Video: Post Idaho press conference

Boise's up next!

WitP: Chad Owens, RGM, Sol, Adam, Bess, Sopoaga

Chad Owens had another amazing game in a loss to Montreal.

The finish took the shine of an incredible night for Owens who amassed 308 combined yards — not including a 70-yard punt return TD negated by a penalty — and added a touchdown reception in what has become one of the most amazing seasons in CFL history.

As if that weren’t enough, the diminutive Hawaiian also recovered a fumble at midfield after frightening the Alouettes into trying a short kickoff. Admittedly, his own fumble led to Montreal’s first touchdown, but, hey, a guy can’t be perfect.

CFL.ca has some of Chad's highlights from the game.

In other CFL news, Saskatchewan Roughrider Ryan Grice-Mullen returned 5 kicks for 97 yards and 5 punts for 24 yards in a loss to the BC Lions. Solomon Elimimian led the Lions with 6 tackles while Adam Leonard had 4.

Davone Bess had 7 catches for 53 yards and returned 4 punts for 28 yards as the Dolphins beat the Bengals.

And Isaac Sopoaga had 1 tackle as the 49ers beat the Broncos in London.

Updated Opponent's schedule results

Here ya go. I like to keep track of how our opponents do all year, before and after our games to see who beat (or got beat) up who. I still don't understand how Nevada is above us, but oh well. Gotta focus on Boise! Opponent's schedules

UH at #26

UH is even closer to getting ranked this week, being the top "Other receiving votes" team in the nation (awww yeah) in both the USA Today Coaches Poll and the AP poll. Nevada, who UH knocked out of the polls two weeks earlier, creeps back into the Top 25.

UH Stats After Week 9

Hawaii remains the #1 passing offense in the nation with 395.44 yards per game.

UH moves up to #7 in total offense with 491.67 ypg and up to #11 in scoring offense with 39.22 points per game.

UH moves up ten spots to #47 in scoring defense with 22.33 points allowed per game, and drops a couple spots to #39 in total defense with 340.56 yards allowed per game. UH moves up to #7 in turnover margin with +1.22 per game.

UH is tied for #7 in interceptions with 14, and #4 in fumble recoveries with 12.

Bryant Moniz remains the nation's leader in passing yards per game with 360.78 ypg and total offense with 373.44 ypg. On the season, Moniz is 238 of 362 (65.75%) for 3247 yards (which leads the nation) with 25 TD passes (leads nation) against 7 INTs.

Moniz is tied for #6 in points responsible for with 18 points per game.

Greg Salas remains at #2 in receiving yards per game with 137.33 ypg. Kealoha Pilares is #7 with 105 ypg. On the year they have 1236 and 945 yards receiving respectively. Salas is on track for 1922.62 receiving yards this season (including the Hawaii Bowl), which would break Ashley Lelie's school record of 1713 yards. Still early yet.

Salas moves up to #2 in receptions per game with 9 per game while Pilares moves down to #11 with 7.11 per game.

Corey Paredes is #4 in the nation in tackles with 11.89 tackles per game. He has 107 tackles this season.

Mana Silva is tied for #8 in the nation in interceptions with 0.56 per game, for a total of 5. Jeramy Bryant is tied for #20 with 0.44 per game.

A lot more stats can be found on NCAA.com.

UH vs Idaho Wrap-Ups

UHUI2010 has lots of highlights from Hawaii's 45-10 victory over Idaho on their Youtube page. Here's one of the most exciting plays of the game:



Stephen Tsai's wrap-up is titled Home-thumping. I'm trying to figure out what the pun is. Here's a quote from Austin Hansen:

"We're excited for the state of Hawaii," offensive tackle Austin Hansen said in the celebration of the postgame locker room. "We usually have the 48-hour rule (to enjoy victories), but we're cutting that short. We're over it. The 'W' is in the books. We're ready to move on."

Jaymes Song's wrap-up has quotes from the players.

"Reflecting on the season so far, I would say it's magical," Hawaii safety Mana Silva said. "But we still got to do some magic at Boise State. We've got to focus and continue to improve."

Hawaii is riding high and eager to showcase its talents, which have largely gone unnoticed so far.

"Now it's that week to get another victory and really put our name out there and let people know what Hawaii football is about," Moniz said.

Brian McInnis highlights the performance of the UH defense.

"I give credit to the players. The players made plays when they needed to be made," UH defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said. "They're very smart football players, they understand the game, the situation and I think they rise to the occasion."

Paredes, the reigning two-time WAC defensive player of the week, had a game-high 15 tackles.

The Star-Advertiser Warrior Scorebook has lots of news and notes, including why Kealoha Pilares sat out the second half:

He said he felt his hamstring tighten up during warm-ups after halftime.

"I just made this sudden movement and I felt it," Pilares said. "I'm just going to do everything in my power to get back, because this week's game (at Boise State) is super important."

Jason Kaneshiro writes about the UH offense overcoming first-half mistakes.

Bryant Moniz was uncharacteristically wild early on.

Greg Salas saw a sure touchdown reception fall off his normally reliable hands.

A trick play didn't quite materialize and a first and goal at the 2 resulted in an interception.

In the past two seasons, such missed opportunities might have sidetracked the Hawaii offense.

Last night, the Warriors made sure the ragged moments didn't matter much at all at the finish.

"Now we know what we can do," Salas said after UH's bowl-clinching 45-10 win over Idaho last night at Aloha Stadium. "We have a real close chemistry and bond with each other, so we don't get frustrated thinking, 'We're not scoring.' We know when we get back on the field we're going to get the opportunity and make the most of it."

Billy Hull gets the Idaho perspective.

"We got embarrassed out here unfortunately today," Idaho coach Robb Akey said. "I thought we were ready to get off this roller coaster, but we didn't play and compete throughout the whole game."

Idaho had scored at least 30 points in every game except one, but needed a touchdown in the final 3 minutes from a backup quarterback just to reach double digits.

Starter Nathan Enderle, who is projected to be selected in the NFL Draft next April, was held to 207 yards passing, intercepted twice and sacked three times before sitting out most of the fourth quarter.

Ferd Lewis writes that UH has one of its most balanced teams in years.

Indeed, if the past six games mean anything — and the longest winning streak since 2007 sure seemed to last night — it is that the Warriors will take their most complete team to Boise in five trips.

They've taken some good offensive teams there, witness the 41-34 shootout loss in 2006. They've taken some decent defensive ones there, too, but never packed one as multi-talented and well-rounded as the current edition is shaping up.

"This is probably the best we've been in all three phases in, maybe, 12 years," acknowledged associate head coach Rich Miano.

And Dave Reardon looks ahead to next week's huge game vs Boise State.

Finally, 20 minutes after Hawaii's 45-10 dismantling of Idaho was completed, announcer Billy V shouted it so all of Halawa Valley could hear:

"Beat Boise."

That will be the battle cry all week, now that UH has won its sixth game in a row and takes a 5-0 WAC record on the road, hoping to spoil the party at Boise State before it can even get started.

This could be Hawaii's final trip to the blue turf of Bronco Stadium, and all of college football will be watching — Boise State will have to take care of business within its own conference to maintain any dreams of playing for a national championship.

Getting butterflies just thinking about it. GO WARRIORS! BEAT BOISE!

Oh, right. Home-thumping = Home-coming. I think.

Video: Highlights from win over Idaho last night

Happy Halloween Homecoming !!!

Hawaii 45, Idaho 10

Nice win for the Warriors. Bowl berth locked up. On to Boise State!

