Game Week: Boise - Tuesday News

HawaiiAthletics.com has a press release with game notes.

Via CBS Sportsline, here's a game preview.

Boise State ranks seventh in the nation in scoring defense, allowing an average of 11.2 points. The Broncos have given up seven points or fewer in four of their five games.

The short week of preparation, though, may not be enough time for the Broncos to iron out their problems on offense. Boise State fumbled four times versus Southern Miss, and quarterback Kellen Moore threw an interception.

"Most of the mistakes we made were just mental things," Broncos running back Ian Johnson said. "I don't know if it was the humidity, or the food, but it seems like something got into our head. Those are some of the things that are uncharacteristic of Boise State and we are going to go work on that so those things won't happen again."

Chadd Cripe of the Idaho Statesman profiles Inoke Funaki.

Cripe also has a scouting report on UH. Here's an excerpt about the Warriors D:

The defense is the heart of this Warriors team - and it's loaded with star power. End David Veikune (37 tackles) and linebackers Solomon Elimimian (43) and Adam Leonard (24) were All-WAC first-teamers last season. Elimimian was the preseason WAC Defensive Player of the Year.

It's an aggressive, big, physical defense that held the Broncos to 332 yards and 101 rushing yards last year in Honolulu.

However, the Warriors have struggled this season. They have allowed at least 190 rushing yards four times, including 255 to Florida and 318 to Fresno State, and at least 400 total yards three times.

Jason Kaneshiro writes about the return of Fale Laeli and Rocky Savaiigaea to practice yesterday.

Savaiigaea initially suffered a tear in the muscle during the first week of fall camp. He missed the first three games of the season and reinjured his arm in his return against San Jose State.

"It's not as major as the first one, but it's still a tear," Savaiigaea said. His season would end if he opted to have surgery, but decided to give it another shot.

Stephen Tsai writes how Francis Maka had to give up some money to play again this year.

"Right now I'm not on scholarship," Maka said. "I would have received a player's scholarship if I received the word earlier (from the NCAA). But then (the Warriors) gave away the last (football) scholarship to Libre, which I think he deserves. He's a great player. By me playing, I can't be on the manager's scholarship."

But Maka said the opportunity to play again is worth the price.

"If I look back on it, I'd pay a lot of money to get my year back," Maka said. "Just to have a chance to play again, I'm ecstatic."

Tsai also talks to Libre about getting the scholarship, writes that Victor Clore will not play this week due to a knee injury, and has other news and notes.

Jason Kaneshiro writes about the emergence of Greg Salas.

With Hawaii locked in a second-quarter tie with Louisiana Tech, receiver Greg Salas left the huddle with a few extra words for quarterback Inoke Funaki.

"He was like, 'If you don't see anything just put it up there and I'm going to go get it for you,' " Funaki said.

With Funaki's first option -- a short route to slotback Aaron Bain -- covered, Salas' words echoed in his mind and he put his trust in the sophomore wide receiver in firing a pass to the corner of the end zone.

Sure enough, Salas rewarded Funaki by outdueling his defender to pull down the throw for the go-ahead score and the Warriors went on to a 24-14 victory.

"I just told him he can trust me," Salas said. "We do it all the time in practice and it finally carried over to the game."

Kaneshiro writes that work on the new Cooke/Ching field has started but won't be done until December at the earliest, and has a great quote from UH commit Jordan Loeffler:

Loeffler said he had been in contact with several Pac-10 and WAC schools, but opted for a shorter flight.

"I gotta have my rice," he said.