Hawaii 44, Eastern Illinois 9

The Warriors made it look pretty easy. Except on their run defense, which is something I hope they work on some more. I also hope Tyler Graunke is okay. He didn't play at all in this game. Inoke Funaki looked pretty good in the second half, especially on that long bomb to Malcolm Lane! I hope C.J. Allen-Jones is okay as well. Here are some unofficial final stats:

• Colt Brennan was 30 of 41 for 409 yards with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception.


• Inoke Funaki was 5 of 10 for 120 yards.


• Nate Ilaoa rushed 9 times for 46 yards and a touchdown, and caught 4 passes for 29 yards and another touchdown.


• Ian Sample finished with 6 catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns.


• Jason Rivers had 6 catches for 106 yards.


• Davone Bess had 7 catches for 58 yards.

Next week is Nevada. GO WARRIORS!!!

LiveBlogging: Hawaii vs Eastern Illinois

All times Game Clock!

Before game: The Juggernaut, aka "Reagan Mauia" will not be playing because of a shoulder injury. That sucks! I guess they just announced it before the game.

1st Quarter:

15:00 - Hawaii will receive the kickoff.

15:00 - I believe Malcolm Lane is back to receive!

15:00 - Short kick is recovered by Desmond Thomas.

14:50 - From the 31, Colt Brennan passes to Davone Bess for a 6 or 7 yard gain.

14:00 - From the 38, Brennan passes to Ian Sample, who takes it to the 45 yard line for a first down!

13:45 - Brennan passes to Dickerson, who drops it.

13:35 - Brennan to Ross Dickerson to the EIU 43 yard line for a first down! Quick redemption!

13:30 - Brennan to Sample, who drops it. 2nd down.

13:25 - Brennan to Dickerson, who takes it to the EIU 29 yard line! 1st down!

13:03 - Brennan overthrows Ian Sample in the end zone.

12:55 - From 2nd and 10 from the 29, the pass is deflected and nearly intercepted. 3rd and 10.

12:50 - Brennan over the middle to Ian Sample for the TOUCHDOOOWWNNN!!!!

12:48 - On the PAT, Inoke Funaki holds, and Dan Kelly kicks it good! Hawaii 7, EIU 0

12:45 - Dan Kelly kicks it to the 5, and the returner is smacked by Michael Malala! UPDATE: Looks like Malala did a flip in the air on the play!

12:28 - From the 19 yard line, the EIU running back takes the pitch to the 21.

12:02 - Under pressure, EIU QB Mike Donato has to throw it away! 3rd and about 8.

11:50 - Adam Leonard drops the running back on the 23 yard line. 4th down!

11:15 - EIU punts to Myron Newberry, who is stopped immediately around the 28 yard line.

10:35 - From 1st and 10 on the UH 28, Brennan gains 2 yards on an almost sack, but there's a flag...

10:35 - It was a facemask on EIU, so 1st down on the 35.

10:20 - Brennan to Jason Rivers to the EIU 45 yard line!

9:50 - Brennan to Bess for a first down to the 34 yard line!

9:45 - Brennan to Dickerson, who takes it to the EIU 15 yard line!

9:40 - Brennan hands off to Ilaoa, who gets stuffed for a 1 yard loss.

9:05 - From 2nd and 11 on the 16, Brennan throws over the middle into the end zone. Incomplete.

8:51 - On 3rd and 11 on the 16, Brennan finds Ross Dickerson in the back of the end zone for a TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

8:51 - And the PAT is good! 2 for 2! Hawaii 14, EIU 0

8:47 - Dan Kelly kicks off, and the returner is whacked by Blaze Soares on the 13.

8:30 - The EIU running back Webb is stopped for a 1 yard gain.

7:55 - On 2nd and 9, the pass is complete to the 22.

7:15 - On 3rd and 1, Webb takes it for a 69 yard run. Nobody was in the secondary!. Finally he was stopped at the 10 yard line. Wow.

6:36 - Wow, and EIU scores on a rush from the 10. He had a HUGE hole.

6:31 - The PAT is no good. Wide right. Hawaii 14, EIU 6. There goes the shutout!

6:25 - Dickerson takes the kickoff to the 25 yard line.

6:00 - Brennan scrambles to the 28 yard line for a 3 yard gain. 2nd and 7.

5:15 - Brennan over the middle to Jason Rivers into EIU territory to the 44 yard line!

4:55 - Brennan overthrew Bess, but he had alllll day!

4:32 - Brennan is sacked back at the Hawaii 46 yard line.

3:44 - Brennan with a lot of time, and he finds Ian Sample crossing the field. Sample takes it all the way to the EIU 22 yard line!

3:15 - Shovel pass to Nate Ilaoa, who tumbles to the 10 yard line. Another first down!

2:45 - Brennan with a short pass to Ian Sample to the 4 yard line.

2:12 - On 2nd and goal, shovel pass to Nate Ilaoa for a TOUCHDOWN!!!!

2:03 - PAT is good! 3 for 3! Hawaii 21, EIU 6.

2:00 - On the kickoff, EIU tries a reverse, and they get to the 21 yard line.

1:35 - Short handoff to the 23 yard line. 2nd and 8.

0:55 - Mike Donato on the play action throws incomplete. 3rd down and 8.

0:50 - Donato with a short pass underneath to Vincent Webb, who takes it to the 31 for a first down.

0:25 - Vincent Webb takes it to the 34 yard line.

0:00 - End of 1st quarter. Hawaii 21, EIU 6.


2nd Quarter:

15:00 - On 2nd and 7, Webb takes it to the 41 yard line for a 1st down.

14:30 - Leonard Peters with the interception! But it might've been dropped, and there's a flag.

14:30 - Nevermind, Leonard Peters tried to lateral the ball, and then recovered it? I don't know. Anyway UH has the ball on their own 38 yard line!

13:55 - As Brennan is hit, he passes to Dickerson, who takes it to the UH 44 yard line.

13:12 - On 2nd down, Brennan to Bess for a first down to the EIU 49!

12:45 - Brennan's pass on 1st down is deflected.

12:40 - On 2nd and 10 from the EIU 49, Brennan's pass is deflected on a screen.

12:37 - Brennan to Ian Sample for a 5 or 6 yard gain. 4th down.

12:00 - They're going for it!

11:47 - From the EIU 43 yard line, Brennan throws incomplete over the middle. Turn over on downs.

11:30 - Wow, Vincent Webb just exploded up the middle and is stopped by Leonard Peters inside UH territory.

11:14 - Offsides on Lawrence Wilson. 1st and 5 from the 35.

10:52 - Two yard gain on a rush by Norris Smith.

10:20 - Smith to the 31 yard line, near a first down.

9:43 - Smith takes it to the 24 for a 1st down.

9:20 - Webb is dropped for a loss back at the 26 yard line.

8:38 - Donato throws it high and out of bounds. 3rd down and 12.

8:35 - Pass is dropped by the receiver. 4th down on the Hawaii 26 yard line.

8:30 - EIU kicks the field goal and it is good. Hawaii 21, EIU 9.

8:25 - Ross Dickerson and Malcolm Lane are back to receive. Dickerson takes it on a bounce out to the 20 yard line.

7:50 - Brennan to Jason Rivers on the 28 yard line, and there's a late hit from the EIU DB. What a BS hit.

7:49 - Ball on the 43 yard line, Brennan finds Bess, who muscles his way to the UH 49 yard line.

7:05 - On 2nd and 4, Brennan to Bess, who drops it!

7:03 - On 3rd and 4 from the UH 49, Brennan finds Chad Mock to the EIU 38 yard line! 1st down!!!

6:55 - On 1st and 10 from the EIU 38, screen pass to Nate Ilaoa, who takes it to the EIU 33.

6:16 - Shovel pass to Ilaoa, who takes it to the 30, but there's a penalty flag...

6:10 - The penalty is on Samson Satele. 2nd and 15 from the 43.

5:55 - Brennan finds Sample over the middle for a TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!

5:51 - Dan Kelly kicks it, but there was a bad snap or hold, and he just kicks a bloop over the players and EIU tries to return it, but is finally stopped. Damn! 3 for 4! Hawaii 27, EIU 9.

5:40 - On the kickoff, Dan Kelly kicks it and it's knocked out of bounds at the EIU 9 yard line.

5:35 - Purcell stops Webb for no gain!

5:00 - On 2nd and 10 from the 10, Donato pitches to Webb, who takes it to the 16. 3rd and 4.

4:12 - Whistle blows. EIU takes a timeout.

4:10 - Pass is incomplete. Gotta punt!

4:05 - EIU punts some weird line drive to the sideline. EIU downs it on the UH 49 yard line.

3:36 - Brennan swings it to Bess, who takes it into EIU territory for 5 yards.

3:00 - From the EIU 46, Brennan swings it to Aaron Bain, who takes it to the 39 for a 1st down!

2:53 - Brennan on a bubble screen to Chad Mock who takes it all the way to the 18 yard line!!!

2:45 - Brennan finds Chad Mock in the end zone for a TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

2:39 - All is silent before the PAT...

2:39 - The ball is set by Funaki, and the PAT is good. 4 for 5! Hawaii 34, EIU 9.

2:35 - Dan Kelly kicks off, and the returner is stuffed at the 14 yard line by Ryan Keomaka and a whole lot of other Warriors!!!

2:15 - EIU has a new QB, Cole Stinson, who hands off to Smith, who takes it for a short gain.

1:18 - Smith is stopped back at the 13 yard line on a pitch. Ikaika Alama-Francis breaking through the block!

1:15 - On third and 10, a gain by Smith to the 20 yard line. 4th down and about 3.

1:04 - EIU punts to Myron Newberry, who takes it on the UH 38, and he's tackled back on the 36 38 yard line.

0:56 - Brennan to Bess, who takes it to the 45 yard line.

0:24 - Brennan, after scrambling for about 10 seconds, is intercepted.

0:11 - EIU takes a timeout.

0:11 - EIU throws incomplete to the sideline.

0:03 - HAHAHA!!! Mel Purcell with the HUGE sack! Looked like EIU was trying to set up the hail mary!

0:00 - END OF HALF. Hawaii 34, EIU 9.

Halftime - Okay, let's get Graunke and Funaki in there for the second half! Let's get Malcolm Lane at receiver! Let's get David Farmer, Jazen Anderson and Khevin Peoples in there at running back! Anyway, we'll see. Here's some halftime stats:

• Colt Brennan is 27 of 38 for 369 yards with FIVE touchdown passes and one interception. In one half!


• Ian Sample has caught 6 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns.


• Ross Dickerson has caught 5 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.


• Nate Ilaoa has only one rush for -1 yards. They're pretty much passing on every down.

3rd Quarter:

15:00 - Dan Kelly kicks off to the 2 yard line, and EIU brings it back to the 12 yard line.

14:33 - Webb takes a hand off for about a yard. 2nd and 8.

13:50 - Long pass broken up by CJ Hawthorne!

13:50 - Stinson throws behind the receiver. Gotta punt!

13:43 - EIU punts and Newberry lets it drop.

13:30 - Brennan remains in.

13:20 - On 1st and 10 from the Hawaii 46, Brennan hands off to Ilaoa, who takes it to the 50.

12:45 - Handoff to Ilaoa, who runs to the EIU 31 yard line!!!

12:07 - Ilaoa takes it to the 29, but he fumbles and EIU recovers. Sheesh.

11:50 - From the EIU 33, Webb takes it 8 yards to the 41.

11:15 - On a wide receiver sweep, EIU advances it to the EIU 49 yard line.

10:45 - Webb takes into Hawaii territory to the 47.

10:10 - Stinson passes to the sideline for a first down to the Hawaii 37.

10:05 - On a deflected pass, C.J. Hawthorne with the INTERCEPTION!!!!

10:05 - Looks like they might be reviewing it.

10:05 - The play stands and Hawaii takes it back on their own 38 yard line.

9:49 - Handoff to Ilaoa who takes it into EIU territory to the 47! Quick redemption!

9:43 - Handoff to Ilaoa, who takes it to the 46 for a 1 yard gain.

8:57 - Brennan on the keeper to the 42 yard line. Looking like the Florida Gators on that play! 3rd down.

8:15 - Brennan to Chad Mock, who takes it to the 21 yard line for a 1st down!!!

8:10 - Ilaoa for no gain. 2nd down on the 21.

7:28 - Brennan with a short pass to Jason Rivers to the 17 yard line.

6:48 - On 3rd down from the 17, Brennan hits Davone Bess, who makes a great move!!! He takes it all the way to the 1 yard line!!!

6:38 - Handoff to Ilaoa, who walks into the end zone! TOUCHDOWN!!!!

6:35 - PAT is good!!! 5 for 6!!! Hawaii 41, EIU 9.

6:35 - Dan Kelly kicks off to the end zone. Touchback!

6:20 - EIU running back Ademola Adeniji finds a big hole and takes it to the 37 yard line.

5:45 - Adeniji takes it for no gain. 2nd down on the 37.

5:10 - Adeniji takes it for a 7 yard gain.

4:25 - On 3rd down from the EIU 44, Adeniji gets stuffed at the line. 4th down! Can't believe they're not passing.

3:38 - EIU punts and Newberry gets stopped immediately on the 21.

3:18 - Inoke Funaki is in the game, and he passes to Aaron Bain, who takes it to the 29.

2:38 - Handoff to Nate Ilaoa, who takes it to the 38 yard line for a first down!

2:01 - Funaki on the keeper and he is hit at the 39 yard line. 2nd and 9.

1:16 - Funaki to Jason Rivers and Rivers is knocked out of bounds. He takes out Jeff Reinebold! But he's okay.

1:05 - On 3rd and 1 from the 47, Funaki on the keeper to the 50 yard line. 1st down! But there's a flag.

0:59 - After the play, there was a personal foul on Nate Ilaoa. So it is first down, but it goes back to the Hawaii 35.

0:43 - Shovel pass to Nate Ilaoa, who takes it to the Hawaii 43 yard line.

0:00 - End of 3rd quarter. Hawaii 41, EIU 9.


4th Quarter:

15:00 - Funaki with a beautiful pass to Jason Rivers, who takes it to the 18 yard line!

14:25 - Rivers was shaken up on the play. Funaki throws incomplete to Michael Washington.

14:20 - Malcolm Lane is in the game. Funaki is almost intercepted. Wow!

14:17 - On 3rd and 10 from the 18, Funaki throws incomplete over the middle.

14:17 - On the 35 yard field goal attempt, the kick is GOOOOD!!! Funaki with the hold! Hawaii 44, EIU 9.

14:10 - Dan Kelly kicks to the 1 yard line, and it's taken out to the 26 yard line.

13:50 - False start on the first play. Ball goes back to the EIU 21.

13:20 - Handoff, and Adeniji has a pretty big run to the EIU 37.

12:59 - Adeniji takes it to the EIU 40.

12:10 - On 2nd down, pass is complete to the 50.

11:50 - Adeniji takes it to the Hawaii 42.

11:01 - Adeniji with a big run to the Hawaii 28 yard line.

10:35 - Stinson completes a pass to the 19 yard line.

10:30 - Adeniji takes it to the 14 yard line.

10:24 - Looks like a UH player is down. Timeout.

10:24 - C.J. Allen-Jones looked like he was in a lot of pain, but he gets up off the field.

10:04 - On 1st down from the Hawaii 19, Stinson throws incomplete.

10:00 - Adeniji is stopped. Well, it was whistled dead at the 16. Is there an "in the grass" rule in college?

9:12 - EIU takes a timeout.

9:05 - On 3rd and 12 from the Hawaii 16, Stinson throws it in the endzone and it is INTERCEPTED BY MYRON NEWBERRY!!!!

8:56 - On 1st and 10 from the UH 20, Funaki to MALCOLM LANE all the way to the EIU 22 yard line!

8:10 - Hand off to David Farmer, who takes it for no gain.

7:28 - Funaki on a bubble screen to Malcolm Lane, who drops it. Doh.

7:20 - Funaki throws it into the end zone, and it's batted away. 4th down and 10 on the 22 and it looks like they're going for it.

7:08 - Funaki is sacked back at the 33.

7:08 - EIU will have the ball back on downs after the timeout.

6:55 - Handoff to Adeniji back at the 31 yard line.

6:12 - Stinson passes complete to the 40.

5:34 - Adeniji takes it to the 44 for a first down.

5:15 - On first and 10 from the EIU 44, Adeniji takes it back to the line of scrimmage. Rocky Savaiigaea with the stop. Might've been a face mask on the play. Automatic first down.

4:30 - From the Hawaii 41, Stinson throws incomplete, and Dane Porlas is called for a helmet to helmet penalty on an incomplete pass. First down on the UH 26.

4:22 - EIU RB takes it to the 20 yard line.

3:45 - EIU RB Jordan takes it to the 18.

3:00 - Adeniji takes it to the 15. First down.

2:38 - Adeniji takes it to the 11.

1:55 - Stinson completes a pass for -2 yard. They're slowly running off the clock.

1:05 - Adeniji takes it to the 9 yard line. 4th down.

0:28 - On 4th down from the 9 yard line, Adeniji is stopped. Turnover on downs.

0:18 - UH has the ball back. Please down it.

0:00 - The clock just runs out after change of possession.

0:00 - END OF GAME. Hawaii Warriors 44, Eastern Illinois Panthers 9.

Ways to Follow the Hawaii vs EIU Game

In Hawaii:

Go to Aloha Stadium.

Watch it on Oceanic PPV.


Outside of Hawaii:

Streaming video from Hawaiian Tel Media.

Streaming audio from SportsRadio1420.com

Live stats from the UH Athletics football page.

And I hope to be liveblogging it!

GO WARRIORS!!!

Predictions for the Eastern Illinois Game

Once again, I shall make some predictions for the upcoming game. Last week I went 0 for 16, which I know gives you reason to doubt my psychic abilities, but I can tell you that is a foolish assessment! Apparently a lady warlock was using her mind waves to screw with my brain last week. It seems I spurned her advances one too many times. In any case, I purchased a mind wave deflector from the local apothecary, and so with that, here are this week's predictions:

UPDATED with results in RIGHT and WRONG next to the prediciton.

1. Colt Brennan will pass for 300 yards (RIGHT)
   


2. Tyler Graunke will pass for 120 yards and run for 30. (WRONG)
   


3. Inoke Funaki will rush for 50 yards. (WRONG)
   


4. Nate Ilaoa will rush for 100 yards in the first half. (WRONG)
   


5. Reagan Mauia will rush for 60 yards and score two touchdowns (WRONG)
   


6. Malcolm Lane will score a touchdown! (WRONG)
   


7. Jason Rivers will score two touchdowns! (WRONG)
   


8. Ross Dickerson will have 120 yards receiving (WRONG)
   


9. Ross Dickerson will have a kickoff return for a touchdown! (WRONG)
   


10. Amani Purcell will have a sack (WRONG)
    


11. Ikaika Alama-Francis will have a sack (WRONG)


12. Karl Noa will have a sack (WRONG)


13. Leonard Peters will have an interception! (RIGHT!)
    


14. Jacob Patek will have an interception! (WRONG)


15. The Hawaii defense will give up less than 10 points. (RIGHT!)


16. Hawaii will win! (RIGHT!)

GameDay: Hawaii vs Eastern Illinois

Stephen Tsai's gameday preview highlights the fact the Warriors have been fairly loose in practice this week.

On Thursday, the scout players — led by assistant coach Jeff Reinebold — renamed themselves the "Banditos," and declared a goal of making miserable the life of the starting players.

During a kickoff drill, Reinebold announced the Banditos were going after wideout Malcolm Lane, a former scout, who practiced with the first-string offense this week. After a nice return, and the Banditos closing in, Lane scooted toward the sidelines.

I hope Malcolm Lane gets to play today!

Dave Reardon's gameday preview talks about UH being wary of EIU.

