve less than one quarter into his debut at UH in 1999. This is someone who twice threw on fourth-and-plenty from inside his 20-yard line in conference last year. And, now, as a tactical bonus, he has like-minded Jerry Glanville at his side to help plot.

But USC does seem to bring out Jones' creative side. In both 1999 and 2003, Jones went to his bag of tricks against the Trojans, though not always successfully.

Two years ago at the Coliseum, drawing on Pete Carroll's experience in the NFL, where doubling the outside gunner on punt coverage is the norm, UH faked its first punt and attempted to draw pass interference and a first down. It didn't get the call.

Of course, you don't win games on sleight of hand alone. And the Warriors won't have a chance in this one unless they play solidly in other aspects.

But when it comes to giving the team some momentum a little well-timed, finely executed daring can work wonders.

"We had 'em (in 1978)," said Duva, who now runs Prepstar.com, a recruiting service. "I mean I was wide open and I was going half throttle around the 20. Instead of throwing it to me, David led me with a rainbow and I had to run under it. It got to me about the four, smack dab in the hands. But I had two bricks for hands that day."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.