HawaiiAthletics.com has a game summary with links to a box score and post-game notes and quotes.

Here's the game summary from GoVandals.com.

ESPN.com has the AP wrap-up.

The Star Advertiser and the Spokesman Review have game summaries as well.

Ways to Follow the UH vs Idaho Game

Bumped. GO WARRIORS!!!!!


Being There:

Buy tickets through HawaiiAthletics.com, or at Aloha Stadium. Game starts at 5:30 pm.

UH-Manoa students get free bus transportation and free admission to the game.

HawaiiAthletics.com has info on fan promotions and ticket discounts, including lots of homecoming promotions.

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

More bus transportation info on UHFootballExpress.com


Television:

In Hawaii, via Oceanic PPV. Call (808)643-3333 statewide to order. It'll be rebroadcast Sunday at 10:00 a.m. on KFVE.

Outside of Hawaii, via ESPN Gameplan. Check with your cable or satellite provider.


Streaming Video:

Via Oceanic Streaming Video. They'll start taking orders one hour before the game. The cost is $12.56.

Via ESPN3.com, if your ISP supports it. It's blacked out in Hawaii.


Theaters:

On Oahu: at Consolidated's Ko'olau Theatre
On Maui: at Consolidated's Kaahumanu Theatre


Radio:

On Oahu, ESPN 1420 AM. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KHLO in Hilo, and KKON in Kona.


Streaming Audio:

Via ESPN1420AM.com


Live Stats:

SideArmStats.com, via HawaiiAthletics.com

ESPN Scoreboard


Blogs/Message Boards:

The Warrior Beat
SportsHawaii.com
WarriorSportsNetwork.com


Twitter:

Follow the #UHFB hashtag.

....

References:

HawaiiAthletics.com and GoVandals.com

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

Game Day: UH vs Idaho

It's game day, baby! Win this one, and UH gets to play another on Christmas Eve. But first thing's first, UH has to contend with Idaho's #4 passing offense in the nation. Of course, UH has the #1 passing offense in the nation, so should be a fun and possibly long game. GO WARRIORS!!!!!!

Chawan has last night's Cut, with previews of tonight's UH-Idaho game.



Stephen Tsai's game day preview breaks down the offense, defense and special teams for both UH and Idaho. Here's an excerpt about the UH special teams:

After a week of auditioning punt returners to replace injured Ryan Henry, it appears the Warriors will go with Greg Salas. The post-practice auditions have benefited Alex Dunnachie, who has used the extra work to try to improve his hang times. He usually averages 4.5 seconds of hang time, which is within the acceptable range. "But the bad ball is a 3.9, and that's the one that's been killing us," Dunnachie said.

Jaymes Song of the AP previews the game.

"We're feeling really good about ourselves right now as far as working together. Everybody's on the same page," said Warriors quarterback Bryant Moniz, who leads the nation in passing and total offense. "We feel like we can't be stopped. As long as we execute our assignments, we'll keep going."

And no one has been able to slow down Hawaii the past six weeks. The Warriors have outscored their opponents 223-83 in that span, including a 45-7 win last week at Utah State when they outgained the Aggies 605-181 in total yards.

"They're playing very well right now," Idaho coach Robb Akey said. "We'll be playing against a football team that has a great deal of confidence right now."

Josh Wright of The Spokesman-Review previews the game.

Led by linebacker Corey Paredes and safety Mana Silva, the Hawaii defense ranks second in the WAC. It handcuffed Nevada two weeks ago in an upset of the then-No. 19 Wolf Pack and held Utah State to a lone touchdown last week.

“Even our coaches said this is probably going to be one of the toughest defenses we face all year,” Idaho tight end Daniel Hardy said. “And I think they take pride in being a good defense, because they’re more known for their offense nationally. I think they kind of use that as a chip on their shoulder and they play that way.”

Tsai has some news and notes about the team's improvement over the course of the season, and facing Idaho QB Nathan Enderle.

"We're getting better, but this will be a big test," Aranda said of Idaho. "The quarterback (Nathan Enderle) is the best thrower we've seen this year. He reminds me of the USC guy (Matt Barkley). They're both very smart, and they have great touch. ... You can tell when you look at (Idaho's) offense, they have attitude and they have swagger. They have confidence, and they should."

And Ferd Lewis writes that you only have so much time left to appreciate Greg Salas in a UH uniform.

Greg Salas' career at the University of Hawaii is looking a lot like the player himself, gone before you know it.

The darting moves and sudden acceleration the slotback uses to burst past defenders just about sum up his stay with the Warriors.

I mean, can it really be, beginning with tonight's game against Idaho, that Salas has just three regular-season appearances left in a Warriors uniform at Aloha Stadium?

Somehow, this is already game No. 44 for Salas, and the next thing you know those trademark touchdown handshakes with be gestures of goodbye, too.

Salas to Senior Bowl, Zach Masch, Idaho Previews

Stephen Tsai talks to Greg Salas, who's been invited to the Senior Bowl.

Hawaii's senior slotback has been invited to compete in the 2011 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. By participating in the Jan. 29 all-star game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Salas is all but assured an invitation to the NFL scouting combine in February.

Salas said he was flattered to receive the invitation, which was relayed through associate head coach Rich Miano, the Warriors' pro liaison.

"It's nice to know that hard work is paying off, and people are noticing me," Salas said.

In addition, Tsai writes that the Senior Bowl also expressed interest in Kealoha Pilares and Alex Green.

Missed this yesterday, but Jason Kaneshiro has a profile of defensive lineman Zach Masch.

Tuioti said the 285-pound Masch has the strength to hold his ground at the line of scrimmage and "he's got a high motor, just constantly going,"

That trait could lead to an increased role on Saturday when the Warriors (6-2, 4-0 WAC) face Idaho (4-3, 1-1), which brings the nation's fourth-ranked passing offense to Aloha Stadium with quarterback Nathan Enderle slinging 39 passes per game.

"He's great in the pass rush so this week we're probably going to have to get some reps out of him to get after the quarterback," Tuioti said. "They have a great quarterback, and we need to collapse the pocket. That's one of Zach's strengths."

Kaneshiro has news and notes about Leilehua alums Bryant Moniz and Robert Siavii facing off this Saturday, injury news on Corey Paredes and Parker Paredes, and the ongoing search to replace Ryan Henry at punt returner.

UH special teams coordinator Chris Tormey said the decision on a punt returner to replace Ryan Henry, out for the season with a knee injury, could come down to pregame tomorrow.

Slotback Kealoha Pilares fielded punts at the end of yesterday's practice and was later joined by safety Richard Torres.

Matt Dessert of GoVandals.net previews the UH-Idaho game.

SWXRightNow.com has a video interview with Idaho coach Robb Akey. He shares his thoughts about the upcoming game. He should be a motivational speaker or a pro wrestler.

The Star-Advertiser recaps the WAC's settlement with Reno and Fresno.

And Dave Reardon wonders about UH's future.

Does winning really cure all evils, even the geographic challenge of thousands of miles of distance from your nearest competition?

If the University of Hawaii keeps up its winning ways in football, it will learn the answer to that question in the coming months. And maybe UH won't be done with Fresno State and Nevada after all -- even after 2011. And next week's visit to Boise State might not be the last for the Warriors.

And I've got a wonderful fish for you from the Ala Wai Canal.

No, really, hear this out

Video: Salas invited to Senior Bowl, WAC rulings on FSU, UNR

Tonight's news courtesy of KHON, KITV & KGMB/KHNL.

