Sugar Bowl News - 12/29/2007

Colt Brennan is looking forward to playing indoors.

"I love it," the University of Hawaii quarterback said before yesterday's practice when asked if he's looking forward to playing indoors. "I don't know what it is. The ball has a way of cutting through the air that you can't get when you play outside.

"I know our guys can't wait to run on that fast track. We're going to have an outstanding time throwing the football around in there. We're going to have some fun."

Ferd Lewis writes about Colt's Georgia doppelganger, Logan Gray.

"It isn't a bad guy to be as a quarterback," Gray said during yesterday's practice at the Superdome. "Hawai'i's offense is a fun one to play in, you have a lot of fun slingin' it around trying to be in his (Brennan's) shoes a little bit."

Georgia QB Matthew Stafford sounds like he's getting a little bit tired of all the attention getting paid to Colt.

“As this offense gets better and better and we grow, numbers will come,” Stafford said. “I’m not worried about numbers right now. I’m not trying to get drafted this year. I’m just trying to win games.

“That’s one of the biggest things I think the media do. They fall in love with numbers. It’s something to write about. Wins have always been, in my mind, the biggest thing you can judge a quarterback by.”

Pierce W. Huff of The Times-Picayune takes a look at the UH running backs.

Dave Reardon writes about the UH cornerbacks and how they're able to make plays in Greg McMackin's defense.

"Coach McMackin preached playing as a team, and that's what we did, all season," said Newberry, who intercepted a team-high four passes this year. "When he came in, he said I did a good job last year, but he was going to get me some help, I wasn't going to be on an island all the time."

Les East of the Advocate and WBRZ profiles the UH defense.

Statistically it can’t match the offense, but it’s much improved from last season and has played a part in Hawaii compiling the nation’s only undefeated record heading into the Allstate Sugar Bowl game against Georgia on Tuesday night in the Superdome.

“When you have a great offense and a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback and you’re putting up great numbers, the defense is going to be overlooked no matter how good it is,” linebacker Solomon Elimimian said Friday. “But we’re comfortable with what we’ve done. We’ve won games on defense this season.”

Paul Arnett looks at the matchup between the Georgia offense and the UH defense.

Stafford believes the Hawaii defense is going to gamble by blitzing in certain situations. He feels the key for the Bulldogs is to stay out of third-and-long downs so as to counter the Warriors' penchant for coming after the quarterback.

"They do some strange things on third down," Stafford said. "The only team that blitzes as much as them is Georgia Tech, and they come after you on every down. I think if we can stay out of those third-down situations by moving the ball on the first two downs, we should be all right. They have a great offense, but their defense is good, too."

Stephen Tsai talks to Greg McMackin about this D that does strange things.

"These guys are really smart," McMackin said. "Because they're really into it, and they know their roles, they do what they're supposed to do. I'll call 'nickel' or 'stack,' and they're all out there when they're supposed to be."

McMackin ran the same defense when he was coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks.

"(The Seahawks) had more time (to learn plays) because they didn't have school," McMackin said. "We're using three-fourths of what they were using, which is outstanding. We've been able to do things that really haven't been done in college."

Arnett writes about Greg McMackin's two favorite teams.

"The two most special football teams are the one I coached here in 1999 and this one," McMackin said. "It's not even close."

Arnett and Reardon have some additional news and notes.

Michael Tsai talks to many of the UH fans who are in New Orleans for the game.

Stephen Tsai writes about Warriors wearing lavalavas.

"That's what I'm going to do for the rest of my life: wear my lavalava around," Patek said.

Even in his hometown of Victoria, Texas?

"If people ask, 'What's wrong with you?' " Patek said, "I'm going to say, 'Hey, I'm from Hawai'i.' "

Here's an AP blog about Michael Lafaele wearing one.

Here's an AP profile of June Jones, how he came back in 1999 and turned around the program despite bare-boned facilities, etc.

"If (money) was a factor, I would've stayed in San Diego," Jones said. "I always felt the opportunity to do what you want to do in a place where you want to be was worth more. I've been talking about it for 25 years, coming back here and coaching."

Jones insists it's the people of Hawaii that brought him back and they are what keeps him there.

"It's a great place, nothing quite like it," he said.

Matt Hurst of The Press-Enterprise profiles Ryan Grice-Mullins (Mullen).

"I can't say enough about the people here," Grice-Mullen, who caught the winning touchdown pass against Washington to preserve Hawaii's perfect season, said by phone. "Everywhere you go, I'll be in the grocery store, they're just thanking me. Football is that big on this island. Just to know they care about it just as much as you do and support you -- it's a great feeling."

Ferd Lewis profiles dangerous Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno.

Carter Strickland of AJC talks to a couple of psychics in the French Quarter, who make some game predictions.