VIDEO: Hawaii Bowl news

Wasn't easy to record this, but it had to be done. At least today is Christmas. Mele Kalikimaka everyone!

Tulsa 62, Hawaii 35

Here's the wrap-up, stats and quotes from HawaiiAthletics.com. I'll post all the articles tomorrow. Merry Christmas!

Game Day: Hawaii Bowl, UPDATE: VIDEO: News catchup

GO WARRIORS!!!!!!!! Missed the past few days of Hawaii Bowl articles, and now there's like 25 of them. Just been really busy. Anyway, here's some great pre-game reading!

Stephen Tsai's gameday preview has breakdowns of the offense, defense and special teams of both UH and Tulsa.

Tsai writes that the Warriors have extra incentive to go out with a victory today.

McMackin wants a more hopeful ending than the finishes to the past three seasons -- blowout losses to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, to Notre Dame in the Hawaii Bowl and to Wisconsin in the 2009 regular-season finale.

"Coach said: 'You're only as good as your last game,'" quarterback Bryant Moniz said. "Right now, we're pretty good because we beat UNLV in our last game. If we lose this game, that's how we'll be remembered for the offseason, and it's a long offseason. I know we're working hard to make it different this year."

Eric Bailey of Tulsa World previews the game.

"They have a great understanding of pass concepts and coverage concepts," TU defensive coordinator Keith Patterson said. "They do a great job of spacing the field from sideline to sideline and spacing the field and getting you to run sideline to sideline and then hit you vertical."

Patterson said his unit has had good workouts leading up to Friday's game.

"It's been the best two weeks of preparation we've had all season long, with the attention to detail," Patterson said. "I'm excited to watch them play."

Bailey takes a look at matchups to watch. Here's one of them:

Coaching

Todd Graham (left) and his staff have played their best football games in bowls when they have had weeks to prepare. They beat a ranked Ball State team two years ago and put up the largest margin of victory (56 points) in NCAA bowl history in a win over Bowling Green. Hawaii isn't a MAC team, however. Third-year coach Greg McMackin will be trying to guide the Warriors to their first bowl victory since 2006. Hawaii is playing with its highest confidence since advancing to the Sugar Bowl under June Jones.

Edge: TU

John Klein of Tulsa World takes a look at the similarity in Hawaii's and Tulsa's paths to this game.

The Golden Hurricane and Warriors suffered through an unexpected bowl-less season in 2009.

Then, the start to this season was similar. A rough patch was followed by a quick finish that was led by terrific offense.

So, TU and Hawaii, who finished the season in peak form, will play on Friday in a potentially fantastic offensive bowl game.

Here are some previews from national publications:

Jaymes Song of The AP

Bill Trocchi of Sports Illustrated

Final analysis: Hawaii moved the ball on pretty much everyone but Boise State and put up a scary 600-plus yards in its final three games of the season. Against a shaky Tulsa defense, there's a good chance that streak will extend to four. Kinne will undoubtedly lead Tulsa to some points, but Moniz and the home-field advantage will be too much for the Golden Hurricane to overcome.

The pick: Hawaii 55, Tulsa 31

Rivals.com

Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com, along with some keys to the game and some game notes.

Perseverance pays off as LaCount gets first start for Warriors, by Stephen Tsai

LaCount is part of the shakeup to the left side of the UH offense. Billy Ray Stutzmann will start at left wideout ahead of Rodney Bradley, and Brett Leonard will open at left guard in place of Brysen "Bula" Ginlack.

It is LaCount who has conquered the most obstacles en route to a starting job.

Warriors learn today who's eligible to play, has some news and notes by Tsai and Jason Kaneshiro. Mouse Davis is undecided about coming back for the 2011 season, the seniors reflect on their last practice, etc. As for eligibility, guess we find out today.

Via Eric Bailey, Tulsa wide receiver Damaris Johnson has some pretty funny comments about his time in Hawaii.



Jason Kaneshiro profiles Damaris Johnson.

Bailey profiles TU receiver Trae Johnson.

Pilares ready for risk-taking returns, by Tsai

"I'm not fair-catching anything," said Pilares, who is expected to be the Warriors' punt returner in Friday's Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

The past three games, the Warriors have returned two of 21 punts for zero yards. Greg Salas, UH's leading receiver, was instructed to fair catch every punt.

o_O

A really long headline, by Stephen Tsai, who writes about Spencer Smith mentoring John Hardy-Tuliau.

While continuing to recover from a fractured right forearm, Smith has served as a mentor to freshman John Hardy-Tuliau.

When Smith is not playing, he is the de facto assistant coach.

"I'll tell Spencer: 'Just watch John,' " associate head coach Rich Miano said. "Spencer has done a good job mentoring John all season long. I know John looks up to his work ethic."

Tulsa World has more news and notes.

Coach Graham still at Tulsa, but it might not last for long, by Ferd Lewis

C-USA and MWC discuss a bond beyond bowl games, by Lewis

A united approach to a Bowl Championship Series automatic-qualifying berth has been among the most intriguing possibilities since neither currently has automatic status.

"There is still some level of interest in talking about that between the two conferences," Banowsky said. "Where the conversation ultimately goes, I think, is way too early to tell. But I think as long as folks are interested in exploring that idea, we'll continue to do that."

Had it hung together, WAC might have been a contender, by Lewis

Benson had proposed a plan that would have, essentially, made the 16-team WAC two conferences in one, preserving regional rivalries, scaling back travel and combining strengths. But the presidents, who call the shots, had shorter attention spans and other ideas.

Less than five months ago Benson had the WAC on the verge of regaining BYU and, who knows, maybe even getting San Diego State, Nevada-Las Vegas and Texas-El Paso back, not to mention possibly retaining Boise State. The WAC was maybe 48 to 72 hours from a major turnaround and a promising future when the conference members pledged solidarity.

"The Project" is what Nevada president Milton Glick had excitedly dubbed it — just before helping to betray it by jumping ship.

UPDATE: Here's the news video from the past two days....

WitP: Colt, Bess, Hunter

Dan Steinberg has a few quotes from Colt Brennan from a Lavar and Dukes radio appearance. He talked about the McNabb-Grossman situation in Washington and his road to recovery.

Here's audio of that interview. Colt's portion starts at 5 minutes in:

The Finsiders have an audio interview with Davone Bess. He talks about Miami's struggles at home this season, his chemistry with Chad Henne, his homecoming in Oakland, etc.

And it looks like Wayne Hunter did a great job in his first start for the Jets on Sunday.

Speaking of Hunter, he did a brilliant job on one of the NFL’s best pass rushers, James Harrison. Hunter played with great technique. Another key for Hunter was his incredible strength. Hunter is one of the strongest players in the league, and is one of the few tackles that can match Harrison’s amazing strength.

UH vs Tulsa News

Stephen Tsai takes a look at Tulsa's offense.

