Video: Washington State, Bess Highlights

Chawan Cut compiles the news from KITV, KGMB, KHNL and KHON. Lots of highlights and post-game quotes from Hawaii's 24-10 victory over Washington State. KHON's John Veneri also has some Davone Bess highlights from today's Dolphins-Rams game.

Warriors in the Pros: NFL Week 13

Miami Dolphins rookie receiver Davone Bess had 6 catches for 84 yards and returned a punt for 17 yards in a victory over the Rams. Here's what Sun-Sentinel columnist Ethan J. Skolnick had to say about Davone's performance:

Sunday, he put some Rams behind him, leading the Dolphins with six catches and showing the same stamina, sharp route-running and run-after-catch quickness that made him a staple of the free-flowing Hawaii offense. He gained 19 yards on a cross on third-and-9 to set up the first touchdown. He caught a 21-yard floater down the right sideline to set up the first field goal. And he got the Dolphins across midfield for the first time in the second half with a 37-yard reception.

Here's more from a MiamiDolphins.com wrap-up of the game:

Undrafted rookie receiver Davone Bess, who stepped into the starting role vacated by Greg Camarillo's season-ending knee injury, made some clutch catches on that drive and all afternoon. He finished with a team-high six catches for 84 yards, and his personal highlight was the 38-yard reception he made on Miami's second drive of the second half that set up Carpenter's 47-yard field goal.

Both Pennington and Sparano praised the youngster for his performance, especially considering his workload doubled from the previous 11 games when he was primarily used on third downs and as a slot receiver, and after the game he was pleased with how his own stamina held up.

"I felt good," Bess said. "In practice I take a lot of reps so it was just a matter of me transforming what I did in practice over to the game, so from a conditioning standpoint I was pretty good."

Bess was also profiled by Carlos Frias of the Palm Beach Post this morning. Some quotes:

"I never take this opportunity for granted," Bess said. "I find myself walking through these hallways looking at the pictures, like, 'I'm really here.' That keeps me motivated."

"Every challenge that you put in front on him, he kind of figured a way through it," coach Tony Sparano said. "You started to look at him and think he was a veteran player."

"He can catch a BB in the dark," offensive coordinator Dan Henning said.

Pisa Tinoisamoa had four tackles for the Rams.

After a breakout game against the Broncos last Sunday, Raiders receiver Ashley Lelie did not have a catch against the Chiefs... So let's go back and relive that Broncos game with Lelie, who was interviewed on The Silver & Black Show earlier in the week:



49ers defensive end Isaac Sopoaga had two solo tackles in a victory over the Bills.

Jason Elam was 2 for 2 on field goal attempts with a long of 40 as the Falcons beat the Chargers.

In some news from Thursday, Ikaika Alama-Francis had 2 solo and 1 assisted tackle as the Lions lost to the Titans.

Travis LaBoy had one solo tackle as the Cardinals lost to the Eagles.

Some bad news to report as Dane Uperesa was cut from the Colts' practice squad. Thanks to Jim for the heads up.

And Leila Wai had another article about Colt Brennan's life in the NFL so far.

Other CFB Scores, Week 14

Chawan Cut has updated his Opponent Scores and Schedules spreadsheet. Here are some of those scores as well as others of note from Week 14 of the college football season.

Boise State 61, Fresno State 10 -- Boise State finishes the season 12-0 with a blowout of Fresno, but will probably not be going to a BCS Bowl. Instead, some lame two-loss big-conference team will probably take their spot.

Utah State 47, NMSU 2 -- It was as if Brent Guy still had a job, with a nice win over the Aggies heading into next season. Whatever happened to NMSU's offense? Does Hal Mumme still have a job?

Georgia Tech 45, Georgia 42 -- It was as if the 1992 UH football team traveled to the future to avenge the 2007 team's loss to the Bulldogs. It's definitely plausible. Anyway, Georgia Tech rushed for 409 yards against a mighty SEC defense. Congrats to Paul Johnson's Yellow Jackets.

Navy 16, Northern Illinois 0 -- Ken Niumatalolo's Midshipmen pitch a shutout against NIU. Next up, Army-Navy game.

Cincinnati 30, Syracuse 10 -- Hawaii's next opponent, the BCS bowl-bound Big East champion Bearcats, come into Aloha Stadium riding a 5-game winning streak after dispatching Syracuse.

UH vs Washington State Wrap-Ups

HawaiiAthletics.com has a game summary of Hawaii's 24-10 victory over Washington State. It includes links to a box score and post-game notes and quotes. Here's one from Greg Alexander:

On earning the Hawai`i Bowl bid: “It feels good, especially with the way we started. We had to face two really tough teams at the beginning of the season, and we went through some adversity. We knew that a lot of the fans jumped ship early on, but we stayed together as a team. I have to credit the seniors. They really provided great leadership and I’m happy that we got that extra game for them.”

Congratulations again to the Warriors, fighting through all kinds of adversity to get to this point. As a sidenote, I'm not a cowboy, but I really want Virginia Hinshaw's hat.

Stephen Tsai's wrap-up of the game has some details of Coach Mack's post-game celebration.

In the party that was the UH locker room, surrounded by several defensive players singing, "We Are The Warriors," McMackin broke into a dance to celebrate the 24-10 victory over Washington State and accompanying berth in the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl.

"Great technique," left cornerback Jameel Dowling said.

Right cornerback Calvin Roberts added: "Man, I'd give him an '8.' It could use some improvement, but it was pretty good."

"Coach can dance — for an old man," defensive end John Fonoti marveled.

McMackin smiled, and said: "I think I hurt my knee."

As another sidenote, it would be awesome one day to hear the entire stadium sing the Warriors' victory song. Tsai's article also has links to photo galleries and video of Greg McMackin accepting the Hawaii Bowl bid.

Jason Kaneshiro has a game summary which includes some game stats, along with a wrap-up.

"I'm cherishing every moment down here and to know that I've got another month's work down here is definitely exciting for me," Hawaii senior linebacker Adam Leonard said.

Brian McInnis highlights the performance of receivers Greg Salas and Mike Washington. Here's an excerpt about Washington's Gatorade bath.

Later in the quarter, Washington was punished by Mattingly for making a 26-yard reception that brought the Warriors deep into WSU territory.

It turned out he didn't mind so much, despite getting tossed head-over-table.

"Oh yeah, it was refreshing. I got it in my face, my gloves, down on my legs, my body, my feet," Washington said with a grin. "I'm just humble and blessed that I didn't get hurt, 'cause it was kind of crazy."

Michael Tsai also writes about the performance of the receivers.

"Washington State did a nice job of disguising their coverages and making changes at halftime," said offensive coordinator Ron Lee. "This was a tough team because they showed a lot of different coverages, and that made it tough for us to read."

Tsai also has notes about Wazzu's Lesuma brothers, Dan Kelly and Greg Alexander.

Stacy Kaneshiro writes about Greg Alexander's performance.

"He's the reason our offense is in check right now," Salas said.

Alexander also scrambled out of jams long enough to find open receivers.

"Saved us," UH offensive coordinator Ron Lee said. "He made plays. He scrambled around and made the throws. He did all of that ad libbing. He does a lot on his own. He's big and he can see. He's got a strong arm. He played a heck of a game."

The Star-Bulletin has news and notes about Greg Alexander's INT-free streak coming to an end, the bizarre blocked field goal and eventual fumble by Washington State, UH finishing 2nd in the WAC, etc.

Nick Abramo has some quotes from Washington State's coaches and players.