When asked about the Panthers' defense, senior receiver Ross Dickerson said what a smart veteran player says regardless who the opponent is.

"Eastern Illinois is athletic. Real athletic," Dickerson said. "They look good on film. It's going to be a challenge, but we're looking forward to it."

Dickerson and the other upperclassmen might even truly believe it. They were around for that 35-28 loss to Florida Atlantic in 2004.

Oh God, what a horrible loss that was. I called it a scrimmage before the game! Well, I don't think this UH team will be overlooking EIU at all.

And Stephen Tsai writes about UH's bulletin board strategy that Dennis McKnight stole from Bama.

UPDATE: Here's Dave Reardon's other, more comprehensive gameday preview.

The ankle sprain to slotback Ryan Grice-Mullins caused a shuffle that will probably have Ian Sample starting at wideout replacing Ross Dickerson, who will either start in Grice-Mullins' spot or play a lot there in rotation with Aaron Bain. True freshman Malcolm Lane may also get some plays on the outside.

"I think he can play. He can go," UH receivers coach Ron Lee said of Lane.

Go Malcolm, go!

UPDATE 2: Here's a preview from the Eastern Illinois perspective.

Of course, an upset win could do wonders for the Panthers and perhaps lead to a I-AA at-large playoff berth in case they stumble and fail to win the OVC’s automatic berth.

Against a Hawaii team that stands 1-2 despite ranking second in NCAA I-A in passing offense and fourth in total offense, Eastern is not ruling out the possibility of beating a team that so far has lost to Alabama and the nation’s 22nd-ranked Boise State.

Right!

From yesterday's articles:

Dave Reardon writes about EIU, as well as the linebacker situation for Hawaii.

Freshman Brashton Satele has taken a lot of the first-team reps, but not necessarily the starting job from sophomore C.J. Allen-Jones, Glanville said. The coaches are leaning toward Satele, but the starter will be a game-day decision.

"We're looking at Brashton," outside linebackers coach George Lumpkin said.

Glanville said Amani Purcell, a former defensive end, is beginning to grasp the finer points of the position.

"All of them will play. (No.) 54 (Purcell) had a great day in practice today, maybe his best."

Waiting for Amani Purcell to have a monster game.

Stephen Tsai writes about C.J. Hawthorne, who will be starting at corner against Eastern Illinois. He also has an update on Ryan Keomaka.

McKnight encouraged Keomaka to write a letter of apology to Jones. The athletic department's academic officers also sent a letter confirming the mix-up.

"I told him to wise up and quit looking for an easy way out," McKnight said. "It's a privilege to be able to play. It's not a rite of passage because you can run 4.4 or you're 6-5, 300. What they should do every year for the first team meeting is bring back guys like Matt Wright, Jonathan Kauka, La'anui Correa, Joe Correia. Have them talk about what it's like to not be able to play anymore, and then hopefully it sinks in."

Another reason coach McKnight is a great coach!

And finally Kalani Simpson writes a great profile on Karl Noa and his emergence in the 3-4 defense. He also has an idea for a children's book.

On the first day of camp, Glanville said this: "You just never know. Until they play for you, you never really know what you have. Everything. If everybody was as good as you thought they were going to be there would be nobody playing second team."

Well, Noa would. But not now. He got in the game. Turns out he does have a position after all. Mad Stork.

Good column that praises former Warrior Kila Kamakawiwo'ole as well.

Escape from the Billy Goats

Those celestial billy goats are a crafty bunch. I was minding my own business yesterday morning, practicing my ninja moves in my magnificent kurogo-wear, when all of a sudden I found myself surrounded by a band of ancient billy ghosts -- dead billy goats with unfinished earthly business. Unfortunately, I had left my smoke bombs in my blue jeans, so I couldn't fake them out with my ninja smoke. They surrounded me and said I was disturbing their ancestral chewing grounds. I said this was my back yard. They said silence! Catching me off guard once again, they spirited me away to their land of bearded wonders.

Again, we feasted upon the finest scraps of paper. We also partook in some goat wine, made from fermented juices they find at the bottom of cans. It's very good if you don't know what it's made of. And I didn't, until afterwards. The wine loosened the normally stoic goats up, and they started talking and joking amongst themselves. It turns out that my "kid"nappers were not billy ghosts. They were regular old celestial billy goats who dressed up in the garb of the obake. Or in this case, the goat-bake. That normally would've made me mad, but by that time, I was happily drunk off the goat wine.

I've come to realize that the goats are smarter than I initially gave them credit for. I was unable to use indigestion as an excuse to make my getaway, as they were now wise to my scheme from the last time. The bastards made me whiz where I was standing too. Earlier this morning, I finally made my escape, but only because celestial billy goats don't handle hangovers very well.

I don't know why they like my company so much. I'm usually pretty quiet around them. It's not just those horns and those evil yellow eyes frightening me. And it's not just their penchant for "kid"napping me. And it's not just the smell of three dozen goats gathered around a fire suffocating me. It's probably more to do with not sharing any of the same interests. Oh well, so what if I don't like Grey's Anatomy.

Anyway, now I need to catch up on all the news stories I missed when I was gone. I shall quote them in subsequent posts, leading up to tonight's game vs Eastern Illinois! GO WARRIORS!!!

EIU Preview

Jaymes Song has a preview of the Eastern Illinois game.

"We obviously had a tough loss last week, so we're looking to bounce back strong, get a victory at home and play good football," said Brennan, who has thrown for 1,034 yards and nine TDs in three games.

Hawaii's offense should have some success moving the ball against Eastern Illinois, which allows 405 yards a game.

...

Receiver Davone Bess is starting to heat up, catching six passes for 104 yards and two scores last week. His eight receptions per game average ranks him fourth in the nation.

"We can't take any of these teams for granted," Bess said. "A whole bunch of Division I-AA teams have been spanking Division I teams, so we have to go out there and handle our business. We can't take this as if it were practice or something."

It should be an offensive explosion!!!

The Nasty

Dave Reardon profiles the greatness of the Nateness.

"I don't go to the beach at all. Not unless we're barbecuing or something," Ilaoa said. "I don't like the water. I think all humans should stay on land. When you see a shark walking around Dole Street, let me know."

That sense of humor is why quarterback Colt Brennan asked Ilaoa to be his roommate for road games.

"I kind of like the pressure being taken off me. I like to enjoy myself and be relaxed. He definitely brings that atmosphere," Brennan said. "You sit around laughing for a day-and-a-half and before you know it it's game time.

"My one goal is to tackle Nate," Brennan said. "I try, countless times, to tackle him when he's not looking. He said it only counts on the football field. When we're practicing I try to get him, and I haven't yet."

Brennan isn't alone. Opposing defenders have had their difficulties, too. Ilaoa's average of 8.0 yards per rushing attempt is among the best in the nation.

And Stephen Tsai reports Tyson Kafentzis has a fractured ankle.

Kafentzis said the injury makes it difficult to stand during practices — he skipped yesterday's workout to receive treatment in the training room — and to sit for long periods. "It's not good for the circulation," he said.

He said he hopes for a speedy recovery.

"Kafentzises are quick healers," he said. "Hopefully, this will be quick."

Best wishes to Tyson!

Tsai also reports that Brashton Satele may start at outside linebacker, while Solomon Elimimian has recovered enough from his injury that he may play this weekend. The coach is back on the field!

Away

I was consulting the hairy oracle early this morning when I was suddenly spirited away by a band of celestial billy goats. They took me to their enchanted land of bearded wonders and we feasted all day upon the finest pieces of paper. I must say it was a wonderful time. Alas, towards the end of the day I realized that I had not been able to read the finest pieces of newspapers as I normally am wont to do. I made an excuse to the billy goats that my bowels could not handle all this fiber, which was not entirely untrue, and it allowed me to make my way into the forest and slip off into the night.

And so now I am finally back. I won't promise that it won't happen again. Those billy goats are tenacious.

======

Stephen Tsai profiles Karl Noa and his emergence in the Boise State game, though it's mostly about Karl proposing to his sweetheart. Among other news and notes, Tsai writes about Inoke Funaki practicing at holder.

For more than 30 minutes yesterday, backup quarterback Inoke Funaki practiced as the holder on field-goal and point-after attempts. Funaki replaces punter Kurt Milne, who was involved in three bad snap-to-hold connections against Boise State.

"It was tough at first," Funaki said. "I'm still getting used to it."

Dave Reardon profiles slotback Aaron Bain, who gets the start this weekend because Ryan Grice-Mull(en)ins is injured.

It will be the first start for Bain, who has three catches for 14 yards this season and five for 88 with two touchdowns last fall.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pound muscleman, who can bench 435, said he's pumped.

"No matter who we're playing, I'm always excited to play. Even if I wasn't starting," Bain said. "We don't care who it is out on the field. We have to worry about ourselves."

Holy crap he's strong. Hope he has a great game.

And finally, here's an article on former Warrior punter Mat McBriar, who is booming it for the Dallas Cowboys, currently average a little over 50 yards a punt.

There's no need to read between the lines in this relationship, no reason to wait for Parcells to toss a caustic comment in McBriar's direction. It won't happen. The Cowboys punter is on firm footing with the man in charge.

Outstanding. That's the word Parcells uses for McBriar's performance to open the season. The Cowboys coach believes you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who is punting better right now.

Can McBriar feel the love?

"Somewhat," he said. "But I was told a long time ago by a punter that you're only as good as your last kick.

"If he's happy with me, that's terrific right now. But I also know once I'm lining up there at Tennessee, I'm starting with a clean slate."

Way to go Mat.

======

Just so you know, I may be "kid"napped again tomorrow. That's right. I said it.

Colt Can

June Jones has praise for Colt Brennan.

Jones -- who said he doesn't know whether an early jump to the pros might be a possibility for Brennan -- pointed to his command of the offense during the Warriors' rally as an indication of his improved grasp of UH's system.

"He made throws under pressure in critical situations when you have to have the throws," Jones said. "We're trying to fight to get it to a seven-point game, he has two touchdown passes dropped, doesn't even let it faze him, throws the next strike for a first down, then throws another one for a touchdown. That's the stuff the great ones have and I'm seeing those things in him now. That makes him different than everybody else."

Don't turn pro yet! You gotta stay around to beat Michigan State and win the WAC next year!

You can see June praise Colt, and discuss other things, in this video of Monday's press conference, posted by the Advertiser.

Stephen Tsai writes about how Brennan narrowly avoided injury after a Boise State player went for his knees.

"I didn't understand why a guy would go low like that," Jones said. "It's a good thing (Brennan) jumped in the air. ... (If not) he might have gotten hurt really seriously."

Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville noticed immediately, and walked onto the field, screaming in protest.

"The ref came over to me and said, 'Wow, did you know the guy was coming?' " Brennan recalled. "I said, 'No.' I then said, 'Do you mind going over and telling him not to do that again?' That was kind of messed up. I know Glanville was furious."

Glad he came out of it okay. Unreal.

And Ferd Lewis has praise for Boise State's winning ways.

Holder

Stephen Tsai writes that Inoke Funaki will replace Kurt Milne as the holder. He also writes that Malcolm Lane, who is currently redshirting, may actually play this year, possibly because of Ryan Grice-Mullins' sprained ankle.

If Grice-Mullins can't play, the chain reaction might lead to Lane abandoning plans to redshirt. Lane has been impressive on the scout team, portraying UNLV quarterback Rocky Hinds two weeks ago and Boise State receiver Jerard Rabb last week.

Asked why Lane would be activated, Jones said: "Our whole purpose is to win games, and he's a good player."

Good reason.

Dave Reardon writes about the Warriors having to wait for their plane after 3 attempts by Aloha Airlines to send one to pick them up failed.

The 88-member UH traveling party spent most of yesterday in Idaho after two mechanical delays -- and a third precautionary one when the plane took off from Honolulu but had to return 2 minutes into its ascent after a bird flew into one of its engines.

It added up to a 6-hour overnight wait at the airport and a nearly 16-hour total delay for the Warriors before they could board a flight home.

That's just not cool.

And Ferd Lewis writes about the Warriors' slow starts against Bama and Boise which helped doom them in both losses. Despite that, UH finished strong in each, though it wasn't enough. On to Eastern Illinois!

Stats After Week 4

When you can't take comfort in a win, you can always look at stats!

Hawaii is 2nd in the nation in passing offense with 369 yards per game. New Mexico State is first with 420.7 ypg. That should be a great match-up later this season.

Hawaii is 4th in the nation in total offense with 477 ypg.

Hawaii moves up to 29th in the nation in scoring offense with 31 points per game.

Hawaii drops to 68th in the nation in rushing defense with 135.3 yards per game.

Hawaii is 88th in scoring defense with 26.3 points per game.

Hawaii is 97th in total defense with 388 yards per game.

I have a feeling this is the worst the defensive stats will get all year.

Colt Brennan is 1st in the nation in points responsible for with 21.33 points per game.

Colt Brennan is 2nd in the nation in total offense with 360.3 ypg. New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook is first with 390.7 ypg.

Colt Brennan is 12th in the nation in passing efficiency with a 163.1 rating.

Davone Bess is 4th in the nation in receptions per game with 8 per game, and is 9th in the nation with 100.67 receiving yards per game.

Nate Ilaoa is 31st in the nation in all purpose yards with 125.33 ypg. BSU's Ian Johnson is 3rd with 164.25 ypg.

Hawaii at Boise Newspaper Wrap-Ups

Stephen Tsai has a wrap-up appropriately titled "The Boise Blues", which goes over the many, many mistakes UH made last night.

"We just have a real bad tendency to do that to ourselves, especially in games on the road," said UH quarterback Colt Brennan, who completed 25 of 36 passes for 388 yards and five touchdowns.

"We put ourselves in such a hole. It kills us. The weird thing is, Boise State doesn't do that. They're so sound in what they do. They don't make mistakes, and we do, and that's why we were playing catch-up the entire game."

Dave Reardon's wrap-up also discusses the mistakes, turnovers and what could've been.

"It's too bad," Jones said. "That's life. If you don't win the turnover battle on the road, you give it away on the road, you don't give yourself a chance."

For the third time in three games this season, Hawaii turned it over more than its opponent. UH lost two fumbles and an interception, while the Warriors got just the one pick by Patton.

"I thought they threw up three interceptions in the first half and we didn't get any. Both games (Boise State and Alabama) we should be making interceptions on bad balls, ducks," defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said.

Ferd Lewis writes a column about all the errors. Here's a sad excerpt:

Just how tough of a night it became was underlined by UH players high-fivin' themselves after the first successful PAT kick. And, it didn't come until 5 minutes, 6 seconds were gone in the third quarter. Unfortunately, the celebration was short-lived because on the next opportunity things broke down again.

Ferd writes about the injuries UH suffered before and during the game. Ryan Grice-Mullins might be out a couple of weeks.

Grice-Mullins, who was helped from the field and finished the night on crutches, said he suffered a "high ankle sprain."

Under UH policy, medical personnel are prohibited from disclosing or commenting on an athlete's injury or prognosis.

Linebacker Tyson Kafentzis and defensive end Fale Laeli were also hobbled and their status is unknown.

Dave Reardon also writes about the injuries, including the one suffered by Kafentzis.

UH lost another starter to a sprained ankle last night, before the game even started. Outside linebacker Tyson Kafentzis was the victim.

"I never lost a guy in pregame warm-ups before," defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said. "He twisted his ankle on a real spongy spot warming up."

No mention of Mel Purcell, which probably means he's okay. Hopefully none of the other injuries are too serious.

Nick Jezierny writes for the Star-Bulletin about the great performance by the UH offense, which was all for naught. The article has these two somewhat condescending, back-handed, yet truthful quotes from BSU players.

"It was a little different from the past Hawaii teams," Boise State linebacker Colt Brooks said. "Usually you get 21 points up and they're done and want to go back to the island or whatever. They stuck through it, they kept fighting with us."

BSU quarterback Jared Zabransky agreed.

"This team didn't give up," he said. "They played hard until that last first down. We put it on them here two years ago and they just folded. That's a big compliment to their coaching staff."

Here's a reason why this loss hurts that much more. BSU is treating UH like their younger brother who just isn't as good as them, no matter how hard we try. "Good effort, Cody! You didn't suck as bad as last time!" Oh well, it's true though. Great game by BSU. I'm just looking forward to next year in No Aloha Stadium. It'll be a much different story. Mark my words, brother Brannigan!

To end on a happier note, Kalani Simpson interviews former UH baseball coach and living legend Les Murakami, who is set to be honored once more. Les talks about the start of his coaching career.

"When I couldn't play in the (AJA) leagues because I had played in a higher classification," Murakami says. "I had no choice but to coach."

And did he have a hard time?

"Well, not really a hard time," he says, "it's just that I didn't know what I was doing."

That changed, of course. Murakami calls himself a "history buff." He studied everything. Asked everyone. When he got to UH, when they played all the greats, he did the same. He asked the masters.

Coach Les, what a cool dude.

Game Stats: UH at BSU

Here are some game stats from this heartbreaking loss!

UPDATE: Numbers updated with official stats.

Colt Brennan was 25 of 36 for 388 yards. He threw for 5 touchdowns and 1 interception.

BSU's Ian Johnson carried the ball 29 times for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Nate Ilaoa rushed 12 times for 68 yards and caught 4 passes for 96 yards for a total of 164 all-purpose yards.

Davone Bess caught 6 passes for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Jason Rivers caught 6 passes for 81 yards and 3 touchdowns.

What a great offensive performance. What in the world happened to special teams?!?! More stats tomorrow.

Hawaii 34, Boise State 41

Too many turnovers, too many mistakes. So close, but not enough. Another heartbreaking loss to Boise State. But UH fought it out to the very end. Not so sure that the Brennan fumble wasn't actually a forward pass. And not so sure that BSU completion was actually a completion, but in the end, Hawaii lost and BSU won. What a competitive game. BSU came out to play, especially in the early going, so UH had to play catch up the whole night. Unfortunately for the Warriors, it wasn't enough. Congrats to BSU. Let's hope the injuries on the UH side aren't serious.

LiveBlogging: Hawaii at Boise State

Game starts in a few minutes! All times Game Clock!

1st Quarter:

Hawaii won the toss and has elected to receive! Game starts in a few minutes.

15:00 - Kenny Patton and Ross Dickerson are back to receive. Dickerson takes a knee in the endzone. Ball will be on the 20.

14:55 - Colt Brennan airs it out to Jason Rivers, and it's either knocked away or dropped! Darn!

14:50 - False start. 2nd and 15 on the Hawaii 15. Come on guys.

14:33 - Nate Ilaoa is dropped for a 1 yard loss. 3rd and 16 on the Hawaii 14.

13:45 - Nate is dropped for no gain. Gotta punt.

13:08 - Kurt Milne punts it into Bronco territory and the returner takes it to the Hawaii 43.

12:45 - Jarad Zabransky completes a pass to Jerard Rabb to the Hawaii 19.

12:38 - Ian Johnson takes it from the 19 inside the 5 to the 3 yard line. Not a good start for the Warriors!

12:35 - Ian Johnson waltzes in untouched for the touchdown. Sheesh.

12:34 - Kick is good. Hawaii 0, BSU 7. That was three play drive. Come on Warriors!

12:30 - BSU kicks off and it's downed in the end zone. Warriors will have it on the 20.

12:10 - Brennan to Davone Bess, and he takes it into Bronco territory, but he FUMBLES!!! Broncos recovers. That's horrible.

11:55 - 1st and 10 on the BSU 43 and there's a flag on the play. Looks like pass interference.

11:50 - Replay first down because there were offsetting penalties.

11:41 - Jarad Zabranksy calls a timeout.

11:33 - Pitch to Ian Johnson and he takes it to the Hawaii 45. 1st down.

11:27 - Drisan James takes it to the Hawaii 39. He's pretty quick. 2nd and 4.