WAC Future. Official press release: Fresno & Nevada stuck for '11, payout details

Karl Benson and the WAC had a press conference earlier this morning to detail the exit of the Fresno State Bulldogs and Nevada Wolf Pack.
Here's a short excerpt:

Fresno State and Nevada will remain members of the WAC in all sports through June 30, 2012. Fresno State and Nevada will each pay $900,000 to resolve all claims of the WAC regarding their departure.

Full details can be found via the WAC website.

And here's the Star Advertiser's early article on the news.

More to follow.

Idaho Previews, Heun, Pollard, Boise, WAC

The Sports Network has a UH-Idaho preview.

Joe Ferrer of Ka Leo previews the game and writes about Bryant Moniz getting snubbed for the Davey O'Brien award.

The Davey O'Brien Foundation announced its 16 semifinalists for its yearly award given to the nation's top quarterback.
Warrior junior quarterback Bryant Moniz was not on the list, despite leading the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing yards (2,921) and touchdowns (22) this year.
"I don't think there's a whole lot of disappointment," offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich said. "But it doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

Stephen Tsai has news and notes about Jake Heun practicing at running back, Parker Paredes sustaining a shoulder injury, Ryan Henry being scheduled for surgery, and players auditioning to replace him:

Punter Alex Dunnachie gave high marks to slotbacks Kealoha Pilares and Dustin Blount, left wideout Rodney Bradley and safety Richard Torres. Left slotback Greg Salas, who has two punt returns this season, did not participate in that workout.

Dunnachie said Torres has a knack for tracking punts. "He sees the ball really well off the (punter's) foot, and gets in position early," he said.

Kiyomi Ueda of Ka Leo profiles Royce Pollard.

The Warriors' run-and-shoot offense is one of the top in the country, but Pollard knows he and the Warriors would not be successful without hard work.
"Being in this offense in unbelievable," he said. "Being the top just happens because we have one of the most complex offenses and everyone really has to work together, being unselfish, in order for it to work ... It's great to be the top and … we expect it."

Ferd Lewis looks ahead to Boise State.

Suddenly, the trivia question of who inflicted the last WAC loss on the Boise State dynasty 20 games ago is no longer so trivial. The last time the Broncos lost a WAC game -- and a conference title to boot -- it was the Warriors who did the deed.

Back in 2007 the Broncos were on a 17-game WAC winning streak when Colt Brennan & Co. brought things to a screeching halt, 39-27, on their way to the Sugar Bowl.

It will be recalled the Warriors had their chances a year earlier on "the blue" and, except for some costly breakdowns in the kicking game, could have done it in what became a 41-34 loss.

So there is some history for the Broncos to chew on this week. Not that they lack for more current concerns with not only the blossoming of UH's offense but the emergence of the defense.

The WAC will have an announcement today.

Signs point to the Western Athletic Conference announcing an agreement today that will keep defectors Fresno State and Nevada competing in the conference in all sports until June 30, 2012, with a minimal buyout.

The WAC has scheduled a news conference for 6 a.m. Hawaii time today, but commissioner Karl Benson and UH officials would not acknowledge whether a settlement had been reached in the nearly hour-long conference call among the WAC Board of Directors.

Video: Alex Green, Handshakes

Tonight's Chawan's Cut is mostly KITV and KGMB talking to Alex Green about how well he does when his mom is in the stands. CC also has last night's KHON news in there about the handshakes.

Na Koa Lunch Report, O-Line, Idaho, Breakup, etc.

Michael Lum has this week's Na Koa Lunch Report up at NaKoa.org. Gordy Shaw was the featured speaker. Here's an excerpt about how the UH offensive line is shaping up in years to come:

Coach Shaw said we would be graduating four linemen this year. The young freshmen offensive linemen are an outstanding group. The defensive coaches have been telling the offensive coaches what a good job the young offensive linemen are doing against the defense. Coach Shaw feels very good about the offensive line situation. He’s looking for 4 or 5 more high school recruits which should get us out of the JC recruiting cycle. It’s much better having linemen in the program for 4 or 5 years.

Stephen Tsai writes about the current offensive line, featuring Laupepa Letuli, Adrian Thomas and Brysen "Bula" Ginlack.

One spoke with a heavy Australian accent. The other hardly spoke.

According to Hawaii offensive lineman Laupepa Letuli, the first conversation between Sydney-raised Adrian Thomas and Kahuku High graduate Brysen "Bula" Ginlack went like this: "It was 'hmmm' and 'haaaaa,' and a lot of eyebrows moving."

"I remember Bula used to sit around with his headphones on and not talk to anyone," Thomas said.

"Now," Letuli added, "you can't shut him up."

Ginlack said: "Shut up!"

The three then roared with laughter.

SportsHawaii.com has a lot of awesome pictures from the Utah State game.

HawaiiAthletics.com and GoVandals.com have game notes for this weekend's matchup.

Steve Murray of MidWeek takes a look at the UH defense.

Before filling any gap, a defender may have two or three reads before the ball is snapped. Is the running back slightly offset to one side? Are they setting up for a “horn play” (a leading fullback) or a “load block” (running back shifts sides)? Then there are the post snap reads, which can involve another two or three decisions. With all that going on, one could be excused if the brain gets in the way on occasion.

“That happens plenty of times during a game,” says Paredes. “There is no game I have played perfect and I don’t think there will ever be. Luckily the D-line has been swarming to the ball, so we cover up each other’s mistakes.”

Tsai has news and notes about Corey Paredes' chiropractor father, the candidates to replace Ryan Henry as punt returner (Rodney Bradley and Richard Torres among them), and some relatively good news regarding Brett Leonard's knee injury:

Left guard Brett Leonard's availability still is being evaluated.

Leonard suffered a sore knee against Utah State. An MRI showed no damage. He did not practice yesterday.

Billy Hull profiles Idaho running back and Damien grad Kama Bailey.

"We're trying to take the steps necessary to go to another bowl," Bailey said. "We're going to have to come in and play our best to beat Hawaii."

To do that, the Vandals will need to rely on Bailey to help control the ball and keep the Hawaii offense off the field.

"We're going to have to establish a running game to have a chance," Bailey said. "We'll need to do that, keep throwing the ball, and maybe make a play or two on special teams to make it a good game."

Ferd Lewis writes about the money UH could lose now that ESPNU is broadcasting the UH-Boise game.

Santos estimated that, with the rebates, the amount of the loss from ESPN picking up the game could be as much as $250,000. UH receives a $2.3 million annual guarantee for its rights and shares in additional revenue with its partners, Oceanic and KFVE.

Oceanic is asking ESPN to be able to simulcast the game on PPV, where it was originally scheduled to broadcast.

By the time you read this, there may already be a WAC breakup agreement.

It appears Fresno State and Nevada have not seen the end of the University of Hawaii in football, after all.

As part of an impending settlement between the Western Athletic Conference and the two breakaway members, Fresno State and Nevada would make the 2011 football season their WAC finale before leaving for the Mountain West, not the current one as the two schools had vowed.

And Dave Reardon goes into some of the possible breakup details.

Warriors in the Pros: Owens, Elimimian, Ingram

Chad Owens was named CFL Player of the Week for the fifth time this season.