"We want to get 85 snaps on offense, and we want the other team to have 65 snaps," Graham said. "To do that, we run a fast-paced, no-huddle (offense). We practice like that, therefore our kids are in better shape. It takes two, three years to get in shape to run this system. It hurts your defense at first. But it starts to pick up as the years go by."

Eric Bailey of Tulsa World writes about the potential for a shootout. Or not.

Tulsa (9-3) has won six consecutive games. During the past nine games, only one opponent has reached 30 points.

Hawaii (10-3) is solid on defense. The Warriors are ranked 39th nationally in total defense and are especially stingy inside Aloha Stadium, where opponents are only averaging 16.1 points a game this season.

Bailey also has some news and notes.

HawaiiAthletics.com and TulsaHurricane.com have game info and notes.

KJRH.com has video from Monday's press conference.

And Tsai has lots of pictures from practice on The Warrior Beat.

VIDEO: Coaches speak defense

VIDEO: Hawai'i Bowl Press conference

Video: News roundup from the last few days

My PC is kinda back up and operational. Here's a bunch of news from the weekend. Roundup of finals, graduation, practice and RAIN!

Thomas Olds, Jr. and Brenden Daley Commit to UH

Stephen Tsai writes that lineman Thomas Olds, Jr. and JC linebacker Brenden Daley will become Warriors.

"I just love it in Hawaii," Olds said. "The school is nice, and the football team is amazing."

Joe Curley of the Ventura Daily Star writes about Daley's decision to join UH.

Daley said he is poised to fill a void at middle linebacker for the Warriors.

“I’m coming into a perfect situation,” said Daley.

The hyperkinetic linebacker thereby declared his recruiting closed.

He was being pursued by a list of schools that included Washington and Cincinnati.

“This is it,” said Daley. “I’m happy here. I gave them my word and I’m going to stand by it. I’m ready to rock.”

Congrats to them both! Here are some video highlights:

WitP: Bess, McBriar, Satele, LaBoy

Davone Bess caught 9 passes for 78 yards in a loss to the Bills.

Mat McBriar punted 2 times for a 41-yard average as the Cowboys beat the Redskins.

here's video of Samson Satele throwing a key downfield block during Jacoby Ford's 71-yard touchdown run in Oakland's victory over Denver.

And bad news for Travis LaBoy, who was placed on injured reserve by the 49ers.

LaBoy, meanwhile, suffered a knee injury against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Thursday night. He ranks second on the team with 5.0 sacks, his best total since recording 6.0 for the Tennessee Titans in 2007.

UH Band Kicker vid goes Viral

chawan here. I first just wanted to apologize for the lack of news uploads but my recording PC is on the fritz. Meanwhile, if you guys haven't seen this yet, the University of Hawai'i Marching band's "Mr. Football" kicker halftime show from the USC game has gone viral on the internets. It even got on the Jim Rome show:


Good job band!

Graduates, Tulsa

Stephen Tsai talks to current and former Warriors who participated in graduation ceremonies yesterday.

During his Hawaii football career, Blaze Soares was a fierce linebacker.

But yesterday, his legs were wet ramen.

"This is a touching moment," said Soares, who earned a bachelor's degree and participated in UH's graduation ceremony. "I never could see myself graduating and walking the line. This is the best accomplishment in my life. I'm very happy. I'm stoked."

NaKoa.org has some photos from the graduation.

Dave Reardon has some UH vs Tulsa trivia.

And Mike Brown of Tulsa World breaks down the costs of the Golden Hurricane's trip to Hawaii.

Video: Highlights, Hawaii Bowl Preview

Wanna get hyped up? Check out this 2010 UH highlight video, put together by Rudy96734. The Warriors made a lot of great plays this season. Still can't get enough of Greg Salas knocking over that Fresno defender.



UHGoBows has video of ESPN's preview of the Hawaii Bowl.

UH D-Line, Tulsa's No-Huddle, Alex Green

Stephen Tsai writes about the camaraderie of the UH defensive line on and off the field.

Defensive tackle Haku Correa is the protective one.

"We were at Koko Head," Meatoga recalled, "and Haku was like: 'Get away from the ledge. Everybody move back. You're too close to the end. You guys are going to get hurt.'"

During a hike on Kauai, one of the players threw a branch into a 40-foot waterfall.

"Haku yelled: 'Vaughn, no!'" Meatoga recalled, laughing. "He started panicking. He thought I fell into the water. He doesn't like us to do anything dangerous."

From yesterday's paper, Tsai takes a look at how UH will try to handle Tulsa's no-huddle offense.

Aranda said Tulsa's pace prevents defenses from substituting, which then causes fatigue.

"Big plays come when (defensive) guys are worn down or tired," Aranda said. "They get confused. ... When guys are gassed, they don't communicate. You get one guy doing this and one guy doing that, and that's when you get into trouble."

And Andrea Adelson of ESPN's College Football Nation blog highlighted Alex Green's great season.

Green said the run-and-shoot is the reason why he was so successful this season.

"We have a really good receiving corps, really good offensive line, and opponents focus on our receivers a lot," he said in a phone interview. "I get the ball as much as I can, and usually it’s open."

UPDATE: Tsai has a lot of pics from UH's graduation day. Congrats to the grads!

WitP: Sopoaga sacks, Ulbrich returns, Vote McBriar!, Mouton on IR, Pisa practices, Hunter to start, Owens has NFL tryouts, longest headline ever

Isaac Sopoaga had two tackles, including this sack (video) in a loss to San Diego on Thursday. Travis LaBoy had two tackles but left the game with a knee sprain.

Speaking of 49ers, Scott Adams of the Hollister Free Lance writes about former 49er Jeff Ulbrich's return to San Francisco as a Seahawks coach.

The homecoming wasn't all sadness for Ulbrich. There were no you-can-never-go-home-again clouds looming during warm-ups, when Ulbrich cut up with former teammates; or after the game when just about everyone in the 49ers organization said hello to him in the players' tunnel.

Not sure when the deadline for Pro Bowl voting ends, but please vote for Mat McBriar to make a return trip to Aloha Stadium! I mean, look at this!

McBriar should be a lock for the Pro Bowl this season, though for some reason, Arizona punter Ben Graham leads the NFC Pro Bowl fan voting at the position. Graham ranks 11th in the NFC in both gross average (43.5) and net average (36.2). McBriar is first in the NFL in net (42.0) and second to San Diego’s Mike Scifres in gross (48.2).

After battling hamstring issues for the past few weeks, Ryan Mouton was placed on injured reserve by the Titans.

Pisa Tinoisamoa was back practicing with the Bears, two weeks after having arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

Tinoisamoa was out on the practice field doing individual drills without a brace. He was expected to be limited after missing the previous two games following the Dec. 3 surgery as the Bears began preparation for the Vikings.