10:40 - Zabransky scrambles to the 19.

10:20 - A BSU RB takes it to the 11. It is looking way too easy for the Broncos.

9:39 - Ian Johnson takes it to the 5. 1st and goal.

9:20 - Zabransky passes to Naanee for the touchdown. HOLY CRAP.

9:16 - Ummmmm, what the hell. Broncos fake the PAT and the holder takes it in for 2. Hawaii 0, Broncos 15.

9:10 - Broncos kickoff and Kenny Patton takes a knee. Hawaii gets it on the 20. Come on! WARRIORS RESPOND!!!

8:50 - Brennan with a short pass to Nate Ilaoa, who takes it to the 29!

8:10 - Ilaoa takes a handoff to the 31 for a first down!

7:45 - Brennan to Ian Sample to the 42 for a first down! Let's go Warriors!!!

7:15 - Chad Mock takes a short pass to the Hawaii 48. Nice call! 2nd and 4.

6:38 - Brennan gets sacked back at the 46. 3rd and 6.

5:55 - Brenna pitches to Ilaoa and he takes it into Bronco territory! 1st down on the Bronco 43!

5:25 - Brennan to Ryan Grice-Mullins to the Bronco 8 yard line!!!

4:49 - Brennan fires it into the end zone and it's deflected by a Bronco. 2nd and goal. Whew.

4:43 - Ilaoa takes the handoff just inside the 5. 3rd down.

4:15 - Brennan fires it again into the end zone and it's deflected again.

4:03 - On 4th down, there's a bad snap on the field goal attempt. And Kurt Milne throws it away. This is not good at all.

4:03 - The play is under review to see if Kurt Milne fumbled it out of bounds or if it was an incomplete pass.

3:54 - The ruling on the field stands. Broncos get it on their own 4. Come on UH with the stop!!!!

3:44 - Ian Johnson takes it to the 9 yard line. 2nd and 5.

3:00 - Johnson takes it to the 15 yard line for a first down. Broncos are not being called for holds. Sheesh.

2:17 - Ian Johnson breaks a long run to the UH 20, but there's a penalty. So it's coming back to BSU territory. Replay 1st down.

2:13 - Ball on the BSU 32. On 1st down, Zabransky scrambles two yards to the 34.

2:09 - On the play action, Zabransky passes to Rabb, but he drops it. And then there's a personal foul on...... BSU. Good!

2:04 - So it'll be 3rd and about 23 on the 14 yard line.

1:58 - Zabransky finds a receiver to the BSU 36, but it's short of the first down. Gotta punt!!!

1:20 - Kyle Stringer punts to the Hawaii 12 yard line, and Myron Newberry takes it to the UH 24.

0:55 - Brennan with a short pass to Nate Ilaoa and he breaks a bunch of tackles and takes it to the Bronco 42 yard line!!!!!

0:16 - Reagan Mauia takes a handoff to the 40.

END OF 1st QUARTER.

2nd Quarter:

15:00 - On 2nd and 8, Brennan passes to Ian Sample, who takes it to the BSU 27!

14:34 - On 1st and 10 on the BSU 27, Mauia takes it one yard to the 26.

13:50 - On a bubble screen to Jason Rivers, he takes it to the HOUSE FOR A TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!

13:41 - FRICK!!!! On the PAT attempt, the hold is botched and Orlando Scandrick of BSU takes it back for a two point conversion. WTF!?!?!?! Hawaii 6, Broncos 17.

13:36 - Dan Kelly has a nice kickoff into the endzone for a touchback. Come on Warriors with the stop!!!

13:15 - Ian Johnson takes it and is stopped by Brad Kalilimoku for no gain. 2nd and 10.

12:35 - Zabransky is sacked at the line of scrimmage by KARL NOA!!!! Nice! 3rd and 10.

11:53 - Pass incomplete over the middle!!! Gotta punt!

11:46 - Myron Newberry takes it to the 42 yard line. Nice little scramble.

11:35 - 1st and 10 on the UH 42. Brennan to Rivers for a short gain to the 46. 2nd and 6.

10:38 - Incomplete to Nate Ilaoa. 3rd and 6. CONVERT!!!

10:34 - Fale Laeli is being carted off to the locker room. Brennan incomplete to Chad Mock over the middle. Gotta punt.

10:31 - Milne punts and a fair catch is called for on the 14 yard line.

10:14 - On 1st and 10 on the 14, Denton takes it to the 27 for a quick 1st down.

9:42 - Zabransky throws it deep and connects with Naanee to the UH 20. Come on Warriors!!!

9:15 - False start on BSU. 1st and 15 on the UH 25.

8:54 - Zabransky is tackled by Noa at the 23. 2nd and 13.

8:15 - Zabransky over the middle for a touchdown. He was WIDE open.

8:09 - PAT is good. Hawaii 6, BSU 24.

8:02 - BSU kicks off and Kenny Patton takes it to the UH 28 yard line.

7:55 - Shovel pass to Nate Ilaoa and he just motores inside the Bronco 40!!!!

7:24 - From the 39, Brennan to Bess to the 32.

6:37 - Brennan to Grice-Mullins to the 26 yard line. Ryan Grice-Mullins is down on the field. Hope it's not serious. It looks like his knee. Dammit.

6:30 - It looks pretty bad. He's taking a while to get off the field. Hand off to Ilaoa and he takes it to the 10 yard line!!!!

5:52 - Brennan to JASON RIVERS FOR THE TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!

5:52 - Hawaii takes a timeout before the PAT. Looks like UH is going for 2.

5:52 - Looks like Ryan Grice-Mullins ankle is injured, not his knee, which is a lot better.

5:52 - Brennan to Bess for the 2 point conversion!!!!! Hawaii 14, BSU 24.

5:45 - Leonard Peters tackles the returner on the kickoff at the 10 yard line. Good to see him doing well!!!

5:20 - Handoff to Ian Johnson is stopped for no gain!

4:40 - On a play action, the deep pass by Zabransky is off the receiver's hands!!! WHEW!!! 3rd and 10 on the BSU 10.

4:25 - Short pass to Rabb is stopped at the 10!!!! Nice pressure!!!! Gotta punt!

3:40 - Stringer shanks it to the BSU 42 yard line!!! Nice field position. Gotta capitalize!

3:35 - On 1st and 10, Brennan is intercepted. The BSU player takes it to his own 21. CRAP.

3:01 - Pitch to Ian Johnson and he's hit hard out of bounds to the 24.

2:51 - On 2nd and 7, there's a direct snap to the RB to the 26. 3rd down and about 4.

2:10 - From the BSU 27, the pass is incomplete, but there's a pass interference on Brad Kalilimoku. 1st down.

2:02 - Zabransky on the play action, and the pass is dropped by the BSU receiver. 2nd and 10.

1:55 - Pass complete to the 50 yard line. 1st down.

1:50 - Zabransky overthrows his receiver. 2nd and 10 on the 50.

1:45 - Zabransky scrambles into UH territory to the 43. 3rd down and 3.

1:35 - Zabransky completes a pass to the 29 yard line. 1st down.

1:15 - Pass incomplete on some sort of reverse screen. 2nd down on the UH 29.

1:00 - Zabransky on a draw to the 12 yard line. Geez. 1st down.

0:43 - Zabransky calls a timeout. COME ON DEFENSE!!!

0:35 - On some weird gadget play to Naanee, he's chased out of bounds. Mel Purcell is down on the play. Let's hope it's just cramps.

0:22 - 2nd down on the UH 17. Zabransky completes a pass to the 11 yard line. BSU calls a timeout with 0:22 left.

0:22 - On 3rd and 7, there's a false start on BSU.

0:22 - On 3rd and 12 from the 15, the pass is deflected by Ikaika Alama-Francis!!!

0:17 - BSU attempts a 32 yard field goal from the 15, and it is good. Hawaii 14, BSU 27.

0:13 - BSU kicks off and Patton takes it out to the 20 yard line.

0:00 - The clock winds down. END OF HALF. Hawaii 14, BSU 27. Come on Warriors! Show your heart in the second half!!! We're down by less than two touchdowns!!! I really hope Fale, Ryan and Mel will be okay for the second half.

3rd Quarter:

15:00 - Dan Kelly kicks off out of bounds. BSU will have it on the 35. Not sure if he was trying a squib kick or not.

14:42 - Ian Johnson takes it on a hand off to the UH 48.

14:15 - Zabransky on a wide receiver screen to the UH 41.

13:40 - Ian Johnson takes it to the 39 yard line. 3rd and 1.

12:55 - Johnson takes it to the UH 34 for the 1st down.

12:31 - Paretta takes it to the UH 7.

12:24 - Lawrence stuffs Ian Johnson on the UH 8 yard line!

11:50 - Adam Leonard tips a pass!!!! 3rd down and goal on the 8.

11:45 - Pitch to Ian Johnsn, and he takes it 8 yards to the end zone.

11:42 - PAT is good. UH 14, BSU 34.

11:42 - Sounds like Ryan Grice-Mullins is out for the game.

11:40 - BSU kicks off and Ross Dickerson takes it out to the UH 43!!!

11:06 - Brennan to Rivers into BSU territory! 1st down on the BSU 43.

10:59 - Ilaoa takes a handoff to the BSU 39 yard line.

10:30 - On 2nd and 3, Ilaoa takes a hand off to the BSU 18!!!!

9:54 - Brennan to Bess for the TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!

9:54 - Wow, the PAT is actually good. Hawaii 21, BSU 34.

9:50 - Dan Kelly kicks it into the endzone. The returner fumbles, but another BSU player recovers it! OH SO CLOSE!

9:25 - On the BSU 28, Ian Johnson takes it to the 36.

8:53 - On 2nd and 2, Zabransky scrambles to the 39 for a first down.

8:35 - On 1st and 10, Zabransky scrambles, and Noa gets a sack!!! 2nd and 12 on the 37.

7:49 - Ian Johnson takes it a few yards, but there's an offsides penalty.

7:35 - On 2nd and 8 on the BSU 42, Zabransky completes a pass just over the 50 for a first down.

7:00 - COME ON WARRIORS with a stop!

6:47 - Zabransky passes incomplete. Looks like Kenny Patton broke up the pass to the sideline!!!

6:30 - Zabransky completes a pass to James to the 34. 1st down.

6:00 - False start on BSU. 1st and 15 on the UH 39.

5:32 - Under pressure, Zabransky completes a pass to the UH 21.

5:19 - The previous play is under review. So I'll take a pee break!

5:19 - The play is NOT overturned. Still 1st and 10 on the UH 21.

5:00 - Zabransky to Johnson for TD, but there's holding against BSU. And there's a Warrior injured on the play...

4:57 - 1st and 10 on the 21. And BSU swings it out to the receiver, who takes it to the UH 10 for a first down.

4:45 - Holding on BSU, so the run is coming back.

4:44 - From 1st and 20 on the 20 yard line, Zabansky gets sacked by Michael Lafaele!!!!

3:48 - From the UH 29, Ian Johnson gets brought down by Karl Noa on the 27.

2:39 - On 3rd and 27, KENNY PATTON WITH THE INTERCEPTION IN THE END ZONE!!!!! He takes it out to the 19 yard line!!!!! YES!!!!

2:32 - On 1st and 10, Brennan scrambles to the 30 yard line for the 1st down!!! He was looking for the shovel pass on that play.

2:12 - Brennan passes to Aaron Bain, but he's stopped immediately on the 32.

1:30 - On 2nd and 8, Brennan hands off to Ilaoa, who takes it to the 34.

0:55 - On 3rd and 6, Brennan completes the pass to Davone Bess to the 41 yard line!!! 1st DOWN!!!!

0:35 - Brennan to Jason Rivers into BSU territory to the BSU 41!!!

0:29 - WR screen to Dickerson is incomplete.

0:25 - On 2nd and 10 from the BSU 41, Brennan to BESS to the BSU 19!!!!

0:00 - END OF 3rd QUARTER. UH will have the ball on the BSU 19 at the start of the 4th quarter.


4th QUARTER:

15:00 - On 1st and 10 from the BSU 19, Brennan has to throw it away.

14:50 - On 2nd and 10 from the BSU 19, Brennan overthrows Bain in the end zone.

14:45 - On 3rd and 10 from the BSU 19, Brennan scrambles to the BSU 13 yard line. Short of a 1st down.

14:15 - On 4th and about 5, UH is going for it! AND BRENNAN THROWS A TOUCHDOWN PASS TO DAVONE BESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

14:12 - FRICK. What the EFFF!!! Another mishandled or bad snap and Dan Kelly throws it into the ground. Nonetheless, Hawaii 27, BSU 34. Separated by 7 points. I won't say touchdown because the PAT is not guaranteed tonight. What the EFFFF!?!?!?!?!

We absolutely need a defensive stop on the Broncos next possession!

13:39 - Dan Kelly kicks it to the 1 and Quinton Jones takes it to the 21.

13:25 - On 1st and 10 from the BSU 21, Ian Johnson takes it a yard to the 22.

12:45 - Zabransky's pass is incomplete. 3rd and 9!!!

12:40 - Zabransky's pass is incomplete!!! GOTTA PUNT!!! Watch for the FAKE!

12:35 - Stringer punts it and Newberry fair catches at the 33. I think

12:14 - Hand off to Ilaoa who takes it to the 36.

11:33 - On 2nd and 7 on the UH 36, Ilaoa takes it to the 37. 3rd and 6.

10:40 - On 3rd and 6, the pass is incomplete, but it looks like roughing the passer.

10:37 - Roughing the passer AND pass interference.

10:17 - From the BSU 48, Brennan scrambles, and FUMBLES. BSU recovers. Is this reviewable?

10:17 - OK, June Jones is having the play reviewed.

10:17 - After review, the play stands. BSU has the ball.

10:12 - On 1st and 10 from the BSU 45, Ian Johnson takes it to the UH 49.

9:40 - On 2nd and 4, Johnson takes it to the 40 yard line. 1st down.

9:05 - Karl Noa with a big stop at the 40 yard line. Noa's having a great game. 2nd and 10.

8:30 - Ian takes it to the UH 32, but there's an offsides penalty.

8:26 - After the penalty, on 2nd and 5 on the 35, Ian Johnson FUMBLES!!!! Karl NOA recovers!!!!

8:02 - The ruling is being reviewed.

8:02 - Crap, the ruling is overturned. 3rd down and 5 on the 34.

7:55 - On third down, Ian Johnson takes it the 31. Short of the first down.

7:16 - On 4th and less than 1, Johnson gets the first down and more to the UH 21 yard line.

6:35 - On 1st and 10, Ian Johnson takes it to the 18. 2nd and 7.

5:55 - Zabansky on the play action to the tight end for the touchdown.

5:50 - PAT is good. Hawaii 27, BSU 41.

5:45 - On the kickoff, Kenny Patton takes it out to the 20 yard line. There's a flag on the play.

5:45 - Personal foul on BSU. So UH will have the ball on the 36.

5:18 - Shovel pass to Nate Ilaoa wo takes it to the BSU 46! 1st down!

5:00 - Brennan to Dickerson to the 35 yard line. 1st down!

4:50 - Brennan over the middle to Chad Mock, and he drops it.

4:40 - Ilaoa takes it to the 32 yard line for a few yards.

4:15 - From the 32 on 3rd and 7, Brennan to Dickerson to the 20 yard line for the 1st down!

3:40 - Brennan to Bain for a first down to the 8 yard line!

3:15 - Brennan incomplete over the middle to Dickerson.

2:59 - Brennan to Jason Rivers, who fights his way into the end zone for a TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

2:59 - UH takes a time out.

2:59 - Daniel Kelly kicks the PAT. HAWAII 34, BSU 41. This game is eating me alive!

2:59 - BSU takes a timeout before the kickoff.

2:59 - Dan Kelly attempts the onside kick, and BSU recovers at the BSU 47. CRAP.

2:36 - Ian Johnson takes it to the UH 48.

2:21 - UH takes a timeout with 2:21 left. 2nd and 5. COME ON DEFENSE!!!!

2:15 - Johnson takes it to the 45. 3rd down and about 2.

1:39 - They stop Johnson short of the first down. He fumbles, but he was already down. 4th and about 1.

1:30 - BSU is going for it on 4th and 1. This is it.

1:05 - Zabransky takes a time out.

1:00 - On 4th and 1, Ian Johnson takes it to the 27 yard line for the 1st down. That's it.

0:35 - Zabransky takes a knee. And the clock will wind down.

0:00 - FINAL - UH 34, BSU 41.

Hawaii Keys to the Game

These are pretty obvious and they've been pretty much said before by others, but kickoff is less than two hours away and it's something to do!

1. Minimize the turnovers! Hawaii has one of the worst turnover ratios in the nation while Boise State has one of the best. This can't carry over into this game. Like June Jones said, if we turn over the ball too many times, be prepared for a long night.

2. Don't give up the big plays, especially on special teams. No explanation needed.

3. Establish the passing game to open up the running game. Dave Reardon pointed this out. UH needs to keep the BSU defense off-balance. Either way, Nasty and the Juggernaut will pound it, but you can't have BSU keying on anything.

4. Force BSU to pass. Do this by containing the running games of Ian Johnson and Jarad Zabransky.

5. Don't give up the big pass! When BSU does pass, make sure no one gets deep because Zabransky is itchin to bomb it!

Five Hours to Kickoff - Hawaii at BSU

Are you excited! Of course you are! Here's an image from a dream I had last night.



I hope it comes true! Go Gargamel! GO WARRIORS!!!!

Game Day: Hawaii at Boise State

It's Saturday! It's game day! Time to pee in your Bronco blue toilet water to make it Warrior green! Haha!

Here are some news articles to flip through before the big game.

Dave Reardon has a gameday preview titled Warriors Willing to Run*.

Jones raved about the Warriors' offensive-line play last week, saying: "They pass-protected about as good as I've seen."

Starting center Sam Satele said the Warriors are looking forward to doing some more run-blocking, too.

"I want to see how they act when Nate Ilaoa runs for 200 yards," said Satele, who has dealt with a painful bruise to his collarbone area.

That would be something to see. As long as Colt still gets his 400 yards passing!

Stephen Tsai's gameday preview has a section about how Boise tries to prepare for Nasty.

In preparing for this game, the Broncos had difficulty casting a player to portray Ilaoa in practices. "We wanted to put a lineman in there, but the problem is no lineman can move like (Ilaoa)," Bronco defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox said: "You can't really simulate a guy like that. There aren't too many 250-pound guys who can run like him."

Ferd Lewis talks about the matchup between QBs Colt Brennan and Jarad Zabransky.

Kalani Simpson goes back to the well that is Jerry Glanville with another funny column, this time about life on the road.

"We got off the plane in Chicago," Glanville said, "and we're walking down the corridor to get on another plane and one of my best players says, 'Coach, this is the first time I've ever been in Michigan.'"

Um ... "We're in Chicago," Glanville said gently. Because, you know, Chicago is in Illinois.

"Yeah," the guy said without missing a beat, "I've never been in Michigan before."

At last, Glanville said, "Well, I think you'll like it here."

Stephen Tsai talks to BSU running back Ian Johnson and OC Bryan Harsin about getting ready for the game, and gives a pre-game Warrior injury update.

Inside linebacker Solomon Elimimian, who is suffering from a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, was wearing an ice pack. Backup outside linebacker Brashton Satele, who is suffering from a sprained acromioclavicular (A.C.) joint, participated in non-contact drills.

Right cornerback A.J. Martinez, who skipped Thursday's practice because of a groin injury, competed on the first team yesterday. Center Samson Satele, who has a bruised collarbone, also practiced without difficulty

We'll need everybody healthy for this game. Looks like Solomon will be out, but it's like having an extra coach anyway.

