NMSU, Margin of Victory, Mouton, Kicking Game

Here's a preview of Saturday's game from Teddy Feinberg of the Las Cruces Sun-News.

New Mexico State head football coach Hal Mumme has a unique philosophy on how to defend Hawaii: score points.

"Score a whole bunch," Mumme said. "You gotta really outscore them. You're not really gonna stop them. I've seen very few people hold them and actually stop them, hold them to a couple touchdowns even."

Ferd Lewis hopes for a lot of scoring as well, just not by New Mexico State.

Here come the Aggies and a matchup the Las Vegas oddsmakers tell us carries an over-under betting line of 79-80 points. But while the heart pleads for an arenaball offensive overload, the mind counsels "defense" first.

The ones that are topped by UH caps, anyway. The ones that keep sight of the bigger picture for which a Bowl Championship Series appearance is the prize.

In an 8-4 season it matters little in the national picture whether UH wins close or going away. But this season, as we have been reminded by the BCS rankings each of the last two weeks, the ground rules are different.

Colt Brennan thinks margin of victory is overrated.

"The only people who are saying that are people who are just complaining because we're doing well," Brennan said of the Warriors' victory margins. "The truth of the matter is, a win's a win, no matter what."

Brennan noted the Warriors' three losses in 2006 were by a combined 18 points.

"What does that say?" he said. "Does that mean the teams we lost to, just because they were close games, they shouldn't get credit? I think that's a stupid, stupid statement. It has some weight to some degree, but it's a very minute fact when you're comparing how good a team is."

Amen. I think this is a great time to point out that Kirk Herbstreit is a boto.

Dave Reardon writes about the injury status of Ryan Mouton, who has been cleared to play, but the coaches remain cautious.

"It's one of those situations you have to be careful with," UH defensive backs coach Rich Miano said. "Is he healthy enough to help you? Is he going to re-injure it? Is the bye week going to help? It's not my call, but it's nice to have him out here because he's a talent and he can help us down the stretch. We just don't know if the stretch starts Saturday or two weeks from now."

Mouton practiced yesterday and said he felt "comfortable" afterwards. Defensive coordinator Greg McMackin said he looked "good," but he and head coach June Jones weren't expected to decide if Mouton will play Saturday until after today's practice, at the earliest.

And Reardon profiles the UH kicking unit.

Kelly -- a junior in his third year as UH's starting kicker -- has always been talented. But some problems with short kicks got him benched on PATs toward the end of last season. Now he's added consistency, and his chemistry with Grasso and Ingram has made the routine, well, routine.

"We just get along, good teammates, good friends," said Kelly, who is Grasso's roommate at home and on the road. "We hang out at Jake's (family house in Mililani). He has a pool.

"All three of us have the desire to be better than what we are. That alone is probably the best thing for our chemistry."

Both Reardon and Tsai have updates on the players whose families were affected by the fires in San Diego. All the best to them.