"It's always good to have Pisa on the field,'' safety Chris Harris said. ``He's a special player. He brings a different type of energy than any other play on the team. Everybody's going full speed on this defense, but Pisa is 100 miles per hour."

Wayne Hunter will start at right tackle for the Jets this weekend.

Wayne Hunter said Sunday will be his first opportunity to start at tackle in his eight-year NFL career.

"I'm just happy it's finally come, it's been a long time," Hunter said. "I've had a few starts at tight end but nothing like this."

theJETSblog.com has some quotes from Hunter.And the AP profiles Hunter.

Ryan recently said he loves Hunter's toughness and said he would want him to be the first guy walking off the team bus to intimidate opponents.

"Absolutely," left guard Matt Slauson said, laughing. "Wayne is able to flip a switch. In the locker room, he's a great guy, just one of the guys joking around, laughing. Then, on the field, all of the sudden, he's a madman, just crazy. You can see the look in his eyes, like, 'Oooh, I'm not getting in his way.'"

After a spectacular season with the Toronto Argonauts, Chad Owens has some tryouts lined up with NFL teams.

The window for him to get a contract in the NFL closes on Feb. 16.

"He would have to get some money up front," Burnoski said. "He would not make the move unless it is absolutely right."

Owens has some tryouts lined up "in the next few weeks," Burnoski said. Currently, Owens is at home in Hawaii, spending time with his family.

Vince Manuwai talks more about returning to form after two years spent recovering from a torn ACL.

"Last year, I was trying to understand how you play on an ACL (injury) and how much it takes," Manuwai said. "It was the first time I've ever been hurt in 16 years of playing football. First injury, first surgery, first rehab. Coming back, even though it felt fine, my body was shocked. You had up and down days."

"Scouts says I'm even better now," Manuwai said. "A lot of it is maturity and really understanding the game more mentally than physically. When you're young, you're just blocking. Now, I understand the blocking schemes and everything comes a little easier."

Extension, Video, Thor, Tulsa, Etc.

Stephen Tsai talks to several players who all say they want Coach Greg McMackin to get a contract extension.

Linebacker Corey Paredes said there is no doubt McMackin deserves an extension.

"Of course," Paredes said. "Coach Mack is an awesome coach. He takes care of his players. He treats his players like his own children. ... And he's led us to some victories."

Tsai has some great quotes from Bryant Moniz:

"We're the cockroaches," Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz said. "Everybody thought they killed us last year. They thought we were dead. And then we got up. You know when you think you killed a cockroach, then you come back, and it's gone? That's us.

"They thought we were dead after last year. We came back. We won 10 games. We're going to a bowl game. They need to get a bigger slipper to kill us."

Tsai also notes that JC receiver Cecil Doe signed a letter of intent and plans on joining the team in January.

Chawan Cut has last night's news. The players talk about taking finals.



Tsai writes that Thor Salanoa Jr. is trying to earn an associate degree to play for UH.

He is enrolled at West Oahu College, and hopes to play for the Warriors. But because of some ill-advised guidance at Snow, he does not have enough transferrable credits. As a 4-2-4 player, he needs to earn the equivalent of an associate degree to be eligible to join the Warriors. Thor Sr. said he believes his son is on track to meeting those requirements.

Here's some news from the past week:

Tsai talks to All-American Greg Salas.

"He's worked hard to get the All-America honor," Rolovich said. "He never got into any trouble. He's graduating. Talk about somebody who has gone through college as a student-athlete the right way. I don't know what else you can ask for."

CBSSports.com has a Hawaii Bowl preview.

Tsai wrote about McMackin cancelling practice and an upcoming knee surgery for safety Jordan Gomes.

It might be a while before Gomes is back to full speed. In January, Gomes is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair tears to the ACL and MCL in his left knee. The postsurgery rehabilitation is about six months -- a June target that would force him to miss spring training.

"Everyone is going to be evaluated this spring," said Gomes, noting there will be a vacancy at one of the starting safety positions. "You want to be at your best. You don't want an injury like this."

Mike Brown of Tulsa World has some quotes from Tulsa players about playing in Hawaii:

"Obviously, the atmosphere's gonna be amazing," quarterback G.J. Kinne said. "You always hear about the beaches. But I'm worried about the game more than anything."

Johnson said he doesn't know much about Hawaii except for the grass skirts. Also, its one of the backdrops for "Dog the Bounty Hunter," one of Johnson's favorite television programs.

And from last week, Tulsa coach Todd Graham talks about the upcoming game:

Video: All-Americans, Practice Tomorrow

Chawan Cut compiles the news from the past couple days. Greg Salas, Mana Silva and Alex Green get some All-American honors. Woot!

Will Gregory Commits to UH

Stephen Tsai writes that running back Will Gregory will become a Warrior.

Gregory said he is 6 feet, about 200 pounds, and is capable of running 40 yards in less than 4.5 seconds.

Yesterday, he was named to the California Interscholastic Federation all-star team.

Gregory said Arizona, California and Washington have been trying to recruit him as a defensive back. But he said he will compete at running back for the Warriors.

"I like DB," Gregory said, "but I love running back."

Congrats to Will! Here's a highlight video:

Video: UH Receivers

A Youtube user named Rudy96734 has a great 2010 highlight video of UH's starting receivers - Greg Salas, Kealoha Pilares, Rodney Bradley and Royce Pollard. WARNING: BAD WORDS!

WitP: LaBoy, Sopoaga, Bess, Veikune, McBriar

Travis LaBoy had 4 tackles, including a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery all on one play as the 49ers beat the Seahawks 40-21. Here's video of that play. Isaac Sopoaga had 2 tackles in the game.

Davone Bess had just 1 catch for 6 yards vs the Jets. To be fair, QB Chad Henne was only 5 of 18 for 55 yards. The Dolphins somehow still managed to win 10-6.

David Veikune had a couple of special teams tackles for the Broncos, which lost 43-13 to the Cardinals.

Mat McBriar punted 5 times for a net average of 42.4 yards per kick in a loss to the Eagles.

WitP: Bess, Pisa, McBriar, Samson, Manuwai

Here's a sign of how much opposing NFL teams respect Davone Bess, via a tweet by Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News:

First curveball in #Jets vs. #Dolphins: I'm told that Darrelle Revis will be on Davone Bess. A. Cromartie will be on B. Marshall. #nfl #nyj

As Pisa Tinoisamoa recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery, he tells Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune that he hopes to be ready for the playoffs.

Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa said he has arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last Friday with hopes of being fully healthy by the playoffs.

"It was painful,'' Tinoisamoa said of the injury prior to the surgery. "I'd go home, and it'd hurt. Walk around, and it'd hurt. I mean, that's not right. It's not supposed to do that.'

Matt Cordon of KnowYourDallasCowboys.com takes a look at Mat McBriar's career season (so far).