Arguably the most electrifying player in the Canadian Football League, WR/KR Chad Owens has been named CFL Special Teams Player of the Week! Owens was a unanimous selection in earning his fifth (5th) CFL Player of the Week award in 2010 (weeks 2, 7, 12, 14 & 17). He scored his fourth (4th) kick return touchdown of the season and accumulated 200 all-purpose while helping the Argos clinch a 2010 CFL playoff spot.

BCLions.com has a video interview with Solomon Elimimian.

And Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston answers a Patriot fan's question about Jake Ingram's recent struggles.

Q: What has been going on with our long snapper Jake Ingram? This week was especially inconsistent, with an almost blocked punt in the second half. I have to believe this was also a factor in the 4th and 1 situation. Better to go for the 1 yard than possibly get a blocked punt returned for a TD. -- Kevin (Washington)

A: Kevin, this has to be a concern right now for the Patriots. Ingram looked shaky, bouncing snaps to punter Zoltan Mesko. I think the Patriots coaching staff will look at his overall body of work instead of this one-game sample -- the overall body of work is good -- and give himself a chance to work through it. For what it's worth, Belichick said Ingram's struggles were not a factor in the fourth-quarter fourth-and-1 decision.

Video: The Cordial Gentlemen

Tonight's Chawan's Cut has the players talking about the handshakes.

UH-Boise State on ESPNU

ESPN today announced they will show the game on ESPNU. There's also a time change:

ESPNU will televise the Boise State-Hawaii game on Nov. 6 at Bronco Stadium, ESPN announced Tuesday.

The kickoff has been moved from noon to 1:30 p.m. The broadcast will be in HD.

Coach Mack Show, Ryan Henry out for the season, UH-Boise on ESPN?

HawaiiNewsNow.com has this week's Coach Mack Show up on their site. The Call of the Warrior segment is a profile of Mana Silva.

HawaiiAthletics.com has excerpts from McMackin's weekly press conference.

Adam Nettina of the USU Statesman has a recap of the UH-Utah State game.

"I'm kind of at a loss for words for it, honestly," said Utah State tight end Kellen Bartlett following the loss. "You never feel good after a loss, but it's extremely demoralizing."

"We played a better team and they went out there and proved that, and they really established it," Bartlett continued. "Everyone was thinking with the rain and the cold – and here's Hawaii – that they're going to play bad because all the weather and stuff."

Stephen Tsai has some bad news about Ryan Henry, who is out for the season.

Punt returner Ryan Henry will miss the rest of the Hawaii football season after being diagnosed with a torn ACL, UH head coach Greg McMackin announced yesterday.

The injury "is really a shame," McMackin said of Henry, a senior who also plays slotback.

Unfortunately this also ends his playing career at UH. All the best to Henry in his recovery. Also from that article are injury updates on Brett Leonard, George Daily-Lyles and Laupepa Letuli, who all may play against Idaho, and Geordon Hanohano, who underwent surgery on his knee.

Meanwhile, defensive tackle Geordon Hanohano is expected to miss two games after undergoing arthroscopic surgery Friday to repair a torn meniscus.

"I want to play (Nov. 6) against Boise," Hanohano said. "That would be real good. I have to see if it heals that fast."

Tsai also writes about Rodney Bradley not looking at the Idaho matchup as a revenge game, and David Graves shifting back from safety to QB.

Tsai talks to WAC Offensive Player of the Week Alex Green.

"It was a team effort," Green said. "It was nice to get (the award), but it feels better to get the win."

Ferd Lewis writes that ESPN wants to show the UH-Boise State game, but Boise hasn't approved it yet because...

Under terms of the Western Athletic Conference contract with ESPN, no school may have more than six of its games shown in the regular season via the WAC package without its approval. Boise State is scheduled for five and, because of the unbeaten Broncos' run toward a possible national title game, ESPN would like to show both the regular-season-ending Dec. 4 game with Utah State and the UH game - both Broncos home games. But, as things stand now, ESPN must either choose one or the other or receive the Broncos' approval.

And Lewis writes why a bowl-eligible SMU might not play in the Hawaii Bowl.

But there are several potential obstacles beyond whether SMU, currently 4-4 with four games remaining, becomes bowl eligible. For one, SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium is hosting the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl since the usual home, Texas Christian's Carter Stadium, is scheduled to undergo a $105 million renovation at the close of the regular season next month. And the bowl's owner, ESPN Regional TV, and its partner, C-USA, would have a sellout there with the Mustangs at home, something another team might not deliver.

All along some SMU alums had wanted the Mustangs to play closer to home last year when they achieved their breakthrough first bowl appearance in a quarter century. Two in a row in Hawaii might be a tough sell, even for the persuasive Jones.

Video: WAC POTW highlights

Congrats again to Paredes and Green!

Green, Paredes, WAC POTWs!!!

Congratulations to Alex Green and Corey Paredes for being named the Offensive and Defensive WAC Players Of the Week!

Utah State reviews, UH's improvement, WAC news

Dave Reardon reviews five big plays from UH's 45-7 victory over Utah State in this week's Warrior Replay.

Stephen Tsai highlights UH's improvement over last season.

Greg McMackin said the improvement can be traced partly to the maturation of the players and partly to Nick Rolovich and Dave Aranda being promoted to offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively.

While McMackin still leads coaches' meetings and is involved in crafting game plans, Rolovich and Aranda have been given play-calling autonomy.

"I give complete credit to Rolo and Dave and our other coaches," McMackin said. "It's the job of the coaches to get the players in position to make plays, and our players are making plays."

Ferd Lewis writes about the Warriors' cohesiveness.

In the course of their five-game — and counting — winning streak, the 6-2 (4-0 Western Athletic Conference) Warriors have been all about helping each other out. All about jumping in and finding ways to win, whatever — and whomever — it might require.

You see it, for example, when slotback Greg Salas lights up a defender with a block to help spring a teammate downfield. And in the way they pick each other up, even when something has gone badly.

And heaven help the opposing team when things are going grand for the Warriors, because it must seem, as it did in the 45-7 victory over Utah State, that the Warriors are playing with many more than 11 on the field at one time, so thick and impenetrable is their bond.

Dave Reardon has the line of the day in an article about where UH stands in the national rankings.

Nevada must have had a great week of football practice.

While Hawaii was winning by 38 points on the road, the Wolf Pack had a bye — and still got more voting points than the Warriors did in all three polls.

KHON's Vanessa Stewart has a report on the recent increase in sales of UH gear.

Since the beginning of the UH football season, sales at Rainbowtique stores have increased--and sometimes even doubled.

"Definitely excitement has been building as we've gone along first few games it was hit or miss sort of thing but these past few games we just keep winning and winning," says Adam Beyer, Rainbowtique Manager.

And Lewis writes that a resolution is near regarding the WAC-stabbers.

Today is the 60th-day deadline by which the two were originally asked to pay disputed $5 million departure fees for their impending move to the Mountain West Conference. But asked if he expected the payments to be forthcoming on the deadline, commissioner Karl Benson said "no."

Benson did say negotiations that began Oct. 7 "are progressing" and a resolution on several areas, including payments and dates of departure, "might not be far off." He would not elaborate on the terms being discussed, but it is believed the two breakaway schools would pay significantly less than the $5 million the WAC is seeking.

Video: Utah State Review, NFL Highlights

Chawan Cut compiles the news coverage of UH's victory over Utah State. There also some BCS stuff and highlights of Davone Bess and Pisa Tinoisamoa. Chawan also has updated his spreadsheet of UH opponent schedules and records.