Dave Reardon writes about the growing rivalry between Boise and Hawaii, what with the heartbreaking close loss last year along with the blowouts. Here's a quote from a BSU fan:

"Close last year doesn't count, and we're ready to kick your (butt) this year," said Boise State student Heather Santos, who has relatives in Hawaii. "It's definitely a big game for us and we love the rivalry."

Grrr. But read the article for quotes from the Warrior players and coaches on how they're preparing for the game, along this quote from Jerry Glanville:

"The running back (Ian Johnson) is better than the guy at Alabama (Ken Darby). The left tackle (Ryan Clady) is better than the guy at Alabama (Andre Smith). And you can go on and on and on," Glanville said.

That should make Bama fans mad, but it's probably true. It'll be a tough, tough game, but I have confidence! GO WARRIORS!!!!



*I'd like to think Dave Reardon is playing off the title of this blog, but he probably doesn't even know it exists! Or maybe he does, but can't be bothered. Nonetheless, I must say Dave is a great writer and analyst and I think he could make a career in TV after watching him on that June Jones Show roundtable. If anything, hopefully this counterbalances the times I teased his fu manchu, which he doesn't even have anymore, which makes me doubly sad.

BSU Defense vs Colt

The Idaho Statesman has an article on how the Boise State defensive coordinator is preparing to stop Colt Brennan.

"There is not a magical formula," Wilcox said of defending the four- receiver, one-back offense. "... They're very difficult to stop. You don't really try to stop them. You try to make them earn everything."

...

The Broncos concede that the Warriors will rack up yardage tonight. They hope to stop drives the way they have so often against Hawaii in the past — with turnovers.

"The key is, when they get a drive going and they get on our 30 going in we need to make a play on one of those passes," junior safety Marty Tadman said. "We need to cause fumbles. ...

"Once we get up on them, I think we'll roll. But if they get ahead of us like last year, it's going to be a dogfight."

That's one of the major keys to this game. If Hawaii can minimize the turnovers, watch out!

Ways to Follow the Hawaii at Boise State Game

In Hawaii:

Watch it on K5!

Listen to AM 1420.

Go to a bar!


In Boise:

Go to the Smurf Turf!

Watch it on KTVB-TV.


Outside of Boise or Hawaii:

Streaming video on WAC.tv for $7.95

It's also supposedly on ESPN Gameplan, but I'm not so sure. It's not on either of the schedules below, but you can check to see if they've updated it. Let me know!

• http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/gameplan/schedules


• http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/schedules

UPDATE: This schedule has the game. When in doubt, call your cable company!

Sportshawaii.com will have a game thread in their football forum.

And I will probably be liveblogging it.

GO WARRIORS!!!!

Predictions for the Boise State Game

Once again, I shall make some predictions for the upcoming game. I got 5 out of 16 correct for both the Alabama and UNLV games. As the season goes on, my psychic powers will get stronger.

UPDATE: I got every one wrong! My psychic abilities have failed me!

1. Colt Brennan will pass for over 400 yards.

2. Jason Rivers will lead the team with over 100 yards receiving.

3. Ryan Grice-Mull(en)ins will score two touchdows.

4. The Juggernaut will have a 30 yard run.

5. BSU's Ian Johnson will rush for less than 100 yards.

6. Jarad Zabransky will be sacked three times.

7. Amani Purcell will have one of them.

8. Brad Kalilimoku will have one as well.

9. Ikaika Alama-Francis will have the final one.

10. Adam Leonard will have at least 12 tackles.

11. Leonard Peters will have an interception.

12. None of Dan Kelly's field goal or PAT attempts will be blocked.

13. Hawaii will turn over the ball only once.

14. Boise will turn over the ball twice.

15. The game will be close until the 4th quarter.

16. Hawaii will win!

GO WARRIORS!!!!

Bluuuue-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooowooooo

One day away from the battle on the smurf turf!

Stephen Tsai writes about the injuries on defense UH is having to deal with. He also has a short profile on Boise State running back Ian Johnson.

Johnson, who rushed for 240 yards and five touchdowns against Oregon State, is third nationally in scoring (14.0 points per game), fifth in rushing (149.33 yards per game) and eighth in all-purpose running (156.33 yards per game).

Let's hope the UH defense stays healthy because they will have their hands full with Ian. UH stopped Bama's Ken Darby and the UNLV rush, but then again, Darby is ranked 99th in the nation in rushing while UNLV is 92nd in rush offense. So this will be a test!

Kalani Simpson writes that it's time to finally get a WAC win over Boise. He starts off the column sounding like the Cat in the Hat.

IT'S time to erase the memory of 69-3. It's time to remove that taste.

It's time for this team to win this game at that place.

I thought he was gonna rhyme the column all the way through. But he goes on to write that this is the team to take UH to the next level.

Dave Reardon and Jason Kaneshiro write that defensive back Guyton Galdeira and offensive guard Laupepa Letuli made the trip to Boise.

Neither player accompanied the team to Alabama to open the season. They got their first action in last week's win over UNLV at Aloha Stadium.

Galdeira made the 60-player travel squad for his play on special teams. Letuli is the backup to starting left guard Hercules Satele and has also worked his way onto special teams as well.

Jason and Dave end the article with a tantalizing prospect.

A series of football games between teams with two of the most prolific passing offenses in recent college football history is being discussed.

Hawaii and Texas Tech officials are trying to set up games at Lubbock and at Aloha Stadium, UH athletic director Herman Frazier said.

That would certainly be some great games! But it's all about Boise State this weekend. GO WARRIORS!!!!

Trash Talking!

Ka Leo O Hawaii has a point-counterpoint article between Ka Leo's Keane Santos and The Arbiter's (a Boise student paper) Drew Mayes. Here's a part of what Drew has to say.

While former NFL head coach Jerry Glanville may be improving your defense, it doesn’t have near the playmakers BSU possesses, with linebackers Korey Hall and Colt Brooks and defensive back Quinton Jones.

And do we even need to go into special teams? If you only let us block kick this year, you have vastly improved.

Your defense, running attack and special teams are improving because there was nowhere else for them to go but up. You can’t stay at the bottom forever.

After you turn in your latest embarrassing performance on the blue turf this Saturday, remember to keep your chin up on the flight back home. After all, everyone gets ‘lei’-ed in Hawai‘i after they get off the plane — even losers like you.

Not that the Warriors need any additional motivation, but here's some additional motivation!

And KGMB has an article about the Warriors' vastly improved defense.

"Friday night we show the highlight film from the game before," Glanville said. "Last year our highlight film could be 13 or 15 plays. Against Alabama, we had 66 total plays and we had 38 highlights."

The highlight reel was even better after UH nearly shut out UNLV for nearly three quarters. There were a total of 78 defensive plays in that game and everything made the cut.

"Gosh we might as well put the game film on," Glanville said. "I can't find a play where there's not a highlight, and that's how much we've grown. We've come to the point now that it's fun to watch. Just sitting there watching the film, I think the players realize they know what their doing. What have we changed from last year? Nothing. Not one thing."

Can't wait to see how they do against BSU's offense.

Gearing Up for BSU

Warriors fly off today. Here's some stories.

Stephen Tsai talks about Ryan Keomaka's reinstatement, Solomon Elimimian still being injured, Dan Kelly, and the possibility of Brashton Satele and Clarence Tuioti-Mariner moving to running back.

Dave Reardon talks to Samson Satele, who wants his teammates to reduce penalties and turnovers vs Boise.

"Nobody can question the physical ability of this team," Satele said. "Everybody knows that we're tough. Mental mistakes like jumping offsides, holding, personal fouls, all that kind of crap, we have to cut out if we want to win."

Don't mess with Emperor Samson.

Dave also writes that Kenny Patton will get the start at left cornerback, Leonard Peters is dealing with the pain of his rib injury, and nose tackle Kahai Lacount probably won't play due to injury.

Ferd Lewis interviews Boise State quarterback Jarad Zabranksy.

"They play at a (higher) level of intensity and a lot more focus on the road now," Zabransky said in a telephone interview yesterday. "In the past it was fairly apparent that they were just wanting to get back to the island. Now, they're really wanting to win football games and it looks like they're flying to the ball, playing very hard and doing a great job right now."

Sort of a backhanded compliment. Hopefully the UH seniors will take that personally!

And finally, former Warrior Travis Laboy feels bad that Jerry Glanville thought LaBoy was insulting him, he writes in his "Life in the NFL" diary.

All's Well That Ends Well

Stephen Tsai with the good news.

Cornerback Ryan Keomaka Wednesday was reinstated to the University of Hawai'i football team, a day after being dismissed.

UH coach June Jones dismissed Keomaka for supposedly missing mandatory study sessions. But Jones learned it was a miscommunication. Keomaka believed he could choose his study period instead of attending only the team's nightly study hall.

I wonder how all this went down in the first place? Sounds like miscommunication all around. Anyway, I'm happy Ryan is back with the team!

Bess and RGM

The Idaho Statesman has a profile on UH slotbacks Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mull(en)ins.

Bess and Grice-Mullen combined for four touchdowns last year against Boise State. Brennan scrambled often, a scenario BSU coach Chris Petersen hopes to avoid this year.

"The way you keep track of (Bess and Grice-Mullen) is to not let Colt scramble around and have 10 seconds to throw the ball," Petersen said.

Though when Colt does scramble around for 10 seconds, it's always fun to watch! Especially when he finds Bess down the sideline, or takes off towards the end zone. But he probably won't be doing it as often since he and his receivers know the offense much better this time around. Can't wait for Saturday!

Mid Week

Stephen Tsai has more on Ryan Keomaka's dismissal.

Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said Keomaka, who was the second-team left cornerback against UNLV last week, will be missed on special teams and in the secondary.

"He's a guy who has so much athletic ability," Glanville said. "He can play, and he's a good person, a really good person. He just won't do what he's told."

Good luck to Ryan.

From the same article, Solomon Elimimian vows to play against Boise after missing practice the past week and a half due to his knee injury.

"You never know what you have until you lose it," Elimimian said. "I remember (injured slotback Jason) Ferguson telling me how much he missed practice. I couldn't fathom that. Now I know how much it means to be out on the field. It felt good. Always count your blessings. That's what people forget. When you get injured, it gets you back to reality."

In the notes and updates section, Tsai writes that Brashton Satele has a shoulder injury and it looks like he's not practicing.

Dave Reardon writes that Leonard Peters missed practice to undergo therapy for his rib injury. He also highlights the versatile David Veikune.

The 6-foot-3, 258-pound Campbell alumnus was especially suited to play against UNLV's lighter, quicker offensive line. He even played nose tackle for the first time in his life.

"He played every position on the front," Reinebold said. "When we went to the five-man front, he played there.

"You give him a task and he does it to the best of his ability every time."

And finally, Ferd Lewis comes out with his own voting propositions and initiatives that he thinks should be on the ballot, including this one:

PROPOSITION A

Following the Oklahoma-Oregon game — not to mention Hawai'i's own misadventure at USC in 2003 — shall Pac-10 refs be prohibited from working UH football games?

Nice one. Poor Oklahoma!

Dennis McKnight

Dave Reardon profiles graduate assistant / special teams coach / offensive line coach Dennis McKnight and his work with the special teams. The article ends with what has to be the quote of the year!

(Desmond) Thomas said McKnight's presence awakened the Hawaii special teams.

"He brings intensity to the meetings. He's loud and people pay attention to him. He's a good teacher. He's loud, but you can go in his office and talk to him," Thomas said. "I believe we got a bunch of guys who are buying into what the whole special teams life is about."

And what exactly are the qualifications to play on a special team coached by McKnight?

"A big heart and a scrotum full of testicles."

That's too much!

Keomaka Off The Team

Cornerback Ryan Keomaka has been dismissed from the UH football team for missing study hall.

Keomaka said he mistakenly believed he needed to log a certain amount of time in study hall, and not attend nightly. The UH athletic department has study sessions throughout the day. The football coaches monitor the evening sessions.

"It's my fault because I didn't ask," Keomaka said. "I just, you know."

Asked if Keomaka could rejoin the team in the spring, Jones said: "Right now, he's not coming back. It's too bad."

He had previously been dismissed from the team in the spring because he missed class, but had then been reinstated and worked his way back into the depth chart this season. I'm glad UH is taking academics seriously, but I still feel bad for him.

The Greatness

Stephen Tsai has a cool blog entry today about the greatness, on and off the field, of Nate Ilaoa.

"Rocketman5000" from Bronco Country, Boise State's scout.com site, writes an article praising Colt Brennan. So much so, you'd almost think Rocketman5000 was a Hawaii football fan, except he refers to the team as the Rainbow Warriors. In any case, here's an excerpt:

Brennan nearly generated an upset of Boise State on the islands last season, as only two special teams’ touchdowns for the Broncos prevented that upset. With a year’s experience, Brennan is now the premier quarterback in the Western Athletic Conference, and he’s only going to get better.

I hope that doesn't upset Jarad Zabransky!

And finally, Dave Reardon has a column about the WAC's chances of getting some of that BCS scrilla.

This is the third of a four-year evaluation period at the end of which a conference not among the six behemoths (ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10, SEC, Big 12 and the Big East) can receive a battlefield promotion into the upper echelon ... and the automatic Bowl Championship Series bid that goes with it.

Or Boise State can go undefeated this season, but we don't want that. Even then it's not guaranteed that the BCS gods will deign to look down upon a team from the lowly WAC. So all we can do is Play UP! and hope someone notices. SIGH.

Sol and Nate and Jerry

Dave Reardon writes about Solomon Elimimian, who couldn't play due to a sprained knee, but still had a role during the UNLV game.

Elimimian -- who called the defensive signals while making 83 tackles as a true freshman last season -- was stationed in the coach's box Saturday, helping Glanville with substitutions in UH's 42-13 victory over UNLV.

"It was fun. It gave me a good perspective. I was like one of the coaches up there," Elimimian said. "It was fun, but it's much funner playing. I wish I was out there."

Hopefully he'll get to play against Boise.

Stephen Tsai writes about the "un ... be ... lievable" Nate Ilaoa.

"Nate makes that play because he has that unbelievable lateral quickness for a 250-pound player," head coach June Jones said. "You don't see that in a guy that size."

Mouse Davis, who coaches the running backs, said Ilaoa "is a little bit of a freak" — too big for a running back, too quick for a fullback.

He's really fun to watch. Hope he has a big game against Boise!

And finally, Kalani Simpson can write some really great columns. It doesn't hurt when your subject is Jerry Glanville. Here's a short quote from the DC.

On strategy: "Some of these college football coaches -- they try to trick you."

I hope Jerry sticks around for a long time.

POW!

Nate Ilaoa has been named the WAC Offensive Player of the Week!

Ilaoa, a senior from Stafford, Va. (North Stafford HS), had nine carries for 104 yards and scored two touchdowns in Hawai‘is 42-13 win over UNLV. He averaged 11.6 yards per carry and scored on runs of eight and seven yards. Ilaoa also caught three passes for 32 yards. It was just the second 100-yard rushing game for a Warrior back in the last 23 contests.

Congrats to Nasty!

And Ka Leo O Hawaii has a pretty cold title for their UNLV game wrap-up: Rebels sent back to Nevada “Loss” Vegas. Ouch!

The Warriors made a statement on Saturday night with their one-sided victory over the University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels: Offense sells tickets but defense wins championships.

Actually, the offense didn't sell that many tickets, but maybe later this season!

Defense!

Dave Reardon writes about the improved performance so far of the UH defense, which will get a big test against Boise. But there's confidence from at least one player going into it.

Kalilimoku believes the Warriors can continue to climb the charts and win with defense, even at the blue turf of Boise, where UH has never won, where the Warriors allowed 589 yards and 69 points in 2004.

"It's a new team," he said. "And it's a great feeling."

This D is great to see on the field. Can't wait to see them against Boise.

Dave Reardon also has his cool game review called "Warriors Replay", in which he discusses five key plays in the game. I hope they're working on that video feature! Nonetheless, it's a good analysis, so go check it out!

Stephen Tsai also talks about the UH defense and their performance against UNLV. He also gets several great quotes from Jerry Glanville, including this precious one:

"They're better than most teams in the WAC," Glanville said of the Rebels, who are members of the Mountain West Conference. "I thought their coach was in shock when it was over. He didn't know what the hell we were doing to them. They'll be all right. They'll have a good year."

I hope Jerry's able to say similar things after every game this season!

And Ferd Lewis writes about the importance of the Boise State game in Hawaii's WAC title aspirations. GO WARRIORS!!!!!

Stats!

It's a little early in the season, but here are some stats, taken from the NCAA Stats Page.

How the team does against the rest of the nation:

26th in the nation in rush defense with 82 yards per game! This will definitely be tested against Boise.

45th in scoring defense with 19 points per game. Much better than last year! Hopefully we can keep this up! Ditto from above.

2nd in passing offense with 359.5 yards per game. NMSU is first with 419 ypg!

7th in total offense with 477.5 yards per game.

43rd in scoring offense with 29.5 points per game. It's still early! Future opponent Purdue is 3rd with 45.33 points per game.

119th (LAST) in the nation in penalties with 11 per game. I hope this is just an early season anomaly.


Individual stats:

Colt Brennan is 2nd in the nation in total offense with 338 yards per game.

Ryan Grice-Mullen(ins) is 5th in the nation with 110 receiving yards per game.

Davone Bess is 14th with 99 yards per game

Colt Brennan is 22nd in the nation in points responsible for with 15 per game.

Leonard Peters is tied for 2nd in the nation with passes defended with 2 per game.

Video of Post-Game Press Conference

I noticed that the Honolulu Advertiser just posted video of the post-game press conference. There a link at the top of this page, between the headline and Stephen Tsai's name.

UPDATE: The audio is really hard to hear. Sounds like they just used the on camera mic. Also, the Quicktime movie keeps cutting out for me. Oh well. Maybe it improves as it goes on.

Hawaii vs UNLV Newspaper Wrap-Ups

Dave Reardon writes about the Warriors' defensive "D-omination."

Stephen Tsai's article has this bit of information.

The Rebels' first touchdown came when the Warriors had only nine defenders on the field.

What?!?! I gotta go back and see that again.

And from the same article, there's this:

Inside linebacker Adam Leonard, who made UH's defensive calls, said: "Leonard Peters and the other seniors inspired us. We know the pain he's going through, and all of the things he's going through to be out there. For him to play through that, to play for us, he's a real hero. We fed off that."

Adam Leonard and Leonard Peters, the best Wheel of Fortune Before & After puzzle ever.

Speaking of which, Stacy Kaneshiro highlights Adam Leonard's performance. Sounds like Adam did a great job calling the defensive plays in place of Solomon Elimimian. The article also has this painful quote from Leonard Peters, who talks about jumping to deflect a pass:

"I think the angels were helping me on that," he said. "Every time I jumped up today, my rib was popping out. But I had two angels lifting me up on that play."

Man, I hope those angels can fix that rib problem too.

And Ferd Lewis has a great column on just how amazing LP is.

"If the whistle blows, I'm playing 'til they carry me out," became the Peters mantra.

When he picked off Rocky Hinds' pass in the third quarter, Peters said, "I thought about pitching it off (to a teammate). I mean, man, I was having trouble breathing and my ribs were aching. But the rest of the boys on the defense were throwing blocks for me and I just had to take it back then."

What a fighter! Get better Leonard!

Jason Kaneshiro writes about the great job the slotbacks did.

Nick Abramo writes about UNLV's overall performance.

Defensively, as is the case when most visitors come to Honolulu to play the Warriors, UNLV didn't have an answer for all of Hawaii's zigging and zagging receivers.

"Actually, we were prepared for that," linebacker Beau Bell said. "But our scout team couldn't simulate Hawaii's quickness. Hawaii looked quick on film and they really are that quick. We had to adjust to that speed and quickness and it took a while to do. And we just didn't rally to the ball."