Although McBriar has had a better gross average in the past, his 2010 campaign may still be his best. He’s led the league in gross average before (as he does this season), but for the first time, he also leads the league in net punting average.

Raiders center Samson Satele talks about his great performance last week, and tells Jerry McDonald of Inside the Oakland Raiders that he can't wait to face off against Tyson Alualu.

Satele described Jacksonville’s 4-3 front as a constantly moving target, with a lot of stemming.

Of particular interest is defensive tackle Tyson Alualu, the first-round draft pick from Cal.

“I can’t wait for Alualu,’’ Satele said. “My cousin is married to his sister so it should be a good match.’’

And Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com's AFC South Blog named Vince Manuwai as last week's AFC South High Energy Player of the Week.

“Without Vinny in the lineup, some of the stuff we are doing now wouldn’t be possible,” Jones-Drew said. “He doesn’t just move a guy 1 or 2 yards off the line. He moves him 4 or 5 yards, which makes it easier for me as a running back. You know you can get 4 or 5 yards when you are going to his side. He’s very physical and he always says, ‘Some people like to do other things, I like to block.’ Glad to have him on my side.”

Week-in-Review: Tulsa, Mack, MWC, Ostrowski, Etc.

Here are some news articles from the past week that I didn't get a chance to post.

Hawaii to be all business at bowl this year, by Eric Bailey of Tulsa World

"We're going to treat it like another ball game," McMackin said. "The last time, we treated it as a reward and got beat by Notre Dame.

"This year, we're going on a business trip to Waikiki."

McMackin has earned a contract extension, by Dave Reardon

The priority now is to extend football coach Greg McMackin's contract. Yes ... the same Greg McMackin whose salary we've often questioned — especially last year when the Warriors lost six games in a row during the middle of the season.

But UH is 14-4 since then, and that's just one of the reasons why UH should extend McMackin's contract immediately — with some key restructuring, though.

Hear, hear!

McMackin also deserves plaudits for acing the most important test: All 28 of the Warriors seniors are on course to graduate (actually, six already have) by the end of the school year.

That's awesome.

Also, if UH football had not enjoyed success this season, the Mountain West would not have invited Hawaii to join.

Say no more, say no more.

A sensible deal, by Stephen Tsai

Now, the Mountain West realizes what it should have known then: The Warriors bring a lot to the table. Even Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada — all of whom supported the invitation — realize that.

From a population of about 1.5 million, UH's pay-per-view and television contract generates about $4.5 million annually, of which UH's share is $2.5 million. That's potential revenue that now can be shared with the Mountain West.

UH accepts pricey move, by Stephen Tsai

But San Diego State athletic director Jim Sterk told the San Diego Union-Tribune that UH would be expected to pay between $150,000 and $175,000 per visiting Mountain West football team in "cost sharing."

Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said "there will be costs" UH will pay to visiting Big West teams. "It will happen," he said, although an amount has not been decided.

UH will relinquish the television rights to its sports to the Mountain West and Big West.

I hope the Mountain West hires Jim Leahey!

The conference dealing is done, so you can exhale, by Dave Reardon

Even one of the most confident players in this saga told me last night that he was, "like everyone else, on pins and needles." But it all came together in a nice little package yesterday, as most everyone involved expected but didn't dare promise.

Mountain West makes it official: Hawaii football to join in 2012, by Brian Murphy of the Idaho Statesman

The Mountain West may not be done adding members. The league’s board of directors will meet in January.
“Potentially interested, but not actively looking” is how Thompson described the league’s attitude toward further expansion.

Hawaii, the WAC and the Mountain West, by Dave Miller of the National Football Post

In terms of the MWC's profile in its quest to become an AQ conference, league membership as of December 2011 is what will factor into whether the league meets the necessary criteria. Therefore, TCU’s credentials while in the MWC will be factored into the decision. That's obviously huge considering the success of the Horned Frogs the last few seasons.

Warriors slotback ready to rush from field to court

With the blessing of UH football coach Greg McMackin, the slotback will officially join Gib Arnold's Rainbow Warriors after the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24, in time for the WAC hoops season.

"I missed it ... that's for sure," Ostrowski said after light participation in yesterday's practice. "Every time I saw it, I always wanted to be out here, and I'm just glad the opportunity finally came. I'll try to make the best of it."

The timing was finally right for Ostrowski to play hoops, by Dave Reardon

THE TIMING FINALLY worked out for the hoops team and Ostrowski, who is a slotback in the sport that pays his scholarship check. It's fortuitous for first-year head coach Gib Arnold, who recently lost point guard Anthony Salter and wing Jordan Coleman to playing time dissatisfaction.

Ostrowski won't play in any games until after New Year's and the start of the WAC season. But he's waited this long (Ostrowski hasn't competed in serious basketball since graduating from high school in 2007), so a few more weeks won't hurt.

Dayton Morinaga's awesome UH basketball site, Warrior Insider, has more, including a video interview with Ostrowski.

Dave Koga of the Star Advertiser profiles and interviews coach Rich Miano. Here's an excerpt of Miano talking about the danger of UH remaining in a crumbling WAC:

It was getting scary, especially in recruiting. It was tough, because you had to sell the recruits on scenarios. Other (teams') coaches were telling the kids: "Well, look who's in their conference. Look at who they'll be playing. Are they ever going to be on ESPN again? Are they still going to be relevant?" So we're out there and we're having to create these scenarios where maybe we're going to the Mountain West or maybe we're going independent and be able to play whoever we want. So the timing (of joining the Mountain West) couldn't have been better.

Awards Banquet Honors 2010 WAC Champions, from NaKoa.org

Head Coach Greg McMackin marveled at the accomplishments of team members: Greg Salas broke Jason Rivers’ career receiving record with 4,000 yards; Bryant Moniz broke Colt Brennan’s single game passing record with 560 yards; Alex Green broke the 60 year old single game rushing record with 327 yards; Mana Silva broke the career interception record with 14; and Scott Enos broke Jason Elam’s record with 100 consecutive PATs.

Warriors crack All-WAC, by Stephen Tsai

Hawaii Warriors season recap, by ESPN.com's Andrea Adelson

Video: UH to MWC, BWC

Clips of today's press conference and interviews with some of the Hawai'i coaches regarding the move out of the WAC and into the Mountain West and Big West

Football to Mountain West Conference, all other UH sports to Big West

The University of Hawai'i held a press conference today to announce that the Warrior football team will be joining the Mountain West Conference for football only. The remaining sports will be joining the Big West Conference.(check out their welcome to us).

From the Star Advertiser:

UH president M.R.C. Greenwood announced acceptance of invitations from the conferences at a news conference today.
"Happy Holiday, Warrior fans," Greenwood said as UH Board of Regents Chairman Howard Karr pulled a gift wrap off a Mountain West logo, as he had minutes earlier from a Big West logo.
The Mountain West and Big West both held meetings this week to discuss expansion and invited Hawaii.