"We couldn't control their quarterback," Washington State coach Paul Wulff said. "He scrambled out of trouble. We did some good things defensively. It's unfortunate we gave up some big plays and didn't have enough firepower on offense to counteract that."

The Spokesman Review has a game summary.

"I thought defensively we did some really good things," Wulff said in an interview on the Cougar Radio Network. "We gave up a couple big plays that hurt us and the quarterback scrambling in the first quarter picking up some key first downs was really the difference. And offensively we did some good things as well, but we just don't know how to do it consistently to put a good drive together."

Ferd Lewis has a column about the Alexander and the Warriors sealing the deal in a somewhat sloppy game.

"A win is a win," said Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl executive director David A. K. Matlin, who could have been the shivering spokesman for the 34,240 huddled under rain ponchos amid the Halawa rains.

Indeed, this one, the Warriors' seventh victory against five losses, was more notable for what it meant than the absence of artistry with which it was accomplished.

In a game littered with three field-goal misses — one of them blocked — and five sacks, the victory still delivers the Warriors to the Dec. 24 Hawai'i Bowl against a team to be named — probably Arizona State if the Sun Devils can finish with a victory over rival Arizona — and a third consecutive postseason.

And Dave Reardon has a Further Review column about how the Warriors held it together.

"What were we, 1-3?" You can't blame David Veikune for wanting to forget the beginning. "It was scary starting out that way. But leaders stepped up and helped turn around the team."

You got a sense that they wouldn't implode after the San Jose State loss, at home. Adam Leonard and Solomon Elimimian didn't set up a meeting for the next day, they held one right away. No one panicked then, and UH beat Fresno State. No one panicked after losing at Utah State, and now the Warriors have won three in a row and a week in Waikiki.

"They could've dispersed at any time," said coach Greg McMackin, now three-for-three in bowl appearances at UH (two as defensive coordinator).

Warriors in the Pros: Davone Bess on Yahoo!

Just saw this when I logged onto Yahoo a few minutes ago. Click on it for a larger image.



It didn't link to a story, just Yahoo Fantasy Football's live webcast. But pretty cool! Get Bess on your team!

Hawaii 24, Washington State 10

Guess what the Warriors will be doing Christmas Eve?



Awww yeah. Tonight's victory over Washington State guarantees UH a berth in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Great game Warriors! Congrats!

Some unofficial stats from the game:

• Greg Alexander was 19 of 34 for 315 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. He also rushed 14 times for 43 yards.


• Greg Salas had 7 catches for 131 yards and a touchdown


• Adam Leonard and Solomon Elimimian had 10 tackles and 1 sack each.

UPDATE: Here's a post-game wrap-up from the Advertiser.

Hawai'i (7-5) accepted an invitation to play in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Dec. 24.

The Warriors close the regular season next Saturday against nationally ranked Cincinnati.

Washington State finished its season 2-11.

Earlier in the day, the Warriors moved into a tie for second in the Western Athletic Conference at 5-3 behind Boise State (8-0). Nevada defeated Louisiana Tech, 35-31, today with both teams also finishing at 5-3 in the WAC.

And here's a wrap-up from Jason Kaneshiro.

UPDATE 2: Via ESPN.com, here's the AP wrap-up.

Ways to Follow the Hawaii vs Washington State Game

Bumped. GO WARRIORS!!!!


Being There:

UH fans can "Think Green & Save Green" on UH green apparel and game tickets to the showdown against Pac-10 member Washington State on Saturday, Nov. 29. The Rainbowtique stores (Stan Sheriff Center and Ward Center) will offer select green UH apparel for 20% off beginning Monday, Nov. 24, and will offer this discount until kickoff of the WSU contest. Individuals purchasing at least $20 in green UH apparel will receive a coupon for 50% off up to four tickets to the WSU contest. Fans are encouraged to wear their UH green apparel to the WSU game and help turn Aloha Stadium into a sea of green.

Buy tickets through HawaiiAthletics.com, or at Aloha Stadium.

HawaiiAthletics.com has info on fan promotions and ticket discounts.

The Aloha Stadium website has directions, parking and shuttle bus info.


Television:

In Hawaii, via Oceanic pay-per-view, channel 255. The KKEA audio broadcast can be heard on channel 884.

Oceanic has a list of some of the bars and restaurants that carry PPV this season.

It'll also be shown at the Ko'olau Stadium 10 Theatre in Kane'ohe.

Earlier this week, the game was listed on ESPN Gameplan, but looks like that's no longer the case.


Streaming Video:

Oceanic Cable will be streaming it live via their UH sports web video service. The game is priced at $12.56 on their schedule. There are some restrictions:

If you live in the state of Hawaii, you need to be a Road Runner customer to subscribe to the video streaming service. Individuals on the mainland or anywhere else in the world, do not need to be Road Runner customers.

Ordering is only available 1 hour leading up to the scheduled event.

Hawaii IPTV should also be streaming it live. To use this service, you cannot be a resident of Hawaii. You'll need broadband internet access, and you need to either buy a box to view it on your television, or use their webplayer to view it on your computer. The box costs $125 with a $25 setup fee. For either option, you need to purchase a subscription of $21.50 a month or $180 a year.


Radio:

On Oahu, KKEA AM 1420. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KPUA in Hilo, KMWB in Kona. KKEA can also be heard on Oceanic Digital Cable Channel 884.


Streaming Audio:

Via ESPN1420AM.com.


Text Messages:

Via Oceanic Cable. They send you a scoring update whenever either team scores, along with a few details about the play. Details from H-Mail:

Attention UH football fans! Now you can receive free text message updates of all UH football games directly on your cell phone. If you can't be there or watch it on TV, you can still be in on all the action. Just text "optin oceanic uhfootball" to 32862 from your mobile phone. Then wherever you are, you'll get the updates on your phone and still be able to follow the Warriors!

Live Stats:

SideArmStats.com, via HawaiiAthletics.com

ESPN Scoreboard

Sites like CBS Sportsline, Fox Sports, etc should have stats as well.

....

References -- HawaiiAthletics.com.

Note: Please comment with any corrections, additions, changes, etc. Thanks!

GameDay: UH vs Washington State

Here's last night's Chawan-pilation of game previews from KHON, KITV and KGMB.



Stephen Tsai's gameday preview has breakdowns of the offense, defense and specialists of both teams and takes a look at Greg Alexander's progress.

"When he first came in," Rolovich said of Alexander, who transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College in May, "I told him one day he'll be able to look this way" — Rolovich pointed to the right — "and know what's happening on the back side. I think he's getting to the point. It's because of the reps. It triggered in his mind: What would it be like if I were able to do that?"

Alexander said: "I'm definitely grasping it a lot better."

Tsai has more about the offense's development.

McMackin said in rebuilding an offense that needed to replace four receivers and a record-setting quarterback from a year ago, the Warriors had to endure the growing pains.

"We needed to get to a point where everybody understood," McMackin said. "We needed the game reps."

Now, McMackin said, "as you can see, we're peaking."

Jason Kaneshiro has some quotes from the coaches and has a gameday preview with lineups, breakdowns, stats and this key matchup:

Hawaii front four vs. Washington State O-line
After recording eight sacks in their first seven games, the Warriors have 19 in the last four, seven coming from the line in last week's win over Idaho.

UH head coach Greg McMackin called off the blitz early on. The front four's ability to control the line of scrimmage left the linebackers free to flow to the ball and helped limit Idaho to 1.2 rushing yards per carry. The pressure also contributed to three interceptions.

Tackles Keala Watson and Josh Leonard controlled the middle of the line, while David Veikune and John Fonoti are playmakers off the edge.