Dayton Morinaga writes about Nate Ilaoa's great 104-yard rushing performance last night, with a quote from Reagan Mauia.

"The running game was awesome," Mauia said. "The o-line was blocking their butts off and Nate was awesome. That's the only word to describe Nate."

And what two words best describe Reagan Mauia?

The Juggernaut!

Jim Leahey actually called him "the bull" last night, while referring to the entire offense as "a juggernaut". That was close, but noooo!!! Reagan is "The Juggernaut!" Not the bull! And the offense can only be referred to as "The Awesome". Jim Leahey, you can do it!

The Star-Bulletin staff also writes about Nate Ilaoa's and Reagan Mauia's excellent performance. The article also highlights an incident where Jerry Glanville made Keala Watson apologize to the official after a personal foul penalty.

"I said, 'He's (Keala Watson) not that type of guy,' " Glanville recalled. "He's the nicest guy in the world. If he pushed a guy, I'll make him apologize."

Watson, who said he hit a man too hard and too high accidentally, and Glanville walked over to referee Al Novak.

"It was something that Glanville made me do," Watson said.

"The ref really seemed to appreciate it," Glanville said.

How did he react?

"He was like shocked that someone would actually do that," Watson said with a sheepish smile. "I learned from that mistake."

That's hilarious! But it's a pretty cool thing for Glanville and Watson to do.

Kalani Simpson analyzes the game in the way only Kalani Simpson can. He says bring on the Broncos!

Ferd Lewis and Leila Wai write that a lot of reserves played last night. Did Jazen Anderson play? Didn't see him.

And FINALLY, here's a quick wrap-up from the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Hinds was constantly on the run even though Hawaii (1-1) mostly used a three-man rush while flooding the defensive backfield. So when Hinds dropped back to pass, he often had no open receivers, and the Warriors were able to beat UNLV's offensive line without need of a blitz.

The Warriors flustered Hinds to the point where he even missed open receivers, and finished 13 of 37 for 166 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.

Let's bring this D to Boise! GO WARRIORS!!!!

Hawaii 42, UNLV 13

Wow! That looked too easy. I know UNLV is a talented team, so this is a great win. Rocky Hinds did not look good out there at all and I wonder how much his knee was bothering him. Nonetheless, the Hawaii defense looked awesome. And Leonard Peters, what a fighter! Playing through the pain and taking that interception back for a touchdown! You could tell he was hurting but didn't let it get to him. Brad Kalilimoku looked like he had a great game as well. The UH first team offense was clicking for all three quarters they were out there. Bring on Boise State! Here are some unofficial final stats for this game:

Colt Brennan was 24 of 35 for 296 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also rushed 6 times for 27 yards and a touchdown.

Tyler Graunke was 8 of 9 for 65 yards, and he rushed 4 times for 20 yards.

Nate Ilaoa rushed 9 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns!

Reagan Mauia rushes 6 times for 33 yards.

Davone Bess caught 10 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Ryan Grice-Mullins caught 7 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.

Right on! GO WARRIORS!!!

Live Blogging: Hawaii vs UNLV

All times Game Clock! The game starts in about 20 minutes!!! I will be liveblogging the game below and I'll try to keep up with most of the plays. I may not have the time and yardage correct, but that's what the post-game official stats are for!

1st Quarter:

15:00 - Hawaii will receive. Kickoff moments away!

15:00 - Ross Dickerson and Kenny Patton are back to receive.

15:00 - Kenny Patton takes it to the 35 yard line!!!

14:38 - Colt Brennan passes to Ryan Grice-Mullins to the 48 yard line! First down!!

14:00 - Brennan scrambles into UNLV territory to the 36 yard line! First down on the 16 yard gain!

13:32 - Brennan to Bess to the 22 yard line!!!

13:27 - Brennan to Bess to the 11 yard line. 2nd and 1!

13:22 - Nate Ilaoa takes the hand off to the 7 yard line for the first down!!

12:56 - Brennan throws a TOUCHDOWN PASS to Ryan Grice-Mullins!!!!

12:55 - Daniel Kelly kicks the extra point. Hawaii 7, UNLV 0!

12:40 - Rocky Hinds will start the game.

11:17 - Hinds passes to Ryan Wolfe for 38 yards. Sorry, the feed is not working correctly right now.

10:39 - On 3rd and 13, Hinds almost throws an interception to Leonard Peters!!!

10:19 - Crap, my feed is crappy. UH has the ball back on their own 32!

9:53 - Brennan to Bess to the Hawaii 37.

9:15 - Brennan to Chad Mock to the Hawaii 46 for the first down!!!

9:01 - Brennan to Mock to the UNLV 46!!!

8:20 - Mauia takes it to the 39 for the first down!!!

7:45 - Brennan passes to Grice-Mullins and he takes it to the 7!

7:30 - Brennan to Bess for the TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

7:29 - Hawaii 14, UNLV 0

6:35 - 3rd and 7 on the UNLV 31, and Adam Leonard tips the pass!!! Gotta punt!

6:16 - Chad Mock takes the punt but gets immediately hit. UH will have the ball back on their own 17, I think.

5:55 - From the Hawaii 15, Brennan throws his first incomplete pass of the game. Mock dropped it!

5:39 - Brennan to Ian Sample to the 23 yard line. 3rd down and 2.

5:05 - Brennan throws wide of Davone Bess. Gotta punt. Man, that was the first bad pass by Brennan.

5:02 - Kurt Milne punts it to the UNLV 34 yard line where it is fair caught.

4:54 - Rocky Hinds throws it into traffic and the pass is incomplete. Man, Leonard Peters doesn't look injured!!! Looks like he tipped the pass.

4:31 - Short pass to David Peeples and he takes it for a 19 yard gain. Wow, he's quick.

4:10 - Another pass to the 33 yard line.

3:45 - Brad Kalilimoku with the sack!!! 2nd and 15.

3:15 - Errr offsides....although it looked like false start.

2:54 - Peeples for no gain. 3rd and 10.

2:18 - Adam Leonard with the tipped pass!!! UNLV is going for it on 4th down.

2:13 - Pass incomplete! UH takes over on their own 33.

1:57 - Brennan to Bess for negative yardage. Loss of 8. He had no room to run.

OKAY. Sorry about this. The feed is not working correctly.

Apparently Brennan threw a pick. UNLV has the ball at the start of the:

2nd Quarter:

15:00 - From the Hawaii 38, Rocky Hinds throws, and there's pass interference on Kenny Patton.

14:51 - Ikaika Alama-Francis tips the next pass. 2nd and 10 on the Hawaii 36.

14:44 - Peeples takes it to the 30.

14:15 - On third and 4, Hinds throws INCOMPLETE!

11:34 - Picking up, it's 1st and 10 on the 21, and Brennan gets tackled on a scramble.

10:44 - On 2nd and 14 on the 25, Brennan to Davone Bess who takes it to the UNLV 8!

10:40 - Brennan almost gets intercepted in the end zone. 2nd and goal on the 8.

10:34 - A pitch to Nate Ilaoa and he waltzes into the ENDZONE!!! TOUCHDOWN!!!!

10:34 - Dan Kelly with the extra point kick, but there's a penalty flag.

10:34 - The personal foul penalty is going to be assessed on the kick off. Hawaii 21, UNLV 0!

10:29 - Dan Kelly kicks it out of bounds on the kick off. Ball will be placed at the 50 yard line! Sheesh.

10:16 - UNLV takes it for a two yard gain to the sideline.

9:44 - A.J. Martinez makes a tackle for loss!!! Ball back on the UNLV 49.

9:06 - Rocky Hinds throws incomplete to nobody. 4th and 11. Gotta punt!

9:06 - Bess is back to receive. Ball is left to bounce and is downed on the UH 7.

8:55 - Brennan to Bess who takes it to the Hawaii 29 yard line!!!

8:19 - Hand off to Ilaoa, who takes it to the UNLV 49!!! 22 yard gain!

8:10 - UNLV player is injured on the play. Time out.

7:49 - Brennan gets tackled after a short scramble. UPDATE: (Nate actually had a pretty long run that was called back) Holding on the play. 1st down back on the Hawaii 39.

7:20 - Hand off to Ilaoa and he takes it to the UNLV 46!

7:15 - Brennan to Grice-Mullins to the UNLV 17!!!!

7:05 - Reagan Mauia to the 14 yard line for a 3 yard gain.

6:32 - Brennan scrambles around and dives to the 1 yard line!!!!! Holy CRAP!

6:02 - Brennan takes it on a run for a TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

5:58 - Dan Kelly kicks the extra point. Hawaii 28, UNLV ZERO!

5:03 - UNLV has the ball and Rocky Hinds completes a long pass to the Hawaii 28.

4:50 - Hinds completes a pass to the 25.

3:13 - Okay, feed is back to pissing me off.

2:50 - Hawaii has the ball back on their own 16, and Brennan throws it incomplete to the sidelines.

2:34 - Another incomplete pass. 3rd and 10.

2:21 - Hawaii has to punt.

1:52 - UNLV will have the ball back on the Hawaii 46.

1:18 - Somehow it's 4th and 10. I missed it. I think they're going for it.

0:51 - Hawaii gets the ball back and Reagan Mauia takes it for a big gain.

0:07 - Brennan throws an interception deep into UNLV territory.

0:00 - UNLV will just let the clock run out.

HALFTIME - Hawaii 28, UNLV ZERO.

Some stats at the half:

Colt Brennan is 18 for 27 for 229 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

Nate Ilaoa has 6 rushes for 74 yards and a touchdown!

Reagan Mauia has 5 rushes for 29 yards.

Ryan Grice-Mullins has 5 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown.

Davone Bess has 8 receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.

Oh by the way, I've found out that lots of people are having trouble with the Hawaiian Telcom feed. Here's their e-mail address:

support@hawaiiantelmedia.com

I guess there really is nothing like being there!

3rd Quarter:

15:00 - Daniel Kelly kicks it off and Eric Wright takes it to the 31 yard line. Penalty against UNLV, personal foul. So they'll take it on their own 16.

14:32 - Leonard Peters with the interception!!!! AND HE TAKES IT FOR THE TOUCHDOWN!!!!

14:32 - Personal foul on Brad Kalilimoku. Penalty will be assessed on the kickoff.

14:32 - Dan Kelly's extra point is good! Hawaii 35, UNLV ZEROOOOOO.

14:31 - On the kickoff, Eric Wright takes it out to the UNLV 43 yard line.

14:15 - UNLV runs it to the UNLV 49. 2nd down.

13:39 - Lawrence Wilson with a tackle for loss back at the 48!

13:00 - Peeples takes into Hawaii territory to the UH 45.

12:41 - Short gain to the UH 43.

12:10 - Hinds throws incomplete. 3rd and long.

12:02 - Hinds throws incomplete again. 4th and 8 on the UH 43. Will they go for it???? No. Hahaha.

11:58 - Myron Newberry is back to receive. And the ball is downed by UNLV on the 1 yard line. Wow.

11:43 - UH will have it on the 4 yard line. Pass incomplete to Chad Mock.

11:33 - Handoff to Reagan Mauia, who takes it to the 8 for a short gain.

10:50 - Brennan to Grice-Mullins for a first down to the 15!

10:23 - Brennan to Grice-Mullins to the 21!

9:46 - Brennan throws incomplete to Grice-Mullins. 3rd and 4.

9:42 - Brennan with a short pass to Bess, who runs it for the first down to the UH 44!

9:25 - Penalty on Dane Uperesa, false start. Ball on the UH 39.

9:07 - Brennan with a swing pass to Mauia for a short gain.

9:00 - Brennan to Bess, who takes it to the UNLV 40 yard line!!! Nice juke!

8:52 - Nate Ilaoa takes the hand off and he bulls his way to the 24 yard line!!! Wow!!!

8:20 - Shovel pass to Ilaoa to the 14!

7:50 - Hand off to Ilaoa to the 7 yard line! Mauia was a blocker on that.

6:57 - And Nate Ilaoa just walks into the endzone for a TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

6:57 - UH is absolutely destroying UNLV. PAT is good. Hawaii 42, UNLV ZEROOOOOOO!!!

6:56 - Dan Kelly kicks off and UNLV takes it to their own 36.

6:33 - Hinds completes a pass to the UNLV 45.

6:03 - Hand off taken to the UNLV 48 for the first down.

5:46 - Hinds overthrows a deep pass. 2nd down.

5:35 - UNLV takes a run to the UH 48. 3rd down and about 6.

5:30 - Hinds completes a pass to the Hawaii 42. 1st down.

5:15 - Hinds completes a pass over the middle to the 26.

4:50 - Hand off for no gain.

4:14 - Under too much pressure, Hinds throws the screen pass away.

4:07 - Hinds completes a pass to the 11 yard line. Come on UH, gotta preserve the shutout!!!

4:01 - Hinds throws incomplete over the middle.

3:56 - Running back takes it to the 2 yard line. Shutout in jeopardy.

3:52 - And Peeples just walks into the endzone. CRAP!!!

3:51 - PAT is good. Hawaii 42, UNLV 7.

3:51 - Ross Dickerson takes it to the 23 on the kickoff return.

3:25 - Tyler Graunke is in the game!!! And there was a delay of game. Back to the 18 yard line.

3:05 - Graunke completes a pass to Dickerson to the 35 yard line!

2:44 - No gain for David Farmer on the swing pass.

2:05 - Graunke on a keeper to the 40 yard line. 3rd and 5.

1:20 - Graunke just barely missed on a long pass to Aaron Bain. GEEEZ. Gotta punt.

1:13 - Kurt Milne punts and UNLV takes it back to the UNLV 34.

1:00 - Hinds completes a pass for negative gain. Ball on the UNLV 33.

0:22 - Hinds passes incomplete. 3rd and 11.

0:18 - Hinds completes a pass to the 44. 1st down.

0:00 - End of 3rd quarter. Are you telling me there's a whole nother quarter to play??? Hawaii 42, UNLV 7.

4th Quarter:

14:49 - A.J. Martinez with a nice tackle for loss on a pitch!!

14:15 - David Veikune with the sack of Rocky Hinds out of bounds!

14:07 - 3rd and 24 on the 30. Hinds throws long. 4th down.

13:52 - Ball is punted and is downed on the Hawaii 31 yard line. The Graunke comes back out!

13:44 - Graunke to Jason Rivers, who makes an acrobatic catch on the sideline! Ball on the UNLV 48!

13:27 - Graunke scrambles and runs it to the UNLV 24!!!

13:08 - Shovel pass to Siave Seti to the 20. That's a big dude!

12:30 - Graunke passes to Michael Washington to the 13 yard line!

12:00 - Bubble screen to Jason Rivers for a short gain.

11:22 - Graunke to Dickerson to the 2 yard line!!!

11:09 - Seti lumbers for a 1 yard gain.

10:42 - Seti up the middle for no gain. 3rd down and goal on the 1.

9:50 - False start on UH. 3rd and goal on the 6 yard line.

9:20 - Graunke completes a pass to Bain to the 1.

9:04 - Graunke fumbles on a pitch and UNLV recovers.

8:50 - UNLV running back is stuffed.

8:15 - Short pass to complete for UNLV. 3rd and 6 on the 15.

7:39 - Timeout UNLV.

7:32 - UNLV's new QB Shane Steichen completes a pass across the middle for a big gain. Ball on the 38.

7:14 - Steichen completes another pass over the middle for a big gain.

6:51 - Ball on the UH 46, pass incomplete.

6:45 - Steichen carries the ball to the 34 yard line.

6:24 - Steichen overthrows. 2nd down.

6:18 - Short pass taken for about 7 yards to the 27. 3rd down.

5:26 - Pitch out, but the Warriors gang tackles the RB. They're short, but they're going for it!!! Ball on the 25.

4:49 - Peeples takes it inside the 25 for the first down.

4:47 - Timeout Hawaii.

4:31 - On a sweep, the UNLV gets a short gain on like 10 broken tackles! But little damage.

4:22 - Pass incomplete to the sideline.

4:16 - Pass incomplete over the middle. 4th down on the 21.

4:13 - They're going for it. And the ball is batted away by Gerard Lewis!!!

3:50 - UH gets the ball back and Tyler Graunke fumbles it away. UNLV recovers inside the 20.

3:34 - From the 17 yard line, UNLV runs it to the 15. The ball is loose, but UNLV recovers.

2:34 - Steichen passes for a touchdown over the middle. Well, it is the second string.

2:34 - The PAT attempt is blocked!!! And then there's chaos as the ball is lateraled around.

2:34 - Desmond Thomas was the one who blocked it. Anyway, UNLV will kick off. Hawaii 42, UNLV 13.

2:30 - Dickerson takes the kickoff to the 26 yard line.

2:16 - Inoke Funaki is in the game! Watch for some option plays.

1:52 - Funaki takes it for a short gain.

1:45 - Funaki completes a pass to Michael Washington to the 38 yard line.

1:40 - Funaki powers his way on a quarterback draw to the 50 yard line!!! First down!!!

1:10 - David Farmer takes it to the 35 yard line!

0:41 - And Funaki takes a knee. That should be it.

0:00 - A really really impressive win by Hawaii. This is good momentum going into next week's game against Boise State. FINAL SCORE - HAWAII 42, UNLV 13

Ways to Follow the Hawaii vs UNLV Game

In Hawaii:

Go to Aloha Stadium!

Watch it on Oceanic PPV.

You can also go to a sports bar and get drunk.

In Vegas:

On KLAS-TV (Channel 8)

Outside of Vegas or Hawaii:

Streaming video (Windows Media) from Hawaiian Tel Media for $9.95, or $39.95 for all UH home games except Purdue.

Streaming audio from Sports Radio 1420 AM.

Live game stats from the Hawaii Athletics Football home page. The link is in the right column. Here's the direct javascript link. UPDATE: That didn't work.

And I may be liveblogging it since I am on the FUTGAS list. That's right, the Financially Unable To Go Aloha Stadium list. Nah, I could probably afford to go, but I am currently not on Oahu right now. I just like the FUTGAS acronym. But if you can, you definitely need to go! Need to get attendance in the high 30s! And the Warriors going do the haka for you! GO WARRIORS!!!!

GameDay: Hawaii vs UNLV

It's Saturday! And that means in about 11 hours, the Warriors will suit up against the Runnin Rebels in UH's home opener. To pass the time, here are some news articles to peruse through.

Dave Reardon's gameday preview has a quote from Colt Brennan regarding the UNLV defense.

Brennan's decision-making and accuracy will be put to the test as the athletic Rebels are expected to play quite a bit of man-to-man coverage.

And the pressure will be on.

"One thing I noticed is they're a zone blitz team," Brennan said.

"So even though they do play a 3-3-5, a lot of those guys are coming. Last year they really wanted to keep it underneath their coverage, an umbrella. But there will be some opportunities to go over the top."

Here's a snippet from Stephen Tsai's gameday preview.

For the first time since signing as UH head coach in 1999, Jones is going to platoon the wideouts, making substitutions every other play. "We're two deep there, and all of them have (started) games and been productive, so I feel comfortable doing it," said Jones, who is not concerned the frequent substitutions will hinder the receivers' flow.

"It gives us a chance to always be fresh out there and hopefully wear out the d-backs," Sample said. "We bring different things to the table. It will be a good way to keep (the Rebels) guessing."

I think it's a great idea. Look some long bombs to the wideouts tonight!

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has a short preview. Sounds like UNLV will be all business:

"We live in Las Vegas," Rebels tailback Erick Jackson said. "Going out to Hawaii, it's beautiful and whatnot, but when it comes to game time and you see that black and green (Hawaii's colors) come out or we go into that locker room, it clicks on.

"It's going to be all the minds on the game, (rather than) where we are."

Stephen Tsai has another article, which talks about the injuries on both teams.

"We have a lot of hurts, here and there, but except for Solomon, I anticipate everybody will play," Jones said.