Here's ESPN.com's article about the move.

"The Mountain West Conference is very pleased to gain the University of Hawaii as a football-only member beginning with the 2012 season," said MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson Friday.

"Hawaii's outstanding football program and television value fit perfectly with the MWC's strategic initiatives for the future direction of the conference. We look forward to adding the Warriors to the MWC family."

Chris Gant Commits to UH

Stephen Tsai writes that JC receiver Chris Gant will become a Warrior.

This past season, Gant had 81 receptions for 1,134 yards and 17 touchdowns. In two seasons with the Raiders, he has 145 catches and 33 touchdowns.

He was named to the 2010 All-Western State Conference first team.

Gant said he is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds.

In the 40-yard dash, he said, "I was hand-timed at 4.4 (seconds)."

Congrats to Chris!

Ben Dew Commits to UH

Stephen Tsai writes that offensive lineman Ben Dew will become a Warrior.

"I'm excited to play for the Warriors," Dew said.

Dew was born in Gainesville, Fla., and has lived in Tennessee, New Zealand and, for one year, in Hawaii.

"I like (Hawaii's) beaches, but most of all, I like the people," Dew said. "They're very family-oriented. They are -- what's the saying? -- ohana."

Dew said he is 6 feet 4 and 300 pounds. He can bench press 355 pounds. He also is skilled in rugby and basketball.

"He's a beast," Onosai said. "He's a big boy. He's a very feisty competitor. He's going to be a great addition to Hawaii's offensive line."

Congrats to Ben!

2011 BYU game set for December 3rd

UH's 2011 matchup with BYU got a date today as BYU announced its 2011 schedule. The Cougars will play their season finale at Aloha Stadium on December 3rd. With Nick Rolovich as the UH offensive coordinator, what a great way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this game!

Nick Rolovich passed for eight touchdowns and 543 yards, both
school records, for Hawaii. Although he does not get much
attention, Rolovich was the hottest quarterback in the country
down the stretch, passing for more than 500 yards in each of his
last three games.

The 72 points also were a school record for the Warriors, who
amassed 646 total yards.

Trevor Davis and Cecil Doe Commit to UH

Stephen Tsai writes that receivers Cecil Doe and Trevor Davis will become Warriors.

"I just love the campus and the team and the atmosphere," Davis said. "I've talked to (mainland college) coaches. Sometimes I'll believe them, sometimes I won't. But I believe in Hawaii's coaches. They always told me the straight-up truth about everything."

Davis is 6 feet 1 and 165 pounds. He said he is capable of running the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds.

"When I first walked out of the (Honolulu International) airport, everything was so beautiful," Doe said. "I saw the trees, and they were so different from what I'm used to seeing. I like the whole atmosphere, the whole place. It's a beautiful place, especially the facilities. And the people are so kind and accepting."

Congratulations to Cecil and Trevor! Here are some highlight vids:

Ellis Henderson Commits to UH

Stephen Tsai writes that Ellis Henderson will become a Warrior and compete at slotback.

"Everything felt right about Hawaii," Henderson said. "I like the family atmosphere. I'm glad I made the choice."

Henderson said he received scholarship offers from Washington State, Southern Methodist, Idaho and Montana. He said he had been in discussions with Washington.

"I wanted to go somewhere where I felt comfortable," Henderson said. "I felt that in Hawaii."

Congrats to Ellis! Check out this SportsHawaii.com thread on Ellis and possible future commits.

Here's a few of Henderson's highlight videos:

Video: All WAC Warriors!

Congratulations to all of our All-WAC Warriors!

WitP: Pisa has knee surgery, Manuwai, Satele

Pisa Tinoisamoa had to have arthroscopic surgery on his knee today.

Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa underwent what coach Lovie Smith described as a "minor scope" on his sore right knee. How long he will be sidelined remains to be seen, which could be a concern since backup linebacker Nick Roach also left Sunday's 24-20 win over the Lions with a hip injury and did not return.

"He needed a scope," Bears coach Lovie Smith said when asked if Tinoisamoa underwent the procedure so he would have time to recover before the playoffs. "No more than that. If a player needs to get something fixed, that's all we take into consideration. He needed it done right now. He had been trying to play through the pain."

Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com writes about Vince Manuwai's return to form.

I was sitting next to Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News in the postgame press conference and he asked me if Vince Manuwai is playing as well as it appeared. I said he is. Manuwai turned in another dominant run-blocking performance. Just as he was in the 2007 late-season rush, Manuwai is the engine that’s driving the Jaguars’ run-game.

According to Silver & Black Pride, Samson Satele had a good game against the Chargers.

Satele also played his best game of the season. Many of the Raiders runs were right up the middle. Satele was getting a good enough push that the Raiders guards were free to move onto block LBs.

Moniz Player of the Week, All-WAC Team

Bryant Moniz is the WAC's Offensive Player of the Week.

Moniz, a junior from Wahiawa, O'ahu (Fresno City College), accounted for six touchdowns in the Warriors' 59-21 win over UNLV. Moniz was 29-of-43 for 380 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing five times for 29 yards and two more scores. He threw touchdown passes of 33, 22, 3 and 54 yards with the last one giving Hawai'i a 52-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.

And the All-WAC team was announced earlier today. Greg Salas, Corey Paredes and Mana Silva were named to the first team. Kealoha Pilares, Laupepa Letuli, Adrian Thomas, Bryant Moniz, Alex Green, Kaniela Tuipulotu and Scott Enos were named to the second team. Congrats to all!

UNLV Review, Award Winners, Defense, Tulsa

Dave Reardon reviews five big plays from UH's 59-21 victory over UNLV.

HawaiiAthletics.com has a rundown of last night's Na Koa Football Banquet award winners. Here's the list:

Captain’s Award: Greg Salas and Vaughn Meatoga
Warrior Club: Alex Green and Jeramy Bryant
Scout Team Award: Daryl McBride
Scholar-Athlete Award: Mana Silva
Most Improved Player Award: Kealoha Pilares
Most Unselfish Warrior Award: Bronson Tiwanak
Most Outstanding Offensive Player: Greg Salas
Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Kaniela Tuipulotu
Most Outstanding Special Teams Player: Luke Ingram
Ben Yee Most Inspirational Award: Corey Paredes
Alec Waterhouse Most Valuable Player Award: Bryant Moniz

Stephen Tsai has a recap as well.

Dave Reardon writes that the Warriors' aggressive, turnover-causing defense played a huge role in this year's success.

The Warriors lead the nation with 23 interceptions. That's interceptions by their defense, not the pass-happy offense.

"The really incredible thing is we had no interceptions the first three games," defensive backs coach Rich Miano said. "We went from last in the nation to first in the nation."

