Game Day: Hawaii at Nevada

Another tough game against a tough foe. Here's hoping for a crazy shootout and that everyone stays healthy! GO WARRIORS!!! Here are today's previews:

Nevada surging as Hawaii swoons, by Jason Kaneshiro

As of yesterday afternoon, the sportsbook at the Grand Sierra Resort — where the Warriors are spending the weekend — listed Hawaii as a 28-point underdog entering today's Western Athletic Conference meeting with the Wolf Pack at Mackay Stadium.

The wide spread illustrates the divergent paths Hawaii (2-5, 0-4) and Nevada (4-3, 3-0) have followed since the season's opening weeks.

Hawaii hasn't tasted a win since a 2-0 start, with struggles in all three phases contributing to the program's longest losing streak since 1998. Nevada, meanwhile, righted itself after losing three straight to begin the season, winning its last four behind one of the nation's most explosive offenses.

Hawaii aims to end losing skid, by Stephen Tsai

A year ago today, Bryant Moniz and his daughter wore accompanying Halloween costumes.

Moniz went as a football player. His daughter masqueraded as a football.

"I carried her around," Moniz said. "That was the best costume I could think of."

Today, as Hawai'i's quarterback, Moniz hopes to be knock-knock-knockin' on the door to the end zone.

UH faces 'football freak', by Stephen Tsai

But one thing is certain: all of the schemes and upset dreams — and the Warriors are 28 1/2-point underdogs — revolve around containing Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick is the brightest in a Western Athletic Conference of few stars. Kaepernick is 6 feet 6, capable of running 40 yards in 4.5 seconds, and hurls a baseball 94 mph.

Kaepernick is so multi-talented that the Warriors have used three scout quarterbacks to emulate his different skills in drills against the first-team defense.

"He's like David Blaine," UH associate head coach Rich Miano said. "He's like a street magician. You'll be rushing him, and he won't see you, but he'll feel you, and he'll spin out of there like he's 5-foot-3. Nobody can sack the guy. Nobody can contain the guy. When he gets going, nobody can catch him."

Moniz cleared to start, but UH still faces long odds, by Ferd Lewis

Warriors' defense must hold on tightly, by Ferd Lewis

The Wolf Pack is the nation's top running team, averaging 7.2 yards per rush and 320 yards per game. In its most recent effort, Nevada put up 484 rushing yards against Idaho. It had 559 against Nevada-Las Vegas.

They are dazzling numbers and, if you are UH, which ranks 110th among 120 major college teams in rushing defense, worrisome.

And more so because unlike Louisiana Tech, which managed 352 yards against UH or Fresno State that managed 277 on the Warriors, the Wolf Pack comes at you with an array of rushers in its unique "pistol" offense.

McMackin looking for answers to stopping Pack attack, by Dan Hinxman of the Reno Gazette-Journal

"Stopping this offense is going to be a great challenge, especially Kaepernick and (running back Vai Taua)," said senior linebacker Blaze Soares, the Warriors' leading tackler. "Their offensive line is probably the most physical offensive line we'll play. It's going to be very tough. ... We respect that offense. We've just got to play Warrior football and let the cards fall where they may."

Pack playing with confidence again, by Joe Santoro of The Nevada Appeal

The last thing Wolf Pack coach Chris Ault wants his team to do now is focus on how much Hawaii is struggling.

“That's a dangerous team,” Ault said. “They have better athletes than their scores indicate. Their offense can explode at any time.”

The Warriors, despite using three different quarterbacks, have passed for 2,442 yards and rushed for just 524. The Pack rushed for more yards in one game this year (559 against UNLV) than Hawaii has all season.

“I've been around long enough to see their backup quarterbacks come in and just rip people apart,” said Ault, doing his best to keep his team focused this week. “It doesn't matter who their quarterback is. They are going to throw it 45-50 times. That team can throw the ball on anyone.”

...and here are yesterday's articles that I couldn't get to yesterday. Been stupid busy!

Warriors shrug off the cold weather, by Jason Kaneshiro

Warriors break into cold sweat, by Stephen Tsai

In an 11-on-11 defensive drill, linebacker Jake Heun put an orange cap on his helmet to indicate he would be playing for the scout offense, which usually wears white. Heun, wearing a green jersey, aligned as a tight end on the right side. After the snap, he rolled to his left and floored defensive end Fetaiagogo Fonoti. Heun was greeted with rousing cheers from teammates. Fonoti, who fell on his wallet, was stunned.

"I didn't know he was on offense," Fonoti said. "I saw the green jersey. Then — boom! — oh, my. What was even worse I still didn't know he was on offense. I thought he was on defense and hit me by accident. 'Oh, damn, Jake.' Then everybody was like, 'Good hit, Jake,' and I'm like, 'hell, no.' "

Hoping for change of fortunes in Reno, by Ferd Lewis

If downtrodden UH is looking for inspiration to escape its current 2-5 (0-4 Western Athletic Conference) plight, it need only look across the line of scrimmage at Mackay Stadium.

There in navy blue and silver they will confront a Wolf Pack team that, a month ago, knew something of the frustrations the Warriors grapple with today. Heading into October Nevada was 0-3 and searching for wins and answers while a Web site was dedicated to the firing of head coach Chris Ault.

Basketball beckons while Ostrowski embraces football, by Dave Reardon