Month-in-Review

And we're back! Sorry for the extended hiatus. I should've said something rather than just dropping it abruptly, but all kinds of things happened after Christmas and only now am I settling back in. I hope. And I won't lie, I was a little habut about the game. Anyway, here's some of what's happened in the last few weeks:

Defensive back Brian Clay Jr. commits to UH.

"Hawaii is going to win a lot of games," Clay said. "It's going in the right direction. I want to be a part of that."

Clay said he is 6 feet 1, 185 pounds, and can run 40 yards in 4.59 seconds. He is projected to compete as a cornerback and on special teams. Scouts liken Clay to UH freshman John Hardy-Tuliau. Clay will put his commitment in writing Feb. 2, the first day recruits may sign binding national letters of intent.

He will turn down offers from Army, Air Force, Colorado State, San Diego State, Nevada-Las Vegas, San Jose State and Utah State.

Also from that article, Stephen Tsai writes that Laupepa Letuli and Alex Green will play in the East-West Shrine Game.

Tsai writes that Greg Salas, Kealoha Pilares and Alex Green will be invited to the NFL Combine. Tsai has two other articles about Salas, Green and Letuli signing with agents and training for the games and workouts.

KFVE has a story about the players preparing for the combine.

OCVarsity.com has an article about recent UH commit Thomas Olds.

“I really like (Aloha Stadium). It’s just sick,” he said. “Obviously, the weather is beautiful. … But it was the attitudes of everyone who lives there. It’s really cool.

“You’re walking down the street and everyone has has a smile on. Everyone drives real slow and no one is trying to push you off the road.”

If the Mountain West Conference expands to twelve teams in the future, Ferd Lewis writes that they would most likely add teams from Texas.

Ferd writes that the travel "cost sharing" UH will pay to visiting MWC and Big West teams may top $1 million a year.

But they estimate that costs could be balanced out by a combination of savings in UH's travel as well as improved rights fees and ticket sales.

"It could be a wash," said Jim Donovan, UH athletic director.

Terms call for UH to pay a maximum of $150,000-$175,000 for each of the four MWC football opponents who come to Aloha Stadium, depending upon which time zones they come from.

Meanwhile, UH will pay approximately $500 per person for Big West teams in men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, women's volleyball, soccer and water polo and other sports to come here.

The Star-Advertiser has an editorial about that subject titled, Travel costs can reap rewards

Lewis interviewed MWC commissioner Craig Thompson. They also discussed the MWC's BCS dreams.

Dave Reardon reminds us that, despite all the criticism he's gotten, WAC commissioner Karl Benson is a good guy.

The Warriors also got some good guys.

The five Warrior players, Kenny Estes, Siasau Matagiese, Jett Jasper, Meatoga and Umu, spent part of their Thursday morning signing autographs, chatting, taking photos, and even helping with Bingo for residents of the Garden Isle Health Care and Rehabilitation Center at the G.N. Wilcox Memorial Hospital.

KHON has video of Bryant Moniz visiting a less-fortunate family prior to the Hawaii Bowl. Speaking of which...

Tulsa beats Hawaii 62-35 in Hawaii Bowl, by Doug Ferguson of the AP

Warrior turnovers trigger Hawai‘i Bowl loss, by Jaymes Song of the AP

Happy holiday, by Eric Bailey of Tulsa World

Tulsa finishes strong, by Bailey

TU Notebook: Big-time defense, by Bailey

Gift-wrapped, by Stephen Tsai

Moniz said Tulsa, switching between man schemes and a four-deep zone, defended the routes and not necessarily the receivers.

"They were on all of our routes," Moniz said. "They were cutting it. They knew our offense. They made some great plays. They were getting good pressure up front. They were jumping the lanes. I wasn't able to read them."

Luck runs out as injuries, errors plague Warriors, by Jason Kaneshiro

Warriors' turnovers bring full stop to exclamation point, by Ferd Lewis

An otherwise wonderful 10-win season that should have reached a record-tying 11 was besmirched at the end as six turnovers, ill-timed penalties, second-half defensive breakdowns and the loss of three players to postseason ineligibility that sent the remnants of a crowd of 41,089 into the night shaking their heads.

Unit strays from the formula, by Brian McInnis

Pregame talk motivated team, by Billy Hull

A loss like this could last an awfully long time, by Dave Reardon

Warriors Score & Notebook, by the Star-Advertiser

Five big plays from Hawaii's 62-35 loss to Tulsa, by Reardon

Pilares, Warriors regroup for future, by Tsai

The Warriors will have to replace three starting receivers (Pilares, Greg Salas and Rodney Bradley), two running backs (Alex Green and Chizzy Dimude), five key offensive linemen (Laupepa Letuli, Adrian Thomas, Bronson Tiwanak, Brysen "Bula" Ginlack and Kainoa LaCount), two defensive ends (Kamalu Umu and Elliott Purcell), four defensive backs (Spencer Smith, Lametrius Davis, Jeramy Bryant and Mana Silva), and a kicker (Scott Enos).

Considering an extension for McMackin is sensible, by Lewis