Blaze, Idaho, Colfax HS

Stephen Tsai writes about a scuffle between Blaze Soares and Brett Leonard that ignited yesterday's practice.

Asked if the scuffle served as motivation, UH head coach Greg McMackin said, "Absolutely. You've got to have a little feistiness. This is a game of collisions. Sometimes you get collided with, and you're not really happy about it."

After the 2-hour practice ended, Soares and Leonard walked together to the buses.

"What happens on the field, stays on the field," Leonard said. (The scuffle) got people fired up. It was something we definitely needed."

Soares said: "That stuff happens when people are competitive. Brett's a competitive guy and I'm a competitive guy. Whatever happens, happens. We needed it. People got all pumped up. It actually worked better than we thought."

Tsai also has injury updates on Elliott Purcell and Adrian Thomas.

In today's Warrior Beat post, Tsai has some funny off-the-field notes. And in yesterday's post, a message from Blaze to the fans:

"The true fans stay on board. (To) the ones who don't stay on board, no season is going to be perfect. ... Keep with us. ... It's their choice. I can't force anybody. I hope they stay on board. We have a lot of football games left. Just don't give up on us. We're going to try harder in each and every game."

And speaking of Stephen Tsai, he talks about the team in this Q&A with the Lewiston Tribune.

UH coach Chris Tormey also talks to them about his days with Idaho. The article on Tormey can be read here, but looks like you have to register first.

And the prolific Lewiston Tribune has a UH scouting report.

Hawaii’s run defense ranks at 110th in the country at 201.80 yards per game, and it just gave up 277 yards on the ground to Fresno State – including 149 to the prolific Ryan Mathews. Idaho has a similarly physical ground threat with DeMaundray Woolridge, so it’s hard to see that not being a focus for the Vandals after taking into account what the Bulldogs did in Honolulu – especially with Idaho coming off of nearly 300 rushing yards itself last week in San Jose.

“He’s a powerful kid, and he keeps on grinding,” Robb Akey said this week of Woolridge. “We call him ‘The Diesel,’ and there’s a reason for it.”

The Diesel should have his way with this defense. You just saw one of the answers from UH beat writer Stephen Tsai that detailed Hawaii’s tackling problems – something Woolridge has thrived on this season.

Jason Kaneshiro writes about Idaho's bowl ambitions.

Although Akey wants the Vandals to savor their success while aiming for the postseason, he remains wary of letting their sights drift from tomorrow's game against a Hawaii team that arrived in the Palouse with a three-game losing streak.

"We'd better make sure we've got all our focus on this particular ballgame," Akey said. "That is a damn good team we're playing this week. This group has not beaten the University of Hawaii, ever. So we'd better get after it."

Kaneshiro also has some news and notes about practice, Leon Wright-Jackson, and injuries.

KREM 2 Sports Director Tim Lewis writes why he thinks Idaho will beat UH.

First off, Idaho finally has a home field advantage. I'm not trying to say they haven't had rowdy crowds in the recent past, but there is a big difference between 16,000 (what's expected on Saturday) and 10,324 (the attendance in the dome against San Diego State earlier this year). A rockin' Kibbie Dome will make a huge difference.

The Spokesman-Review profiles Idaho linebacker JoJo Dickson.

And Ferd Lewis writes about Colfax High School's aloha spirit.

But folks in this town, where Halloween pumpkins line the porches, were as hospitable as curious when the Warriors called, desperately seeking use of a field to prepare for tomorrow's game at Idaho. With plans to use another high school having fallen through at the 11th hour and the use of one of WSU's having been denied, they took in UH.

Yes, you could say things have been tough of late for the Warriors, losers of three games in a row, booed in their last home appearance and now 91/2-point underdogs against Idaho. But here, of all places, they remember the Warriors in better times.

"I know a little bit about Hawai'i football," said Colfax athletic director Mike Morgan. "So when they called and said they'd been turned down (by) three other places, I said, 'of course you can use our place. Right on!' "

Big ups to Mike Morgan and Colfax.