They'll face a Washington State line that hasn't had much chance to develop continuity in starting seven different combinations this season. The Cougars have surrendered 38 sacks for 311 yards in losses.

Bud Withers of The Seattle Times has a game preview.

This will match teams having starkly different seasons than they did a year ago, each under new coaches. Hawaii stormed to the Sugar Bowl under coach June Jones and quarterback Colt Brennan, but was pounded by Georgia, after which Jones left for SMU and Brennan departed for the NFL.

"We kept things as they were," McMackin says. "We run the run-and-shoot [offense] and the defense I brought here."

The Seattle Times has some game notes.

Ryan Divish of The Olympian talks to Cougars coach Paul Wulff about potential for a letdown.

Think about it. Normally the Cougs would end their regular season with the Apple Cup as the last game. And in the past when they were bowl bound, there was a month of practice to avoid a letdown.

But when you add to the fact that it was an overtime thriller with huge momentum swings, all culminating in the Cougs' first and only Pac-10 win this season, finding the same level of emotion just seven days later could be tough.

"Coming off such a big emotional game like ours, regardless of the outcome, it can be tough to respond," Wulff said.

Hey, no excuses!

And Ferd Lewis notes the resiliency of the UH football team.

With a win over the downtrodden Cougars, UH will be assured its eighth winning regular season in 10 years and sixth bowl appearance.

That the latest one would come after the administrative upheaval, coaching staff changes and wholesale player turnover that followed head coach June Jones' departure to Southern Methodist would be noteworthy.

It would, at the very least, be a statement about the resilience of the program and those who have carried on. Which, given the way things began both in January and in a 1-3 start to the football season, would be a significant message.

UPDATE: Stephen Tsai has some interesting game day notes, including:

Tyler Graunke has resolved his “personal matters” and participated in yesterday’s walk-through.

Washington State Previews

Earlier this morning, KGMB had a Football Friday preview of the UH vs Washington State game.

Howie Stalwick of the Kitsap Sun has a preview of the game.

The task now is get a team loaded with inexperienced players to focus on a season-ending, non-conference game played in a tropical paradise.

"We've had to address that," Wulff said. "Really challenge them to see how mature they are, to see how they can come off a big, emotional game and respond.

"How are you going to play? Will you learn from this and come out and do it, or are you going to lay an egg?"

Lew Wright, a Cougar fan, writes a preview for the Washington State Cougars Examiner.

And the WSU Football Blog, an excellent source of Wazzu sports info, starts their preview off with the McLovin references, but gets down to some good pre-game analysis. Here's an excerpt about a key matchup to look out for:

On paper you can see why Hawaii is such a big favorite, opening at 28 points and actually moving to 29.5. There is one thing I think about, however, one shining light, that might make this a much better game the odds-makers are saying. I think the WSU defense will keep this one interesting. Seriously. Why? Because of the run-n-shoot style Hawaii will throw out there plays into the strength of the WSU defense.

In 2008, "strength" and "WSU defense" haven't always existed in the same sentence. Except when headed by "lack of".......but when you think about the Coug D, you don't think about size. If you do, you think SMALL, not big. They are a smallish, speedier defense that has trouble against the power running teams who get five yards on every single rushing attempt. But against the pass, the Cougs are respectable, giving up 185 yards per game through the air or #5 in the PAC-10.

Game Week: Wazzu - Friday News

Jason Kaneshiro and Stephen Tsai report that Kealoha Pilares and Ryan Mouton will not be playing tomorrow. Tsai also writes about the injuries Daniel Libre and Leon Wright-Jackson have been fighting through.

Despite suffering from an injury to his mid-section, Libre rushed for two touchdowns in a 49-17 victory over Idaho the past Saturday.

Libre said he still experiences discomfort. While he is "conscious" of the injury when he plays, "I can't let it hold me back," he said. "I paid for it the next morning. Man, I was hurting. I didn't want to show it, but yeah, I paid for it. I'm not going to lie."

Wright-Jackson has played sparingly in the second half of the season because of a foot injury.

"To be honest, it was the kind of cleat I had on," Wright-Jackson said of the cause of the injury. "It was too light for me. The soles weren't thick enough. When I planted hard, I did something to my foot. I don't know what exactly."

Jason Kaneshiro profiles UH linebacker Tyson Kafentzis, who grew up cheering on Washington State.

"Definitely I was a Cougar fan for sure. I'm east side all the way," said Kafentzis, who grew up in Richland, Wash., about a 2-hour drive away from Pullman, which sits near the state's eastern border.

After pulling for Washington State on those November afternoons, Kafentzis followed his family's ties to Hawaii in college and will find himself opposite the Cougars tomorrow at Aloha Stadium.

"I'm real familiar with the area and I just can't wait to play those guys," he said.

And Ferd Lewis writes that it's a good idea to schedule more PAC-10 teams.

UH is scheduled to play one Pac-10 team in 2009 (WSU), one in 2010 (USC), two in 2011 (WSU and Washington). But none is on the so-far announced schedules thereafter.

That's too bad on a lot of fronts. For one thing, they are good for not only ticket sales but boosting the perception of UH and in recruiting here and away. Prospective recruits want to play the teams and conferences they see on TV and fans want to see those kinds of opponents in Halawa. For another, it makes more financial and competitive sense for UH than going five or six time zones or bringing some far-flung opponent here.

Game Week: Wazzu - Turkey Day News

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.

Chawan Cut has a KITV news clip of a few Warriors giving thanks.

Stephen Tsai has a report from today's practice.

It appears unlikely Kealoha Pilares and Ryan Mouton will be able to play. If they’re not available, expect these scenarios:
• Daniel Libre, who is recovering from an abdominal injury, will be the speed back.
• Aaron Bain will return punts.
• Desmond Thomas will start at free safety and, in situations involving five defensive backs, Richard Torres will enter as the nickelback.

Here's a preview of the UH vs Washington State game, courtesy of the AP.

CFN has a preview and fearless prediction about the game.

What will happen: Last week was all business for Washington State in the Apple Cup. This week is a time to kick back and let loose like it’s the last day of finals. Hawaii, on the other hand, is playing for the postseason. Those differing mindsets will be on display for four quarters as the Warriors rout the Cougars behind the passing of Alexander.
CFN Prediction: Hawaii 27 … Washington State 17

If things work out, UH could be playing Washington State at Qwest Field next year.

After Saturday's game, the next time the University of Hawai'i and Washington State football teams meet in their series could be at the home of the Seattle Seahawks, officials from both schools say.

UH's Sept. 12, 2009 game with Washington State is scheduled for Pullman, Wash., but there are talks about moving the game 288 miles west to Qwest Field in Seattle, the Seahawks' 67,000-seat home.

"No decision yet ... but it is under consideration," according to Rod Commons, a WSU spokesman. He said the Cougars still have one game to fill on their 2009 schedule and will make a determination after that game is finalized.

Stephen Tsai profiles Keala Watson.

Keala Watson, a defensive tackle for the Hawai'i football team, always has been ahead of his time.

He weighed 10 pounds at birth.

In the fourth grade, he was 5 feet 10 and 200 pounds.

He was banned from using the playground swings.

"I broke a swing when I was in elementary school," he said, sheepishly. "It's a tragedy."

Jason Kaneshiro profiles David Farmer.

"He's like a coach as far as knowing the protection," offensive coordinator Ron Lee said. "That's really his strong point.

"He's not a burner, but he has such a good understanding of the blocking he's able to do a lot of good things with the ball."

