GameDay: Hawaii vs Louisiana Tech

Stephen Tsai's gameday preview has a quote from La Tech offensive coordinator Conroy Hines about Jerry's D.

Hines probably should review the session on countering the blitz. Hines said UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville has changed his approach. "Last year, he all-out blitzed us," Hines said. "We just had to maximum protect and try to make a play. Now he's mixing his schemes. He's blitzing out of cover-2, cover-3, man defenses. He has one- and two-man blitzes, from a variety of directions. It makes you be on your toes."

I wonder if these are new things Glanville is trying or just the Warriors getting a better grasp of his multiple schemes? Whatever's happening, it's working!

Tsai's other article has a great quote from Dennis McKnight.

In the ensuing offseason, Reinebold replaced defensive line coach Vantz Singletary, who accepted a job at Tennessee-Chattanooga, and McKnight joined as a graduate assistant. McKnight now coaches the offensive line.

"No, no, no," McKnight protested. "I'm just relaying June's system. He's the best offensive line coach in the country. He knows pass protection better than anybody in the country. That's just the flat-out truth.

"Everybody thinks June is a quarterback guy or a receiver guy or whatever," McKnight added. "First and foremost, he's an offensive line guy. Mike Cavanaugh is a good line coach, but he became a great line coach learning and working under June."

The article is basically about how June has had to rebuild the UH football team twice, with each time setting the foundation for future greatness. So let's hope next year's schedule will give UH the best opportunity to display that greatness. We'll see... soon?

Dave Reardon's gameday preview focuses on this key matchup:

LaTech offensive line vs. Hawaii defensive line

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UH defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold knows Bulldogs right tackle Bill Jones and left guard David Accardo pretty well. He recruited them when he was a Louisiana Tech assistant.

The Warriors starters -- Mel Purcell, Lafaele and Ikaika Alama-Francis -- are healthy, but Larry Sauafea and Siave Seti were brought over from the offense because of injuries.

"This week we're really coaching up these guys," Lafaele said. "I guarantee they're going to get playing time."

"We're mixing and matching," Reinebold said. "We'll keep 'em rolling, keep 'em fresh.

UH's depth should prevail, but if LaTech can control the line, it will help the Bulldogs limit the Warriors' offensive possessions and keep them in the game longer.

Dave Reardon also writes about the looseness the Warriors have in practice. Colt Brennan also talks about the danger of outside distractions.

Brennan -- who handled about a half-dozen national media interviews this week -- also said the Warriors are guarding against becoming distracted, complacent or uptight. He was worried it might happen last week.

"I felt really tired and I was kind of nervous before the Utah State game," Brennan said. "I thought we might come out slow and let them play with us."

That wasn't the case, as Hawaii scored on its first two possessions and Brennan finished with six TD passes in three quarters.

This team doesn't seem like it gets distracted too easily.

And finally, Scott Beder of The News Star in Louisiana writes a give-up-already gameday preview that takes a shot at UH and June Jones.

The Warriors’ offense is ranked No. 1 in the country and the Bulldogs’ defense is dead last. That’s not even factoring into the equation the Tech defense is decimated by injuries, particularly in the secondary.

It will take a gallant effort to hold Hawaii under 70 points — we’re not kidding. Hawaii coach June Jones isn’t known for his compassion in these matters, so if the Warriors can run it up, they will.

Actually, if June wanted to run up the score, Hawaii could've scored 80 points in a couple of games this season. If June wanted to run up the score, he would've let Colt Brennan play the whole game, every game. Of the nine games UH has played so far this year, Colt Brennan has played into the 4th quarter in only four of them. June wants his 2nd and 3rd stringers to get some game time running the offense, and if they run it well that's somehow running up the score. Oh well, that's the disadvantage Hawaii has when nobody watches the games and just reads the box score.