WitP: Bess TD, Ikaika's non-recovery, Pisa fills in, etc

Davone Bess caught 6 passes for 66 yards, including an amazing 26-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown vs the Steelers. Here's that highlight:



Unfortunately Miami ended up losing the game. Ikaika Alama-Francis talks about the strange play that gave the ball back to Steelers after Ben Roethlisberger fumbled it into the endzone and Ikaika appeared to recover. Pittsburgh ended up kicking the go-ahead field goal on the next play.



Pisa Tinoisamoa was credited with 3 tackles and a forced fumble in a loss to the Redskins, but Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com's Chicago Bears Blog writes that Pisa was all over the field.

Frankly, I'm surprised to see Tinoisamoa credited with only three tackles in the press box stat book. The linebacker appeared to be all over the field, and he delivered a huge hit on McNabb on a blitz. With Lance Briggs missing last game and most of the Redskins matchup, Tinoisamoa and Brian Iwuh have more than picked up the slack.

Travis LaBoy had 2 tackles while Isaac Sopoaga had 1 in a loss to Carolina.

Samson Satele suffered a concussion in today's Raiders-Broncos game.

Jake Ingram has been struggling.

Ingram has had a pretty rough season, with lots of low/high/to the side snaps. He's been extremely inconsistent. This game, for the whole first half, Ingram had no control over where the ball would go. It ended up in the dirt more than it did in Mesko's hands on punting snaps. He was called for a penalty. Not a good showing for a player who plays a completely un-guaranteed position. Look for the Patriots to try out some long snappers this week- Ingram will stay on the roster, but another game like today and he may be looking for a new job.

Adam Leonard was blind-sided in Saturday's BC vs Calgary CFL game. His teammate Solomon Elimimian, who was fined for a hit on a quarterback, wonders why there seems to be a double standard when it comes to hitting a defenseless player.

Elimimian was livid not only at seeing Lewis take advantage of Leonard’s vulnerability but the double standard he believes was at play. His intent was to tackle, not to injure Ray. He can’t say the same applied to Lewis.

“It’s a safety and respect issue,” Elimimian says. “One of the reasons I was told I got fined was to protect the safety of CFL players. Well, in that case, anybody watching the film on Nik Lewis and Adam can clearly see what he’s doing. You should fine Nik Lewis for disregarding safety. Adam was nowhere near the play. He didn’t see him coming. That’s the monster you create. You set down a code of behaviour and everyone must be expected to follow it.”

And to end it on some happier news, Chad Owens is about to become recognized one of the greatest special teams' players in CFL history.

Chad Owens is close to putting himself in some elite company, as he should become only the fifth player in CFL history to compile 1,000 punt return yards and 1,000 kickoff return yards in a single season. Owens has 1,093 kickoff return yards and 949 punt return yards. The most recent CFLer to hit 1,000 yards in both categories in one year was Corey Holmes, who did it for Saskatchewan in 2002.

Just Outside the Top 25

Hawaii gets 40 votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, which would rank them at #27.

UH gets 19 votes in the AP poll, which would also rank them at #27.

If UH beats Idaho and enough voters are still up to vote, maybe UH will be ranked when they meet Boise State. There's no way ESPN doesn't pick up this game!

UH Stats After Week 8

Hawaii remains the #1 passing offense in the nation with 400.75 yards per game.

UH moves up to #9 in total offense with 491.38 ypg and remains at #12 in scoring offense with 38.5 points per game.

UH moves up to #57 in scoring defense with 23.88 points allowed per game, and #37 in total defense with 337.13 yards allowed per game. UH is tied for #12 in turnover margin with +1 per game.

UH is tied for #8 in interceptions with 12, and #7 in fumble recoveries with 10.

Bryant Moniz remains the nation's leader in passing yards per game with 365.13 ypg and total offense with 374 ypg. On the season, Moniz is 211 of 324 (65.12%) for 2921 yards (which leads the nation) with 22 TD passes (still leads nation) against 6 INTs.

Moniz is #10 in points responsible for with 17.25 points per game.

Greg Salas remains at #2 in receiving yards per game with 133.5 ypg. Kealoha Pilares is #5 with 111.38 ypg. On the year they have 1068 and 891 yards receiving respectively. It's still early yet, but Salas is on track for 1735.5 receiving yards this season (not counting a bowl game), which would break Ashley Lelie's school record of 1713 yards. Also, Lelie is on the UH staff, so who knows if maybe Salas can't find his helmet in the final game of the season??? I kid, I kid.

Salas moves up to #3 in receptions per game with 8.75 per game while Pilares moves to #9 with 7.5 per game.

Corey Paredes is tied with Manti Te'o for #6 in the nation in tackles with 11.5 tackles per game. He already has 92 tackles this season.

Although they didn't get any picks in this game, Jeramy Bryant and Mana Silva are tied for #13 in the nation in interceptions with 0.5 per game, for a total of 4 each.

A lot more stats can be found on NCAA.com.

UH vs USU Wrap-Ups

Stephen Tsai's wrap-up has details about the Warriors' strategy for the game.

The Warriors' strategy was to set up what they call the "quarterback trap." The first step was to narrow the pocket. The Warriors did this by having the defensive ends rush upfield, creating brackets, while the defensive tackles closed the inside lanes. Then the Warriors would do a switch, with the ends slanting toward the inside, and the linebackers defending the perimeters.

In football parlance, it is called "leveraging the ball" — not allowing Borel to get outside.

"That's what we call our quarterback trap," said Tony Tuioti, who coaches UH's defensive tackles.

Ferd Lewis writes about the UH D shutting down another QB.

"We took away their weapons," said defensive lineman Kaniela Tuipulotu in what has increasingly become their trademark.

By the fourth quarter Borel was thoroughly flustered and largely ineffective, having completed just seven of 23 passes, and was picked off twice by linebacker Corey Paredes. A half-dozen other passes were batted down as the Warriors stuffed the running game and suffocated the quick slant passing patterns to befuddle the Aggies offense inside and out.

Kraig Williams of the Deseret News writes about Utah State's demoralizing second half.

But as the rain came crashing down during halftime, so too did the Aggies' chances. Many of the 17,111 people in attendance headed out of the stadium in search of shelter from the rain and the cold. With them they took what little energy was left in Romney Stadium.

"It felt dead in the stadium and that's demoralizing," Kellen Bartlett said. "We don't ever let the crowd get into our heads at all; either home or away the crowd is always a non-factor. They threw a big punch at us in the third quarter and we had a hard time getting back up from it. It kinda stunk not having the crowd out there."

Whatever the reason, Utah State came out of the locker room sluggish and was blown away in the third quarter.

There are more wrap-ups and game summaries from UtahStateAggies.com, CacheValleyDaily.com, and Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune:

In every way, Utah State was beaten — and beaten badly — by a Hawaii team, (6-2, 4-0 in the Western Athletic Conference), that’s proving each week that it’s one of the best teams in the WAC. The Aggies, when it came down to it, simply couldn’t keep up.

“We ran into a better opponent,” Wagner said. “We have to go back to the meeting rooms and rebuild. We have a big game against Nevada next week, and we have to give it our all for all four quarters. Today, we didn’t do that.”

Jones also has some game notes.

Ferd Lewis highlights the performance of Corey Paredes.

Paredes had a game-high 10 tackles, all in keeping with his status as one of the most prolific tacklers in the nation (he was seventh last week, averaging 11.7 per game). But the object — make that plural — of his satisfaction was the first two pass interceptions of his UH career.

After 34 games as a Warrior — 11 of them starts — Paredes finally got his "picks," as he called them, after how many close calls.

