GameDay: UH vs Louisiana Tech

CC compiles game previews from KHON and KGMB, which include interviews with Inoke Funaki, Keao Monteilh, Aaron Kia, Greg Salas and Keala Watson.


Stephen Tsai's gameday preview has breakdowns of the offense, defense and specialists for both teams.

Jason Kaneshiro's gameday preview has breakdowns, stats, probable starters, and this key matchup:

Hawaii special teams vs. LaTech special teams

The Warriors tightened up their kick coverage in their last two games and caused a fumble in their win over Fresno State. Maintaining that aggression while minding their assignments will be a key to containing LaTech returner Phillip Livas, who leads the WAC in all-purpose yards.

Louisiana Tech has returned just five punts this season, but ranks fifth nationally with an average of 20.2 yards per attempt thanks to Livas' 57-yarder for a touchdown against Southeastern Louisiana.

Hawaii's Ryan Mouton broke loose for a 90-yard return last week and should get his opportunities as LaTech kicker Brad Oestriecher has just one touchback this season. But Louisiana Tech leads the WAC in kickoff coverage, stopping returners at the 22-yard-line on average.

Ethan Conley of the News-Star has game info, notes, keys to victory and top matchups:

After starting three different quarterbacks this season, the Warriors have settled on Inoke Funaki, who has more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (three). Hawaii has been turnover-prone as a whole, coughing the ball up 18 times. Tech's defense — the worst in the NCAA at defending the pass (344.5 yards per game) — must continue the trend and force Funaki into some poor decisons.

Jimmy Watson of the Shreveport Times talks to LaTech linebacker Quin Harris about facing Hawaii.

"Hawaii is a great team with a good scheme that works well for them. It's different coaches, different players," Harris said. "Hawaii's like, 'this is what we're gonna do. Try and stop it.' We'll definitely have to work on our pass defense and our pass rush. It'll be a big week for the defense and the entire team in general."

Tech (2-2, 0-1 WAC) is hoping to rebound from last Wednesday's 38-3 dismantling by Boise State. Harris believes Hawaii will be a little easier to prepare for due to a simpler offense.

"We know they'll run the spread and the zone. They'll throw the ball a lot," Harris said. "It's not like Boise, lining up, shifting and all the extra stuff that goes on with their stuff."

Jason Jones of BleedTechBlue.com writes that the offense is key for LaTech.

In order to win, The Bulldogs will have to run the ball. Coach Dooley said the run game was a problem against Boise State. “Their defensive line whipped us up front and that was a problem all night, physically,” explained Dooley. “They hit us pretty hard and we couldn’t knock them off the ball and that made it pretty tough to run.”

In a game preview from the LaTech athletics website, Dooley talks more about the Bulldogs offense.

"What is interesting about this year's offense is that we are getting more big plays (than last year)," Dooley said. "Last year we couldn't get a play over 10 yards. We just haven't been capitalizing on them and scoring points, especially in the road games. Our throwing and catching has been bad. The numbers don't lie."

Ferd Lewis writes about the hurdle tonight's game presents on the road to another WAC title for UH.

What UH's upset of 22-point favorite Fresno State last week did was keep the Warriors in contention to repeat their conference title. But just barely. The San Jose State loss was UH's mulligan and the Warriors used that up in the conference opener.

So, from here on out, history tells us there is little room for slip-ups since nobody has won — or shared — a WAC football title with more than one loss in the last eight seasons. And, the betting is that this year won't be any different.

I've heard Boise fans are a little upset because Coach Mack says no team will go undefeated in the WAC.

"I think we're right in the thick of things now," Hawaii coach Greg McMackin said. "I think anybody can win the WAC because I don't believe there's anybody that's going to go through the WAC undefeated ... I think the WAC is wide open."

Oh well, we'll deal with that next week. As Coach Mack says, talking about the team's rules:

"We have a few rules: a don't embarrass-the-program rule, a 48-hour rule (to move on from the previous game), and we have a rule to play one game a week," Warriors head coach Greg McMackin said. "And believe me, they won't be looking ahead of anybody. Last time we were home we didn't win. So they're going to be focused on Louisiana Tech."

Stephen Tsai profiles Inoke Funaki, and has a funny story about a heckler in Fresno.

"Potato dumpling!" the Fresno heckler repeatedly yelled last week as quarterback Inoke Funaki made the walk to the Hawai'i football locker room after the Warriors' road victory.

"I don't know what a potato dumpling is," Funaki said. "I'll take it as a compliment. It sounds like a really delicious food."

It was a reference to a gnocchi (pronounced noh-kee) potato dumpling, which was a play on Funaki's first name, which was an acknowledgement that Funaki had made a name for himself. Hecklers do not research second-tier players.

When Chawan Cut was in the stands at the Florida game, he heard a Florida kid kept asking, "When is Okeefenokee gonna play?" Okefenokee is a swamp in Florida. Anyways...

Dave Reardon writes about the brewing rivalry between UH and LaTech.

Booking the Bulldogs as homecoming patsies tonight looks like another of the little arrows fired at both sides over recent seasons -- and let's just say they're not from Cupid's quiver.

The source of this warm-fuzziness is the 2003 game, when, in the Bulldogs' view, the Warriors celebrated a little too hard on their field after winning in Ruston. It boiled over again last year as UH was docked 15 yards for doing the haka. Then Davone Bess alleged that barrister Dooley swore at him, questioning his courage for running out of bounds. Dooley, through a spokesman, denied it.

Toss in three close losses for LaTech, two of them at home, and you have a fully fueled feud.