And Ferd Lewis has an update on the disputed $400k.

The University of Hawai'i's dispute with former football coach June Jones over his departure could be headed to its first anniversary without an announced settlement.

Friday, the UH Board of Regents was updated for the second time on what spokeswoman Carolyn Tanaka said was the "status of the mediation" between the parties. "They did not take action," Tanaka said.

Video: Josh Leonard, Defense

In tonight's Chawan-pilation, KGMB profiles Josh Leonard while KITV highlights the defense.

WitP: Mauia, Bess, LaBoy, Ulbrich

Reagan Mauia was released by the Bengals.

They also cut fullback Reagan Maui'a with an injury settlement. A second-year pro, Maui'a played in two games this season with no stats. He had been on IR since injuring his hamstring in practice last month.

All the best to the Juggernaut.

Travis LaBoy is listed as questionable for tomorrow's Cardinals vs Eagles Thanksgiving matchup.

And now some better news -- Davone Bess will probably see a lot of playing time this Sunday against the Rams.

Sparano indicated that undrafted rookie wide receiver Davone Bess is likely to see more repetitions Sunday against the Rams in the absence of Camarillo.

From the same article, Chad Pennington has a nice quote about Bess:

Pennington recalled seeing Bess in training camp when he arrived in the beginning of August and thinking that he was further ahead than most rookies. He attributed that to the system Bess played in at Hawaii and the coaching he received, and as the season has progressed so too has Bess as a receiver. He has been running crisper routes and showing great hands, but now that his work load is about to significantly increase, it'll be a test to see how Bess handles it.

And more from Tony Sparano:

"There will be a couple of people that we'll ask to work in and out of there, for the simple reason that Bess going from his role right now to Bess going to a full load, he's going to have to show me right now that he's able the full load, the punts and the things that we're asking him to do," Sparano said. "The guy goes from, right now maybe on a good day, 24 snaps during the course of the game including his punts, to up in the 50s. That's a lot of running.

"So I need to see him be able to handle those things. … In a game situation I need to see him do that, so we'll probably wean him in that way a little bit and kind of back him up with a few people."

And from an MMAWeekly.com article from last week, 49ers linebacker Jeff Ulbrich talks about his love for MMA and how he applies it to football.

Ulbrich explains his fascination with training comes from the varied elements one can work on through the sport.

“It was limitless as far as what you could learn,” he stated. “There are so many different facets to it. Just the thought that every day when you train it can be challenging, something new makes it exciting to learn.”

Ulbrich sees enough similarities between both MMA and pro football that he’s cross-trained them together to become a more complete athlete.

“As far as the mental preparation for it, there is a ton of similarities,” he commented. “I think it’s a great way to develop mental toughness.

“It reinforces that great technique – in any sport – can overcome size, strength and a lot of obstacles where at first look it may seem like there’s no chance. Technique is critical towards being successful in sports.”

He also talks about a possible future in the sport:

“This offseason I’m going to get more involved in the sport, but unless I could be very successful at it, I wouldn’t step in there,” he said. “I’m not one of those guys that thinks that just because I played in the NFL that I can go in and dominate any sport. I understand that MMA takes years to be successful at.

“I would definitely considering doing a small show or something like that after a couple years of training, but I won’t make any predictions that I could hang with the big guys.”

Video: Thanksgiving

Leila Wai interviews several Warriors about what they're thankful for and what they have planned for Thanksgiving. Interviewees include Greg Alexander, Solomon Elimimian, Mana Silva, Keith AhSoon, Adam Leonard, Tuika Tufaga and Fale Laeli.

Na Koa Lunch Report: Idaho

uhwarriors has posted his summary of this week's Na Koa Luncheon up on the Na Koa website. Here's an excerpt about the defensive line:

David Veikune is the kind of player they really like. He is quiet, smart, goes to class, does what he is supposed to do and has a non-stop motor. Tuioti showed Veikune’s sack where he initially got caught inside, but was relentless in chasing down the quarterback. He also showed Veikune blocking on a couple of interceptions. When Idaho went on a 4th down, Veikune played his techniques correctly and closed down on the play to make the stop. Tuioti thinks Veikune will be playing on Sundays.

Tuioti showed that John Fonoti was responsible for Jameel Dowling’s interception. Fonoti caused the bad throw by hitting the quarterback just as he threw.

One of Keala Watson’s sacks came on stunt where both tackles circled outside while the defensive ends rushed inside. The tackle lined up on Veikune went with Veikune and left a clear path to the quarterback for Watson twisting behind Veikune.

Tuioti also showed Josh Leonard overpowering his blockers for his two sacks.

Game Week: Washington State - Wednesday News

Via the Idaho Statesman, The Sports Network has a game preview.

Jason Kaneshiro profiles true freshman nickelback and special teams contributor Richard Torres.

The Hawaii freshman joined the Warriors last spring figuring he'd have a redshirt season and some time on the scout team awaiting him in the fall.

Heck, at 5-foot-7 and 165 pounds, simply keeping a place on a Division I roster would be considered an accomplishment for a defensive back his size.

But Torres not only stuck around, he impressed the coaches enough in practice to earn a job on special teams, then continued to move up the depth chart in the UH secondary.

Kaneshiro also has an injury update on Kealoha Pilares and notes about Tyler Graunke and tomorrow's practice.

Stephen Tsai also profiles Richard Torres, who talks about his Kahuku roots.

"I remember looking up to Inoke Funaki and Leonard Peters," Torres said. "Being around, all you could think about was growing up and playing Red Raider football. When you actually get to do it, it's a big honor. You take pride in it."

Tsai also has notes about Graunke's absence, Kealoha Pilares' injury and John Estes' new fan-assisted haircut.

Center John Estes' long hair became entangled in a fan Monday night. As a result, he approved lopping off the hair he had grown for the past two years.

"I was sleeping by a fan and it got sucked in," Estes said. "It's unfortunate, but I needed a haircut, anyway. ... It's high maintenance, but it looked good."

Ferd Lewis writes how the NCAA APR has affected Idaho and Washington State.

And Ferd writes that UTEP is a possible Hawaii Bowl opponent for UH.

In that case, the bowl's "contingency agreement" with Conference USA could send a team here, according to C-USA associate commissioner Russ Anderson and others involved in negotiations. C-USA has six bowl tie-ins but would have seven bowl-eligible teams if UTEP (5-6) beats East Carolina (7-4) Saturday in Greenville, N.C.

Anderson said UTEP "would probably be a slight favorite" among the C-USA possibilities — Rice, Southern Mississippi and Memphis if all are bowl eligible — to play here. "But there are so many moving parts right now that things could certainly change," Anderson said.

Warriors in the Pros: Colt in the NFL

Leila Wai has a special report on Colt Brennan's life in the NFL so far. The article includes links to some short video interviews with Colt and his teammates. Here's an excerpt where he talks about missing Hawaii:

"I just miss the lifestyle; I miss Hawai'i," Brennan said. "I think about it all the time, I really do. Sometimes if I'm kind of bored or something like that, I can easily think about Hawai'i and get myself in a good mood. I just can't wait to go back there.

"Right now, I just think about the long run ... if I work hard out here — I love it out here and I think it's a great place and I think it would be great to have a career here — but in the end go back to Hawai'i hopefully and settle down out there."

Colt, I know how you feel!

Video: Lane, Wazzu, Keala

In tonight's Chawan-pilation, KHON and KITV have interviews with Malcolm Lane, KFVE has a Washington State preview, and KGMB profiles UH defensive tackle and Department of Agriculture intern Keala Watson.