"Finally getting one, then two, was really satisfying," said the junior from Castle High.

The Star Advertiser's Warrior Scorebook has news and notes about UH possibly locking up a Sheraton Hawaii Bowl invitation next week, Greg Salas' one-handed catch, David Graves' touchdown, etc., along with some injury news:

Punt returner Ryan Henry suffered a knee injury and his status will be evaluated upon the team's return to Honolulu today.

Offensive lineman Brett Leonard will also have a knee examined at home.

And Alex Green gets a helmet sticker from Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com's College Football Nation Blog.

WitP: Chad Owens does it again, Sol, Adam, RGM, LaBoy, Bess

Chad Owens hoped to return a kick for a touchdown vs the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Flyin’ Hawaiian returned a missed field goal 117 yards for a game-changing touchdown in Week 2, and then he took back a punt 80 yards for a game-changing major in Week 12.

He would love nothing more than to record the hat trick on Saturday against the Bombers, and he knows the Blue and Gold are thinking about that.

And today he did, returning a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown.

The Bombers inexplicably tried a 51-yard touchdown by Justin Palardy in the final minute of the first half, and Owens was ready. He caught the short attempt at the one-yard line and scampered untouched 109 yards for the major.

Besides that return, he caught 4 passes for 31 yards and returned 5 punts for 60 yards.

The CFL fined Solomon Elimimian for a hit he put on Edmonton QB Ricky Ray last week.

Lions coach Wally Buono argued that there was nothing untoward about the hit with Kevin McDonald, the league’s director of football operations. Buono insisted it was a shoulder-on-shoulder tackle. McDonald, according to Buono, contends it was helmet-on-helmet collision and thus put Ray at undue risk.

The videotape evidence was inconclusive and open to interpretation by both sides.

“That was a clean hit,” Elimimian insisted of the fourth-quarter lick he put on Ray while the quarterback was running with the football, outside the protective zone. “You saw him run the ball. When we try to pursue, and we stop him from throwing the football, he’s a quarterback. If he wants to be a running back … I’m going to be physical. It was just kind of frustrating. It’s not going to affect me, but it’s frustrating.”

On Friday, Elimimian had 4 tackles while teammate Adam Leonard forced a fumble as the BC Lions lost to Calgary.

Ryan Grice-Mullen caught 2 passes for 32 yards, returned 5 punts for 64 yards, returned 6 kicks for 104 yards but unfortunately lost two fumbles as Saskatchewan lost to Edmonton.

49ers.com has audio of Travis LaBoy being interviewed on KNBR.

And Davone Bess is getting more and more respect.

"Davone Bess is one of the better route runners underneath," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock stated with a matter-of-fact tone. "The more room Bess has underneath, the more effective he will be. He's very close in my opinion to Wes Welker."

Mayock's talking about the former Dolphin receiver, who has used his tenure in New England to become the preeminent slot receiver, which is typically an inside receiver who attacks the middle of the field using slants, drags and short dig routes.

But most inside the NFL believe Bess — who finished second in the NFL last season in third-down receptions, and is presently tied for first in that category — is giving Welker a run for his money because of his short area quickness, sure hands and level of consistency.

Video: news news news from Logan

Highlights: UH vs Utah State

UHUSU2010 already has highlights from UH's 45-7 victory over Utah State up on their Youtube page. Here's Greg Salas' one-handed touchdown grab followed by what can only be known as The Cordial Gentlemen touchdown celebration.

Hawaii 45, Utah State 7

Wow lau lau, UH defense. Great game, holding Utah State to 181 yards total offense. If it wasn't for a great 35-yard run by Diondre Borel, it would've been a shutout (Borel ended the game with 12 carries for -1 yards) Great game by the Warriors' offense, coming out roaring in the second half after a start-and-stop first half. Here are some stats:

Corey Paredes had 10 tackles and 2 interceptions.

Alex Green had 14 carries for 172 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also had 4 catches for 24 yards.

Greg Salas caught 9 passes for 158 yards, including a great 1-handed grab for a touchdown.

Rodney Bradley had 3 catches for 105 yards.

Kealoha Pilares had 7 catches for 98 yards.

Bryant Moniz was 25 of 41 (61%) for 389 yards and 1 TD, though he did have two picks.

UH had 605 yards of total offense.

::::::

StarAdvertiser.com has a game summary.

HawaiiAthletics.com has a game summary, which has links to a box score and post-game notes.

Ways to Follow the Hawaii at Utah State Game

Bumped. GO WARRIORS!!!!!!


Television:

In Hawaii, via Oceanic PPV. Call (808)643-3333 statewide to order. It'll be rebroadcast Sunday at 10:00 a.m. on KFVE.

Outside of Hawaii, via ESPN Gameplan, or via ESPN-Regional on Altitude, channel 681 on DirecTV. Check with your cable or satellite provider.


Streaming Video:

Via ESPN3.com, if your ISP supports it.

Via Stretch Internet Game Central. It costs $9.95.


Theaters/Bars:

On Oahu: at Consolidated's Ko'olau Theatre
On Maui: at Consolidated's Kaahumanu Theatre
Oceanic.com has a list of bars and restaurants that show UH football games.

Radio:

On Oahu, ESPN 1420 AM. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KHLO in Hilo, and KKON in Kona.


Streaming Audio:

Via ESPN1420AM.com


Live Stats:

Utah State Aggies Game Tracker

ESPN Scoreboard


Blogs/Message Boards:

The Warrior Beat
SportsHawaii.com
WarriorSportsNetwork.com


Twitter:

Follow the #UHFB hashtag.


References:

HawaiiAthletics.com and UtahStateAggies.com

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

Game Day: UH at Utah State

Stephen Tsai's game day preview breaks down the offense, defense and specialists of both teams. Here's an excerpt about the UH defense:

To keep up with the pace of the Aggies' no-pause offense, the Warriors have increased the tempo of their practices, running 30 defensive plays in 15-minute periods. It was the same training used successfully in preparing for Louisiana Tech's no-huddle offense a few weeks ago. The trench guys - Vaughn Meatoga, Kaniela Tuipulotu, Geordon Hanohano - have been credited with pushing back the line of scrimage. (Haku Correa steps in for Hanohano, who is recovering from a knee ailment.) But it starts with the ends, who have managed to narrow the pass pocket. Elliott Purcell has been effective lately in playing contain defense.

Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune previews the game.

“I don’t see a weak link to Hawaii,” Utah State head coach Gary Andersen said. “They are obviously an explosive offensive team. They have a tremendous receiving corps, they have a quarterback who runs their offense very well and an offensive line that is experienced and works well together. I think it’s a challenge for our guys. They are excited about returning and have played fairly well at home this year. I expect our kids to play well. This will be a big-time challenge for us, without question.”

A big question will be which USU team shows up.

In his game preview, Kraig Williams of the Deseret News writes about Utah State's inconsistency.

The Aggies looked as though they had turned a corner on their progression to start the season. They gave now-BCS No. 1 Oklahoma everything it wanted to start the season. And just a few weeks ago, the Aggies put an emphatic beat-down on rival BYU in front of a national audience on ESPN.

Surrounding those games, however, are frustrating efforts. A late-game letdown against Fresno State squandered a very winnable WAC opener, and the Aggies were blown out on the road at San Diego State and most recently at Louisiana Tech.

Tsai writes about the one of the main motivating factors for the Warriors in this game.