UNLV quarterback Rocky Hinds also is expected to play, despite leaving last week's game in the second quarter because of a sprained right knee. Hinds, who transferred from USC in 2005, practiced the past two days.

Great to hear Nate Ilaoa is healthy after suffering a concussion during the Bama game. But the bad news from that article is that Jason Ferguson had another setback.

Ferguson recently complained of soreness in his right knee. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed excess scar tissue.

Ferguson went to Los Angeles Tuesday, and underwent the 45-minute arthroscopic surgery the next day.

"I went back to the bat cave to get my equipment fixed," Ferguson said.

Good luck to Jason as he recovers from surgery and continues to rehab his knee.

Dave Reardon has an article in which Jerry Glanville praises Solomon Elimimian, who will be out with a knee injury, but as reported earlier, should be in the coaches box tonight.

"That's a coach on the field," defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said. "That's a guy that makes a lot of calls. That's a guy that's so intelligent, he knows the rules better than the officials. Forty-one knows the rules so well, he tells me, in Alabama stadium, in front of 90,000 people, which official doesn't know the rule so I can go talk to him."

I really hope Jerry knows his name.

And from the same article, I like Colt Brennan's confidence, but I'm not sure he should be saying things like this out loud:

"They have good athletes, but Alabama has great athletes. We've seen great athletes," Brennan said. "Their athletes shouldn't worry us in any way. We respect their defense, but it shouldn't be anything that gets us off sync or worried. We should just go out there and do what we do."

I don't think it's meant as a dig, but it can be read by the UNLV defensive players that way, and that's all that matters. Oh well, he's the one who has to play against them, so maybe it's all a part of his strategy!

And finally, Kalani Simpson has an column that starts out profiling Dennis McKnight and his special teams work, but then suddenly stops and goes onto some random news and notes. But they're interesting at least.

Anyway, it's gameday. GO WARRIORS!!!!!!!

Predictions for the UNLV Game

POST-GAME UPDATE: I've put the results (as "RIGHT" or "WRONG") next to my predictions in bold.

Once again, I shall make some predictions for the upcoming game. Last time I only got 5 out of 16 correct. By the end of the season, I will have a perfect game. Please feel free to add your own!

1. Colt Brennan will throw for over 400 yards. (WRONG)

2. Ryan Grice-Mullins will have over 150 receiving yards with a touchdown. (close but WRONG)

3. Nasty Nate Ilaoa will score two touchdowns. (RIGHT!)

4. The Juggernaut, aka "Reagan Mauia" will score a touchdown from the two yard line, knocking a DB backwards in the process. (WRONG)

5. Ross Dickerson will have 60+ yard kickoff return. (WRONG)

6. Amani Purcell will have a sack. (RIGHT!)

7. Ikaika-Alama Francis will have two sacks! (WRONG)

8. Davone Bess will throw a touchdown pass!! That's right, Davone Bess! (WRONG)

9. Tyler Graunke will play and have a 20 yard run along with a 20 yard pass. (RIGHT and RIGHT!)

10. A.J. Martinez will have an interception. (WRONG)

11. Jacob Patek will also have an interception. (WRONG)

12. Rocky Hinds will not start. (WRONG)

13. Colt Brennan will not throw up. (RIGHT)

14. UNLV will score early, but will only have a field goal in the second half. (WRONG)

15. UH will score in all 4 quarters. (WRONG)

16. UH will win! (RIGHT!!!)

Go Warriors!

Corners

Dave Reardon writes that while A.J. Martinez and C.J. Hawthorne will start at corner on Saturday, there will be a lot of rotation going on.

Defensive backs coach Miano said Gerard Lewis, Myron Newberry and Ryan Keomaka performed well enough in practice this week to play tomorrow.

"We don't know who's going to get the majority of the reps," Miano said. "We'd like to get them all in there and see who plays better."

Glanville said Keenan Jones will start the game on special teams. The highly regarded JUCO transfer could get into the game as a corner, too.

Don't forget about our utility man Brad Kalilimoku!

And Jerry Glanville didn't like what former Warrior Travis LaBoy wrote in his "Life in the NFL" column yesterday. Here's what LaBoy wrote along with Glanville's reaction:

"If I had two big-time defensive end prospects as my bookends, I would let them get out there and rush the passer. ... Especially since those two guys are two of the better players on the team, limiting their game is like tying a race horse to a snow plow. I would let them get out wide and play, make plays, and create havoc ... ," LaBoy wrote.

When told of LaBoy's opinion, the steam nearly lifted the cowboy hat off Glanville's head.

"I don't know who Travis LaBoy is, but he's totally incorrect and totally wrong," Glanville said. "Our ends played their best game last week. And whoever Travis LaBoy is, he doesn't have a clue what we're doing. He needs to go get a playbook and start reading it."

Ouch! To be fair, LaBoy did qualify his statement, saying:

But what do I know, I am not a coach.

Jones and Jerry Glanville have more football knowledge in their pinkie fingers than I do.

I guess flattery didn't get him very far! Pretty funny. I'm sure they'll make nice nice. Or maybe he'll slam Glanville in his next diary. Stay tuned!

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And Kalani Simpson writes a column on unheralded running back David Farmer.

He's big but he's not another Ironhead. He can run pretty good -- he calls his running style "efficient" -- but he's not Nate. He's not another defensive lineman. There's nothing exciting about him. He has no great story, no home, no hook, no niche. Except that he keeps coming. Except somehow, the guy can just play.

It must not be easy being behind Nasty and The Juggernaut, but they're both graduating this year, and so next year will be the time The Farmer reaps his harvest!

Milne the Punter

Stephen Tsai profiles Kurt Milne, who talks about his bad game against Alabama.

"It wasn't just about dropping the snap," Milne said. "I had two pretty bad punts at Alabama, too. I think those (punts) upset coach (June Jones) a little more than dropping the ball. That was the big issue."

With last week's bye, Milne had extensive time to replay the mistakes. In a nudge to Milne's ego, slotback Davone Bess was allowed to punt during Tuesday's practice.

"This could turn out to be a good thing," Milne said. "It could push me to be a better punter."

I think he'll be booming it on Saturday. Unfortunately, that will all be during warm-ups because UH won't need to punt during the game! WOOOOO!!!!

The same article also has a short profile on Malcolm Lane, who's redshirting this year, but is earning praise from Jeff Reinebold.

But in the past two weeks of practices, Lane was asked to portray UNLV quarterback Rocky Hinds, who is 6 feet 5, 225 pounds and can run 100 meters in 10.4 seconds. Lane, who is 6 feet 2, has been impressive enough to make UH coaches search for loopholes in the redshirt agreement.

"We'll do what's in the best interest of the program, and that's always June's criteria, but man, oh, man, Malcolm is a weapon," said assistant coach Jeff Reinebold, who recruited Lane. "You see him in kickoffs or out there running around. He doesn't have any idea what he's doing, but he sure can do it fast."

He's gonna be a superstar for UH! Can't wait to see him on the field next year. I just hope he doesn't keep shrinking. I think earlier this week he was 6 feet 4! Hee hee!

Solomon Likely Out

Stephen Tsai writes that Solomon Elimimian will most likely sit out the UNLV game due to his sprained knee. But looks like he'll get some valuable experience in the booth.

Although not ready to file sick-leave papers, Elimimian tentatively accepted a job as a spotter for Glanville. In that role, Elimimian would watch the game from the coaches' booth on the loge leve

We're gonna miss his leadership on the field, but this might help him and the UH defense in the long run. He'll be able to see the opposing offenses from a different perspective in real-time, which might help him spot things when he's back, calling plays on the field.

The article goes on to say that Adam Leonard will now be calling the plays for the UNLV game while Brad Kalilimoku will take over Adam's normal ILB position. Both are experienced and good linebackers, so that's good to hear.

Blaze Soares has a sprained ankle. Leonard Peters still vows to play despite his rib injury.

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Dave Reardon has an article about Dane Uperesa's dad, who is a coach for UNLV.

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Ferd Lewis has not one, but two articles lamenting the low ticket sales for UH's season opener. Sounds like there will be less than 30,000! We had 43K for Appalachian State in 2003 and 35K for Florida Atlantic in 2004. I believe both were Division I-AA at the time. That's strange. Pay-per-view sales are down as well. Maybe people are just buying more big-screen plasma TVs and going over to everybody's house. 50 viewers per house! I don't know.

Davone the Punter

Davone Bess might be backing up Kurt Milne.

Bess punted three times from around midfield during one of yesterday's special teams periods. He blasted a high 50-yarder into the end zone and a 40-yarder that died around the 10-yard line before shanking a wounded duck that drew "quacks" from the defensive linemen.

Bess, a former high school quarterback, capped off the sequence by taking the fourth snap, rolling to his right and throwing an incomplete pass.

Even if he doesn't punt, I bet he'll get in on a trick play sometime this season where he's passing the ball. Maybe Tyler Graunke will enter the game, and on the first play he'll hand off the ball to Bess on an end-around. Then Tyler will take off towards the end zone where Davone will find him wide open for the touchdown!!! Just remember, I called it!

And Doug Vaioleti won't be doing color commentary for K5 this season in order to run his construction company. He will be missed! He was so green his first season doing it, but he's improved ever since. Oh well, good luck to Doug. Maybe now David Maeva can do color? That would be cool! I remember him being super funny in interviews when he was a player.

In the same article, Leonard Peters vows to play in the UNLV despite his broken cartilage, which sounds painful!

Peters said he feels a constant "sharp" pain. "It feels weird because it feels like (the cartilage) is going to rip through your skin."

He wears heavy wrapping during practices. He said there is no medical procedure that can ease his discomfort.

"It hurts when I run and, oh, yeah, it hurts when I hit," Peters said. "I'm not trying to hit too much in practice. I'm saving it for the game, and let the adrenaline kick in. ... I'm going to play. There's no chance I'm not going to play. You can't keep me out. I would be even more hurt if I'm standing on the sideline."

Gotta admire him.

P.S. Best wishes to Reagan Mauia's dad as he recovers from bypass heart surgery. It was mentioned in Stephen Tsai's article.

Lead-Up to UNLV

UNLV QB Rocky Hinds has an injured knee and may not play against UH. Luckily, his knee injury is not serious, so there still may be a chance we'll see him.

The Warriors have had difficulty plotting schemes to slow Hinds, who is 6 feet 5, 220 pounds and can run 100 meters in 10.4 seconds. The Rebels use a variation of Florida's four-wide, spread-option offense, which was successful two years ago at Utah. Freshman Malcolm Lane, who is 6 feet 4, has portrayed Hinds during UH's defensive drills.

I think he'd be a great test for the UH defense, especially since we're playing Boise the week after. But if anything, shootouts are always fun!

From the same article, Stephen Tsai also has an injury report. Nate Ilaoa, who is recovering from a concussion, and Michael Lafaele, recovering from a heel injury, both practiced yesterday. But Leonard Peters (broken rib cartilage) and Solomon Elimimian (sprained knee) were held out. Peters says he should be practicing today.

In the meantime, Brad Kalilimoku is practicing in place of Elimimian at inside linebacker. Brad's played everywhere. As Dave Reardon writes:

Now he's the defense's utility man, a job he looks at with mixed emotions since he could end up at any one of five positions for any given practice or game. He practiced at outside linebacker one day last week.

"You never know. I've got to always study a different position and stuff. When you study a different position you have to have a different mind-set. Now I'm a linebacker, now I'm a safety," he said. "I want a home. But I'll go wherever the team needs me.

I called it! Starting corner against Boise!

And finally, Pete Fiutak of College Football News is excited about the upcoming October 21st NMSU-UH matchup.

Go to the bathroom; miss three touchdowns.
It might not be for the purists, but for sheer eye-candy and unbridled fun, you have to mark October 21st on your calendar for the Hawaii – New Mexico State game. The Aggie passing game has finally taken flight thanks to new QB Chase Holbrook, who leads the nation’s number one air attack averaging 427 yards per game. Hawaii only played one game, but Colt Brennan threw for 350 yards against Alabama.

The "purists" can go eat some balls for all I care. They're crotchety old fools who wish players still wore leather helmets and John Wayne was their daddy. I know change is hard! But don't let the evolution of football, or the world for that matter, "pass" you by! Ohohohoho!!!

BY-Who?

We could've played BYU on the road this season instead of Oregon State at home. Damn, I kinda wish UH was playing the Cougars.

"BYU wanted us to come there. I wanted a home game. That's why it didn't work," said Frazier, of the decision he made in February.

Sources at BYU, including assistant head football coach Lance Reynolds, said the Cougars wanted to start a series of games against the Warriors, including games at Hawaii, but UH balked.

"I guess there was resistance (on UH's end)," said Reynolds, who has coached at BYU nearly 25 years.

Frazier said UH will schedule BYU in future years, but would not disclose what years are planned.

We better start playing BYU again! If we can schedule UNLV five times over the next six years, why not BYU? I hope Herman understands that if BYU is scheduled, that's like 5000 extra tickets sold right there! Maybe more! You can do it Herman!

UH Press Release for UNLV Game

The UH Athletics Department has released their informational PDF for the upcoming UNLV game. It's chock full of information, like the Alabama one, with history, trivia, team records, ways to see the game, this week's practice schedule, etc. Lots of info!

McBriar to Owens

Former Warrior Mat McBriar punted several times to former teammate Chad Owens yesterday. Chad didn't have any huge returns, but he didn't muff any of the punts either. It's only a matter of time before he gets a chance to break one.

But Owens kept Dallas' coverage unit busy with a variety of moves. On two of his returns, Owens appeared to be just one missed tackle away from a big runback.

"I was close, man, I was close," Owens said, smiling but shaking his head in dismay. "The more the return unit plays together and the more we get (a) feel for each other and for how I play, we're going to start making it happen because we have a great group."

In current Warrior news, Jason Kaneshiro profiles starting strong safety Jacob Patek.

"His effort and work intensity are second to no one," Glanville said. "He's just a great character person, he chases the ball like (Warrior free safety) Leonard Peters and does everything the way you want it done, really.

WAC Roundup

The WAC was 2-5 this weekend, with Fresno's heartbreaker loss to Oregon capping off the night. But a nice come from behind win by San Jose State against Stanford. Nonetheless, looks like Play UP will have to wait another week!

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Here's the first installment of former Warrior Travis Laboy's weekly Life in the NFL diary.

Next week, I will give you the scoop on how the game went and a little shout out to my alma mater, the Hawaii Warriors. I watched my boys play the Crimson Tide last Saturday and while it was a tough loss for all of us, they looked good. Hopefully next year we will pick up my boy Samson Satele so I don't have to go up against him. I already have to go up against my main man Vince (Manuwai) twice a year and that is enough for me.

Also, Chad Owens will play for the Jaguars later today. Let's hope he has an awesome game!

Solomon

No news articles today, but Stephen Tsai writes in his blog that Solomon Elimimian received some good news regarding his knee injury.

Bye Week

Bleah. I guess I'll watch some WAC games. Let's go Fresno! Here's this week's schedule.

Boise State 42 Oregon State 14

Idaho at Washington State

San Jose State vs Stanford

New Mexico St. vs New Mexico

Utah State at Arkansas

Fresno State vs Oregon

Nevada at Arizona State

And to make it even more exciting, the NMSU game is the first stop of the WAC's 2006 "Play UP" Tour.

After a successful Tour in 2005, the WAC has continued its promotion of Play Up, announcing its nine football stops. The Play Up Tour heightens awareness for the WAC brand as well as reinforces the association between the schools and the WAC. The Play Up Tour seeks to improve the public and private perceptions of the WAC and its members through national, local and regional touch points.

It would help if WAC teams started winning against big teams from big conferences. I think before the BSU win, WAC teams had lost something like 20 straight games against teams from BCS conferences. Not good! So let's go WAC!

Kalilimoku Back

Brad Kalilimoku has completed the circuit and is now back at inside linebacker.

He was the No. 1 strong safety in training camp before aggravating the hamstring injury.

On Tuesday, Kalilimoku was moved to outside linebacker, a position he played as a freshman in 2004, when the Warriors used a 4-3 defensive scheme.

On Wednesday night, Glanville asked — and received — permission from head coach June Jones to move Kalilimoku back to inside linebacker.

"He's a hell of a player," Glanville said. "When I put him right back (at inside linebacker), he had a grin from ear to ear. He doesn't have to learn the outside anymore. On the inside, he's a starter. I had an easy job. I replaced one starter (Elimimian) with another starter (Kalilimoku)."

If UH ever needs a utility player on defense, Brad is the one to call! He'll be starting corner for Boise, watch.

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Speaking of Boise, they absolutely destroyed Oregon State 42-14 last night. The score is much closer than the game was, if you can believe that. Talk about getting manhandled. This BSU game in a few weeks will be a tough one. But I have confidence!

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The Scout Bowl was held yesterday, which gave an opportunity for the UH scout team and redshirts to go all-out in a full-contact scrimmage. Here are some highlights from Jason Kaneshiro's article

Quarterback Inoke Funaki connected with freshman Greg Salas for a 30-yard completion down the sideline and later hit Mitch Farney for a 35-yard gain.

Among the highlights for the defense was sophomore safety Kirk Alexander's interception, which he then lateraled to Rice.

Cornerback Keenan Jones and receiver Antwan Mahaley engaged in a personal duel that included several pad-popping collisions as Jones tried to jam the 6-foot-4 Mahaley at the line of scrimmage.

The scrimmage ended with defensive lineman Nathan Russell, a sophomore transfer, storming into the backfield to sack Brogan.

"It was really exciting," the Waianae graduate said. "A couple of times I came really close, and when the opportunity's there you have to seize it."

The Warrior stars of the future!

Links Updated

I added more links and organized them so they're not one big jumble of words on the right. Let me know if anyone has any suggestions, additions, etc.

Keenan, Juggernaut, LP

Jason Kaneshiro reports that cornerback Keenan Jones will likely see action in the UNLV game. He's busy catching up after being held out of fall practice due to red tape.

"They're running me ragged, but it's all for the good of the team," Jones said after catching his breath. "They're getting me familiar with the defense, knowing my assignments, and not only my assignments but the whole defense's assignments."

And from the same article, more evidence for the work-in-progress Juggernaut Quantum Duality Theory, with a quote from the one, the only:

"I was really happy that Coach trusted me right after the fumble. For him to call that (play), when I was in the huddle I was like, 'Coach knows I can do it and I'm going to do it.' "

Still, Mauia's main contribution was as a blocker, and he came away with two sprained thumbs for his efforts.

"The defensive ends didn't even want to rush on the outside because they knew I would be there," he said.

Emphasis mine. As the theory will posit, The Juggernaut is both an unstoppable force and an immovable object, and this shall all be revealed in the fullness of time.

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Stephen Tsai reports that Leonard Peters will play through the pain of the "broken cartilage" in his rib cage.

Peters said he suffered the injury during the third quarter of Saturday's 25-17 loss to Alabama.

He did not notify the trainers of the extent of the injury for fear of being removed from the game. He finished with 10 tackles and a forced fumble.

...


"I can play through the pain," Peters said. "I'm not going to miss any games. My legs are fine, and I can still use my arms. The only thing is (the injured area is) my core. It connects to everything. But I'll be all right."

He is the definition of "Warrior." What a fighter!

From the same article, here are some bits of news:

Redshirting freshman wide receiver Malcolm Lane, who is 6-4, is portraying 6-5 UNLV quarterback Rocky Hinds on the scout team.

Defensive back Keao Monteilh is also redshirting this season.

David Veikune is practicing at nose.

Moves

Stephen Tsai writes that Brad Kalilimoku, who switched from inside linebacker to strong safety for the spring and fall, has now moved to outside linebacker.

"He's fast, he's tough, and he'll hit you," said George Lumpkin, who coaches the outside linebackers. "He'll do good over there."

