UH vs WSU Wrap-Ups

Jason Kaneshiro has a wrap-up and game stats. Here's an excerpt about Nick Rolovich's first game calling the offensive plays:

Rolovich conceded to feeling a few butterflies in the days leading up to the game, but scripting the first handful of plays helped the offense find a rhythm seemingly from the time the Warriors emerged from the tunnel.

"When I was a quarterback, I know I enjoyed knowing what the first five plays are the night before," Rolovich said. "They can sleep on it, they can visualize positively. So I think it helps them and got us off to a nice start."

Alexander confirmed as much after the game.

"You have an idea of what you're going to do the first play and you have an idea of the looks you're going to get. It just takes the comfort level higher," Alexander said.

Stephen Tsai's wrap-up has some excellent quotes:

"Look at my face," UH center John Estes said of the blood-stained scrapes caused by the Pac-10 defensive lineman. "I got my helmet ripped off, like, 10 times. ... There's a reason why they can't win a game, (why) they don't want to play us (in 2011). It is what it is."

In an emotional pregame speech, linebacker Blaze Soares implored his teammates to play with controlled rage.

"We're Warriors, and we want to be known as the hardest-hitting defense in the country," Soares said. "Game by game, we want to prove that. It's a bold statement, but I think we have talent to do it."

Soares added: "We wanted to go out there and play for the people of Hawai'i. We know our economy is very bad. We play 60 minutes of football, and that's when our fans' problems go away. They're focused on UH football. We have to go out there and make our fans happy for 60 minutes, and not let them think about real-life problems. We want them to go out and have fun watching us play."

Here's a wrap-up from the AP.

Washington State committed five turnovers in the first half, as Alexander played an easy game of pitch-and-catch across the middle of the Cougars' soft, slower zone defense.

Even Hawaii's linemen were faster than Washington State's defensive backs. When Chima Nwachukwu picked up a fumble by Alexander at the Cougars 1 midway through the second quarter -- 1 yard from Hawaii going up 42-0 -- he briefly appeared free for a 99-yard score down the sideline. Then Warriors right tackle Laupepa Letuli ran him down and pushed him out of bounds at the WSU 31.

Billy Hull has a wrap-up.

Ferd Lewis highlights the play of the Warrior defense.

"You could really hear some of them (hits), they were loud, especially when their (WSU's) side was quiet," Kiesel-Kauhane said. "You've got to love it, that's the way the game is supposed to be played."

Safety Spencer Smith said, "hard-hitting play is our personality. Hopefully, we got into their heads a little bit."

Those that the Warriors didn't loosen anyway.

Kyle Galdeira has an article about Rodney Bradley.

"I was pretty happy. I'm really confident now," Bradley said. "Not only am I confident in myself, but I'm confident in my quarterback to make that pass to me, to look to me."

Ferd Lewis has an article about Alex Green.

Star-Bulletin has news and notes about Leon Wright-Jackson, injuries and the offensive line.

Ferd Lewis has a column about the UH offense.

Dave Reardon has a column about the Warriors' play-making. Another nice quotes from John Estes:

What does it tell us that UH couldn't shake an FCS team until the end but toys with a Pac-10 outfit?

"Frankly, Central Arkansas is a much better team (than Washington State)," center John Estes said. "All this stuff about struggling against a I-AA team ... a football team's a football team. We knew we were going to beat Wazzu. We should've put up 70, but we made a lot of mistakes."

From the Washington newspapers, here are some more articles about the game:

Hawaii Finds Paradise in Seattle vs. WSU, by Howie Stalwick in the Kitsap Sun

Four fumbles go in the Cougars’ direction, by Howie Stalwick in The News Tribune

Cougars football team is no match for Hawaii, falls 38-20, by Bud Withers of the Seattle Times

Cougars barely breathing just two weeks into season, by Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times

2-minute drill, from the Seattle Times

Cougars hand game to Hawaii; Warriors take it, by KNDO, which also has some video highlights and interviews.

Turnovers, poor start crush WSU, from The Spokesman Review

And here are wrap-ups and reaction from CougCenter and WSU Football Blog.