UH is No. 1 nationally among 120 Division I teams with 36 turnovers gained and No. 2 in turnover margin.

Ferd Lewis writes UH's focus on winning the Hawaii Bowl.

"We're not going there to party," offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich proclaimed resolutely minutes after the Warriors closed out the regular season with a 59-21 blowout of Nevada-Las Vegas on Saturday night.

"Our goal each season used to be to get to a bowl, but after that Notre Dame loss, we've changed it to win the game," said slot receiver Kealoha Pilares. "This one is really important."

Or, as associate head coach Rich Miano puts it, "the last few times we've been on national TV, we haven't played up to our potential. So, winning the bowl game is our only goal right now."

Over on SportsHawaii.com, SportsBow has a post comparing the stats of UH and Tulsa.

And TulsaHurricane.com has a press release about Tulsa going to the Hawaii Bowl. WARNING: Really loud auto-starting video on that page.

"We're very excited about the opportunity to go to the Sheraton Hawai'I Bowl and play a quality opponent in a 9-3 Hawai'i team. Hawai'i is ranked in the top-25 nationally, and for us getting the opportunity to win a Bowl game like this against a top-25 team would be awesome for our program."

"Hawai'i is a very tough team. They have a tremendous program and some great players. Hawai'i does a great job and have had some big time wins. The location is a very special destination for us and naturally playing such a great team in Hawai'i and having an opportunity to compete for a big win is huge for our program."

Videos: UNLV game highlights, Seniors speak, Bowl talk, NFL Warriors

Lots of news from the last two nights. Enjoy!





Also updated my schedule of schedules to include Tulsa as well as our rankings for the week.

WitP: Bess, LaBoy, Sopoaga, Mauia, Pisa

Dolphins wide receiver Davone Bess had 6 catches for 67 yards and 5 punt returns for an average of 9 yards each in a loss to the Browns.

Travis LaBoy had 4 tackles, including a sack while Isaac Sopoaga had 3 tackles and half-a-sack, but the 49ers lost to Green Bay.

Cardinals fullback Reagan Mauia had 1 reception for 10 yards in a loss to the Rams.

And Pisa Tinoisamoa was inactive again because of a knee injury.

Pisa Tinoisamoa was sidelined by a knee injury. Tinoisamoa's status is unclear, although the initial word is he won't need surgery.

UH at #24 in BCS

UH ranked at #24 in the final BCS standings! Just announced on ESPN.

Also, Hawaii moves up one spot to #24 in the AP poll and debuts at #25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

UPDATE: Here's the BCS standings on ESPN.com.

UH Stats After Week 14

Hawaii remains the #1 passing offense in the nation with 387.77 yards per game.

UH moves up two spots to #8 in total offense with 496.85 ypg and moves up 3 spots to #9 in scoring offense with 39.92 points per game.

UH moves up to #42 in scoring defense with 22.69 points allowed per game, and is #39 in total defense with 344.23 yards allowed per game.

Bryant Moniz remains the nation's leader in passing yards per game with 356.08 ypg, and is #1 in total offense with 361.92 ypg. On the season, Moniz is 337 of 508 (66.34%) for 4629 yards (which leads the nation) with 36 TD passes against 11 INTs. He is ranked #10 in passing efficiency with a 161.94 rating.

Moniz is tied for #3 in points responsible for with 18.46 points per game.

Alex Green is #35 in rushing yards per game with 89.85 ypg. He's averaging 8.78 yards per attempt, which leads the nation and is utterly ridiculous. He has 1168 rushing yards on the season.

Greg Salas remains at #2 in receiving yards per game with 128.85 ypg. Kealoha Pilares moves up to #5 with 108.83 ypg.

Salas is #3 in receptions per game with 8.15 per game, while Pilares is #9 with 7.33 per game.

UH is #2 in the nation in turnover margin with +1.23 per game.

UH leads the nation in interceptions with 23, and tied for #18 in fumble recoveries with 13.

Mana Silva is #2 in interceptions with .62 per game, for a total of 8. Jeramy Bryant and Corey Paredes are tied for #62 with 0.31 per game for a total of 4.

Corey Paredes is #11 in the nation in tackles with 11.08 tackles per game. He has 144 tackles this season.

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

UPDATE: Be sure to check out Chawan Cut's spreadsheet of opponent schedules and records.

Hawaii 59, UNLV 21, Game Wrap-Ups

HawaiiAthletics.com has a game summary of UH's 59-21 victory over UNLV, including links to the official box score, post-game notes and a photo gallery.

Quarterback Bryant Moniz threw for 380 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 29 yards and two scores. Running back Alex Green topped the 100-yard mark for the fourth time this season, rushing for 136 yards and one touchdown. Slot receiver Kealoha Pilares had nine catches for 157 yards and one score while Greg Salas added five receptions for 94 yards and two scores.

UH’s defense forced three Rebel interceptions, giving the Warriors 23 picks on the season. Safety Mana Silva’s interception in the third quarter gave him a new UH career record of 14.

Big thanks to whoever keeps doing this -- UHUNLV2010 has a bunch of game highlights up on Youtube. Here's that crazy interception return by Richard Torres:



ESPN.com has the AP wrap-up, including links to videos, photos and stats.

The Warriors avenged a 34-33 loss last season to UNLV (2-11) that sent Hawaii into a six-game losing streak, setting the program back to its lowest point in years.

"We owed them some payback after we lost by one up there last year, so there was definitely still motivation for us," said Salas, who caught a 54-yard scoring strike.

The Sports Network has a game summary.

Powers of 10, by Stephen Tsai

"This was for the seniors," said left tackle Austin Hansen, a junior. "This is for the guys who gave five years of their lives, dedicated 100 percent for this program. That's 5:30 mornings year 'round. That's heartbreak. That's reading stories about how bad you are. That's working your butt off when nobody believes in you. That's what this night was all about. And the 10 wins? That's the bonus on top."

Hawaii slams door shut on poor year for UNLV, by Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Warriors never stopped trying to score, with backup quarterback Brent Rausch throwing a 39-yard pass to set up one final score with 1:29 left.

"They didn't run it up, I guarantee you," Hauck said. "It's what they do. They don't have a lot of run game."

Rebels drop final game of the year in 59-21 Hawaii blowout, by Case Keefer of The Las Vegas Sun

Senior-heavy lineup leads Warriors, by Jason Kaneshiro

The Warriors junior quarterback had carried the Hawaiian flag out of the tunnel before each home game this season. But when offensive tackle Kainoa LaCount requested that honor for senior night, Moniz was quick to oblige.

"I wanted him to have that," Moniz said. "I had goose bumps standing behind him watching him."

Early UNLV strike rouses Hawaii, by Brian McInnis

"It was a little bit of a wake-up call," said junior safety Richard Torres, who had a team-best seven tackles. "We knew they were coming to play. Despite the record, we knew it was a good team. We knew it on film, and that really woke us up and got us saying we had to settle down and play our game."

