UH vs Fresno State Wrap-Ups

Someone posted a bunch of highlights from Hawaii's 49-27 victory over Fresno State. Here's my favorite one -- Greg Salas knocking down a Fresno DB like an inflatable bop bag.



Chawan Cut is having some issues getting the Chawan-pilations put together, but HawaiiNewsNow has their news story up. It includes highlights and interviews with Royce Pollard and Greg Salas.

Stephen Tsai writes about the Warriors silencing the Fresno fans in his game wrap-up.

"It's like a library," defensive end Elliott Purcell said as the Warriors walked to their locker room following a stunning 49-27 victory over Fresno State last night in Bulldog Stadium. "I can't hear anything. That was our goal: to leave the field in silence."

The Bulldogs fans are among the nation's best taunters, speaking smack as a second language. They line the path leading to the field before games, yelling at visiting players. There is a mock cemetery — the Bone Yard — with bone-shaped tombstones of opponents.

"We knew we were going into the belly of the beast," UH middle linebacker George Daily-Lyles said. "But all of that is hype, window dressing. If you silence the team, you silence the fans."

Daniel Lyght of The Fresno Bee has some post-game quotes from Fresno coach Pat Hill.

"I don't think it was a letdown. I don't think there was a not-care attitude. I thought they played very hard, and I thought Hawaii outplayed us tonight," said Bulldogs coach Pat Hill. "Those are the hardest to accept."

"We played hard and contested every play, but there were some pinpoint passes made," said Hill, praising Moniz. "It was not his best game, but the types of plays he made under duress were impressive. It was hard watching from the sideline at times."

Matt James of The Fresno Bee has a great column about the Warriors' victory.

The best part about moving to the Mountain West might be that Hawaii isn't there. Again and again, that program takes it out on Fresno State, and somewhere you have to imagine June Jones was having a chuckle, or wishing he'd been in on it.

Actually, if he'd been in on it, the Warriors definitely would have scored 50. That's what they do -- dance and sing and laugh and spill blood in Bulldog Stadium. When you think Fresno State has finally slowed down the Warriors, they reinvent the wheel. Even if it means -- gasp! -- running the ball.

Ferd Lewis writes that this time, the Warriors came out on fire in the 3rd quarter.

In four games against major college opposition this year, UH had been outscored 67-27 in the third quarter. Only against Charleston Southern of the Football Championship Subdivision did the Warriors win a third quarter, and that was just 7-0.

So here, nearing the halfway point of the season, some improvement was clearly in order if the Warriors were going to stay on a roll. Instead of putting the nation's most productive passing attack on the field first, as has been the Warriors' custom, "Greg (McMackin) said he wanted to do it a little different this time," said offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich. "He wanted to let the defense take the field first, if we won the toss."

The Warriors ended up scoring 21 in the 3rd quarter alone.

Writing for the Star-Advertiser, Damin Esper gets the Fresno perspective.

Said Bulldogs center Joe Bernardi, "Our defense played their butts off tonight, and we didn't give them any help. They gave us plenty of opportunities to catch up or even go ahead. We didn't make enough plays tonight on offense. Against that offense, you're never going to be able to stop them; you've got to be able to contain them."

The Star-Advertiser has some news and notes, including this about UH and Fresno possibly continuing their series after the Bulldogs move to the MWC.

Hawaii athletic director Jim Donovan said Fresno State officials have told him they are interested in talking about continuing the relationship between the schools after the Bulldogs join the Mountain West Conference.

"They said they will get back to us on years and dates," Donovan said.

Fresno State associate athletic director Paul Ladwig said in a radio interview that UH could possibly tie in a visit to Fresno as the front half or back half of a two-game trip to the mainland when the Warriors play Nevada-Las Vegas.