In the last meeting between the teams in Logan, Utah, the Warriors, who entered as favorites, squandered several red-zone opportunities en route to a 30-14 loss.

This time, oddsmakers have installed UH as 3 1/2 -point favorites.

But the Warriors have changed their preparation. For the 2008 game, the Warriors arrived in Utah the day before the game. This time, they arrived early Thursday. They had a full 2-hour practice on Weber State's campus Thursday afternoon, and a 1-hour walk-through of Romney Stadium yesterday in Logan.

McMackin said he was so annoyed about the 2008 loss he cracked a back tooth during the game.

"It was a bad experience then, but it's good for this year because, believe me, I have never forgotten it," McMackin said.

Ferd Lewis has news and notes about Utah State offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin, USU's bye week, the weather forecast (mid-50s with rain) and why homecoming at Romney Stadium likely won't be sold out:

"It is the opening of deer-hunting season," a spokesman said. "We usually try to get that date as a road game, but it didn't work out this year."

They predict a crowd of 18,000-20,000.

Ferd also thinks USU will pull some trick plays today.

What Don King likes to call "trickeration" has been part of the Aggies arsenal since head coach Gary Andersen took over last year. The calling card was, as much as anything, two successful fake punts against Boise State, one of the better special teams units around.

With an open date last week to prepare, some vivid imaginations to work from and a sense of desperation setting in at Utah State, you can only wonder what the Aggies might have up their jersey sleeves today.

Video: Night Before UH-USU

Tonight's Chawan's Cut has the Utah State previews:

Preparing for USU / Albrecht / Ault

Stephen Tsai writes about the Warriors in Utah.

The Warriors, it seems, have tried to cover all areas in preparing for tomorrow's road game against Utah State. They arrived in Utah a day earlier than usual to get used to the 4-hour time difference and the elevation. (Utah State's Logan campus is about 4,500 feet above sea level.) The Warriors practiced yesterday at Weber State's field.

They went through accelerated defensive drills to get ready for the Aggies' no-huddle, no-pause offense.

And they packed long-sleeved undershirts because the weather forecast raises the possibility of sleet.

Adam Nettina of the USU Statesman profiles Utah State's leading tackler, and previews the game.

According to Wagner, the defense is ready to make up for its mistakes not only last year, but in this year's losses as well.

"When we went out there to play against them we didn't really have a good showing," said Wagner, who also ranks third in the nation in tackles per game. "Now that they're coming into our house, we have to make sure we're prepared. We know that they're one of the top 10 offenses in the nation, so we have to come out ready to play and ready to stop the pass."

Nettina also has some game notes and a prediction.

...and although Hawaii comes in as the hottest team in the WAC, traveling to Logan will present Bryant Moniz and the offense problems. The Aggies have had two full weeks to prepare for this game and get healthy, while the Warriors will come into the game off their biggest win in a year. The result? Your classic "trap" game for the Warriors, who will come out overconfident and find that the change of climate will stifle their winning ways. Utah State wins this one before a homecoming crowd, 38-35.

Ferd Lewis writes about Utah State president Stan Albrecht, who was a man of his word, unlike the backstabbers. Lewis recaps how Fresno State and Nevada bolted for the MWC after Utah State turned them down:

But Albrecht stood by his plan -- and his commitment -- rejecting the overture, saying at the time, "we were simply committed to uphold our agreement with fellow WAC members. We respectfully declined MWC interest and believed all WAC members would remain committed to our agreement."

So, too, initially, at least, did Nevada president Milton Glick, according to people familiar with the events. But when the MWC approached Fresno State president John Welty, he not only agreed to jump but, according to people who claim knowledge of the issue, helped persuade Nevada to flip-flop.

And on the same topic, Nevada coach Chris Ault gets all salty when he hears what Coach Mack said after UH beat them.

The anti-Pack sentiment in the WAC is a real thing. Hawaii football coach Greg McMackin let it slip after his Warriors beat the Pack last Saturday, telling the Hawaii media that beating the Pack was special because the Pack “doesn't want to play with us anymore.” He also said the way the Pack (and Fresno State) left the WAC (almost overnight in late August) was not the right way to do it. “To the winner goes the spoils,” Pack coach Chris Ault said, when told of McMackin's comments. Ault also told me he'd likely never play another game at Hawaii in his career. “That's whether we won or lost,” he said.

Video: Utah State Previews, Vince Manuwai

Tonight's Chawan's Cut has a lot of Utah State previews. KHON continues their 5-0 to Florida series with a feature on the Hawaii players who have played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, including Vince Manuwai.

Utah State Previews, News and Notes

HawaiiAthletics.com has game info and notes for this Saturday's UH-USU game. They also have a page highlighting UH's stats and another about voting for Bryant Moniz for the O'Brien Award.

The Sports Network previews the game.

As for the Warriors, their 5-2 start to 2010 has earned them some national recognition and a few votes in the most recent AP poll. Better yet, with a 3-0 start to the WAC slate Hawaii is actually at the top of the conference standings ahead of Boise State which is currently the third-ranked team in the country. It used to be that trips to the mainland for the Warriors were generally met with defeat, yet already this year the team has victories at Army and Fresno State on opposing sides of the continent.

Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune previews the game.

Controlling Bryant Moniz, and his ability to lead Hawaii’s offense, may be a key for Utah State pulling off what promises to be a difficult matchup Saturday for the Aggies.

In conjunction, actually playing offense and playing it well could be imperative for USU.

Bryant-Jon Anteola of the Fresno Bee writes about the WAC's "surprise" team.

Will first-place Hawaii (5-2, 3-0) have a tidal-wave-like present awaiting defending champion and national-title hopeful Boise State (6-0, 2-0) in three weeks?

"We're not a super team," said Hawaii coach Greg McMackin, whose Warriors were picked fifth in the preseason WAC coaches' poll. "But we can play with anybody on the other side of the football field."

Stephen Tsai has news and notes about Greg Salas receiving a perfect grade in the Nevada game, Lewis Walker reserving 72 tickets for friends and family, and David Hafoka replacing an injured Geordon Hanohano on the travel squad.

Hafoka is the injury replacement for defensive tackle Geordon Hanohano, who has a tweaked knee.

"Now it's my turn to help out the team," said Hafoka, who did not play last season because of a lower-back injury. He underwent successful surgery during the offseason and is poised to play at defensive left tackle.

Dave Reardon talks to Greg McMackin and Chris Tormey about the improvement needed on special teams.

So while the Manoa brain trust hasn't gone to DefCon 5 over special teams, that phase has become a concern, particularly covering kicks.

Head coach Greg McMackin and special teams coordinator Chris Tormey said the Warriors special teams were generally decent against the Wolf Pack. But they know one misstep in the kicking game can determine a game's outcome.

"We did a good job with the exception of three plays. A punt return, a kickoff return and the onside kick. The rest of the game was a good job," McMackin said.

But UH's goal is to make three big special teams plays a game, not allow them.

And Ferd Lewis writes that the USC game was the biggest moneymaker in UH's history.

The Sept. 2 game, for which 44,204 tickets were distributed, produced $1,107,000 in net revenue, the athletic department said. The figure is based on the face value of the tickets and stadium expenses and does not include premium charges for season tickets, UH said.

USC won the game, 49-36.

UH said it eclipsed the previous mark of $1,090,000 set by the 2007 sellout against Washington. That game completed UH's unbeaten regular season and clinched the trip to the Sugar Bowl.

Tonight's news: Defense, USU, Colt, Davone

Lots of stuff tonight!