Warriors in the Pros: Colt at a Benefit

At the end of today's Further Review column, Dave Reardon notes that Colt Brennan will be in town the week of the Pro Bowl to appear at a benefit for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Hawaii.

Colt Brennan will be here the week of the Pro Bowl, and his first scheduled public appearance is set for Feb. 3, a benefit for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Hawaii.

The event at The Willows includes dinner, and live and silent auctions. Call 952-9200, or 497-2900 for more details.

LizKauai has some more details, including a link to the official website for the event.

Future Warriors Update: Corey, Iuta

Corey Nielsen's 2008 highlight reel has just been posted online. He looks great throwing, running, and throwing while running.



Via Sportsbow, looks like Hawaii commit/de-commit/soft commit Iuta Tepa has postponed his official visit to UH.

Tepa was an early commitment to Hawaii but then backed off a bit saying he wanted to take his visits before making a final decision.

"I was supposed to take my official visit this weekend to Hawaii but I have to move it," Tepa said. "We're still in the playoffs and there's a chance we could be playing on Saturday so I'm going to take that one later.

"I don't have any other trip dates set up right now but I know I'll be visiting Oregon, Colorado and Oregon State. I like UCLA a lot as well but I don't know if I'll visit there since it's so close."

Game Week: Washington State - Tuesday News

WSUCougars.com has released game notes for this Saturday's matchup.

And here's the game notes from HawaiiAthletics.com.

Here's a game preview from the Tri-City Herald.

The Cougars have more incentive to win than most 2-10 teams preparing for a nonconference, season-ending game far from home.

For starters, a victory Saturday would give the team's core of young players added confidence and momentum heading into the off-season.

The Cougars also want to avoid breaking the school record for losses. They've tied the current record, set by the 1-10 Cougars of 1970. The Cougars need to hold Hawaii to 19 points or less to avoid tying the major college record of 566 points allowed, set by Eastern Michigan in 12 games in 2002.

The News Tribune has some game info and notes.

Stephen Tsai profiles WAC Defensive Player of the Week, Solomon Elimimian.

"He makes so many outstanding plays, you take it for granted," defensive coordinator Cal Lee said.

Lee, who recruited Elimimian to UH, had predicted the senior middle linebacker would have a productive collegiate career.

"You could tell he was something special from the beginning," Lee said. "He worked his way up to be a starter. Ever since he got the position, he never gave it up. He has the fire, that competitiveness that you want. He's always striving to get better.

Tsai also has an injury update on Kealoha Pilares and writes about senior QB Jake Santos getting into the Idaho game.

Jason Kaneshiro has injury updates on Ryan Mouton and Erik Robinson.

Kaneshiro has some news and notes about Elimimian, Adam Leonard, David Veikune, etc.

And the ever-busy Kaneshiro writes about Jack Sula and Nathan Mageo committing to UH.

Jack Sula and Nathan Mageo hope to contribute right away when they join the Hawaii football program, and will get a head start in that pursuit.

Both Sula, a running back, and Mageo, a defensive tackle, have committed to sign with the Warriors and plan to enroll at UH for the spring semester.

The early start gives them a chance to acclimate academically and familiarize themselves with the Warriors' system in spring practice.

"It's going to be crucial to be there for the spring to get to know the plays better," said Mageo, who committed to UH after making his official visit over the weekend.

Video: Monday Press Conference

CC compiles the news from KITV, KHON, KGMB and KFVE. Stories include quotes from Greg McMackin's Monday press conference, reviews of the Idaho game, and news about Solomon Elimimian's WAC Player of the Week award.

Coach Mack Show: Idaho, Wazzu, Ingram

This week's Coach Mack Show is now up on KGMB's website. Greg McMackin reviews the Idaho game and looks ahead to the Washington State game. This week's "Call of the Warrior" segment is a profile of long snapper Jake Ingram.

HawaiiAthletics.com also has excerpts from today's press conference.

WitP: Colt, Bess, Lelie, Veikune

LizKauai finds this NFL.com Super Ad video of Colt Brennan talking about his cousin being an inspiration to him. Here's the Super Ad FAQ.

Davone Bess may be seeing more playing time due to a season-ending injury to receiver Greg Camarillo.

He started his first game as part of a three-receiver set on Sunday and caught a career-high five passes for 87 yards. It was the most receiving yards by a Dolphins rookie since December 2001, when Chris Chambers collected seven catches for 124 yards against the Patriots.

"I'm always ready when my number is called. This is an opportunity to step up," said Bess, an undrafted rookie free agent from Hawaii. "Too bad it had to be in this type of situation, losing a key guy. Wherever coaches want me, where they need me, I'm ready to step up."

UPDATE: Bess was interviewed by the press today, and MiamiDolphins.com has the video.

Ashley Lelie talks about his developing rapport with Raiders QB Jamarcus Russell, which he says helped lead to his breakout game against the Broncos:

Lelie said he sensed it coming when he and Russell established a rapport during practice last week.

"Every time we had a play coming my way, it was always a perfect pass, it was a perfect catch," Lelie said. "We didn't have any drops, he didn't overthrow me on any play in practice. That's the first time this whole season that that's happened between us.

"So, that put a little extra confidence in his head to go to me. Every time I came out of my break (Sunday), the ball was right where it was supposed to be."

Russell, too, cited last week's practices as the impetus for him seeking out Lelie more this time around.

Raiders coach Tom Cable liked what he saw:

"Throughout the game, he made a play when we needed it," Raiders Coach Tom Cable said. "If you look at the timing of those catches — tremendous. JaMarcus did a great job of targeting the ball and giving him a chance to make those plays. That's huge, because we haven't had that."

And in possible future WitP news, David Veikune is getting more notice from scouts:

David Veikune/DE/Hawaii: He is another pass rushing prospect who was given little love by scouts before his senior campaign. Now he's the talk of the scouting community out west. He's amassed 13.5 tackles for loss, with 6.5 sacks, and leads the WAC with four forced fumbles. Veikune is a terrific athlete who flawlessly makes the transition of dropping off the line to playing in space on zone blitzes. Pass rushers always get drafted much earlier than originally projected and Veikune could slip into the draft's initial 75 selections with a good combine workout.

Elimimian, Idaho Reviews, Hawaii Bowl, Etc.

Solomon Elimimian is the WAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Elimimian, a senior from Los Angeles, Calif. (Crenshaw HS), had a season-high 13 tackles (10 solo), including 2.5 for a loss of six yards, in a 42-17 win over Idaho. Elimimian also tipped a pass that was intercepted by a teammate which led to a Hawai'i touchdown in the third quarter.

Dave Reardon reviews five key plays from Hawaii's 49-17 victory over Idaho in this week's Warrior Replay.

Reardon's blog has a discussion going on over whether UH missed the boat on Kama Bailey.

In his article about Nathan Mageo's commitment, Stephen Tsai has an injury update.

Although cornerback Ryan Mouton suffered a high-ankle sprain in the first quarter against Idaho Saturday, there is a possibility he will be available for this week's game against Washington State.

Strong safety Erik "E-Rob" Robinson aggravated a hamstring injury and was on crutches at the end of Saturday's game. But McMackin said he is hopeful Robinson will play against Washington State.

Drake Zintgraff of Ka Leo has a review of the game.

Jason Kaneshiro reviews the game and looks ahead to the Hawaii Bowl.

David Matlin, executive director of the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, expected last weekend's games to provide some clarity to the bowl's situation.

But "it got about as clear as mud," Matlin said.

