Game Week: Oregon State - Wednesday News

Here's a press release with game info and notes (PDF) from HawaiiAthletics.com.

Scout.com has a UH vs OSU "matchup notebook."

The Sports Network has a game preview.

Ferd Lewis reports that OSU coach Mike Riley proposed a series of home-and-home games with UH.

UH athletic director Jim Donovan said "it would be great for us and them, I think."

UH officials are expected to talk with Oregon State at Saturday's nonconference game in Corvallis.

Riley said he favors extending the series, "because we obviously recruit there. We also have a number of alums and boosters and friends over there."

Jason Kaneshiro profiles defensive tackle Joshua Leonard.

He was able to maintain his speed while packing on the weight, but attributes his progress more to his newfound comfort at tackle.

"I'd say the confidence alone makes me a hundred percent better, knowing I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing," said Leonard, who led the team with three fumble recoveries and blocked a field goal against Washington last season. "You're just reacting, you're not thinking or anything."

And the quote of the day:

"(Leonard's) got a little son that's a stud. I'm going to start recruiting him right now," McMackin said. "He's right with (former UH lineman) Mike Lafaele's son. Those are going to be my two defensive tackles 16 years from now."

Stephen Tsai writes about Josh Leonard's hunting skills.

When he was a kid, he killed about 90 ground squirrels during a two-day period.

He once shot a boar, which scampered away. The group never found it.

"We ended up losing the blood trail a half mile down the road," he said.

Tsai also writes about Vaughn Meatoga and Tuika Tufaga, who are on the two-deep at defensive tackle due to injuries to Fale Laeli and Rocky Savaiigaea. There's also other news and notes, including Brysen Ginlack practicing at first-team left guard and Dustin Blount probably redshirting.

Jason Kaneshiro talks to Laupepa Letuli about trying to rehab his injured shoulder in time for the OSU game.

As the Hawaii tackle works his way back from a shoulder injury, he plans on spending as much time as he can in the training room prior to the Warriors' departure for Oregon.

"I'm going to live in there when I'm not in classes and meetings," Letuli said. "I'm going to rehab all this week before we leave and do the best I can to help the team because this is a big game."

The article also has injury news on the running backs and other info.

Leila Wai has a Homegrown Report about the Hawaii-born players on the Oregon State team.

"Growing up in Hawai'i and watching UH football, they were a group of players that I always looked up to," Hardin said. "I get a chance to play against them, and I'm really excited to take on the Warriors, a group I idolized as a kid."

Gary Horowitz of the Statesman Journal writes that the Beavers are at a crossroads.

A loss Saturday to Hawaii would make the Beavers 0-3 for the first time since 1996, with No. 1 USC coming to town Sept. 25.

Talk about a sense of urgency.

"The last couple years it took a couple games to get rolling and the offense to click and the defense to click," offensive guard Adam Speer said before Tuesday's practice. "We'd better get it to click right about now or we'll be in trouble."

"I'm pretty sure we're going to put it together this week," cornerback Keenan Lewis said.

Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune writes about the OSU defense trying to get it together.

After losses at Stanford and Penn State, Oregon State is 110th among 118th D-I teams against the run, yielding 224.5 yards a game. That’s a far cry from a year ago, when the Beavers were No. 1 nationally.

The Beavers lost their entire starting front seven, so maybe it’s not so surprising. Still, two poor performances against the run don’t mean that the situation can’t be turned around.

“We have the talent to get it done,” senior middle linebacker Bryant Cornell says. “We all believe that.”

“Hawaii will spread you out and isolate you,” Riley says. “It will be a major test of overall defense for us.”

“It’s the same old Hawaii offense,” Kristick says. “They kept it in the family. They’re going to pass the ball. They have the same plays they had a couple of years ago. We’re going to be ready for it. It’s a little bit different because you play against it only once a year, but we’ll adapt to it.”

And in his column, Eggers worries about an 0-5 start for OSU.

The O-line has been OK, but Riley didn’t try to go vertical with the passing game even once against Penn State. It must have been because he didn’t trust the blockers to protect QB Lyle Moevao, who was often under pressure, even though the Nittany Lions rarely blitzed.

“Every game is must-win, but yeah, it’s a must-win game, especially at home,” he said. “We have to come out and dominate. We can’t just win; we have to have a great outing against Hawaii so we can have some momentum.

“We have a lot of things to shore up, especially on the defensive side of the ball. To get a win would be a tremendous boost for our team’s confidence. Our focus should just be on getting better, being there for our teammates who need a pick-me-up.”