Hawaii's Salas leaves records for another day, by Ferd Lewis

When slot receiver Greg Salas left the field to a fourth-quarter ovation on University of Hawaii senior night there was one voice he couldn't miss amid the 34,746 in the Aloha Stadium din.

"Well, did you get it ... did you get it?" student assistant Ashley Lelie pressed from the sideline.

"It" is Lelie's UH and Western Athletic Conference nine-year-old single-season reception yardage record (1,713).

And the answer was a smiling "no" from Salas.

Salas needs 39 yards to break Lelie's mark and three catches to pass Bess, two of the greatest receivers in UH history.

Is there also a school record for fair catches? Because Salas might be close to breaking that too. Ohhhhhh shnap!

Hawaii adds revenge, redemption to long list of accomplishments, by Ferd Lewis

What the Warriors got last night is the sweetest kind of satisfaction, the kind you get through redemption.

Last year, UNLV beat Hawaii by one point. But because of the way it happened, and for the negative impact it had on the Warriors' 2009 season, the score felt like 1,034-33.

So, of course, last night's motivation included revenge.

"A LOT of us had this game circled on our calendars since last season," said Torres, who in addition to the interception crushed Clayton on a safety blitz. "We felt like we owed them some payback."

Scorebook/Notebook, from the Star-Advertiser has news and notes about Tulsa playing in the Hawaii Bowl, Mana Silva setting the career interception mark, Scott Enos extending his consecutive PAT streak, etc.

Hauck emphasizes Rebels' future, by Billy Hull

Ways to Follow the UH vs UNLV 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.

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/Bars:

On Oahu: at Consolidated's Ko'olau Theatre
On Maui: at Consolidated's Kaahumanu 6

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:

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 UNLVRebels.com

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

UH vs Tulsa in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl

The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl announced that UH will play the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on December 24th.

The University of Tulsa, one of the hottest teams in college football, has accepted an invitation to play in the 2010 SHERATON HAWAI'I BOWL and will play the University of Hawai'i, of the Western Athletic Conference, in the Christmas Eve bowl game at Aloha Stadium.

"We are excited to be hosting Coach (Todd) Graham and his Golden Hurricane football squad in the 9th Annual SHERATON HAWAI'I BOWL," Matlin said. "Spending the Christmas season in Hawai'i will be a well-deserved reward for the players, coaches and loyal Tulsa fans."

The Golden Hurricane (9-3), Conference USA West Division co-champions, has won its last six games including a victory at Notre Dame. They feature one of the country's most potent offenses, ranking fifth nationally in total offense at 503.5 yards per game and ninth in scoring at 39.7 points per game.

Should be an awesome game!

Game Day: UH vs UNLV

Stephen Tsai's gameday preview has breakdowns of the offense, defense and special teams of UH and UNLV.

Tsai has more notes and quotes.

"We just want to get (victory) No. 10," Moniz said. "That would be the reward for the hard work we've put in. A 10-win season hasn't been done too much. It's hard to come by at any level."

Moniz said that also would be a fitting present for the seniors.

Jaymes Song of the AP has a game preview.

The Warriors are still stinging from their 34-33 loss to the Rebels last year that started a six-game losing streak and dropped the program to the lowest point in years.

"It was the beginning of a downward spiral for us last season. We felt we should've won last year and didn't get it done," Hawaii receiver Greg Salas said. "This game means a lot to us."

Joe Ferrer of Ka Leo talks to some of the seniors about playing their final regular-season game.

"It's kinda sad it went by so fast," senior slot receiver Greg Salas said. "I wish I could stay here a little bit longer but my time here is done."

For senior safety Mana Silva, the Warrior program has taught him life lessons.

"It's been a real humbling experience for me," Silva said. "I've learned so much about myself. It helped me grow as a human being."

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has some game notes.

Ferd Lewis gives props to UNLV president Neal Smatresk.

It was Smatresk, we are told, who brought UH and the MWC together. It was Smatresk, vice chair of the MWC Board of Directors, who hosted the first face-to-face meeting between UH vice president Rockne Freitas and MWC commissioner Craig Thompson in Las Vegas and has talked up the benefits of such a union.

Lewis writes that UH's Hawaii Bowl opponent could be determined today.

The UCF Knights (9-3), the C-USA Eastern Division champions, play Southern Methodist (7-5), the Western Division titlist, in Orlando, Fla., with the winner going to the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31 in Memphis, Tenn.

Barring an 11th-hour change, the plan is that if UCF loses, the Knights would then meet UH in the Hawaii Bowl. But if UCF wins, then the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (9-3), the Western runners-up, would represent C-USA against UH on Dec. 24.

Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal profiles Greg McMackin, focusing on how he took over the program after June Jones left.

"I was blessed to be put in that position, but my background there helped, knowing the culture and the people and liking the people here. It's beautiful here, but the people of Hawaii are the special thing about Hawaii."

Jaymes Song takes a look at UH's season.

Joe Ferrer talks to some of the players about being WAC champs.

Senior running back Alex Green said the team's hard work has paid off.

"Anything could happen," senior running back Alex Green said about their season. "That's why you gotta play hard throughout the year. Now we're sitting here (as) co-WAC champs. Who would have thought?"

Stephen Tsai profiles senior Joseph Malabuyoc.

He's been cut twice. Coaches can't pronounce his last name. Everybody thinks he's local. He's one of three internationally raised players. Adrian Thomas and Alex Dunnachie are from Down Under; Malabuyoc is from Up Over (Canada).

He pursued a dream of playing American football. That included playing on scout teams and sitting in the stands during home games.

"I'm not a quitter," he said.

And Ka Leo's Kiyomi Ueda has an article about the Warriors who are also parents.

Early-morning practices, afternoon meetings, classes during the day and games on the weekend … All of these and more are what it takes to be part of the Warrior football team.

But imagine handling these demands on top of raising one, two or even three children. This season, several Warriors are balancing their family lives with their football lives every day.

Video: Seniors, Seniors, Seniors... oh yeah & UNLV

and a rumor that Navy and former Hawai'i QB, Kenny Niumatalolo, is in the running for a Big-10 job.

UNLV, Seniors, Rausch, Etc.

UNLV coach Bobby Hauck complains about having to play Hawaii in December.

Hauck gave a blunt response when asked what the positives were of playing in Hawaii at the end of the season.

“I can’t come up with one,” Hauck said. “We’ve got to come back right after the game, it’s finals week, our guys aren’t going to be prepared for finals, we’ve got to get into recruiting. There’s just not a lot of positives to playing them on Dec. 4.”

“Going over there is really a difficult trip,” Hauck said.

“They’re bowl bound and they look every bit a bowl-caliber team,” Hauck said. “They’ve done a really nice job this year. They’ve won at home by big scores.”