While Hawaii moved to within one win of securing a spot in the Christmas Eve game, the Hawaii Bowl's Pac-10 affiliation could leave organizers looking to other conferences to fill a berth.

The Hawaii Bowl is contracted to take the sixth-place team from the Pac-10, but the league could end up short of bowl-eligible teams. Stanford's loss to California knocked the Cardinal out of consideration. Arizona State and UCLA (both 4-6) remain in contention, but need to win out.

Ferd Lewis writes how a PAC-10 team is increasingly unlikely to play in the Hawaii Bowl and takes a look at other teams that could play.

In the event the Hawai'i Bowl is forced to take a dip in the at-large pool, a Mid-American Conference team looms as a possibility. The MAC already has five bowl-eligible teams — Ball State (11-0), Western Michigan (9-2), Central Michigan (8-3), Buffalo (7-4) and Northern Illinois (6-5) — for three slots and could add Akron (5-6) or Bowling Green (5-6) if they close with victories.

And Ferd writes how can you not be angry with the BS from the BCS?

Now, Utah (12-0) is sixth in this week's BCS standings, Boise State (11-0) ninth and Ball State (11-0) of the MAC 15th. All of them are ahead of the highest ranked Big East team, No. 16 Cincinnati (9-2) and the top-ranked ACC team, No. 20 Florida State (8-3). You can add the Pac-10 champion, should No. 17 Oregon State (8-3) win out.

Yet the ACC, Big East and Pac-10 titlists would be assured BCS berths — and paydays — while only Utah of the outside crowd would be permitted to join the party.

Better would be to have a genuine playoff. Or, failing that, standings, rather than pedigree, to decide all the BCS berths.

@#$&%*!!!

Nathan Mageo Commits to UH

Stephen Tsai writes that JC defensive tackle Nathan Mageo will become a Warrior.

Mageo, who was raised in American Samoa, will enroll at UH in January, and will participate in the offseason conditioning program and spring training.

He has three years to play two seasons.

Mageo, who is 6 feet 3 and 278 pounds, is capable of bench pressing 360 pounds and running 40 yards in under 5 seconds.

He turned down scholarship offers from North Carolina State, Kansas State, Arizona, Baylor, Troy and Southern Methodist.

"I chose Hawai'i because I like the defense, and I like the coaching staff," said Mageo, who spoke to The Advertiser after completing his recruiting visit. "I feel comfortable here."

Right on. Congrats to Nathan and UH!

Video: Idaho Highlights, Bess, Lelie

Chawan Cut compiles the news from KHON, KITV, KGMB and KHNL. They have lots of highlights and post-game comments from the Idaho game. KITV's Rob DeMello also has highlights of Davone Bess and Ashley Lelie making great catches in their respective NFL games today. And Diane Ako wears what can only be described as a bib.

Warriors in the Pros: NFL Week 12

After going without a catch in his last three games, Ashley Lelie broke out against his former team with 4 catches for 92 yards and a touchdown as the Raiders beat the Broncos 31-10.

The deep-threat receiver who forced a trade out of Denver in 2006 after a bitter holdout returned to Invesco Field on Sunday and helped lead the Raiders to a stunning 31-10 win over the Broncos by catching a touchdown pass and setting up another with a spectacular 51-yard reception.

Lelie caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from JaMarcus Russell, then held his right hand to his ear to take in all the boos from the fans who once adored him.

From a CBSSports.com, here's a game recap that focuses on Lelie.

"Ever since I left, this is what I wanted to do -- to come back to Invesco and show I've still got it," Lelie said. "Come back and kind of put it to the people who didn't think I was good enough."

Okay, I guess you can say it's pretty personal with Lelie.

“I don’t even know how to explain it right now,” said Lelie, who had 168 receptions for 3,007 yards and 12 touchdowns in four years with Denver from 2002-05. “It’s kind of like getting wronged by your ex-girlfriend cheating on you and you come back at her and stab her in the back.”

Yikes!

Davone Bess had a good game with 5 catches for 87 yards in a loss to the Patriots. Here are some details from a Palm Beach Post game wrap-up.

Rookie Davone Bess, an undrafted wide receiver, has caught up to tight end Anthony Fasano on the list of Pennington's favored targets. Sunday Bess caught a pair of third-down conversion passes in the first half and nearly broke free for a touchdown on the big play that preceded Ricky Williams' scoring grab in the third quarter.

Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa had seven solo and one assisted tackle in a loss to the Bears.

Travis Laboy had one assisted tackle as the Cardinals lost to the Giants.

Isaac Sopoaga had 2 solo tackles in the 49ers' loss to the Cowboys.

And Jason Elam had one 23-yard field goal and kicked 6 extra points as the Falcons beat the Panthers.

Other CFB Scores, Week 13

Chawan Cut has updated his Opponent Scores and Schedules spreadsheet. Here are some of those scores as well as others of note from Week 13 of the college football season.

Boise State 41, Nevada 34 -- Boise State remain undefeated heading into their final game of the season, against Fresno. However, even if they beat the Bulldogs they may not make a BCS bowl because....

Utah 48, BYU 24 -- Utah locks up a BCS bowl appearance with their 12th victory of the season. I will never admit that I rooted for BYU. Feel... so... dirty.

Georgia Tech 41, Miami (FL) 23 -- Paul Johnson's Yellow Jackets rack up 472 rushing yards against the Hurricanes. Holy crap. Georgia Tech remains in contention for an ACC title.

Washington State 16, Washington 13 -- Hawaii's next opponent won their second game of the season in a crazy Apple Cup victory over the Huskies.

Cincinnati 28, Pittsburgh 21 -- Hawaii's final opponent of the season could come into Aloha Stadium BCS-bowl bound as Big East champs if they beat Syracuse next week.

UH vs Idaho Wrap-Ups

KGMB and KHNL have video highlights from Hawaii's 49-17 victory over Idaho.

Jason Kaneshiro has a game summary and stats.

Here's Kaneshiro's wrap-up of the game.

McMackin admitted to some trepidation over the offense maintaining its timing during the week off following a 42-point outing in a win over New Mexico State.

But it didn't take long for the Warriors to put that to rest.

Hawaii quarterback Greg Alexander completed 14 of 24 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns, two going to receiver Malcolm Lane, as UH rolled up 356 total yards while holding Idaho to 219.

"Greg Alexander's really bringing us together," McMackin said. "The package is just opening up to him and he's exciting everybody. The offense has a swagger now."

Here an excerpt about the defensive line's strategy, from Stephen Tsai's wrap-up:

The game plan called for the Warriors to sent blitzers from different points at Enderle, who was without his go-to receiver. Eddie Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury last week.

But that changed when the Vandals blocked the blitzing linebackers. Also, the Warriors' best defensive back, Ryan Mouton, suffered a high-ankle sprain in the first quarter. Mouton made his first start at free safety, a position that used his quickness as the last line of defense and freed a linebacker to blitz.

After Mouton left, the Warriors called off the blitz, and turned to the defensive linemen to hound Enderle.

"It was just four-man pressure," defensive end David Veikune said. "The coaches emphasized that. We did a lot of stunts. Stunts with d-ends and tackles. Stunts with two tackles. Basic stunts. It wasn't rocket science."

The defensive line ended up with seven sacks.

Seniors Keala Watson and Josh Leonard led the charge with two sacks each, blowing up the interior of the Vandals offensive line repeatedly. Both saw limited playing time two weeks ago against New Mexico State, and the long layoff between games had them antsy to get back on the field.

"We were all jacked up ready to play coming off a bye week where we were sitting around watching football instead of playing," Watson said. "This week we brought the mentality that we all wanted to make something happen."