...

Kalilimoku joins a crowded competition. Against Alabama, UH rotated Tyson Kafentzis, C.J. Allen-Jones, Amani Purcell, Brashton Satele and Micah Lau at the two outside positions.

Mike Malala and Desmond Thomas now ascend to top backups at strong safety. Glanville also is moving freshman Spencer Smith from free safety to strong safety.

Hopefully Kalilimoku's hamstring heals enough for the UNLV game. The article also says that Jazen Anderson might see some time vs UNLV since he's doing well in practice, which included portraying Ken Darby on the scout team leading up to the Bama game.

Darby, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the previous two seasons, was held to 25 yards on 16 carries.

"(Anderson) really helped us get ready for Darby," said linebacker Adam Leonard, who was in charge of tracking the Tide's inside running back.

Good to see he's working himself back onto the team.

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Speaking of Bama, Herman Frazier is looking into scheduling them again in the future. Go Herman!

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And finally, linebackers Blaze Soares and Amani Purcell should be seeing more playing time.

UH coach June Jones was impressed by Soares' play on special teams and said he should see more practice time at inside linebacker leading up to next week's home opener against UNLV.

"He did very well on special teams ... speed, athleticism and hitting," UH coach June Jones said.

The Warriors' defense and special teams are looking better and better.

Run Stop

June Jones talks about how Hawaii did in the Bama game. There are many things to be optimistic about down the road.

"Our defensive line just played fabulously," Jones said. "(Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville's) got a good scheme against the run, he always has ever since I've known him. We had guys in the right place and sometimes we didn't. But having (safety) Leonard (Peters) back there the difference was they didn't go for a 70-yard run, he tackled them for an 8- or 9-yard gain."

Stephen Tsai writes that Nate Ilaoa is doing better after suffering a concussion during the game. Nasty says that he won't miss any games. Let's hope the doctors agree!

Tsai also highlights Reagan Mauia's performance in Saturday's game. June Jones says that he's a "powerful player". And it wasn't only because of his rushes and touchdown reception.

In the four-wide offense, the running back is primarily a backfield blocker. On one play against Alabama, Mauia froze outside linebacker Juwan Simpson, a top pass-rusher, with a two-handed shove.

On another play, a pass-rusher approached Mauia, who went into a blocking stance, and then retreated before contact could be made.

So it appears The Juggernaut is not only an unstoppable force, but an immovable object as well. He is a scientific paradox, a physical duality, defying the laws of nature as well as blitzing linebackers! It will take a new form of quantum mechanics to explain his powers!

Speaking of duality, freshman receiver Marquez Jackson is gonna play basketball for UH too.

Monday Quotes

The UH Athletics site has "Monday Quotes from Warrior Head Coach June Jones". Here's one of them:

On using the bye week to prepare for UNLV...
"It's (the bye week) is good for us. It takes a few more days to get ready for that offense. UNLV runs a Florida, Urban Meyer-type offense where they throw it a lot so the bye week will help. We'll have two weeks to get ready for it. You don't change what you do, you just get out there and prepare like you do for every game."

Sounds like it should be a good test for the UH defense.

Recovering

Stephen Tsai writes that Solomon Elimimian has a sprained right knee.

By definition, all sprains involve some degree of tearing or stretching of a ligament. Elimimian was checked by the team physician, who diagnosed the injury as "grade 1," the mildest in the three-grade scale.

"I have to take it easy," Elimimian said. "We have a bye this week. That'll be good. I'll be ready to go by the next game (against Nevada-Las Vegas)."

Thank goodness. Among the other injuries Stephen Tsai reports:

• Nate Ilaoa continues to recover from a concussion he suffered on a helmet to helmet hit.


• Leonard Peters has a rib injury, but won't miss any time.


• C.J. Allen-Jones is recovering from a hamstring injury.


• Michael Lafaele aggravated a sore left heel.

Glad we didn't have any major injuries. Hope everybody can recover in time for UNLV, who destroyed Division I-AA Idaho State 54-10 this weekend.

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Dave Reardon has an article about the Warriors' breakdowns in the first half, as well as his own breakdowns of five key plays from the game in a feature called "Warriors Replay". Come on, I deserve a little applause for that sentence.

I hope Dave continues this feature each week because it's a great idea. Each play is analyzed and then put into the context of the game to show how it was, or could've been, a turning point. And then there's a quote from a coach or player on their thoughts of the play. Really cool.

Not to be greedy, but it would be extra, extra cool if there was accompanying video of each play. I bet the Star-Bulletin has the technology to do that too. But there's probably rights issues, or bandwidth issues, or time issues, or a combination of all three along with others. Ooooh, but it's something to think about! One way to distinguish yourselves Star-Bulletin! You'd get major traffic! Or just put it on Youtube! It's all good!

Nonetheless, it's a great article, so go read it, and then fast forward your VCR to the play Dave is talking about.

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And finally, the Alabama players and coaches are complimentary of UH in this article.

"First of all, they're pretty good," Shula said after watching the Hawaii offense pass for 350 yards, the most ever by an opponent in the Shula era. "They understand 'man' concepts, they understand 'zone' concepts, they hit a couple of passes underneath. They do a great job of sending people deep and then throwing behind them. We just have to make sure we're in the right spot and tackle better."

...

"Hawaii is a great team. You can't take anything away from Hawaii. They have a great offensive line and a great quarterback and good receivers, so we knew they were going to get some points.

So that should be the last word on the Bama game. Nice way to close that chapter as UH goes into the bye week recovery and then in preparation for UNLV of the dastardly Mountain West!

Former Warrior NFL Cuts

Starting with the good news, Chad Owens made the Jaguars final roster. I hope he does well this season.

Now for the bad news. Timmy Chang was cut by the Eagles. I hope he'll be able to make it somewhere. Maybe CFL or Arena if he's not picked up by an NFL team, which doesn't seem likely. Good luck to Timmy.

Abraham Elimimian was cut from the Chicago Bears. Good luck to Abe as well.

Wayne Hunter was waived by the Jaguars, but then signed to the practice squad.

Other Observations of UH vs Bama Game

I just watched the game again, and here's a few things I missed or forgot to note, partly because I was somewhat "impaired" by the Colt 45, among other tasty beverages, I had during the game. Say no to booze.

1. Ryan Grice-Mullins had a great game. He also had "Grice-Mullen" on his jersey. So which is it? Grice-Mullins or Grice-Mullen? Either way, his value to this team is enormous.

2. Keith Brown absolutely killed us. He's a football player.

3. The clock management at the end was questionable. UH let the clock run down in the last minute and a half, and when they finally did take a time out, it was after the clock had stopped on a first down. They also ended the game with a timeout left. Nonetheless, UH couldn't complete the last three passes, so I don't know how much it would've helped.

4. Jacob Patek was in on almost as many plays as Leonard Peters. For his first game, and against Alabama, he was not too shabby!

5. On second viewing, Colt Brennan didn't look as nervous as I initially thought, except at the end, when he puked several times on the field. Despite all the drops, he had a 68% completion percentage.

6. Reagan Mauia lined up as slot/tight end on a few plays. That was interesting, and I wonder if they'll do that again.

7. Leonard Peters was back to receive Alabama's second-to-last punt in the 4th quarter. I hope that wasn't just for this game. I would love to see him take back a punt against UNLV. He'd be a frickin maniac! UPDATE: Turns out that Peters was back there to defend against the fake punt, but with June Jones, I wouldn't be surprised by anything!

Overall, it was a well played game by the Warriors. There were some mistakes, but those can be fixed in the next couple weeks. Things are looking up for this season.

Wrap-Ups

Here's the game wrap-up from the UH Athletics site.

Here's the wrap-up from the AL.com Press-Register.

Here's Dave Reardon's Star-Bulletin wrap-up, with a snippet about what went wrong:

The Warriors' woes in the first half were many. Two dropped passes by the usually dependable and often spectacular Davone Bess. A mishandled snap by punter Kurt Milne leading to a safety. A fumble by Nate Ilaoa that turned into three Tide points when Leigh Tiffin hit a 31-yarder, one of his three field goals.

"The fumbles really hurt us and the dropped punt," Jones said.

The Warriors were just fortunate the mistakes didn't cost them more.

"We weren't ourselves in the first half," Jones said. "You could tell we were nervous and stumbling."

Here is Stephen Tsai's Advertiser wrap-up.

UH coach June Jones was visibly agitated by the turnovers. "We ask them to put the ball away," Jones said. "That's the only thing I told them: 'Just finish with the football. I don't care how many yards you get. You can get a lot of yards, but finish with the ball. You have to take pride in that. That's the only thing you've got to do.' "

But to end on a positive note, Ferd Lewis has a column that looks on the bright side.

If the Warriors could shoot themselves in the extremities with three turnovers and a safety and somehow still be launching passes with a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, they had not left Bryant-Denny Stadium empty-handed for the journey. Or without hope for the young season.

As losses go this was one to draw from rather than be forever haunted by.

...

But in overcoming a clumsy start that could have doomed them to a lopsided ending, the Warriors got something to cling to for the open date and the season ahead.

If this helps the Warriors in the WAC, then it's a good thing. It still really sucks to lose, especially being that close against a great team on their home field. Coulda shoulda woulda. But here are some other positive things I noticed.

1. Dan Kelly looked really good kicking the football. That 42 yarder seemed like nothing to him. Let's hope he can be consistent.

2. Leonard Peters was delivering hits all over the field.

3. Ross Dickerson looked awesome returning kickoffs.

4. The defense stopped the run in the second half and held Bama to 125 yards for the game.

5. Reagan Mauia looked great on that touchdown catch and run, and I think he'll learn from that fumble to hold the ball better in the future. The Juggernaut shall rise!

6. Colt Brennan looked a little nervous, but he still had a great game. With the opening game/big game kinks worked out, he should have a spectacular season.

7. Adam Leonard led the team in tackles and had a sack.

So overall, you can look at it as a good game, especially if UH can learn from their mistakes. Bring on UNLV! Go Warriors!

P.S. Speaking of mistakes, I apologize for anyone who was following my liveblog last night. I left people hanging on the result of the final play of the game because I thought I had sent it through, but I didn't. So all that was onscreen for half an hour was:

0:07 - Brennan incomplete to the sideline. It looks like this is the last play of the game.

0:01 - One second left after an incompletion.

And that was the last entry for half an hour. Anyways, sorry about that. I'll learn from this mistake too!

Injury Report

Nate Ilaoa left the game after the first half with a concussion. They haven't said how serious it was, but I hope he's alright.

Reagan Mauia sprained both his thumbs and aggravated a sprained ligament in his left shoulder.

Leonard Peters had sore ribs, but should be okay.

And Colt Brennan threw up a few times and coughed up blood after a hit, but he should be okay as well.

Hawaii vs Alabama Stats

I guess those AP stats from right after the game were off. Here are some stats from the Honolulu Advertiser.

Colt Brennan was 30 of 44 for 350 yards, with 2 TDs and 1 INT

Davone Bess had 8 catches for 74 yards

Ryan Grice-Mullins had 6 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown

Ross Dickerson had 5 catches for 49 yards, and returned 4 kickoffs for 122 yards for an average of 30.5

Adam Leonard led the team with 11 tackles

Leonard Peters and Jacob Patek had 10 tackles each

Reagan Mauia had one tackle???? Really? UPDATE: The statistician may have confused him with A.J. Martinez, who also wears 34, and isn't listed on the chart.

UH had 22 yards rushing, with a big chunk lost on that Kurt Milne safety

Alabama had 125 yards rushing and 253 passing for a total of 378

Click on that gif for more.

Hawaii 17, Alabama 25

It was a hard fought game. Colt threw for 348 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The Juggernaut had a great touchdown RAC, although he did have that fumble near the goal line on another play. The Hawaii D got it together in the second half, especially in stopping Ken Darby. Unfortunately, Bama did great in passing the football, and the Hawaii offense seemed a bit nervous, with a lot of drops by the receivers. But overall, even though it totally sucks to lose, there's a lot to take from this game over into the rest of this season. What a game.

LiveBlogging: Hawaii at Alabama

All times Game Clock!

The game will be starting in a few minutes. I will try to keep up with every play if possible. You can always see live game stats at CBS Sportsline or ESPN.com, or see one of the options I posted below.

1st Quarter:

15:00 - Alabama won the toss and deferred. They kick off to Ross Dickerson and he takes it to the 50 yard line!!!!! So one of my predictions came true!

14:45 - Colt Brennan completes his first pass to Ross Dickerson(?) to the Bama 39 yard line!

14:30 - Shovel pass to Ilaoa to the 33 yard line!

13:50 - Another shovel pass to Ilaoa to the Bama 28.

13:10 - Quick hitch to Davone Bess for a few yards to the 22.

12:27 - Incomplete pass to Davone bess. It bounced off his hands on a crossing pattern. 3rd and about 4.

12:15 - Damn, Nate Ilaoa loses a couple yards on the rush. 4th and 8 on the 25. They're going for a field goal.

11:31 - Dan Kelly kicks a 42 yard field goal!!! There's another prediction come true! I'll shut up about that now.

NOTE - They're not very consistent about keeping the game clock on screen, so some of these are guesses. Hawaii 3, Alabama 0

11:30 - Dan Kelly kicks off and Javier Arenas takes it to the 21 yard line.

11:20 - First Bama offensive play is a hand off to Darby for 3 yards to the 24.

10:40 - John Parker Wilson completes a 10 yard pass to the 34 yard line. 1st down.

10:10 - Hand off to Darby, and he takes it to the Bama 43 yard line.

9:14 - Hand off to McClain and he takes it to the Hawaii 42.

8:50 - JPW completes a pass to Keith Brown to the Hawaii 21. He had all day.

8:30 - Quick hand off to Darby for a couple yards to the 18.

7:50 - Another hand off to Darby to the 14. 3rd and 4.

7:24 - Pass incomplete. 4th and 4 on the 14.

7:23 - The 31 yard field goal is good. Hawaii 3, Alabama 3. Hawaii needs to stop the run a bit more!

7:18 - Bama kicks off to Kenny Patton and he takes it back to the 22, but hold on, there may be a penalty.

7:05 - So because of the holding penalty, UH starts at the 11. Pass incomplete to Davone Bess. On that play Reagan Mauia lined up as a tight end. Penalty against Mauia because of a late hi. Ball on the 6.

6:49 - Nate Ilaoa rushes to the 24!!! First down!!!

6:10 - Shovel pass to Ilaoa to the 31! 2nd and 3.

5:23 - Crap, that's the second drop by Bess on a short route to the sideline. Was it Bess? I'll check. 3rd and 3.

5:22 - Short pass to Bess back to the line of scrimmage. 4th and 3. Dammit!

4:42 - Kurt Milne punts it away to the Bama 38, where it is downed by a Hawaii player.

4:30 - A Bama running back named Johns takes it to Hawaii 44.

4:10 - Looks like a ticky tack late hit after JPW ran it against Adam Leonard. Personal foul. Ball on the Hawaii 26.

3:49 - Johns takes it 4 yards to the 22. 2nd and 6.

3:10 - Johns takes it to the 18. 3rd and 2.

2:35 - Johns gets the first down, carrying it to the 14. Man, Hawaii can't stop the run.

2:10 - Bama takes a timeout. Come on Warriors! Let's get the stuff!

2:02 - Hand off to Johns and he takes it 8 yards to the Hawaii 6. Geez.

1:22 - Tim Castille takes the ball 1 yard to the 5. 3rd down.

0:37 - Castille with the hand off for no gain. 4th down and inches. I think they're going for it, but they're going to measure first...

0:00 - Bama lets the clock run down, so we'll have to find out what they're doing after switching sides. END OF FIRST QUARTER.


2nd Quarter:

15:00 - They're going for it... and Castille takes it to the 3 for the first down.

14:35 - And Castille scores a touchdown untouched......

14:30 - Extra point is good. Hawaii 3, Alabama 10. Come on Warriors!!!!!!

14:25 - Alabama kicks off to Ross Dickerson, who takes it from the 4 to the 26 yard line.

13:59 - Direct snap to Nate Ilaoa, who fumbles. Bama recovers. CRAP!!!!

13:31 - Bama has it at the Hawaii 28 yard line. Swing pass to Castille to the Hawaii 17 yard line for the first down.

13:00 - Short run by McClain to the 14. 2nd and 7.

12:09 - Incomplete pass by JPW. Looks like the receiver dropped it. 3rd and 7.

12:06 - WHOA!!! Pass to the end zone broken up in the end zone by A.J. Martinez!

11:55 - Bama misses the 31 yard field goal!!! Score remains Hawaii 3, Alabama 10.

11:53 - Hawaii gets it back on their own 14. We can't turn it over again!

11:50 - Bad snap by Samson Satele, and Colt Brennan gets sacked back to the 14.

11:31 - Yikes, Brennan evades pressure and throws it away. 3rd down.

11:05 - Pass intended for Rivers over the middle is incomplete. 3 and out....

10:27 - Kurt Milne punts a beauty, and its fair caught at the Bama 35.

10:20 - Castille runs about 44. Nice stop by Leonard Peters, even though it was a 9 yard gain.

9:50 - Darby is stuffed for a slight loss. Nice stop by Ikaika Alama-Francis. 3rd and about 1.

9:00 - Pass incomplete!!! And they're punting!

8:45 - Bama punts a beauty and it's downed at the Hawaii 1 yard line. Okay, here we go.

8:25 - Colt passes to Bess to the 15 yard line!!! Nice pass.

8:07 - That looked like an incomplete pass. My signal is messing up. 2nd and 10.

7:55 - Bess Brennan scrambles for a few yards to the 18. 3rd and 7.

7:50 - Falst start on Dane Uperesa. Really ticky tacky. 3rd and 13.

7:10 - Shovel pass to Ilaoa, and he takes it to the 26 for the first down!

6:36 - Ilaoa takes it to the 31 for a 5 yard gain. 2nd and 5.

5:53 - Brennan is nearly sacked and he throws it away, but he's called for intentional grounding.

5:53 - On 3rd and 17, Brennan gets hit and fumbles, but Ilaoa picks it up and takes it back to the 20.

5:20 - Ummmmmmmmmm, Kurt Milne bobbled the snap and then threw it into the end zone, where it was recovered by Alabama for a TOUCHDOWN?!?!?!?!

5:19 - But now they're reviewing the play....

5:13 - On the replay, it definitely looks like it was out of bounds. So instead of a touchdown, it's a safety. So it's Hawaii 3, Alabama 12, and UH still gotta kick it away.

5:13 - Dan Kelly kicks it away to Javier Arenas, who takes it to the Bama 45.

4:44 - JPW throws an incomplete pass to Keith Brown. 2nd and 10 on the 45.

4:24 - Johns takes it to the Hawaii 46. 3rd and 1.

3:40 - Castille takes it to the 44 for the first down.

3:14 - Keith Brown makes an amazing catch on the Hawaii 8 yard line, holding on after a vicious hit by Leonard Peters.

2:44 - Darby is dropped for a loss of 2. Ball on the 10.

2:03 - Darby takes it 4 yards to the 6. 3rd down and goal.

1:50 - Nice stop, JPW has to throw the ball away. They gotta try for the field goal.

1:24 - Bama makes the 23 yard field goal. The score is Hawaii 3, Alabama 15.

1:19 - Bama kicks off to Dickerson, who takes it to the 36 yard line. Come on, one minute drill!!!

1:06 - Quick pass to Davone Bess to the Hawaii 47!!!

0:50 - A face mask on Alabama moves it into the Bama 48.

0:37 - Shovel pass to Nate Ilaoa, and he takes it to the Bama 36!!!

0:30 - Short pass to Ryan Grice-Mullins is dropped.

0:30 - First hand off to Mauia, who takes it to the Bama 25. Timeout Hawaii.

0:24 - Pass incomplete to Dickerson. Another timeout.