Well, UH plays at UNLV next year so I'll be sure to revisit this article when that game rolls around.

Rivals.com has a UH-UNLV preview.

“I think people are getting respect for us,” McMackin said. “I think people are starting to realize we’ve done all this, and we traveled 35,000 miles. It’s not like some schools that get on a bus … These guys have really sacrificed.”

Wait a minute, I'm almost positive UNLV has a tougher road schedule than UH.

Stephen Tsai talks to some of UH's graduating seniors.

Jason Kaneshiro has some news and notes about Nick Rolovich, UNLV and Brent Rausch:

"I pretty much had some ups and downs, had a little bit of a rough career here, but I got an education," said Rausch, who is set to graduate in the spring with a degree in sociology. "I'm still positive about it. It's cool."

WitP: Pisa, Manuwai, Bess

Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune writes about Pisa Tinoisamoa's ongoing knee issues.

The starting linebacker is questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions, a league source said, as he continues to deal with lingering right knee problems. He suffered two significant injuries to the knee last season.

Tinoisamoa's problems aren't related to a new injury. The Bears are 11 games into the season, and the 29-year-old veteran simply has a lot of wear and tear. He was limited at practice Thursday after sitting out Wednesday.

In better knee injury news, it seems Vince Manuwai has fully recovered from a torn ACL he suffered back in 2008.

Manuwai led the charge in December of ’07. He was the best run-blocking guard in the league then and he’s returned to that high level of play in recent weeks this season.

You may know his story. He suffered a torn ACL in the ’08 season-opener and struggled through his recovery year in ’09. In training camp this past summer, there was concern Manuwai wouldn’t even make the final roster. Fortunately for the Jaguars, they kept him.

“Vince is back to where he was prior to his ACL injury, in terms of showing dominant traits as an in-line run-blocker,” Jaguars General Manager Gene Smith said.

Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union has more on Manuwai's resurgence.

Remember, this is a guy who was briefly moved to right guard because there was some thinking he wasn't athletic enough anymore to pull at left guard.

"Vinny's done a nice job of staying positive through a tough situation, continued to work, he has palyed he's called into duty," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "He's played very well and has been strong, very strong in the run game in particular."

And Andy Cohen of MiamiDolphins.com has an ode to Davone Bess.

You watch him and he just grows on you, no pun intended. He plays the game with such a passion, such an undeniable hunger. The Dolphins went into the Oakland game clearly shorthanded with Marshall staying home. If you were concerned about where the passing game would go, those concerns were understandable. Marshall’s presence always made things easier for those around him. Without Marshall, you would have thought the Raiders could just key on a player like Bess.

But Bess had other plans. This was his home. He had bought 55 tickets for friends and family. He clearly knew the spotlight was shining bright and he refused to let it blind him. So he made one play. Then another. And another. And, by the end of this afternoon, it was clear that his performance was something special.

Video: Seniors reflect on careers, remember last year's loss to UNLV

Seniors Spencer Smith, Mana Silva & Kealoha Pilares reflect on their Warrior careers. Also talk about last year's loss at UNLV.

Green, UH-UNLV, Tiwanak, Ahmad, MWC

Congrats to Alex Green, who is the winner of the Capital One Impact Performance of the Week. Thanks for voting!

HawaiiAthletics.com and UNLVRebels.com have game info and notes for this Saturday's UH-UNLV game.

The Sports Network has a game preview.

Trying to find a positive for the UNLV offense is not an easy task as the team averages just 272.5 ypg overall. The run game has produced a mere 104.3 ypg and is currently ranked last in the MWC and 109th in the country. If not for the 87 combined points scored against the Lobos and Cowboys in the team's only two wins, UNLV's scoring offense would probably be the weakest in the country this year, given that they are currently 110th with only 18.2 ppg right now.

Stephen Tsai profiles Bronson Tiwanak.

Tiwanak, a Damien graduate, turned down scholarship offers from a few small schools to walk on at UH and said his kenpo training has some crossover benefits when warding off defensive tackles in the interior line.

"Balance is key, being able to hold your ground," he said, "and as far as your hand work, striking, being accurate with your punches."

Tsai has some news and notes about Alex Green, Tank Hopkins and Po'okela Ahmad.

Ahmad is asserting that he was a grayshirt in 2006, not a redshirt, meaning his eligibility clock did not start until 2007. He also is claiming he did not play in a game in 2007, and that season should be counted as a redshirt year. A grayshirt is a player who delays joining a team for at least a semester; a redshirt is player who is on the team but does not play in games.

Because Ahmad, who is listed in the UH media guide as a senior, is appealing his status, he will not participate in the "Senior Walk" following Saturday's game against Nevada-Las Vegas.

And Ferd Lewis writes that UH could be officially invited to the Mountain West Conference by Christmas.

"Everything is on track and going very well," an official briefed on the issue but not cleared to speak publicly said yesterday. Barring an unforeseen delay, "we hope to have more news before Christmas," the official added.

The assessment came a day after a UH delegation, including vice president Rockne Freitas and athletic director Jim Donovan, spent more than 2 hours with MWC commissioner Craig Thompson and some key conference officials in Colorado.

Video: Seniors, Pilares, Tiwanak, Ranking talk

Kealoha Pilares is highlighted tonight. Bronson Tiwanak nominated for the Rudy award.

Scott Enos, Jake Heun, Kenny Estes, Etc.

Stephen Tsai profiles kicker Scott Enos.

Scott Enos has found a habit that makes it easy to kick.

"I get physical therapy every day," said Enos, who has not missed an extra-point kick during his 25-game Hawaii football career.

That streak of 92 successful point-after kicks in a row is a UH record.

The accomplishment is remarkable because the previous mark was held by Jason Elam, who enjoyed a long career in the NFL, and because each of Enos' kicks induces a painful wince.

Since the opener against Southern California, Enos has suffered from arthritis in his lower back.

Tsai talks to senior Jake Heun about his time at UH.

Heun's time at running back did not last long. On the second day of training camp in 2008, he suffered a herniated disc while weight training.

"My whole (left) leg went numb for six months," Heun said.

He did not play that season.

In the spring of 2009, Heun said, "Four out of five neurologists said I shouldn't play anymore. It kind of sucks when you're never really what you used to be."

But Heun refused to quit. Instead, he moved to defense, where he played linebacker and rush end.

Tsai also writes that senior safety Kenny Estes will apply for a medical redshirt.

Ferd Lewis writes about the importance of the Hawaii Bowl, and notes that a contingent from UH met with the MWC in Colorado.

The University of Hawaii's pursuit of new conference alignments moved ahead yesterday with face-to-face talks with the Mountain West Conference on the mainland while paperwork has been submitted to the Big West for membership.

UH vice president Rockne Freitas and athletic director Jim Donovan were said to have headed a delegation that met with the MWC in Colorado.