Michael Tsai has more about the defense.

"When you go a week without playing football, it kind of puts poison in your blood," said senior left tackle Keala Watson. "Guys were running around making plays, just putting their bodies in the line of fire to help the team out. Defensively, we came out to play tonight. We try to do that every game, but tonight was special."

The Star-Bulletin has some news and notes about Ryan Mouton's ankle injury, Solomon Elimimian's career tackles total, Greg Alexander's no-INT streak and Kama Bailey's performance.

Michael Tsai and Kalani Takase have some news and notes about former Damien teammates Kama Bailey and Kealoha Pilares, Alexander's streak, Richard Torres, injuries, etc.

Nick Abramo has the Idaho perspective of the game.

Kalani Takase writes about Greg Alexander's performance.

Lane caught his second TD pass on the Warriors' first possession of the second half, on a 36-yard pass. Alexander threaded the needle on the play, delivering the ball just past the outstretched hands of Vandals safety Virdell Larkins.

"That was very good," Rolovich said. "He checked the safety, he liked the read — he did everything right — and as he has success, he's seeing how things are working and things that we talk about are starting to work and I think he's going to be on a roll for the rest of the year."

Dave Reardon writes how Alexander has grown into the starting QB role.

Alexander isn't as outgoing as was Brennan, but he's emerged as a leader. His patience and quiet confidence are just what this team needed to ride out some rough spots in the middle of the season, including that loss that shouldn't have happened at Utah State.

"It's a tribute to him that he was still learning (after getting benched following the opener)," Rolovich said. "It's a tribute to his character. When Inoke and Tyler were getting the reps, every time I looked at him he was paying attention, taking mental notes."

And Ferd Lewis writes about Alexander's progress.

Yet for the growing bundle of yards and touchdowns, there is another number that underlines Alexander's mounting comfort and advancing acumen as the Warriors' triggerman. It is the 116 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. After throwing two in a touchdown-less start at Florida, he's authored eight touchdowns and been without an interception.

"That," said head coach Greg McMackin, "is what we were hoping to see from him and it comes with game (repetitions)."

Hawaii 49, Idaho 17

The defense had 7 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.

Solomon Elimimian had 13 tackles and Adam Leonard had 11.

Greg Alexander was 14 of 24 for 264 yards and 3 TDs.

Malcolm Lane had 4 catches for 144 yards and 2 TDs.

Winning record, baby!

And one win away from the Hawaii Bowl.

Here's a post-game wrap-up from the Advertiser.

UPDATE: Here's a game summary from HawaiiAthletics.com, which includes links to a box score and post-game notes and quotes.

Ways to Follow the Hawaii vs Idaho Game

Bumped. GO WARRIORS!!!!


Being There:

Buy tickets through HawaiiAthletics.com, or at Aloha Stadium.

HawaiiAthletics.com has info on fan promotions and ticket discounts.

The Aloha Stadium website has directions, parking and shuttle bus info.

The Advertiser has info about bus transportation for UH-Manoa students.


Television:

In Hawaii, via Oceanic pay-per-view, channel 255. The KKEA audio broadcast can be heard on channel 884.

Oceanic has a list of some of the bars and restaurants that carry PPV this season.

It'll also be shown at the Ko'olau Stadium 10 Theatre in Kane'ohe.

Outside of Hawaii, via ESPN Gameplan. Here's their pricing and ordering info page.


Streaming Video:

If your ISP supports it, ESPN360.com will be streaming the game for free.

Oceanic Cable will be streaming it live via their UH sports web video service. The game is priced at $12.56 on their schedule. There are some restrictions:

If you live in the state of Hawaii, you need to be a Road Runner customer to subscribe to the video streaming service. Individuals on the mainland or anywhere else in the world, do not need to be Road Runner customers.

Ordering is only available 1 hour leading up to the scheduled event.

Hawaii IPTV should also be streaming it live. To use this service, you cannot be a resident of Hawaii. You'll need broadband internet access, and you need to either buy a box to view it on your television, or use their webplayer to view it on your computer. The box costs $125 with a $25 setup fee. For either option, you need to purchase a subscription of $21.50 a month or $180 a year.


Radio:

On Oahu, KKEA AM 1420. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KPUA in Hilo, KMWB in Kona. KKEA can also be heard on Oceanic Digital Cable Channel 884.


Streaming Audio:

Via ESPN1420AM.com.


Text Messages:

Via Oceanic Cable. They send you a scoring update whenever either team scores, along with a few details about the play. Details from H-Mail:

Attention UH football fans! Now you can receive free text message updates of all UH football games directly on your cell phone. If you can't be there or watch it on TV, you can still be in on all the action. Just text "optin oceanic uhfootball" to 32862 from your mobile phone. Then wherever you are, you'll get the updates on your phone and still be able to follow the Warriors!

Live Stats:

SideArmStats.com, via HawaiiAthletics.com

ESPN Scoreboard

Sites like CBS Sportsline, Fox Sports, etc should have stats as well.

....

References -- HawaiiAthletics.com and GoVandals.com.

Note: Please comment with any corrections, additions, changes, etc. Thanks!

GameDay: UH vs Idaho

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

Jason Kaneshiro's gameday preview has stats, lineups, breakdowns and highlights this key matchup:

UH QB Greg Alexander vs. Idaho secondary

Alexander has stabilized the quarterback spot in the Warriors' last 2 1/2 games, making his progressions with greater confidence and connecting on 69 percent of his throws in that span.

His chemistry with the receivers has contributed to a string of 92 passes without an interception dating back to the season opener at Florida.

Idaho had some success defensively against the Warriors last season, intercepting five Colt Brennan passes in Moscow, Idaho.

But the Vandals' secondary has been depleted by injuries and suspensions. Safety Shiloh Keo suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in September, and cornerback Breyon Williams and safety Shelton Miles were suspended earlier this month. Keo and Williams had picks against UH last year.

Here's a game preview from the AP's Jaymes Song.

With the four-player scramble to succeed Colt Brennan finally over, Alexander can now focus on his opponents instead of trying to keep the starting job. The strong-armed junior college transfer has helped the defending WAC champs return to the traditional run-and-shoot, high-scoring style of offense they lost when the mobile Inoke Funaki was the starter.

"Mentally, I'm starting to grasp the offense, starting to understand things, starting to see things a lot quicker," Alexander said.

And the formula for Hawaii's success is simple: score and win. The Warriors are 5-0 when scoring 20 points or more.

Gaylen Wood of GoVandals.net has a transcript of a press conference held by Idaho head coach Robb Akey.

And Dave Reardon writes about the rivalry between Idaho and Boise State.

Jack Sula Commits

Stephen Tsai writes that running back Jack Sula will become a Warrior.

"Hawai'i is the perfect place for me," Sula said.

Sula, who is 6 feet and 210 pounds, played running back and linebacker at Carson High School. Although Boise State had recruited him as a linebacker, he will compete at running back for the Warriors.

"That's one of the reasons I picked Hawai'i," Sula said. "I wanted to play running back. That's my priority."

Sula overcame a tough gang-associated background, which was featured in an ESPN The Magazine story. His parents were teenagers when he was born.

But Sula focused on football, becoming one of the top prospects in Southern California.

Here's the ESPN the Magazine profile that Tsai refers to. Congratulations to Jack and UH!

Video: Idaho Previews

Chawan Cut compiles game previews from KITV, KHON and KGMB. There's also a weather report from Guy Hagi at the end. Gonna be wet!