0:18 - UH goes for it on 4th down at the 25, but Brennan can't find the open receiver and runs to the 25.

END OF HALF. The next half, we need to EXECUTE on both offense and defense if we're gonna have any hope. Score at the half: Hawaii 3, Alabama 15.


3rd Quarter:

15:00 - Hawaii kicks off to start the second half and it's a touchback. Let's get them to punt!

14:28 - Short pass to Darby to the 27 for 7 yards.

14:10 - Darby takes it to the 29. 3rd and 1.

13:13 - JPW with the quarterback sneak to the 31. 1st down.

12:50 - Rollout and pass to the tight end to the Bama 46 for the first down.

12:30 - Pass incomplete to the sideline, 2nd and 10.

12:15 - Hand off to Darby is stuffed by Mel Purcell. 3rd and 11 on the Bama 45.

11:23 - JPW completes a pass to Will Oakley to the Hawaii 35 for the first down.

11:20 - JPW throws a touchdown pass 35 yard touchdown pass to Keith Brown.

11:15 - Extra point is good. Hawaii 3, Alabama 22.

11:15 - Bama kicks off to Dickerson, who takes it the 30 yard line.

10:48 - Brennan throws incomplete to Jason Rivers. 2nd and 10.

10:33 - Brennan to Grice-Mullins for 8 yards. 3rd and 2 on the 38.

10:25 - Brennan to Jason Rivers to the Alabama 47! First down!!!

10:16 - Brennan to Ryan Grice-Mullins on a crossing pattern, and he takes it to the 18!!!

10:07 - Brennan can't find a receiver, so he takes it 9 yards to the 9 yard line.

9:32 - Brennan hands off to Mauia, who takes it to the 4, but HE FUMBLES!!! Bama recovers. CRAP.

9:30 - An offisides penalty brings it out.

8:30 - Castille takes it to the 14 for the first down.

7:53 - Ken Darby is dropped back at the 10 yard line by C.J. Allen Jones!!! 2nd and 14.

7:06 - Darby takes it back to the 14. 3rd and 10.

6:30 - Pass incomplete under pressure!!! 4th and 10. They gotta punt. Let's not turn the ball over again!

6:19 - Bama punts, and it is fair caught on the Hawaii 49 yard line.

6:11 - Brennan completes a long pass to Ryan Grice-Mullins to the Bama 18 yard line!!!!

5:40 - Mauia takes it one yard to the 17. 2nd and 9.

5:11 - A 17-yard touchdown shovel pass to The JUGGERNAUT!!!!!!!! WOW!!!

5:00 - Extra point is GOOD!!! Hawaii 10, Alabama 22. Nice YAC by Reagan Mauia.

4:59 - Hawaii kicks off and Bama takes it out to the 22 yard line.

4:30 - End around to the 30 yard line. 2nd and 2.

4:12 - Darby makes a nice five yard run, but there was holding on that play. It's coming back!!! 2nd and 12 on the 20.

4:03 - JPW completes a pass to Keith Brown to the 38. First down.

3:30 - Darby gets a short 2 yard gain to the 40.

3:00 - JPW completes a quick pass to the tight end to the Hawaii 44.

2:32 - JPW completes a pass to Will Oakley for 5 yards. 2nd and 5.

2:15 - WOW, Keith Brown was WIDE OPEN in the endzone, but JPW threw it out of bounds. 3rd and 5.

1:28 - Pass complete to the 30 yard line for the first down.

0:56 - JPW completes a pass to the tight end to the Hawaii 8 yard line.

0:30 - Hand off to Darby, but he's dropped at the 9 yard line.

0:00 - Time runs out on the quarter. Switch sides.


4th quarter:

15:00 - On 2nd and 10, JPW throws a touchdown pass to Keith Brown. But it looks like it's out of bounds. June Jones is having it reviewed....

15:00 - The call is overruled!!! 3rd and 10!

14:53 - Pass incomplete! 4th and 10.

14:47 - 27 yard field goal is good. Score is now Hawaii 10, Alabama 25.

14:39 - Bama kicks off, and Dickerson takes a touchback.

14:20 - Brennan to Davone Bess for 9 yards to the Hawaii 29.

13:30 - Pass incomplete as Brennan is hit. 3rd and 1 on the 29.

13:24 - Penalty. Looks like a false start. 3rd and 6 on the 24.

13:11 - Brennan completes a pass to Grice-Mullins, but it's short. Gotta punt.

12:45 - Kurt Milne kicks it and it's downed at the Bama 49.

12:24 - There was a penalty, so Bama gets it on Hawaii's 46, but on a hand off to Darby, there was holding on Alabama. 1st and 17 on Bama's 46.

12:13 - Pass complete to Brown for 11 yards. 2nd and 6.

12:00 - Pass incomplete. 3rd and 6.

11:59 - Pass complete, very close to the first down marker, but it's short.

11:15 - Bama's going for it on 4th and short, but they let the clock run down.

10:51 - Bama punts and it is downed at the Hawaii 15.

10:18 - Brennan completes a pass over the middle to Dickerson for 19 yards to the 34!

9:51 - Brennan to Bess to the 46 for another first down!

9:20 - Brennan overthrows a deep pass. Flag down.

9:15 - It was holding, so it's first and 20 on the 36.

9:04 - Bubble screen to Jason Rivers for 9 yards to the 45.

8:27 - Screen to Dickerson, but he's stopped at the line of scrimmage.

7:50 - Colt scrambles and completes it to Jason Rivers for the first down at the Alabama 39!

NOTE - Reagan Mauia was down on the field with a cramp, but he looks okay.

7:24 - Brennan passes to Dickerson, who takes it to the Bama 32.

7:12 - Brennan to Grice-Mullins, with an over-the-shoulder catch for the 32 yard touchdown!!!!!!!

7:10 - They go for one, and Daniel Kelly kicks the extra point. The score is Hawaii 17, Alabama 25. Come on Warriors with the defensive STOP!

7:04 - Hawaii kicks off and Bama takes it back to their own 20.

6:32 - Under pressure by Brashton Satele, JPW passes incomplete on a bootleg!

6:24 - Hand off to Darby, who is stopped after 2 yards. 3rd and 8. Come on with the STOP! The crowd sounds out of it, so let's keep it that way!

5:33 - Tipped pass is completed to Brown for the first down to the 32. DAMN!

5:06 - Johns takes it to the 35. 2nd and 7.

4:25 - Darby trips for a 1 yard loss. 3rd and 8 on the Bama 34.

3:40 - Delay of game on Bama, but the clock still runs down. 3rd and 13.

3:25 - Adam Leonard with the sack on 3rd down!!!!! Gotta punt from their own 29!

2:40 - C.J. Hawthorne returns it one yard to the 35, but there's a penalty flag. 10 yard penalty. So Hawaii will get it on their own 25.

2:39 - Brennan to Dickerson for 9 yards to the 34.

2:09 - Brennan incomplete over the middle, and it was almost intercepted on a deflection. Whew.

2:00 - Shovel pass to David Farmer for the first down to the 38!

1:48 - Brennan to Grice-Mullins to the Hawaii 49, but there's a holding penalty, which will bring it back.

1:27 - Shovel pass to Farmer to the 38.

0:59 - Pass to Grice-Mullins to the 44.

0:36 - Pass to Bess to the Bama 49. Wow, they're not taking a time out.

0:36 - Finally with the timeout. Sheesh.

0:28 - Brennan to the 34. Time stops at :28.

0:13 - Brennan runs to the sideline to the 26.

0:07 - Brennan incomplete to the sideline. It looks like this is the last play of the game.

0:01 - One second left after an incompletion.

0:00 - Sorry, Colt threw an interception to end the game. Thought I had sent that through previously.

END OF GAME - Hawaii 17, Alabama 25

Keys to the Game

UPDATE: This post has been bumped up because the game will be starting soon, and these are my keys to the game!

For Hawaii on Defense:

1. Contain the run. If UH doesn't slow down the Bama running game, it'll be a looooong night.

2. Pressure the quarterback. This is John Parker Wilson's first college start. He may be poised and talented, but if UH can get to him, they might be able to force him into some mistakes due to his inexperience.

3. Cover the tight ends. This is Bama's secret weapon. They haven't utilized their tight ends the past few years, but all signs point to things changing this year, starting with this game.


For Alabama on Defense:

1. Disguise coverages. Confuse Colt and try to force him into some bad reads and decisions.

2. Contain the run. A lot of people aren't expecting Hawaii to run the ball, but with talented and healthy running backs this year, they will.

3. Don't give up the big play. With Jason Rivers and Ian Sample back for Hawaii, there are two deep threats on either side of the field Bama needs to cover. Of course, there two proven playmakers, Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullins, in the slots who need to be worried about as well.


For Hawaii on Offense:

1. Establish the run. And by run, I also mean screens and shovel passes. Basically, give the ball to Nasty Nate or The Juggernaut. They're both very talented and are capable of breaking a few big runs. The Warriors will need to keep the D honest to open up the passing lanes.

2. Score in the red zone. UH has the ability to move the ball on anybody. But scoring in the red zone has been a problem at times. They can't let the crowd noise get to them when they get close to the end zone.

3. Don't let the crowd get to you. Just in general, 90,000 people screaming at you can unnerve any 19-year-old. They'll need to rely on each other and play as a cohesive unit, with everybody on the same page, both on the field and on the sidelines.


For Alabama on Offense:

1. Give the ball to Darby. This is a real football player, and UH defenses have had trouble with powerful tailbacks in the recent past.

2. Minimize pressure to JPW. It's important that JPW doesn't get hurried or sacked in the first couple series. Even though he played in relief last year, this is his first start as the #1 quarterback. He'll probably need some time to get settled and gain confidence. Handing the ball off a lot, and making short, quick passes or rolling out should keep the blitzing defenders away and allow him to get in rhythm.

3. Run time off the clock. Try to keep the ball away from the UH offense. With Bama's depth, long scoring drives will tire out the Hawaii defense faster.


So we'll see how it all plays out. I hope Hawaii is able to score some touchdowns early so Bama has to throw out their game-plan and play catch-up. Go Warriors!

Starting Lineup

Here's an unofficial(?) Hawaii starting lineup from Stephen Tsai's article this morning.

OFFENSE

LWR—84 Jason Rivers 6-2 192 Jr.

LSB—7 Davone Bess 5-10 195 So.

LT—70 Tala Esera 6-4 308 Sr.

LG—65 Hercules Satele 6-2 288 Jr.

C—64 Samson Satele 6-3 298 Sr.

RG—55 John Estes 6-2 290 Fr.

RT—72 Dane Uperesa 6-4 305 Sr.

RSB—1 Ryan Grice-Mullins 5-11 179 So.

RWR—82 Ross Dickerson 5-10 198 Sr.

QB—15 Colt Brennan 6-3 196 Jr.

RB—4 Nate Ilaoa 5-9 252 Sr.


DEFENSE

LE—98 Melila Purcell III 6-5 276 Sr.

NT—67 Michael Lafaele 6-0 302 Jr.

RE—91 Ikaika Alama-Francis 6-6 290 Sr.

LOLB—8 Tyson Kafentzis 6-1 230 So.

ILB—41 Solomon Elimimian 6-0 224 So.

ILB—44 Adam Leonard 6-0 236 So.

ROLB—33 C.J. Allen-Jones 6-1 224 So.

LCB—34 A.J. Martinez 5-10 179 Jr.

FS—42 Leonard Peters 6-1 217 Sr.

SS—31 Jake Patek 6-0 202 Jr.

RCB—19 C.J. Hawthorne 5-11 167 Jr.

Look for Brashton Satele and Amani Purcell on defense, along with Chad Mock and Ian Sample on offense to play big roles as well. 20 more minutes!

UPDATE: How could I have forgotten about The Juggernaut, aka Reagan Mauia? He'll play a big role as well.

Ways to Follow the Game

If you're in Hawaii, you can watch the game on Oceanic PPV or listen to it on AM 1420.

If you're on the mainland and you're not in Alabama or Hawaii, you can view the game on ESPN Gameplan, either on TV or online. You can also listen to the game on the Sports Radio 1420 website, which you'll have to register at. Not sure if you have to pay or not.

There should be live game stats at CBS Sportsline. I'll update the link when they have their Gamecenter up.

You can also follow the game online at the Sportshawaii.com official game thread, and I will be liveblogging the game as best I can.

Speaking of Sportshawaii.com, Irse has posted a Windows Media version of last night's June Jones Show. If you want to get pumped up for this season, go watch it! The second half includes a roundtable with Jim Leahey, Stephen Tsai, Dave Reardon and Bobby Curran. Good stuff. KGMB has done a great job.

Colt Can

Okay, first off all -- stay away from the booze! It's bad for you and it makes you do stupid things. For example:



Oh, and that's the least of it. You could, for example, end up throwing up on your girlfriend at her birthday party in front of everybody. I have no experience with that. But the point is, stay away from the booze!

That being said, here's what I bought for today's game.



Do you know why? Because Colt can! Somebody said that on Sportshawaii.com, so I can't take credit for it. But I will take credit for drinking this horrible tasting bastard in t-minus two hours! But remember, booze is bad for you! Go Warriors!

GameDay Previews

Stephen Tsai and Dave Reardon have gameday previews, both with a variation of "run vs shoot" as its title. Here's a snippet about the UH defense from Dave Reardon's article:

One of the key concepts is gap control, and it all starts with nose tackle Mike Lafaele. If he can consistently neutralize center Antoine Campbell and a guard or two, UH linebackers Solomon Elimimian and Adam Leonard are less likely to get tangled up with them and more likely to make a play on Darby if he can't find a hole.

He also mentions that a key match-up to watch for will be Ikaika Alama-Francis versus Andre Smith. I called it! Nah, I think everybody has mentioned this match-up at one point or another.

Here's a snippet from Stephen Tsai's preview regarding the special teams.

The Warriors have shaken up special teams, beginning with the return of Dennis McKnight, who was a full-time UH coach in 1999 and 2000 but now is serving as a graduate assistant. The Warriors have experimented with several kick-return schemes, including one involving two deep returners instead of one. On punts, Milne will join the action as a would-be tackler, instead of staying back 30 yards as a safety.

Although it would be fun to watch Kurt Milne lay out a return man, I hope he doesn't get the opportunity to do so. Pin em back like last time!

======

Tsai and Reardon also have articles about UH's visit to Bryant Denny Stadium. I like this quote by Colt Brennan from Reardon's article.

"You've got to expect to win every time, or you're never going to win. At the same time we have an unbelievable test in front of us -- Alabama, one of the most storied football programs in America," Brennan said.

"We've got a lot on our plate, they've got a lot on their plate having to replace most of their defense and with a new quarterback. I think it's going to be a great football game. I think it'll come down to who can pull it off in the fourth quarter."

I like the man's attitude. I also like this quote from Tsai's article.

"Alabamans tend to think their speciality, college football, is their own province," said Rich Megraw, an Alabama professor of American Studies. "Whenever kids from Alabama and kids from Hawai'i get on the same football field, we have serious expectations."

He puts it in a nice way, but I think the subtext is basically, "Bama better not lose to these kids from Hawaii! They don't take their football seriously!" Well, now I want the upset even more now! Go Warriors!

Game Day!

Are you excited? Damn right you are!!! Today's the day we've looked forward to since last December. It's the first game of the season against ALABAMA! Man, all I can think of is how great it would be to pull off the upset. It would be great for the team, great for the fans, great for football, great for the entire state of Hawaii! But no matter the outcome, this is an experience the players can take with them through the entire season. This is what June Jones says:

"This is a journey," Jones said. "Regardless if we win or lose, we're going to be a good football team. I already know that. We're here to win. But one game is not going to make our whole season. This is a great experience that will make going to Fresno and Boise seem like nothing when we walk in there."

Not that anybody is looking ahead. But if Hawaii wins today, they'll be unstoppable the rest of this season. Here's to going all out and pulling off the upset!

Predictions for the Game

POST-GAME UPDATE: I've put the results (as "RIGHT" or "WRONG") next to my predictions in bold.

Some of these are obvious. Some of these are insane! Anyway, here are my predictions for the game.

1. Bama will run run run run early on, trying to test the Hawaii defense as well as wanting to get John Parker Wilson settled in his first college start. (RIGHT)
   


2. Ken Darby will rush for 170 yards and two touchdowns. (WRONG)
   


3. When Bama does throw, they will try to get it to their tall tight ends as much as they can. 40% of Bama's passes will be thrown their way. (WRONG, though there some big passes to the tight ends.)
   


4. JPW will get sacked 3 times. (WRONG)
   


5. But he will throw a touchdown pass. (RIGHT)
   


6. Hawaii will also run run run in their first series, trying to throw Bama off and establish the ground game. (WRONG)
   


7. The Nasty and The Juggernaut will combine for 150 yards rushing with two touchdowns. (WRONG)
   


8. Colt will get sacked twice. (WRONG, sacked once)
   


9. But he'll have 30 yards rushing. (WRONG)
   


10. And he'll throw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. (RIGHT on both counts)
    


11. Ross Dickerson will have a 50 yard kickoff return. (I gotta say RIGHT even though it was only 48)
    


12. Ikaika Alama-Francis will have a sack (WRONG)
    


13. Jacob Patek will have an interception (WRONG)
    


14. C.J. Hawthorne will barely miss blocking a kick. (WRONG)


15. Dan Kelly will kick a field goal of 40 yards or more. (RIGHT)
    


16. Hawaii will win! (WRONG WRONG WRONG!)
    

I know some of these are way too specific, but I'm just excited. I'm going through all these different scenarios in my mind in anticipation of the game. I will revisit these predictions afterwards to see how many I got. I really don't care about the first fifteen though, I just want to get the last one right! Anybody have any predictions as well? Anybody? I'm bereft of comments! Game is 16 hours away!

Hyped

It's less than 24 hours before the game starts, and I'm getting butterflies. This will be a huge game for Hawaii. They're gonna play their heart out and leave everything on the field. This is a special team and they're gonna take the fight to Bama. I feel it'll be a close game, but of course I predict a Warrior victory! And so does the hairy oracle! You gotta believe!

One More Day

Dave Reardon reminisces about Hawaii's 2003 victory over Alabama with the players who were there.

Jason Rivers, a true freshman then, caught two passes for 10 yards. It wasn't one of his bigger games statistically, but he said the win helps him -- and his younger teammates -- believe UH can overcome the odds tomorrow.

"It does a lot for us as far as confidence. It lets all the new guys who think of Alabama as a powerhouse, it lets them know that they're beatable," Rivers said.

I hope all the Warriors feel this way. Confident, but not cocky.

Dave Reardon also reports that Amani Purcell and John Estes are still nursing some minor injuries, but everyone else should be good to go.

======

Stephen Tsai has a sort of official starting lineup for the Bama game in this article, which also talks about some Georgia recruits visiting UH practice yesterday. Here's the lineup:

The offensive starters are left wideout Jason Rivers, left slotback Davone Bess, left tackle Tala Esera, left guard Hercules Satele, center Samson Satele, right guard John Estes, right tackle Dane Uperesa, right slotback Ryan Grice-Mullins, right wideout Ross Dickerson, quarterback Colt Brennan and running back Nate Ilaoa.

On defense, the starters are left end Melila Purcell III, nose tackle Michael Lafaele, right end Alama-Francis, left outside linebacker Tyson Kafentzis, buck linebacker Solomon Elimimian, middle linebacker Adam Leonard, right outside linebacker C.J. Allen-Jones, left cornerback A.J. Martinez, free safety Leonard Peters, strong safety Jake Patek and right cornerback C.J. Hawthorne.

When the Warriors go to the nickel defense, strong safety Brad Kalilimoku replaces Leonard.

Sounds like a good lineup on both sides. Of course, things can change on gameday, which is in ONE MORE DAY!!!