After being snubbed as a Heisman Trophy finalist yesterday, quarterback Colt Brennan said his only disappointment was missing the chance to promote the state, the University of Hawai'i and its football program.

"I was telling (teammates) how much I was going to give love and praise and just represent Hawai'i the way it should be represented," Brennan said.

National voting closed yesterday, and the finalists were invited to New York for the Heisman show on Saturday, when the winner will be announced.

"I was going to have fun with it," Brennan said. "If I got invited, it wasn't going to me going up there as a candidate. It was going to be me going up there and having fun and kind of showcasing what this Hawai'i football team is all about.

"I was born and raised in SoCal," added Brennan, a native of Orange County, "but Hawai'i's my home away from home. I love Hawai'i, and I was going to let people know what a great place it is and how great the people are."

The finalists are: Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, regarded as the overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman as the nation's best college football player; Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn; and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.

"I'm disappointed," UH slotback Davone Bess said. "Week in and week out, Colt's been just as good as anybody else up for the Heisman. Honestly, it's all politics. Obviously, the school and the conference play a factor. I think he should have been invited."

Brennan has superior statistics compared to the two quarterback finalists. Brennan leads the nation with a pass-efficiency rating of 182.8 (Smith is fourth, 167.9; Quinn is 14th, 151.6), total offense with 410.8 yards per game (Quinn is eighth, 278.6; Smith is 32nd, 228.3), 53 touchdown passes (Quinn has 35; Smith 30), and 4,990 passing yards (Quinn is eighth, 3,278; Smith is 33th, 2,507).

McFadden is 10th nationally in rushing with 119.58 yards per game and 14 rushing touchdowns.

Boise State's Ian Johnson — who, like Brennan, plays in the Western Athletic Conference — is second with 146.64 rushing yards per game and 24 touchdowns.

"Colt was deserving," said Dan Morrison, who coaches the UH quarterbacks. "You would think he had a nice opportunity to be there. But that's OK. He's a junior. He's fine."

Brennan said: "It was one of those things if I had been invited it would have been a tremendous experience. Obviously, I would have been very grateful. Because I didn't get invited, I'm not bummed. It's just the way it is."

Brennan expressed surprise that Quinn received a nod.

Still, Brennan noted, everyone else is a runner-up to Smith.

"We know who won the Heisman Trophy," Brennan said.

Brennan said he would have liked to have used the ceremony as a platform to promote the Warriors.

"It's one of those things where it would have meant a lot, but not just for me," Brennan said. "I really wanted to have some kind of statement, some kind of effect, that Hawai'i made a move into the national spotlight, that Hawai'i was moving up in the college football world.

"I wanted to be a part of that," Brennan added. "That's what next year and the years to come are all about. It's been a great year. Not getting invited to New York is nothing negative to me or to our team."

Brennan gets another chance to plug the UH program tonight. He is in Orlando, Fla., for the presentation of the Davey O'Brien Award as college football's best quarterback and Walter Camp Award as college football's top player.

"The people out there in college football have given me that respect and credit, and I'm very grateful for that," he said.

Brennan reiterated that he expects to return for his senior season. As a fourth-year junior, he is eligible to apply for the National Football League draft when this season concludes following the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Eve.

Asked if he will return for his senior season, Brennan said: "That's my intentions, you know. I'm very excited to come back and play next year and be part of the team. I'm still going to look at all of the options when the time comes. That's the smart thing to do — to step back and look at every option and every aspect and make the best decision for yourself and the team.

"I'm going to entertain everything," he added. "But I can't think of anything more fun than coming back for my senior year and playing for Hawai'i."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.