Game Week: Idaho - Friday News

UPDATE: KGMB's Mike Cherry has a "Football Friday" preview of tomorrow's game.

======

Stephen Tsai profiles Malcolm Lane, who talks about what goes on in his head when he's returning kicks:

When Lane hits the hole, his world goes silent.

"I'm kind of in a blur," he said. "I don't hear anything. I'm so focused."

But he is cognizant of the surrounding collisions. Each block is a metaphorical chain reaction of accidents.

"I'm running and I'm like, 'ooh, somebody is getting blown up,' " Lane said. "It's like a big car wreck. I don't want to slow down and look. I have to keep running hard and looking for the next seam."

Tsai also writes about the role of Spencer Smith and Richard Torres fielding onside kicks, and talks to Greg McMackin about tomorrow's weather forecast:

Tomorrow's forecast — heavy rain — will not alter the Warriors' plans, head coach Greg McMackin said.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "We've practiced in rain all year. The only thing that bothers a game plan is snow, and I know it's not going to snow. Rain doesn't affect anything as far as we're concerned."

Jason Kaneshiro writes about the development of the defensive line as many key players fought through injuries earlier in the season.

After recovering from injuries, seniors Josh Leonard, Keala Watson and Fale Laeli are expected to see heavier action tomorrow than in previous weeks when the Warriors (5-5, 4-3 Western Athletic Conference) face Idaho (2-9, 1-6) at Aloha Stadium.

Junior Rocky Savaiigaea was limited to one game prior to having season-ending surgery on his torn triceps. Although the rotation was depleted at times, freshman Vaughn Meatoga and junior Tuika Tufaga were given a chance to develop under game conditions and senior Francis Maka was added to the rotation to bolster the pass rush.

"Vaughn had so many reps, Tuika had so many reps, I think it's paying off now," said UH assistant Ikaika Malloe, who works with the tackles.

Kaneshiro also writes about the commitment of Kamalani Alo and notes that Daniel Libre was back at practice yesterday, but Erik Robinson was held out.

Kaneshiro interviews Idaho head coach Robb Akey.

"I think this is a very important game for us," Akey said.

"I want to be able to send the seniors out with a victory in their final go in a Vandal uniform, and for the rest of us coming back it would be a great launching pad going into our offseason and to help us continue in our building process."

From Scott Stone of The Argonaut, Vandal players are looking forward to the game.

Billy Hull writes about the Idaho Vandals from Hawaii.

And UH will be facing one of the greatest punters in the country.

Nothing he's accomplished in the past, though, has topped this fall. Coming into Saturday's season finale at Hawaii, Conley leads the nation with a 47.2-yard punting average. He's on pace to shatter Tom Sugg's single-season school record, set in 1991, of 44.8 yards.

The Walla Walla, Wash., native is also one of the Vandals' top NFL prospects. His booming, high-arching kicks - not to mention his much-improved consistency - seem to have caught the eye of at least a few scouts.

Here's hoping we have many opportunities to admire his hang time tomorrow. Hmmm, I should probably rephrase that.

WitP: Samson, Bess, Sopoaga, Ulbrich, Etc.

Samson Satele (and Miami coach Tony Sparano) look ahead to this week's rematch with the Patriots.

"He's very quick off the ball," Coach Tony Sparano said of Satele. "When you are playing against bigger people, quickness can hurt him a little."

Satele said that Wilfork, the former University of Miami standout, has been the most challenging matchup of his young career.

"It's unbelievable what he does," Satele said. "[Wilfork] sits a yard off the ball and you think you can get him. But as soon as you take that first step, he's by you or in your face."

Dolphins QB Chad Pennington talks about Samson's continued improvement at center.

(On Samson Satele's growth at the center position) - "The center position to me is the most crucial position as far as communication on the line of scrimmage. All of the calls originate from the center, all of the declarations and recognitions of fronts, that originates from the center position. I think Sam's number one attribute is he's always on an even keel. He never gets rattled and that's important as a center because you've got to be able move on to the next play, you've got to be able to digest a lot of different looks and information. He's done a really good job of that."

In an article praising the genius of Pennington, Davone Bess talks about the importance of chemistry between QB and receiver.

"Without chemistry, it's impossible to go out and perform at a high level in any circumstances when it comes to the passing game," receiver Davone Bess said. "The quarterback has to understand you, from your speed, to your catching ability, down to knowing what you're thinking inside-out, and vice versa."

49ers coach Mike Singletary talks about how Isaac Sopoaga has improved this year.

RE: How has Isaac Sopoaga played for you this year?
“He’s played well. He wants to play better. We want him to play better, but he’s played pretty well.”

RE: Is consistency something that’s been an issue for him?
“I think for him it’s just a matter of continuing to know exactly where he’s supposed to be on every situation and he’s done a better job, but he trying to make sure that he has good leverage on every play. Sometimes he has the tendency to get high, but he’s playing better this year than I think he ever has, so that’s good to see.”

Travis LaBoy missed practice today due to an ankle injury.

Ikaika Alama-Francis was limited in practice as he recovers from a concussion.

And the quote of the day, from Jeff Ulbrich:

Linebacker Jeff Ulbrich was assessed a $5,000 fine from the Arizona game. Ulbrich said the hit in question came when he was on the kickoff-return team.

"I was just blocking a guy and I think I punched him in the face," Ulbrich said. "Not good."

Kamalani Alo Commits, Thursday Idaho News

UPDATE: Here's Alo's 2009 highlights, accompanied by early 90s hip-hop classics. Whoomp, there it is.



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Stephen Tsai writes that Kahuku outside linebacker Kamalani Alo will become a Warrior.

Kamalani Alo, who is 6 feet 1 1/2 and 190 pounds, is projected to compete at safety for the Warriors. He is an outside linebacker for Kahuku.

He also is a member of the track team — 100-meter sprint, 110 hurdles, 4x100 relay, shot put and discus — and a sweeper in soccer.

Alo received interest from Utah and Oregon State, but chose UH because "it's home. I want to play in front of family. I really like UH."

Congrats to Kamalani and UH!

Tsai also writes that Saint Louis receiver Billy Ray Stutzmann will graduate early and enroll at UH in January, Erik Robinson sat out practice due to a tweaked right hamstring, and Kealoha Pilares is back at running back because of injuries to Leon Wright-Jackson and Daniel Libre.

Jason Kaneshiro writes about yesterday's practice at Saint Louis, injuries to the running backs, Ford Island being closed to parking this Saturday, and Brashton Satele practicing at outside linebacker.

"We're just trying to get our best players on the field," UH head coach Greg McMackin said. "It gives him two more spots he can play."

Satele started four games at inside linebacker this season, but Solomon Elimimian has moved back into the middle over the last four games, racking up 35 tackles in that span.

"It'll be awfully tough to move Sol from the inside," defensive coordinator Cal Lee said. "I think Brashton's good enough to pick it up."

GoVandals.com has a link to a PDF of this week's game notes.

And Jake Alger, writing for the Idaho Press-Tribune, dismisses the Warriors.

The Vandals have an opportunity to end this disappointing season well with a road victory against Hawaii this Saturday. The Warriors are a so-so Western Athletic Conference team, or a poor Football Bowl Subdivision team — it means the same thing.

UH’s offense isn’t even close to what it has been in recent years: With big-time quarterback Colt Brennan and his stable of NFL-ready receivers gone, the team has managed just 14 touchdown passes while tossing 19 interceptions. And the team’s defense isn’t any better.

Come on UH, give the Vandals a gift to take back to Idaho! GOOSE EGG! GOOSE EGG! GOOSE EGG!