WitP: Sopoaga, Bess, Elimimian

Michael Martinez of NinersDigest.com talks to Isaac Sopoaga about playing fullback and getting the rock.

Asked to describe his running moves, Sopoaga said, “There’s no secret. It’s just like me playing defense. Just beat the guy in front of you. It’s the same when you carry the ball -- just run over the guy in front of you.”

At some point, Sopoaga said he wants to run with the ball, as Perry once did. QB Alex Smith, asked if he had practiced handing off the ball to Sopoaga, smiled.

”I can’t divulge that information,” he said.

Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel talks to Davone Bess about his amazing month.

“I think I get satisfaction in knowing that I accomplished something. Obviously the money is good, and to have the security from a family standpoint is good. But knowing that all the hard work I put in, the sacrifices and dedication, the determination I put in; everything I wanted to do, everything I mapped out to do came through.

“I’m thankful,” said Bess, who has brought in 156 catches for 1,594 yards and five touchdowns in his two-plus seasons. “I like the group of guys I’m around. I like the potential of this organization and team. I’m a part of an offense. We have a bunch of young players here and the sky is the limit. They believed in me and that goes a long way.”.

Mike Beamish of the Vancouver Sun has a Q&A with Solomon Elimimian. Here's an excerpt:

Q: Who’s closest to you on the Lions?

A: Adam Leonard. He was my roommate for three years in Hawaii and now he’s my teammate on the Lions. He’s a very smart player and an intelligent person. He lives in Seattle, so we go down there to visit his family when we have time off. It’s like having a second home.

Na Koa Report, Injuries, Utah State

Na Koa has this week's lunch report up on NaKoa.org. Here's an excerpt about the defense:

The defensive coaches had a good game play and the defense executed very well to stop Nevada’s running game. Nevada came into the game averaging over 7 yards per rushing play and over 300 yards per game. The defense held Nevada to 3.1 yards per rush and 134 yards for the game.

The defensive line played very well “moving the line of scrimmage”. Smith showed the defensive line pushing Nevada’s offensive linemen back, making penetration and disrupting Nevada’s running game.

On the first quarter play in which Paredes stripped Colin Kaepernick, Smith showed a defensive tackle driving Nevada’s center back into running back.

Stephen Tsai writes about some contingency plans in case Laupepa Letuli and George Daily-Lyles can't play against Utah State.

Offensive line coach Gordy Shaw said senior Kainoa LaCount, who served as Letuli's injury replacement, is available to start. Shaw praised LaCount for being prepared.

"He's always paying attention, he's always taking mental notes," Shaw said. "He played very well in the second half of that game."

If Daily-Lyles is limited, the Warriors have several options, some relying on the health of backup linebacker Po'okela Ahmad. He suffered from light-headedness during the Nevada game.

Some scenarios have Mana Lolotai or Jake Heun playing middle linebacker. There are schemes in which outside linebacker Corey Paredes can play in the middle, as well as a defense in which a safety can serve as an outside linebacker.

Tsai has news and notes about Coach Mack not going for two, Matagisila Lefiti and Bronson Tiwanak alternating at center, and Bryant Moniz sitting out yesterday's practice.

Moniz did not practice yesterday, instead getting some physical therapy for minor wear and tear. He said he will be fit for Saturday's road game against Utah State.

And Joe Ferrer of Ka Leo previews the Utah State game.

Hawai‘i has the strongest passing attack in the Football Bowl Subdivision this year and looks to continue their productivity against a Utah State secondary that allows the second lowest completion percentage in the WAC.
Linebacker Corey Paredes is leading a UH defense that has been very opportunistic in recent weeks. The Warrior defense has forced 19 turnovers this season and has the nation's 10th best turnover margin of +7.

WitP: Bess, Ikaika, Sopoaga, Mauia, Ingram, RGM

Miami coach Tony Sparano had a lot of good things to say about Davone Bess after he received a contract extension.

"It's great for a lot of reasons," Sparano said. "Here's a great example of me being able to point to and saying there's a guy right there that, you're an undrafted free agent and here's a guy that we rewarded; he deserves it."

Tim Graham of ESPN.com has details of Bess' contract:

Bess certainly has outplayed his status as a league-minimum guy and now ranks 37th in average salary. He's among the highest-paid slot receivers, behind Michael Crabtree ($5.69 million), Devin Hester ($5.49 million), Wes Welker ($4.21 million), Justin Gage ($3.5 million) and Roscoe Parrish ($3.34 million). Of course, the term "slot receiver" is more dependent on the formation than the player.

In addition to his usual $470,000 base salary for this season, Bess received a $3 million signing bonus. His base salaries for coming years will be $1.01 million, $2.23 million and $2.63 million.

Bess' teammate Ikaika Alama-Francis talked to The Finsiders about playing against his father's former team (Green Bay), about trying to regain the weight he lost when he was sick, and facing Ben Roethlisberger next.

Eric Branch of the Instant 49ers blog has more details about Isaac Sopoaga playing fullback.

For obvious reasons, the 49ers haven't shared many fourth-quarter laughs this season. But Sopoaga's appearance provided some levity late Sunday afternoon. The Niners ran the same play -- 30 Ice, a nod to his nickname -- when Sopoaga was on the field.

"They were just laughing," Sopoaga said. "They were like 'I can't believe you're in this huddle.' I was like 'Hey, it's just like practice.'"

Sopoaga's appearance, however, was no joke. He's been moonlighting with the offense for the past three weeks. It was Mike Singletary's idea to put Sopoaga at fullback and he approached then offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye with the idea earlier in the season.

It's safe to say, Sopoaga has embraced the role. Next, he'd like to embrace the football.

"I've been wanting to run the ball so bad," he said. "But I've got to be smart. Pay attention to what part of the job they offered me to do on the field. But I know ... down the line my arms will be carrying the ball soon. I cross my fingers."

Reagan Mauia was wired for the Cardinals' victory over the Saints on October 10th, and AZCardinals.com has the video.

Glen Farley of the Patriot Ledger profiles longsnapper Jake Ingram.

As with his predecessor, Lonie Paxton, there has been next-to-no commotion since Ingram’s arrival, a fact that is the biggest complement that can be paid to a man in his line of work.

After delivering the game-winning kick in Sunday’s 23-20 overtime victory over Baltimore, Stephen Gostkowski was ushered into an interview room at Gillette Stadium to address reporters. Others clamored around Zoltan Mesko after he delivered a 65-yard punt to get his team out of trouble earlier in OT.

There were no such demands placed on Ingram, who delivered them the ball. Which was no doubt fine with him.

Long snapping is like undercover work: Nerves of steel are required.

“There’s pressure in every job,” Ingram shrugged.

Long snapping is like undercover work, all right: Anonymity is good.

Over in the CFL, Ryan Grice-Mullen may get his first start at receiver this season.

But after receiver Rob Bagg suffered what is likely a season-ending knee injury during Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Calgary Stampeders, Grice-Mullen made a return to the offence and was running routes with the starting unit.

"I like to think that I'm one of the biggest team guys ever, so whatever the coaches ask of me, I'm willing to do," Grice-Mullen said. "Whether they want me out there for a couple of snaps or for the whole game, or to just return punts or kicks, I'll do it."

Vids: WAC Standings, Davone Bess, Nevada Highlights

Tonight's Chawan's Cut has video from KGMB and KHON. Kanoa Leahey profiles Davone Bess:



And UHUNR2010 has 15 minutes worth of highlights from UH's victory over Nevada: