Game14 - Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.qxp

Transcription

15 NOTES ON ALL-AMERICAN COLT BRENNAN…
1. Broke the NCAA record for most TD passes in two seasons (now has 88) and is one TD pass shy of the NCAA single-season
mark of 54 set by Houston’s David Klingler in 1990. Klingler also held the two-season record of 83.
2. Has completed 72.1 percent of his pass attempts in 2006, tops in the nation.
3. Posts the highest pass efficiency rating in the nation (182.8) and could break the NCAA single-season record of 183.3 set
by Shaun King of Tulane in 1998.
4. Leads the nation in six statistical categories, including Total Offense (410.8), Touchdown Passes (53), Passing Efficiency
(182.8), Points Responsible For (26.8), Completion Percentage (72.14%) and Total Passing Yards (4,990).
5. Has broken 11 school records including: Consecutive Pass Attempts Without an Interception (182), Most Pass Completions
in a Season (373), Consecutive 200-Yard Passing Games in a Career (24), Most TD Passes in a Season (53), Consecutive
Games Throwing a TD in a Career (25), Most Passing Yards in a Season (4,990), Total Offense Yards in a Season (5,341),
Points Responsible For in a Season (348), Touchdowns Responsible For in a Season (58), Consecutive 200-Yard (passing)
Games in a Season (13), and Consecutive Games Throwing a TD Pass in a Season (13).
6. Has thrown for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns in seven games this season.
7. Posted pass efficiency ratings above 200 in four games in 2006, including a
career-high 243.0 at Utah State (Nov. 4).
8. Is the team’s second leading rusher with 351 yards and five touchdowns.
9. Three-time 2006 WAC Offensive Player of the Week, Walter Camp Offensive
National Player of the Week (Nov. 4), USA Today National Player of the Week (Nov. 7).
10. Has played only seven complete games (sat out 4th quarter in six games in 2006).
11. Named 2006 WAC Offensive Player of the Year.
12. Is the school’s first quarterback to earn All-America status since 1978
(second-team Walter Camp, third-team Associated Press).
13. Has helped Hawai’i to its first Associated Press Top 25 ranking since 1993.
14. Finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was one of three finalists for the Davey O’Brien Award.
15. Helped Hawai’i to a school-record nine-game win streak.
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
Passing
TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE COMPETITION
Player, School
Passing
Rushing Completions: 373
Colt Brennan, Hawai’i
373-517-4,990 (53 TD, 11 INT) 79-351-5 Attempts: 517
Troy Smith, Ohio State
199-297-2,507 (30 TD, 5 INT) 62-312-1 Yards: 4,990
Brady Quinn, Notre Dame 274-432-3,278 (35 TD, 5 INT) 79-(65)-2 Touchdowns: 53
Graham Harrell, Texas Tech 376-562-4,110 (36 TD, 10 INT) 27-(-60)-1 Interceptions: 11
Erik Ainge, Tennessee
208-311-2,722 (19 TD, 8 INT) 24 (-88)-1 Efficiency: 182.80
John David Booty, USC
242-391-2,956 (25 TD, 9 INT) 29-(-49)-1 Yards Per Game: 383.8
Rushing
“Hey mainland. If you’ve been sleeping on Colt Brennan this is your
Attempts: 79
wake up call buddy boy. The Hawai’i quarterback is unbelievable. The
Yards: 351
numbers for this guy are just astonishing.” - Scot Van Pelt (ESPN
Touchdowns: 5
Sportscenter)
Yards Per Carry: 4.4
Yards Per Game: 27.0
“I’ve watched Hawai’i junior quarterback Colt Brennan play several
times this season. I’m finally convinced that he is not a system quarter- NCAA STATISTICS
back. He doesn’t make many mistakes. He’s a winner. He throws TD
Total Offense: FIRST (410.8)
passes like I throw away column rough drafts. Brennan has pinpoint
Passing Efficiency: FIRST (182.8)
accuracy with the arm to make all of the big throws. I cannot stress how
Points Responsible For: FIRST (26.8)
accurate his arm is.” - Keenan Davis (NFL.com)
Completion Percentage: FIRST (72.14%)
Passing Yards Per Game: SECOND (383.85)
“I don’t remember playing against a quarterback as hot as that. Their
Passing: THIRD (28.89 Comp/Game)
quarterback, Brennan, is the key to their offense. He’s played outstanding every game. He was phenomenal against us, the best quarter- Total Passing Yards: FIRST (4,990)
back performance we’ve ever faced.” - Pat Hill (Fresno State Head
Touchdowns Passes: FIRST (53)
Coach)
2006 SCHEDULE & RESULTS
Date
Sept. 2
Sept. 16
Sept. 23
Sept. 30
Oct. 7
Oct. 14
Oct. 21
Oct. 28
Nov. 4
Nov. 11
Nov. 18
Nov. 25
Dec. 2
Dec. 24
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise State *
EASTERN ILLINOIS
NEVADA *
at Fresno State *
at New Mexico State *
IDAHO *
at Utah State *
LOUISIANA TECH *
SAN JOSE STATE *
PURDUE
OREGON STATE
ARIZONA STATE (Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl)
Re l e a s e d : D e c e m b e r 14 , 2 0 0 6
Time
L, 17-25
W, 42-13
L, 34-41
W, 44-9
W, 41-34
W, 68-37
W, 49-30
W, 68-10
W, 63-10
W, 61-17
W, 54-17
W, 42-35
L, 32-35
3:05 PM
BOLD CAPS = Home games played at Aloha Stadium
* = denotes WAC game
All times local to site
GAME 14
SHERATON HAWAI’I BOWL
SUNDAY, DEC. 24, 2006
ALOHA STADIUM (50,000)
HONOLULU
3:05 P.M.
ARIZONA STATE (7-5)
VS.
HAWAI’I (10-3)
TELEVISION Live nationwide on ESPN with Mark Jones (play-by-play), David
Norrie (analyst) and Heather Cox (sideline).
RADIO Live on ESPN 1420 with Bobby Curran (play-by-play), Robert Kekaula
(color), and John Veneri (sideline). Don Robbs hosts the “Warrior Warm-up” beginning
at 2:00 p.m., and also the halftime show. Neighbor island simulcasts can be heard live
on KAOI on Maui/Kona, KPUA in Hilo and KQNG on Kauai.
AUDIO WEBCAST Live on the web at espn1420am.com
TICKETS
Tickets for the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl are on sale online at
SheratonHawaiiBowl.com, or by calling 548-BOWL (2695),
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or at the
Stan Sheriff Center Box Office, Aloha Stadium Box Office,
UH Campus Center Box Office, RainBowtique at Ward Centre,
and Windward Community College’s OCET Office during normal business hours. Convenience fees may apply. Prices
range from $10 to $45.
GOIN’ BOWLIN’ Hawai’i won its seventh game of the season Nov. 4 at Utah State,
and accepted the on-the-spot invitation to the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl. It is Hawai’i’s
fourth bowl game in the last five years. Of the seven bowl games in school history, five
have come under the direction of current skipper June Jones. Jones has posted a 3-1
record in bowl games. Former Hawai’i head coach Bob Wagner led the Warriors to the
other two bowl games which include the 1989 Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl (33-13 loss vs.
Michigan State), and the 1992 Thrifty Car Rental Holiday Bowl (27-17 win vs. Illinois).
Hawai’i has won two of the last four Sheraton Hawai’i Bowls, with wins over Houston in
2003 (54-48 in 3OT), and UAB in 2004 (59-40). The Warriors fell to Tulane in 2002 (2836).
BOWL WEEK SCHEDULE
18
MONDAY
Practice
7am-9am
Team to
Hawaiian Waters
Adventure Park
(CLOSED TO
MEDIA)
19
TUESDAY
20
WEDNESDAY
21
THURSDAY
22
FRIDAY
Practice
7am-9am
Practice
7am-9am
Practice
7am-9am
Practice
7am-9am
Press Conference
11am (Sheraton
Waikiki - 2nd Floor)
Team to Pearl
Harbor (CLOSED TO
MEDIA)
(last day for
player interviews)
Hilo Hattie
Shopping/NOH
Foods Luncheon
12:30pm
Outback
Steakhouse
Barefoot Pep Rally
6pm (Waikiki
Beach)
Heineken Beach
Party Barbeque
6pm (Sheraton
Waikiki)
2006 WARRIOR FOOTBALL VS. ARIZONA STATE
1
Paradise Yellow
Pages Kickoff
Dinner
6pm (Sheraton
Waikiki)
23
SATURDAY
Shriner’s
Hospital Visit
9:15am
Outback
Steakhouse
Luncheon
11:30am
24
SUNDAY
Arizona State
vs. Hawai‘i
Aloha Stadium
3:05pm
Practice
4-5:30pm
(CLOSED TO
MEDIA)
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
SHERATON HAWAI’I BOWL PRESS CONFERENCE
Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 11:00 a.m.
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel (2nd Floor)
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE BAREFOOT PEP RALLY
Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 6:00 p.m.
Waikiki Beach
HEINEKEN BEACH PARTY BARBEQUE
Thursday, Dec. 21 at approx. 6:00 p.m.
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel (2nd Floor)
PARADISE PAGES KICKOFF DINNER
Friday, Dec. 22 at approx. 6:00 p.m.
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel (Ground Floor)
POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE
Head coach June Jones and selected players will be available at the Aloha Stadium Hospitality Room approximately
10 minutes after the post-game trophy presentation on
the field. The media will NOT be allowed to conduct
interviews with players and/or coaches at any time on
the field. The Hawai’i locker room will be open to the
media after the press conference concludes.
MEDIA & INFORMATION CENTER
The Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl will host a Media and
Information Center beginning Monday, Dec. 18 through
Wednesday, Dec. 20. The center will be located at the
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel (2nd floor) in the Kohala/Kona
Room. Fax machines, copiers, and high speed internet
lines will all be available for media use only.
Hours of operation:
Monday, Dec. 18, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 19, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
ALOHA STADIUM INFORMATION
PARKING GATES Parking lot gates at Aloha Stadium will open at 10 a.m.
Parking is $5. Alternate parking is available at Leeward Community College (free with
a $2 charge of shuttle service, and at Kam Drive-In for $5 and free shuttle service. All
shuttle service operation runs from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and approximately one
hour after the game ends. Parking is also available at Radford High School for $3
with no available shuttle service. No tailgating is allowed at alternate parking sites.
STADIUM GATES Stadium gates will open at 12 p.m.
STADIUM SECURITY Security measures are in effect. Only fanny packs, purses, backpacks and handbags will be allowed into the stadium (subject to check).
There will be no illegal contraband, weapons, fireworks, coolers, cans bottles, air
horns, noisemakers, cans and bottles, umbrellas, outside food and/or beverages
allowed inside the stadium gates.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY ESPN 1420 will provide traffic advisories and updates.
13 WARRIORS ON ALL-WAC TEAMS Warrior head coach June Jones and
quarterback Colt Brennan highlighted the all-WAC team announced Dec. 4, 2006. Jones
earned his second WAC Coach of the Year honor since winning the award in 1999, while
Brennan became the school’s first Offensive Player of the Year.
Besides Brennan, four other Warriors were named to the first team all-WAC on
offense - wide receiver Davone Bess, offensive linemen Tala Esera and Samson Satele,
and running back Nate Ilaoa.
Bess, who recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards for the second straight season, made 50 catches for 666 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight WAC games. He started
all 13 games and hauled in 91 receptions for a total of 1,155 yards and 14 scores.
Ilaoa rushed for 893 yards and 13 touchdowns, and caught 63 passes for 671 yards
and five scores.
Offensive lineman Satele and Esera were named to two of the five spots. Satele is
on the list for the fourth straight year. He is named to the first team for the second
straight year after a second-team pick his first two seasons. Esera, who was a secondteam selection a year ago, graced the first team for the first time in his career.
UH placed three players on the first team defense - defensive ends Ikaika AlamaFrancis and Melila Purcell, and safety Leonard Peters. Alama-Francis and Purcell were
second-team picks in 2005, while Peters is on the list for the first time in his career.
Alama-Francis made 36 stops on the season, including nine tackles-for-loss (-50
yards), three sacks (-27), and recorded 14 quarterback hurries.
Purcell finished with 54 tackles, 13.5 tackles-for-loss (-37), 7.5 sacks (-29), and
12 quarterback hurries.
Peters was third on the team with 68 tackles. He picked off three passes and
returned two for touchdowns. He also added two tackles-for-loss (-10), seven pass
break ups, one quarterback hurry, and forced one fumble.
Ross Dickerson, who was awarded the team’s Alec Waterhouse Most Valuable Player
Trophy at the team banquet, was named first-team all-WAC special teams player. The
senior returned 23 kickoffs for 603 yards for a 26.2 average, including a 100-yard
touchdown return. He also started at wide receiver where he made 54 catches for 726
yards and seven scores.
Hawai’i also placed four players on the all-WAC second team.
Junior wide receiver Jason Rivers and senior offensive lineman Dane Uperesa were
named on the offensive team, while junior nose tackle Michael Lafaele and sophomore
linebacker Adam Leonard were selected to the defense.
The Warriors had 13 players named to either the first or second team, the most by
any conference school.
2
THE COACHES Hawai’i head coach June
Jones is 63-40 in in his eighth season at the
Warrior helm. Jones took over the Warrior program after 11 years coaching in the NFL, including head coaching stints at Atlanta (1994-96)
and San Diego (1998). This is his first collegiate
head coaching post. Arizona State head coach
Dirk Koetter is in his fifth and final season at
the helm of the Sun Devil program and owns a
40-33 record. He has led Arizona State to four
bowl games in five seasons. Koetter served as
head coach at Boise State from 1998-2000
before arriving in Tempe. Koetter will be succeeded by Dennis Erickson who was named
ASU’s new head coach earlier this month.
Jones’ Record
at Aloha Stadium
in Road Games
in WAC Games
in WAC Home Games
in WAC Road Games
vs. Koetter
vs. Arizona State
63-40
48-20
15-20
39-24
25-9
15-15
1-0
0-0
JONES CHASING “W” Warrior head
coach June Jones tied the modern era record for
most wins on Nov. 25 against Purdue. He now
has 63 career wins at UH, sharing the mark with
former UH coach Dick Tomey (1977-86) who
compiled a 63-46-3 record in 10 seasons. Otto
Klum is the school’s all-time winningest coach,
posting an 84-51-7 mark from 1921-39.
TEAM CAPTAINS Center Samson Satele
safety Leonard Peters, and defensive end Ikaika
Alama-Francis serve as Warrior captains. Satele,
the team’s most talented offensive lineman,
started every game of his career (52), mostly at
guard, but has moved to center in 2006 and has
the ability to play any position up front. Peters
is serving his second term as team captain after
filling the role in 2005. The sixth-year senior
enjoyed his only injury-free season in 2004,
when he managed to start all 13 games and led
the team with 120 total tackles. Alama-Francis,
a converted basketball player, led all defensive
linemen with 49 tackles in 2005. The Warriors
also choose game captains each week:
at Alabama - RB Nate Ilaoa, DB Desmond Thomas
UNLV - OL Hercules Satele, WR Ross Dickerson
at Boise State - DB Desmond Thomas, WR Ryan GriceMullen
Eastern Illinois - OL Tala Esera, LB Rustin Saole
Nevada - RB Reagan Mauia, DB Michael Malala
at Fresno State - RB Nate Ilaoa, NT Michael Lafaele, DB
Guyton Galdeira
at NMSU - RB Nate Ilaoa, LB Solomon Elimimian
Idaho - OL John Estes, DL Melila Purcell, WR Ross
Dickerson
at Utah State - OL Dane Uperesa, SS Jacob Patek, CB
C.J. Hawthorne
Louisiana Tech - RB Nate Ilaoa, OL Tala Esera
SJSU - OL Tala Esera, LB Adam Leonard
Purdue - RB Nate Ilaoa, DL Melila Purcell
Oregon State - OL Hercules Satele, DL Michael Lafaele,
PK Dan Kelly
15 NOTES ON ALL-AMERICAN COLT BRENNAN…
1. Broke the NCAA record for most TD passes in two seasons (now has 88) and is one TD pass shy
of the NCAA single-season mark of 54 set by Houston’s David Klingler in 1990. Klingler also
held the two-season record of 83.
2. Has completed 72.1 percent of his pass attempts in 2006, tops in the nation.
3. Posts the highest pass efficiency rating in the nation (182.8) and could break the NCAA
single-season record of 183.3 set by Shaun King of Tulane in 1998.
4. Leads the nation in six statistical categories, including Total Offense (410.8), Touchdown
Passes (53), Passing Efficiency (182.8), Points Responsible For (26.8), Completion Percentage
(72.14%) and Total Passing Yards (4,990).
5. Has broken 11 school records including: Consecutive Pass Attempts Without an Interception
(182), Most Pass Completions in a Season (373), Consecutive 200-Yard Passing Games in a
Career (24), Most TD Passes in a Season (53), Consecutive Games Throwing a TD in a Career
(25), Most Passing Yards in a Season (4,990), Total Offense Yards in a Season (5,341), Points
Responsible For in a Season (348), Touchdowns Responsible For in a Season (58), Consecutive
200-Yard (passing) Games in a Season (13), and Consecutive Games Throwing a TD Pass in a
Season (13).
6. Has thrown for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns in seven games this season.
7. Posted pass efficiency ratings above 200 in four games in 2006, including a career-high 243.0
at Utah State (Nov. 4).
8. Is the team’s second leading rusher with 351 yards and five touchdowns.
9. Three-time 2006 WAC Offensive Player of the Week, Walter Camp Offensive National Player of
the Week (Nov. 4), USA Today National Player of the Week (Nov. 7).
10. Has played only seven complete games (sat out 4th quarter in six games in 2006).
11. Named 2006 WAC Offensive Player of the Year.
12. Is the school’s first quarterback to earn All-America status since 1978 (second-team Walter
Camp, third-team Associated Press).
13. Has helped Hawai’i to its first Associated Press Top 25 ranking since 1993.
14. Finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was one of three finalists for the Davey
O’Brien Award.
15. Helped Hawai’i to a school-record nine-game win streak.
TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE COMPETITION
Player, School
Colt Brennan, Hawai’i
Troy Smith, Ohio State
Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
Erik Ainge, Tennessee
John David Booty, USC
Passing
373-517-4,990 (53 TD, 11 INT)
199-297-2,507 (30 TD, 5 INT)
274-432-3,278 (35 TD, 5 INT)
376-562-4,110 (36 TD, 10 INT)
208-311-2,722 (19 TD, 8 INT)
242-391-2,956 (25 TD, 9 INT)
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
Passing
Completions: 373
Attempts: 517
Yards: 4,990
Touchdowns: 53
Interceptions: 11
Efficiency: 182.80
Rushing
Attempts: 79
Yards: 351
Touchdowns: 5
Yards Per Carry: 4.4
Rushing
79-351-5
62-312-1
79-(65)-2
27-(-60)-1
24 (-88)-1
29-(-49)-1
NCAA STATISTICS
Total Offense: FIRST (410.8)
Passing Efficiency: FIRST (182.8)
Points Responsible For: FIRST (26.8)
Completion Percentage: FIRST (72.14%)
Passing Yards Per Game: SECOND (383.85)
Passing: THIRD (28.89 Comp/Game)
Total Passing Yards: FIRST (4,990)
Touchdown Passes: FIRST (53)
“Hey mainland. If you’ve been sleeping on Colt Brennan this is your wake up call buddy boy. The
Hawai’i quarterback is unbelievable. The numbers for this guy are just astonishing.” - Scot Van Pelt
(ESPN Sportscenter)
“I’ve watched Hawai’i junior quarterback Colt Brennan play several times this season. I’m finally convinced that he is not a system quarterback. He doesn’t make many mistakes. He’s a winner. He throws
TD passes like I throw away column rough drafts. Brennan has pinpoint accuracy with the arm to make
all of the big throws. I cannot stress how accurate his arm is.” - Keenan Davis (NFL.com)
“I don’t remember playing against a quarterback as hot as that. Their quarterback, Brennan, is the key
to their offense. He’s played outstanding every game. He was phenomenal against us, the best quarterback performance we’ve ever faced.” - Pat Hill (Fresno State Head Coach)
3
QUICK FACTS
STATISTICAL LEADERS
HAWAI’I
ARIZONA STATE
LOCATION
Honolulu, HI
Tempe, AZ
FOUNDED
1907
1885
ENROLLMENT
20,307
51,612
COLORS
Green, Black, White, Silver Accent
Maroon & Gold
NICKNAME
Warriors
Sun Devils
CONFERENCE
Western Athletic Conference
Pacific-10
STADIUM (CAP.)
Aloha Stadium (50,000)
Sun Devil Stadium (71,806)
SURFACE
FieldTurf
Natural Grass
2005 OVERALL RECORD
5-7
7-5
2005 CONF. RECORD (PLACE) 4-4 (5th)
4-4 (T4th)
SCHEDULE COMPARISON
DATE
Aug. 31
Sept. 2
Sept. 9
Sept. 16
Sept. 23
Sept. 30
Oct. 7
Oct. 14
Oct. 21
Oct. 28
Nov. 4
Nov. 11
Nov. 18
Nov. 25
Dec. 2
Dec. 24
HAWAI’I (10-3)
at Alabama (L, 17-25)
BYE
UNLV (W, 42-13)
at Boise State * (L, 34-41)
EASTERN ILLINOIS (W, 44-9)
NEVADA * (W, 41-34)
at Fresno State * (W, 68-37)
at New Mexico State * (W, 49-30)
IDAHO * (W, 68-10)
at Utah State * (W, 63-10)
LOUISIANA TECH * (W, 61-17)
SAN JOSE STATE * (W, 54-17)
PURDUE (W, 42-35)
OREGON STATE (L, 32-35)
ARIZONA STATE
ARIZONA STATE (7-5)
NORTHERN ARIZONA (W, 35-14)
NEVADA (W, 52-21)
at Colorado (W, 21-3)
at No. 21 California * (L, 21-49)
NO. 12 OREGON * (L, 13-48)
BYE
at No. 3 USC * (L, 21-28)
STANFORD * (W, 38-3)
at Washington * (W, 26-23 OT)
at Oregon State * (L, 10-44)
WASHINGTON STATE * (W, 47-14)
UCLA * (L, 12-24)
at Arizona * (W, 28-14)
vs. Hawai’i
* denotes league game
G
12
13
Passing
Colt Brennan
Tyler Graunke
G Cmp
13 373
7
32
Receiving
Davone Bess
Jason Rivers
G
13
13
Att Yds YPG
113 893 74.4
79 351 27.0
YPA
7.9
4.4
TD
13
5
Lg
38
30
Int Yds
11 4,990
0 501
TD
53
4
Lg
63
62
No Yds YPG YPR
91 1,155 88.8 12.7
58 870 66.9 15.0
TD
14
8
Lg
49
62
Att
517
43
All-Purp. Yards G Rush
Nate Ilaoa
12 893
Ross Dickerson 13
13
Defense
G
Adam Leonard
13
Solomon Elimimian 12
ARIZONA STATE
Rushing
G
Ryan Torain
12
Keegan Herring 12
Rec
781
726
UT
59
45
AT TT
49 108
36 81
Att Yds YPG
205 1069 89.1
91 540 45.0
G
12
12
No
49
15
ARIZONA STATE
27.0 (42nd)
167.2 (33rd)
198.2 (59th)
365.3 (43rd)
231
104
110
17
23.8 (68th)
116.6 (36th)
181.9 (34th)
298.5 (27th)
- 0.08 (67th)
14-180
51-2080-40.8
98-803 (116th)
18-9
30:59 (32nd)
59-157-38% (66th)
6-18-33% (97th)
Defense
Josh Barrett
Beau Manutai
G
12
12
UT
51
38
KOR IR Total Avg
0 0 1,674 139.5
603 0 1,342 103.2
TFL
3.5-9
2.0-5
Sck
1.0-2
0.0-0
YPA
5.2
5.9
TD
6
6
Lg
40
65
Int Yds
14 2332
0
46
TD
21
0
Lg
62
27
Yds YPG YPR
481 40.1 9.8
246 20.5 16.4
TD
4
2
Lg
23
50
Passing
G Cmp Att
Rudy Carpenter 12 171 306
Danny Sullivan
6
6
15
Receiving
Zach Miller
Michael Jones
PR
0
0
All-Purp. Yards G Rush Rec PR
Ryan Torain
12 1069 177
0
Terry Richardson 6
0 113 210
COMPARING THE NUMBERS
CATEGORY
HAWAI’I
Scoring Avg.
47.3 (1st)
Rushing Avg.
117.7 (86th)
Passing Avg.
432.2 (1st)
Total Offense Avg.
549.9 (1st)
First Downs
352
First Downs Rushing
79
First Downs Passing
255
First Downs Penalty
18
Avg. Points Allowed
24.1 (70th)
Avg. Rushing Yds. Allowed
131.2 (53rd)
Avg. Passing Yds. Allowed
245.6 (109th)
Avg. Total Offense Yds. Allowed
376.8 (93rd)
Turnover Margin
0.08 (52nd)
Interceptions -Yds.
14-290
Punts-Yds.-Average
16-6-2-37.6
Penalties-Yards
93-826 (103th)
Fumbles-Lost
26-15
Average Time of Poss.
28:40 (97th)
3rd Down Conv. (Pct.)
71=123 -58% (1st)
4th Down Conv. (Pct.)
8-20-40% (86th)
HAWAI’I
Rushing
Nate Ilaoa
Colt Brennan
AT
23
21
Int
1-5
0-0
KOR IR Total Avg
0 0 1246 103.8
302 0 625 104.2
TT
TFL
74 7.5-17
60 5.5-13
Sck
1.0-2
1.0-3
Int
2-40
0-0
THE SERIES The Christmas Eve game will mark the seventh
meeting between Hawai’i and Arizona State. The Sun Devils lead
the series 5-1, winning the first five meetings before the
Warriors posted a 29-17 win in the last meeting in 1979. The last
five meetings have taken place in Honolulu, but only one at
Aloha Stadium in 1979.
Series Shorts
First Meeting: Sept. 18, 1954
Last Meeting: Dec. 1, 1979
Longest UH Win Streak: 1
Longest ASU Win Streak: 5
Largest UH Win Margin: 12
Largest ASU Win Margin: 40
Smallest UH Win Margin: 12
Smallest ASU Win Margin: 8
Shutouts: None
Series History
Date
9/18/54
12/2/55
9/20/58
12/4/59
12/7/74
12/1/79
Score
*ASU 28, UH 14
ASU 39, UH 6
ASU 46, UH 6
ASU 14, UH 6
ASU 26, UH 3
UH 29, ASU 17
W
0
0
0
0
0
1
L
1
2
3
4
5
5
T
0
0
0
0
0
0
Pct
.000
.000
.000
.000
.000
.167
* denotes away game
Note: Parenthesis denote NCAA rankings
4
A LITTLE BIT “NASTI” Running back Nate Ilaoa, known as “Nasti” by his team-
WAC STANDINGS
(Dec 4, 2006)
WAC
W
Boise State
8
Hawai’i
7
Nevada
5
San Jose State
5
Fresno State
4
Idaho
3
New Mexico State 2
Louisiana Tech
1
Utah State
1
L
0
1
3
3
4
5
6
7
7
Pct.
1.000
.875
.625
.625
.500
.375
.250
.125
.125
All
W L Pct.
12 0 1.000
10 3 .769
8 4 .667
8 4 .667
4 8 .333
4 8 .333
4 8 .333
3 10 .231
1 11 .083
Hm
6-0
7-1
5-1
6-1
3-3
2-3
3-4
3-2
1-4
Rd Neu
6-0 0-0
3-2 0-0
3-3 0-0
2-3 0-0
1-5 0-0
2-5 0-0
1-4 0-0
1-7 0-0
0-7 0-0
Stk
W12
L1
L1
W2
L1
L5
W2
L4
L6
WAC BOWL SCHEDULE
Saturday, Dec. 23 (New Mexico Bowl)
San Jose State at New Mexico, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, Dec. 24 (Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl)
Hawai’i vs. Arizona State, 3:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, Dec. 31 (MPC Computers Bowl)
Nevada vs. Miami-Fla., 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, Jan. 1 (Tostitos Fiesta Bowl)
No. 9 Boise State vs. No. 7 Oklahoma, 6:30 p.m. (Fox)
UH WAC PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK
HONORS IN 2006
Sept. 18
Oct. 9
Oct. 16
Oct. 23
Oct. 30
Nov. 6
Nov. 20
Offense: RB Nate Ilaoa
Offense: QB Colt Brennan
Defense: DE Melila Purcell
Special Teams: KOR Ross Dickerson
Special Teams: KOR Ross Dickerson
Defense: DE Melila Purcell
WARRIORS ON ALL-WAC TEAMS
IN 2006
Offense
WR Davone Bess, first team, Jason Rivers, second team, QB
Colt Brennan, first team, RB Nate Ilaoa, first team, OL
Samson Satele, first team, Tala Esera, first team, Dane
Uperesa, second team, ST Ross Dickerson, first team
Defense
DL Ikaika Alama-Francis, first team, DL Melila Purcell, first
team, DL Michael Lafaele, second team, LB Adam Leonard,
second team, DB Leonard Peters, first team
Offensive Player of the Year: QB Colt Brennan
Coach of the Year: June Jones
mates, is living up to his nickname after gaining 211 all-purpose yards in the win over
Purdue (Nov. 25). Ilaoa, a native of Stafford, Va., who also scored two touchdowns
against the Boilermakers, has gained more than 200 all-purpose yards three times this
season: vs. Nevada (219) and at Utah State (210). The sixth-year senior leads the
Warriors in rushing with 113 carries for 893 yards and 13 touchdowns and ranks fifth in
the WAC (46th nationally) averaging 74.4 rushing yards per game. His 893 rushing yards
and 13 touchdowns are the most of any UH rusher in the June Jones era. He is averaging
7.9 yards per carry and is also second on the team with 63 receptions for 781 yards and
five touchdowns. He ranks seventh in the WAC (56th nationally) in receiving yards per
game (65.1), and fifth in the WAC and 30th nationally in receptions per game (5.25). He
has rushed for more than 100 yards five times in his career, three times this season,
including a career-high 159 against Purdue. Ilaoa also leads the team and ranks fifth in
the league (12th nationally) averaging 139.5 all-purpose yards per game.
GO BIG “D” The Warrior defense has been often overshadowed by the high-pow-
ered Warrior offense. The defense has allowed a mere 79 points and forced 11 turnovers
(5 FF, 6 INT) which led to eight touchdowns in the last five games. Coordinator Jerry
Glanville’s group has allowed 13-or-less points in four games this season, including a
season-low nine against Eastern Illinois (Sept. 30), and 10 against Idaho (Oct. 28) and
Utah State (Nov. 4). The Warrior defense ranks 53rd nationally in rushing defense
(131.2), 70th in scoring defense (24.1), 93rd in total defense (376.8), and 109th in
passing defense (245.6).
THE BESS IS YET TO COME Warrior receiver Davone Bess ranks fifth in the
nation in receptions per game (7.00), second in the WAC. Bess, a native of Oakland,
Calif., led all receivers with 10 catches against Nevada (Oct. 7), and has led all Warriors
in receiving yards in the last four straight games. He leads the Warriors with 91 grabs for
1,155 yards and 14 touchdowns. Bess reached the century mark seven times as a true
freshman in 2005 and five times this season. He has also recorded 10 or more receptions
three times this season and three times in 2005. The sophomore ranks second in the WAC
and 14th nationally averaging 88.8 receiving yards per game. Bess surpassed the 1,000yard mark for the second straight season after posting 1,124 in 2005. He tied his touchdown mark of 14, an NCAA record, set as a true freshman last season.
BESS/GRICE-MULLEN IN NCAA RECORD BOOK Warrior receivers Davone
Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullen are both listed in the 2006 NCAA Record Book after tying
the national record for two players on the same team each gaining 1,000 yards receiving.
On the list of 21 tandems, which dates back to 1988, Bess and Grice-Mullen is the only
pair of freshman receivers to accomplish the feat. Bess also tied the school record for
most passes caught by a freshman with 14 in 2005. Two other receivers tied with Bess
include Jabar Gaffney (Florida, 2000) and Mike Williams (USC, 2002).
THE INSIDERS - ADAM LEONARD & SOLOMON ELIMIMIAN Inside linebackers Adam Leonard and Solomon Elimimian sit atop the Warrior chart in total tackles with
a combined 189 this season. Leonard, a highly touted recruit coming out of Rainier High
School in Seattle, Wash., in 2005, has made a significant impact on the Warrior defense.
The true sophomore, who refused to redshirt after suffering a season-ending knee injury
while a senior at Rainier, played in eight games and made nine tackles last season, still
recovering from surgery. This season, Leonard is at full strength and has led the team in
tackles seven times this season, and currently has a team-high 108 tackles, averaging
8.3 per game, fifth in the WAC and 49th nationally. Leonard also has one sack (-2), 3.5
tackles-for-loss (-9), eight PBUs, three quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, and four
fumble recoveries this season. At New Mexico State (Oct. 21), Leonard scored his first
career touchdown, on a 20-yard fumble return. Leonard also recorded his first career
interception, which halted the potential game-tying drive against Purdue (Nov. 25).
Elimimian has led the Warriors in total tackles in two of his last three games, and four
times this season. The Los Angeles, Calif., native propelled his way into the second spot,
with 81 tackles on the season, after sitting out one game. The super sophomore has also
recorded two tackles-for-loss (-5), one PBU, two quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery
and a forced fumble this season.
5
CAREER WATCH
PASSING
No Player
1. Timmy Chang, 2000-04
2. Colt Brennan, 20053. Dan Robinson, 1997-99
4. Garret Gabriel, 1987-90
5. Raphel Cherry, 1981-84
HOME VS. ROAD The Warriors have enjoyed unparalleled success while playing in
G Yards
53 17,072*
25 9,291
25 6,038
34 5,631
37 5,046
To Tie
7,781
G Yards
53 16,910
25 9,799
34 6,181
45 6,032
37 5,944
To Tie
7,111
* indicates NCAA record
TOTAL OFFENSE
No Player
1. Timmy Chang, 2000-04
2. Colt Brennan, 20053. Garret Gabriel, 1987-90
4. Michael Carter, 1990-93
5. Raphel Cherry, 1981-84
RECEIVING YARDS
G
No Player
1. Ashley Lelie, 1999-2001
36
2. Chad Owens, 2001-04
44
3. Justin Colbert, 1999-2002
45
4. Walter Murray, 1982-85
45
5. Jason Rivers, 2003-04, 2006- 37
6. Davone Bess, 200525
7. Britton Komine, 2001-04
41
8. Chris Roscoe, 1987-89
34
9. Channon Harris, 1999-2001
36
10. Craig Stutzmann, 1998-2001 46
11. Ryan Grice-Mullen, 200521
12. Dwight Carter, 1998-99
24
13. Dane McArthur, 1987-90
44
14. Jeremiah Cockheran, 2002-03 24
15. Darrick Branch, 1989-92
47
16. Ross Dickerson, 200346
Yards
3,341
3,031
2,905
2,865
2,294
2,279
2,276
2,265
2,186
2,025
1,887
1,820
1,784
1,728
1,614
1,569
To Tie
1,047
737
611
571
KICKOFF RETURN
No Player
1. Matt Harding, 1992-95
2. Larry Khan-Smith, 1987-90
3. Chad Owens, 2001-04
4. Ross Dickerson, 20035. Jamal Garland, 1999-2000
Yards
1,911
1,658
1,354
1,310
1,268
To Tie
601
348
44
G
48
41
44
34
22
the friendly confines of Aloha Stadium, especially under the direction of current head
coach June Jones. The Warriors have posted a 47-20 record (70%) of all games played at
Aloha Stadium in Jones’ seven-plus seasons, opposed to an 26-46 (36%) home record in
the seven previous seasons before Jones’ arrival. Jones and the Warriors were almost perfect twice, posting 7-1 and 8-1 records in 2003 and 2004 respectively. In 2004, the
Warriors posted the best record (8-1) and winning percentage (.889) under Jones. Only
once in UH football history did the Warriors go undefeated at home, posting a 8-0 record
in 1992 under head coach Bob Wagner. Jones has also posted a 15-20 (43%) road record,
opposed to a 4-24 (14%) mark in road games from 1992-98. The Warriors are currently 7-1
in home games this season.
June Jones (seven seasons at UH)
Home
Year
Record Pct.
PF PA
1999
6-4* .600 254 287
2000
3-5
.375 226 236
2001
7-2
.778 389 244
2002
7-2* .778 344 241
2003
7-1* .875 345 231
2004
8-1* .889 401 268
2005
3-4
.429 243 264
2006
7-1
.875 384 170
7+ seasons 47-20 .701 2586 1941
Road
Record Pct. PF PA
3-0 1.000 117 62
0-4 .000 68 163
2-1 .667 94 74
3-2 .600 158 148
2-4 .333 141 196
0-4 .000 66 231
2-3 .500 125 164
3-2 .000 114 976
15-20 .429 981 1144
Previous seven seasons at UH
Home
Year
Record Pct.
PF PA
1992
8-0 1.000 305 165
1993
6-6
.500 310 182
1994
3-8-1 .273 185 180
1995
4-8
.333 204 228
1996
2-10 .167 146 257
1997
3-9
.250 159 165
1998
0-12 .000
90 276
7 seasons 26-46 .361 1399 1453
Record
2-2
0-4
1-3
1-4
0-4
0-4
0-4
4-24
Road
Pct. PF PA
.500 89 118
.000 83 175
.250 75 93
.200 81 173
.000 15 176
.000 32 143
.000 59 146
.143 434 1024
* includes bowl game
JONES AND THE DRAFT
A total of 11 players have been drafted by NFL teams in the June Jones era. In the five seasons before Jones’ arrival, five Warriors were drafted by
NFL teams. The Warriors currently have 10 players in the NFL, including:
Jacksonville Jaguars: OL Vince Manuwai (2003-3rd Round); WR/RS Chad Owens (2005-6th Round)
Atlanta Falcons: OL Kynan Forney (2001-7th Round); WR Ashley Lelie (2002-1st Round)
Green Bay Packers: OL Adrian Klemm (2000-2nd Round-New England)
San Francisco 49ers: DL Isaak Sopoaga (2004-4th Round); LB Jeff Ulbrich (2000-3rd Round)
St. Louis Rams: LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (2000-4th Round)
Tennessee Titans: DE Travis LaBoy (2004-2nd Round)
Dallas Cowboys: P Mat McBriar (2002-free agent)
6
ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 POLL
WEEK 15
Rk
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
School (1st Place Votes) Record
Ohio State (65)
12-0
Florida
12-1
Michigan
11-1
LSU
10-2
Louisville
11-1
Wisconsin
11-1
Oklahoma
11-2
USC
10-2
Boise State
12-0
Auburn
10-2
Notre Dame
10-2
Arkansas
10-3
West Virginia
10-2
Virginia Tech
10-2
Wake Forest
11-2
Rutgers
10-2
Tennessee
9-3
Texas
9-3
Brigham Young
10-2
California
9-3
Texas A&M
9-3
Nebraska
9-4
Boston College
9-3
Oregon State
9-4
TCU
10-2
Points
1625
1529
1526
1365
1333
1255
1232
1182
1097
1020
939
867
865
798
766
631
576
564
436
390
379
193
179
112
80
Last Week
1
4
3
5
6
7
8
2
10
11
12
8
15
14
16
13
17
17
20
21
22
19
25
NR
NR
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Georgia 57, Georgia Tech 53, Hawaii 25, Houston 21, Penn State
9, South Florida 6, Maryland 6, Navy 4, South Carolina 3, UCLA 2.
FUTURE SCHEDULES Hawai’i has managed to get some of the top teams in the
country on its non-conference schedule in upcoming seasons. This season, the Warriors
opened the season at Alabama and play non-conference home games against UNLV and
Purdue. Hawai’i travels to UNLV in 2007, a city where the Warriors have a large following,
and host Michigan State on Nov. 24. And, for the first time in UH football history, the
Warriors meet Florida at “The Swamp” to open the 2008 season.
2007
Sept. 15 at UNLV
Nov. 24 MICHIGAN STATE
2008
Aug. 30 at Florida
Nov. 29 WASHINGTON STATE
FUTURE SCHEDULES
2009
Sept. 5 NAVY
Sept. 12 at Washington State
Sept. 19 at UNLV
Nov. 28 WISCONSIN
2010
Sept. 4 USC
Sept. 25 UNLV
2011
Sept. 24 at UNLV
Nov. 26 WASHINGTON STATE
WARRIORS GET VOTES For the first time since January 1993, Hawai’i broke into
the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, landing at No. 25 on Nov. 19 (89 points), and moved up a
spot to No. 24 on Nov. 26. After five straight weeks of receiving votes, Hawai’i finally
broke into the Top 25 in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll. It is the first time since the
Warriors appeared in the coaches poll since November 26, 2002 (No. 23).
LARGEST CROWD ROAD CROWD AT BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM The
Warriors’ season opening game at Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium on Sept. 2, a sellout
crowd of 92,128, marked the largest road crowd in Warrior football history and the largest
crowd to attend a college football game in the state of Alabama.
USA TODAY COACHES TOP 25 POLL
WEEK 15
Rk
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
25.
School (1st Place Votes) Record
Ohio State (62)
12-0
Florida
12-1
Michigan
11-1
LSU
10-2
Wisconsin
11-1
Louisville
11-1
USC
10-2
Oklahoma
11-2
Boise State
12-0
Auburn
10-2
Notre Dame
10-2
West Virginia
10-2
Arkansas
10-3
Virginia Tech
10-2
Wake Forest
11-2
Texas
9-3
Rutgers
10-2
Tennessee
9-3
California
9-3
Brigham Young
10-2
Texas A&M
9-3
Nebraska
9-4
Boston College
9-3
TCU
10-2
Oregon State
9-4
Georgia Tech
9-4
Points
1550
1470
1444
1299
1263
1223
1173
1115
1053
1000
923
800
798
781
745
582
567
500
436
369
303
242
175
95
72
72
Last Week
1
4
3
5
6
7
2
10
9
11
12
15
8
14
16
17
13
19
20
21
24
18
25
NR
NR
22
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
Houston 40, Hawaii 22, Georgia 12, Clemson 11, Penn State 10,
South Carolina 2, Navy 2, Maryland 1.
THE RUN-AND-SHOOT
Warrior head coach June Jones has enjoyed much success with the Run-and-Shoot
offense while at Hawai‘i. The Warrior passing offense has led the WAC and finished in
the Top 5 nationally each of the seven years under Jones. Against Army in 2003, the
Warrior offense amassed a school-record 741 yards and tied the school record for passing yards in a game with 543.
Year
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
Pass Off.
432.2
384.2
333.1
384.4
387.9
381.3
322.9
338.6
WAC/National
1st/1st
1st/2nd
1st/3rd
1st/2nd
1st/1st
1st/2nd
1st/4th
1st/2nd
Total Off.
549.9
476.2
430.0
488.1
500.8
462.7
396.7
434.5
WAC/National
1st/1st
1st/11th
2nd/20th
1st/6th
2nd/3rd
2nd/7th
4th/40th
2nd/17th
In addition, Warrior quarterback Timmy Chang broke the NCAA career passing record
(held by Brigham Young’s Ty Detmer) by throwing for 17,072 yards from 2000-04.
7
THE WARRIORS WHEN ...
At Home
On The Road
When Scoring First
When Opponents Score First
When Scoring 20+ Points
When Opponent Scores 20+ Points
When Leading at Halftime
When Tied at Halftime
When Trailing at Halftime
When Leading After Three Quarters
When Trailing After Three Quarters
When Tied After Three Quarters
When Rushing for 100+ Yards
When Rushing for 200+ Yards
When Opponent Rushes for 100+ Yards
When Passing for 300+ Yards
When Opponent Passes for 300+ Yards
With More Turnovers Than Opponent
With Less Turnovers Than Opponent
When Turnover Margin is Even
In Day Games
In Night Games
On Artificial Turf
On Natural Grass
With Fewer Penalties (Yards)
With More Penalties (Yards)
With Even Penalties (Yards)
In Games Played in September
In Games Played in October
In Games Played in November
In Games Played in December
Against Ranked Opponents (AP Poll only)
In Bowl Games
2005
3-4
2-3
4-2
1-5
5-3
4-7
5-1
0-0
0-6
5-1
0-6
0-0
2-3
1-0
4-7
5-5
2-2
1-5
3-2
1-0
1-5
4-2
4-5
1-2
1-3
4-4
0-0
1-2
2-3
1-2
1-0
0-3
0-0
2006
7-1
3-2
8-1
2-2
9-2
4-3
10-0
0-1
0-2
10-0
0-3
0-0
6-1
2-0
6-2
9-3
4-0
1-3
5-0
4-0
2-0
8-3
7-2
3-1
4-2
6-1
0-0
2-2
4-0
4-0
0-1
0-1
0-0
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Under Jones
48-20
14-20
36-19
26-20
59-22
37-39
50-6
2-4
8-30
49-6
9-34
1-0
34-10
3-0
44-38
52-36
18-4
19-20
31-8
12-4
15-13
47-28
50-32
11-8
25-21
34-18
2-0
10-15
22-12
21-9
6-4
2-8
4-1
8
No
4
6
7
9
10
11
12
13
18
20
21
25
27
34
35
39
41
43
45
49
50
51
52
53
54
59
60
64
65
67
68
70
72
73
74
78
87
91
92
93
94
96
97
98
Name
Ilaoa, Nate
Graunke, Tyler
Bess, Davone
Keomaka, Ryan
Paepule, Timo
Funaki, Inoke
Noa, Karl
Satele, Brashton
Galdeira, Guyton
Malala, Michael
Anderson, Jazen
Milne, Kurt
Peoples, Khevin
Mauia, Reagan
Monteilh, Keao
Seti, Siave
Elimimian, Solomon
Kalilimoku, Brad
Laumoli, Jason
Lene, Jared
Letuli, Laupepa
Tuioti-Mariner, Lafu
Saole, Rustin
Soares, Blaze
Purcell, Amani
Kiesel-Kauhane, R.J.
Kaonohi, Marques
Satele, Samson
Satele, Hercules
Lafaele, Michael
LaCount, Kahai
Esera, Tala
Uperesa, Dane
Sauafea, Larry
Ieru, Raphael
Steinhoff, Keoni
Jackson, Marquez
Alama-Francis, Ikaika
Savaiigaea, Rocky
Watson, Keala
Veikune, David
Laeli, Fale
Fruean, Renolds
Purcell, Melila
Pronunciation
(ee-LAW-wuh)
(grawn-kee)
(da-VONN)
(kay-ow-MAH-kah)
(pah-ay-POO-lay z TEE-mow)
(ee-NO-kay z foo-NAH-kee)
(noah)
(sah-TELL-ay)
(gaul-DARE-uh)
(ma-LAW-la)
(JAY-zen)
(miln)
(kevin)
(maw-EE-ah)
(mon-tay z kay-ow)
(SEH-tea z see-AW-vay)
(el-li-MIM-me-an)
(kah-lee-lee-MOW-koo)
(lah-oo-MOW-lee)
(LEN-ay)
(lay-TWO-lee z law-PEH-pah)
(TWO-ee-ow-tee z LAH-foo)
(sah-OW-lay)
(sore-ez)
(ah-MAH-nee)
(KEE-sel z cow-HAW-nay)
(kah-oh-NO-hee)
(sah-TELL-ay)
(sah-TELL-ay)
(LAH-fah-EL-ay)
(kah-HIGH)
(es-SEH-rah)
(OOH-per-res-uh)
(saw-ah-FAY-uh)
(ee-EH-roo)
(KAY-ow-knee)
(mar-QWEZ)
(ee-KY-kah)
(sah-VAH-ee-NY-ah)
(kay-ALL-uh)
(vay-KOO-nay)
(lah-EL-lee z FAH-lay)
(FRU-an)
(meh-LEE-lah)
RUNNING BACK
SPECIALISTS
4 Nate Ilaoa
(5-9, 254, Sr)
Stafford, VA
34 Reagan Mauia
(6-0, 296, Sr)
Stockton, CA
PUNT 25 Kurt Milne (6-0, 205, Sr, Roswell, GA)
PK
86 Dan Kelly (6-3, 202, So, Temecula, CA)
40 Briton Forester (5-9, 171, Fr, San Diego, CA)
PR
7 Davone Bess (5-10, 195, So, Oakland, CA)
38 Myron Newberry (5-8, 164, Jr, Denton, TX)
KOR 89 Malcolm Lane (6-1, 181, Fr, Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
82 Ross Dickerson (5-10, 198, Sr, Waipahu, O’ahu)
LS
57 Jake Ingram (6-4, 268, So, Mililani,O’ahu)
HOLD 11 Inoke Funaki (5-11, 195, Fr, La’ie, O’ahu)
SS
57 Jake Ingram (6-4, 268, So, Mililani,O’ahu)
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
15
X RECEIVER
7
84
Jason Rivers
(6-2, 192, Jr)
Waipahu, O’ahu
88 Chad Mock
(6-0, 177, Sr)
Honolulu, O’ahu
5
Colt Brennan
(6-3, 196, Jr)
Irvine, CA
6 Tyler Graunke
(6-0, 202, So)
Tucson, AZ
H SLOT
Davone Bess
(5-10, 195, So)
Oakland, CA
Michael Washington
(5-7, 165, So)
Aliquippa, PA
RIGHT TACKLE
RIGHT GUARD
Dane Uperesa
(6-4, 310, Sr)
Hau’ula, O’ahu
62 Keith Ah-Soon
(6-1, 294, So)
Pago Pago, Am. Samoa
John Estes
(6-2, 290, Fr)
Stockton, CA
73 Larry Sauafea
(6-2, 313, Jr)
Pago Pago, Am. Samoa
72
58
55
END
77
Dexter Davis
(6-2, 243, Fr)
Phoeniz, AZ
57 Tranell Morant
(6-5, 280, Jr)
Miami, FL
64
CENTER
Y SLOT
LEFT GUARD
TACKLE
70
Tala Esera
(6-4, 308, Sr)
Hau’ula, O’ahu
78 Keoni Steinhoff
(6-3, 269, So)
Ewa Beach, O’ahu
TACKLE
50
END
Kyle Caldwell
(6-3, 272, Sr)
Scottsdale, AZ
85 Kellen Mills
(6-3, 246, Jr)
Mesa, AZ
Jordan Hill
(6-2, 301, Sr)
Pocatello, ID
90 David Smith
(6-3, 275, So)
Chandler, AZ
SAM LINEBACKER
MIKE LINEBACKER
WILL LINEBACKER
Gerald Munns
(6-3, 238, Fr)
Queen Creek, AZ
25 Mike Nixon
(6-2, 226, Fr)
Phoenix, AZ
Beau Manutai
(6-1, 253, Sr)
Rialto, CA
29 Robert James
(5-11, 229, Jr)
Glendale, AZ
Derron Ware
(6-4, 217, Sr)
Los Angeles, CA
44 Travis Goethel
(6-2, 229, Fr)
Vista, CA
47
18
51
CORNERBACK
CORNERBACK
Rudy Burgess
(5-10, 180, Jr)
Edwards, CA
Keno Walter-White
(5-11, 179, Sr)
San Diego, CA
Juston Tryon
(5-9, 182, Jr)
Palmdale, CA
9 Littrele Jones
(5-9, 178, Jr)
San Fernando, CA
3
6
Ian Sample
(5-10, 196, Sr)
Washington Township, NJ
89 Malcolm Lane
(56-1, 181, Fr)
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
LEFT TACKLE
Hercules Satele
(6-2, 288, Jr)
Long Beach, CA
77 Aaron Kia
(6-4, 283, Fr))
Torrance, CA
1
Z RECEIVER
3
Ryan Grice-Mullen
(5-1, 179, So)
Rialto, CA
82 Ross Dickerson
(5-10, 198, Sr)
Waipahu, O’ahu
65
Samson Satele
(6-3, 298, Sr)
Kane’ohe, O’ahu
60 Marques Kaonohi
(6-1, 273, Sr)
Waimanalo, O’ahu
Michael Marquardt
(6-4, 289, Jr)
Vista, CA
91 Will Kofe
(6-2, 291, Jr)
Long Beach, CA
1
4
19
SAFETY
Josh Barrett
(6-2, 227, Jr)
Reno, NV
2 Ryan McFoy
(6-1, 194, Fr)
Chino, CA
5
DEFENSE
9
SAFETY
Zach Catanese
(6-2, 230, Sr)
Redding, CA
7 Jeremy Payton
(6-1, 204, So)
Covina, CA
SPECIALISTS
PK
P
LSN
KOR
PR
HOLD
13
Z
RIGHT GUARD
63
Julius Orieukwu
(6-7, 318, Jr)
Houston, TX
75 Richard Tuitu’u
(6-5, 346, Fr)
Gilbert, AZ
98
END
WILL LB
41
Micah Lau
(5-9, 218, Jr)
Mililani, O’ahu
Gerard Lewis
(5-9, 168, Jr)
Houston, TX
9 Ryan Keomaka
(5-10, 173, Jr)
Fountain Valley, CA
LEFT GUARD
62
Robert Gustavis
(6-4, 308, Jr)
Torrance, CA
67 Shawn Lauvao
(6-3, 276, So)
Honolulu, O’ahu
91
Brandon Rodd
(6-4, 301, Jr)
‘Aiea, O’ahu
79 Julius Orieukwu
(6-7, 318, Jr)
Houston, TX
END
Ikaika Alama-Francis
(6-6, 285, Sr)
Kane’ohe, O’ahu
97 Renolds Fruean
(6-4, 276, Sr)
Kapolei, O’ahu
44
MAC LB
8
Adam Leonard
(6-0, 236, So)
Seattle, WA
10 Timo Paepule
(6-2, 255, Jr)
Kane’ohe, O’ahu
STUB LB
Tyson Kafentzis
(6-1, 230, So)
Richland, WA
53
Blaze Soares
(6-1, 224, Fr)
Kane’ohe, O’ahu
STRONG SAFETY
31
FREE SAFETY
42
Leonard Peters
(6-1, 211, Sr)
La’ie, O’ahu
30 Dane Porlas
(5-10, 179, So)
San Diego, CA
LEFT TACKLE
73
Michael Lafaele
(6-0, 302, Jr)
Honolulu, O’ahu
99 Lawrence Wilson
(6-1,291, Sr)
Honolulu, O’ahu
BUCK LB
X
Mike Jones
(6-3, 208, So)
Sugar Land, TX
9 Brandon Smith
(6-1, 188, Fr)
Bakersfield, CA
67
Solomon Elimimian
(6-0, 224, So)
Los Angeles, CA
28 Erik Pedersen
(6-0, 197, Fr)
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
C.J. Allen-Jones
(6-1, 224, So)
Aberdeen, MD
CORNERBACK
1
NOSE TACKLE
26
33
CENTER
Mike Pollak
(6-4, 305, Jr)
Tempe, AZ
56 Thomas Altieri
(6-2, 281, Fr)
Vista, CA
Melila Purcell
(6-5, 276, Sr)
Pago Pago, Amer. Samoa
94 David Veikune
(6-3, 258, So)
Wahiawa, O’ahu
OFFENSE
Rudy Carpenter
(6-2, 207, So)
Westlake, CA
15 Danny Sullivan
(6-4, 200, Fr)
Los Gatos, CA
76
Paul Fanaika
(6-6, 355, So)
Millbrae, CA
67 Shawn Lauvao
(6-3, 276, So)
Honolulu, O’ahu
Ryan Torain
(6-0, 216, Jr)
Shawnee Mission, KS
24 Keegan Herring
(5-10, 186, So)
Peoria, AZ
36 Shaun DeWitty
(6-2, 215, So)
Colorado Springs, CO
12
Zach Miller
(6-5, 259, Jr)
Phoeniz, AZ
80 Dane Guthrie
(6-3, 253, So)
Miami, FL
RIGHT TACKLE
26
QUARTERBACK
86
79
TAILBACK
Brent Miller
(6-5, 238, Jr)
Phoenix, AZ
81 Tyrice Thompson
(6-5, 226, Jr)
Phoeniz, AZ
TIGHT END
Chris McGaha
(6-1, 184, Fr)
Phoeniz, AZ
6 Kyle Williams
(5-10, 179, Fr)
Scottsdale, AZ
23
87
Jesse Ainsworth (6-3, 216, Sr, Thousand Oaks, CA)
Thomas Weber (6-0, 195, Fr, Downey, CA)
Jonathan Johnson (6-1, 205, Jr, Simi Valley, CA)
Jesse Ainsworth (6-3, 216, Sr, Thousand Oaks, CA)
Jason Burke (6-2, 268, Sr, Glendale, AZ)
Jason Perkins (6-1, 232, So, Glendale, AZ)
Kyle Williams (5-10, 179, Fr, Scottsdale, AZ)
Rudy Burgess (5-10, 180, Jr, Edwards, CA)
Kyle Williams (5-10, 179, Fr, Scottsdale, AZ)
Chris McGaha (6-1, 184, Fr, Phoeniz, AZ)
Rudy Carpenter (6-2, 207, So, Westlake, CA)
Mike Jones (6-3, 208, So, Sugar Land, TX)
20
38
35
20
43
53
6
3
6
13
12
1
H BACK
DEFENSE
10
Jacob Patek
(6-0, 202, Jr)
Victoria, TX
20 Michael Malala
(6-2, 209, Sr)
Honolulu, O’ahu
CORNERBACK
38
Myron Newberry
(5-8, 164, Jr)
Denton, TX
34
A.J. Martinez
(5-10, 179, Jr)
Fountain Valley, CA
THE LAST TIME ...
A game ended in a tie…
Nov. 26, 1994, 32-32 (Missouri)
UH won at home…
Nov. 25, 2006, 42-35 (Purdue)
UH won a WAC game at home…
Nov. 18, 2006, 54-17 (SJSU)
UH won a non-conference game
at home…
Nov. 25, 2006, 42-35 (Purdue)
UH won a Division I-A non-conference game at home…
Nov. 25, 2006, 42-35 (Purdue)
UH won on the road…
Nov. 4, 2006, 63-10 (Utah State)
UH won a WAC game on the
road…
Nov. 4, 2006, 63-10 (Utah State)
UH won a non-conference game
on the road…
Sept. 30, 1995, 58-30 (UNLV)
UH did not score a touchdown…
Oct. 29, 2004 at Boise State (3-69)
UH did not score a touchdown in
a half…
Sept. 2, 2006 at Alabama (1st)
UH beat a ranked team…
Dec. 8, 2001, 72-45 (BYU, 10th)
A shutout was recorded…
UH: at Idaho (24-0), Sept. 24, 2005
OPP: SMU (0-28), Oct. 3, 1998
UH won an overtime game…
Dec. 25, 2003, 54-48, vs. Houston
(3 OT)
A kickoff was returned for a TD…
UH: Ross Dickerson vs. Idaho, 100
yards, Oct. 28, 2006
OPP: Gerard Lawson (Oregon
State), 100 yards, Dec. 2, 2006
A team rushed for less than 100
yards in a game…
UH: 86 at Utah State, Nov. 4, 2006
OPP: 71 by Oregon State, Dec. 2,
2006
A punt was returned for a TD…
UH: Chad Owens vs. UAB, 59 yards,
Dec. 24, 2004
OPP: Quinton Jones (Boise State),
92 yards, Oct. 1, 2005
Two teams rushed for less than
100 yards in a game…
UH: 41 at Idaho, Sept. 24, 2005
OPP: 41 by Idaho, Nov. 24, 2005
A player returned two kicks for a
TD…
UH: Chad Owens vs. BYU (PR-74,
KOR 100), Dec. 8, 2001
OPP: Never
A punt was blocked…
UH: C.J. Allen-Jones (vs. Nevada),
Oct. 7, 2006
OPP: T.J. Jones (Northwestern),
Nov. 27, 2004
A blocked punt was returned for a
TD…
UH: Keith Bhonapha (at SMU), Oct.
6, 2001
OPP: T.J. Jones (Northwestern),
Nov. 27, 2004
A field goal was blocked…
UH: Leonard Peters at La Tech, Oct.
18, 2003
OPP: Joe Garcia (Nevada), Oct. 7,
2006
A PAT was blocked…
UH: Desmond Thomas vs. UNLV,
Sept. 16, 2006
OPP: Jason Shirley (Fresno State),
Oct. 14, 2006
UH lost an overtime game…
Sept. 4, 2004, 28-35, vs. Florida
Atlantic (1 OT)
An interception was returned for
a TD…
UH: Ryan Keomaka vs. Idaho, 29
OPP: Marty Tadman (Boise State),
40 yards, Oct. 1, 2005
A player scored three or more TDs
in a game…
UH: Nate Ilaoa, 3, at Utah State,
Nov. 4, 2006
OPP: Wendell Mathis, 3, (Fresno
State), Oct. 29, 2005
A fumble was returned for a
touchdown…
UH: Adam Leonard at NMSU, 20
OPP: Terry Holley (Rice), 0 yards,
Sept. 27, 2003
A player scored four or more TDs
in a game…
UH: Ryan Grice-Mullen, 4, vs. New
Mexico State, Oct. 15, 2005
OPP: Jared Zabransky, 4, (Boise
State), Oct. 29, 2004
A safety was recorded…
UH: Oregon State, Dec. 2, 2006
OPP: at Alabama, Sept. 2, 2006
A player scored five or more TDs
in a game…
UH: Chad Owens, 5, vs.
Northwestern, Nov. 27, 2004
OPP: Marshall Faulk (San Diego
State), Oct. 5, 1991
A player scored on a 2-point conversion…
UH: Ryan Grice-Mullen from Colt
Brennan vs. Purdue, Nov. 25, 2006
OPP: Orlando Scandrick (defensive
PAT return), Boise State, Sept. 23,
2006
A team rushed for 300 or more
yards in a game…
UH: 350 vs. UNLV, Oct. 19, 1996
OPP: 327 at Louisiana Tech, Oct. 8,
2005
yards in a game…
UH: 436 at UNLV, Sept. 30, 1995
OPP: 503 at Fresno State, Nov. 12,
2004
A team passed for 400 or more
yards in a game…
UH: 401 vs. Oregon State, Dec. 2,
2006
OPP: 421 by San Diego State, Dec.
3, 2005
A team passed for 500 or more
yards in a game…
UH: 506 vs. La Tech, Nov. 11, 2006
OPP: 507 by San Diego State, Dec.
7, 2002
A pass was completed for 50
yards or more…
UH: Colt Brennan to Ryan GriceMullen (60 yards), at Utah State,
Nov. 4, 2006
OPP: Matt Moore to Sammie
Stroughter (Oregon State), 80
yards, Dec. 2, 2006
yards in a game…
UH: Never
OPP: 503 at Fresno State, Nov. 12,
2004
A player passed for 300 or more
yards in a game…
UH: Colt Brennan vs. Oregon State,
401 yards, Dec. 2, 2006
OPP: Chase Holbrook (NMSU), 323
A player rushed for more than 50
yards on a carry…
UH: Nate Ilaoa (53) vs. Utah
State, Nov. 12, 2005
OPP: Vincent Webb (Eastern
Illinois), 69 yards, Sept. 30, 2006
yards in a game…
UH: Colt Brennan vs. Oregon State,
401 yards, Dec. 2, 2006
OPP: Kevin O’Connell (San Diego
A player rushed for 100 yards or
more in a game…
UH: Nate Ilaoa (159) vs. Purdue,
Nov. 25, 2006
OPP: Yvenson Bernard (Oregon
yards in a game…
UH: Colt Brennan vs. New Mexico
State, 515 yards, Oct. 15, 2005
OPP: Jeff Graham (Long Beach
State), 519 yards, Oct. 29, 1988
Two players rushed for 100 yards
or more in a game…
UH: Johnny Macon (141) and Brett
Washington (106) vs. Fresno State,
Nov. 4, 1995
OPP: Bryson Sumlin (Fresno State),
220 yards; Wendell Mathis (Fresno
State), 176 yards, Nov. 12, 2004
A team had 500 or more yards of
total offense…
UH: 504 vs. Oregon State, Dec. 2,
2006
OPP: 515 by Boise State, Sept. 23,
2006
more in a game…
UH: Michael Carter at Wyoming,
214 yards, Aug. 31, 1991
OPP: Wendell Mathis (Fresno
State), 229 yards, Oct. 29, 2005
more in a game…
UH: Never
OPP: Ron Dayne (Wisconsin), 339
yards, Nov. 30, 1996
A team passed for less than 100
yards in a game…
UH: 33 at UTEP, Oct. 31, 1998
OPP: 57 by Eastern Illinois, Sept.
30, 2004
11
A team had 600 or more yards of
total offense…
UH: 653 vs. Purdue, Nov. 25, 2006
OPP: 679 by Fresno State,
Nov. 12, 2004
Two teams combined for 1,000 or
more yards of total offense…
UH (653) vs. Purdue (472), 1,125
yards, Nov. 25, 2006
Two teams combined for 1,200 or
more yards of total offense…
UH (638) at La. Tech (623)
(1,261 yards), Oct. 18, 2003
No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
9
10
11
11
12
12
13
14
15
15
16
17
18
19
19
20
21
22
23
23
24
25
25
26
27
28
29
29
30
31
33
34
34
35
36
37
38
39
39
40
41
42
43
44
44
45
45
46
47
48
Name
Grice-Mullen, Ryan
Ferguson, Jason
Sample, Ian
Ilaoa, Nate
Washington, Michael
Graunke, Tyler
Bess, Davone
Kafentzis, Tyson
Taylor, Rick
Keomaka, Ryan
Paepule, Timo
Funaki, Inoke
Fergerstrom, Victor
Brogan, William
Noa, Karl
Satele, Brashton
Alexander, Kirk
Brennan, Colt
Aufai, Josh
Davis, JoPierre
Thomas, Desmond
Galdeira, Guyton
Rego, Jayson
Hawthorne, C.J.
Malala, Michael
Anderson, Jazen
Rego, Jayson
Chopp, Alonzo
Lewis, Gerard
Patton, Kenny
Milne, Kurt
Perry, Ryan
Lau, Micah
Peoples, Khevin
Pedersen, Erik
Hollaway, Kenji
Jones, Keenan
Porlas, Dane
Patek, Jacob
Allen-Jones, C.J.
Mauia, Reagan
Martinez, A.J.
Monteilh, Keao
Salas, Greg
Berry, Josh
Newberry, Myron
Seti, Siave
Noa, Waikoloa
Forester, Briton
Elimimian, Solomon
Peters, Leonard
Kalilimoku, Brad
Weisbarth, Gabriel
Leonard, Adam
Laumoli, Jason
Smith, Spencer
Clore, Victor
Rice, Joshua
Farmer, David
Pos
WR
WR
WR
RB
WR
QB
WR
LB
WR
DB
LB
QB
LB
QB
DL
LB
DB
QB
DB
DB
DB
DB
RB
DB
DB
RB
RB
RB
DB
DB
P
DB
LB
RB
DB
P/WR
DB
DB
DB
LB
RB
DB
DB
WR
DB
DB
RB
DB
KS
LB
DB
DB
RB
LB
RB
DB
DL
LB
RB
No Name
Pos Ht
Wt Cl Exp Hometown/Last School
62
91
14
33
79
21
15
85
56
37
7
15
12
23
46
16
82
41
70
55
48
83
11
2
40
97
11
18
63
6
1
19
29
74
4
57
87
69
29
8
43
60
86
9
77
59
68
96
67
89
26
45
49
44
50
23
81
58
80
OL
DL
DB
LB
OL
RB
DB
WR
OL
DB
WR
QB
QB
RB
DL
DB
WR
LB
OL
OL
RB
WR
LB
WR
KS
DL
QB
DB
OL
QB
WR
DB
P/WR
OL
RB
DL
WR
OL
DB
LB
DB
OL
PK/P
DB
OL
LB
DL
DL
DL
WR
LB
RB
LB
LB
DL
DB
WR
OL
WR
294
285
201
224
255
221
190
183
376
193
195
196
198
245
225
199
198
224
308
290
231
188
218
170
171
276
195
163
296
202
179
161
184
340
254
268
148
297
183
230
213
273
202
173
283
222
299
285
302
181
218
284
222
236
287
168
202
261
200
Ah-Soon, Keith
Alexander, Kirk
Allen-Jones, C.J.
Allen-Jones, Cameron
Anderson, Jazen
Aufai, Josh
Bain, Aaron
Bannigan, Kavan
Berry, Josh
Bess, Davone
Brennan, Colt
Brogan, William
Chopp, Alonzo
Clore, Victor
Davis, JoPierre
Dickerson, Ross
Elimimian, Solomon
Esera, Tala
Estes, John
Farmer, David
Farney, Mitch
Fergerstrom, Victor
Ferguson, Jason
Forester, Briton
Fruean, Renolds
Funaki, Inoke
Galdeira, Guyton
Ginlack, Brysen
Graunke, Tyler
Grice-Mullen, Ryan
Hawthorne, C.J.
Hollaway, Kenji
Ieru, Raphael
Ilaoa, Nate
Ingram, Jake
Jackson, Marquez
Johnson, Daniel
Jones, Keenan
Kafentzis, Tyson
Kalilimoku, Brad
Kaonohi, Marques
Kelly, Dan
Keomaka, Ryan
Kia, Aaron
LaCount, Kahai
Laeli, Fale
Lafaele, Michael
Lane, Malcolm
Lau, Micah
Laumoli, Jason
Lene, Jared
Leonard, Adam
Letuli, Laupepa
Lewis, Gerard
Linkner, Dylan
Lipp, Joey
Mahaley, Antwan
12
6-1
6-6
6-2
6-1
6-2
5-10
5-10
5-9
6-6
5-11
5-10
6-3
6-1
6-0
6-2
6-0
5-10
6-0
6-4
6-2
6-0
5-11
6-2
5-5
5-9
6-4
5-11
5-7
6-1
6-0
5-11
5-11
5-9
6-3
5-9
6-4
5-8
6-4
5-11
6-1
5-10
6-1
6-3
5-10
6-4
5-11
6-2
6-2
6-0
6-1
5-9
5-11
6-3
6-0
6-3
5-9
6-0
6-3
6-4
So
Sr
So
So
So
Jr
Fr
So
Jr
Fr
So
Jr
Fr
Jr
Fr
Fr
Sr
So
Sr
Fr
So
Fr
Sr
Jr
Fr
Sr
Fr
So
Fr
So
So
Jr
Fr
Fr
Sr
So
Fr
Fr
Jr
So
Jr
Sr
So
Jr
Fr
Fr
Sr
So
Jr
Fr
Jr
Jr
Fr
So
Fr
Jr
So
Fr
Fr
1L
3L
1L
1L
1L
JC
RS
1L
HS
HS
1L
1L
HS
1L
HS
HS
3L
1L
3L
RS
1L
HS
2L
2L
HS
1L
RS
1L
HS
1L
1L
JC
HS
RS
2L
1L
RS
RS
JC
1L
2L
3L
1L
2L
RS
RS
3L
1L
2L
HS
2L
JC
HS
1L
RS
JC
1L
HS
RS
Pago Pago, American Samoa/Tafuna HS
Kane‘ohe, O‘ahu/Kalaheo HS
Altadena, CA/Pasadena HS
Aberdeen, MD/Aberdeen HS
Aberdeen, MD/Marshall University
Woodland Hills, CA/Moorpark College
Stanwood, WA/Stanwood HS
‘Aiea, O‘ahu/St. Louis School
Wahiawa, O’ahu/Leilehua HS
Sparks, NV/Spanish Springs HS
Oakland, CA/Skyline HS
Irvine, CA/Saddleback CC
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL/Canyon HS
Hearne, TX/Hearne HS
Kane‘ohe, O‘ahu/Castle HS
San Francisco, CA/Balboa HS
Waipahu, O‘ahu/St. Louis School
Los Angeles, CA/Crenshaw HS
Hau‘ula, O‘ahu/Kahuku HS
Stockton, CA/St. Mary’s HS
Santa Cruz, CA/Aptos HS
Phoenix, AZ/Shadow Mountain HS
Kamuela, Hawai'i‘i/Hawai'i‘i Preparatory Academy
Los Angeles, CA/Fairfax HS
San Diego, CA/La Costa Canyon HS
Kapolei, O‘ahu/Washington State University
La‘ie, O‘ahu/Kahuku HS
Wahiawa, O‘ahu/Kamehameha Schools
Kailua, O‘ahu/Kahuku HS
Tucson, AZ/Salpoint Catholic HS
Rialto, CA/Rialto HS
Gulf Port, MS/Mississippi Gulf Coast College
Enola, PA/East Pennsboro HS
Honolulu, O‘ahu/McKinley HS
Stafford, VA/North Stafford HS
Mililani, O‘ahu/Mililani HS
Snellville, GA/East Hall HS
Issaquah, WA/Skyline HS
Harbor City, CA/Compton College
Richland, WA/Richland HS
Honolulu, O‘ahu/Roosevelt HS
Waimanalo, O‘ahu/Kailua HS
Temecula, CA/Linfield Christian HS
Honolulu, O’ahu/Roosevelt HS
Mililani, O‘ahu/Mililani HS
‘Aiea, O‘ahu/Aiea HS
Kailua, O‘ahu/Kailua HS
Honolulu, O‘ahu/St. Louis School
Honolulu, O‘ahu/Farrington HS
Ft. Lauderdale, FL/Hanau American HS (Germany)
Honolulu, O‘ahu/Kamehameha Schools
Pago Pago, American Samoa/Yuba College
Altus, OK/Altus HS
Seattle, WA/Rainier Beach HS
Torrance, CA/North Torrance HS
Houston, TX/Tyler JC
Kailua, O‘ahu/Kailua HS
Chino, CA/Chino HS
Carson, CA/Carson HS
No Name
Pos Ht
Wt Cl Exp Hometown/Last School
20
34
34
76
25
88
35
38
12
39
10
31
24
28
27
25
42
30
54
90
98
22
47
84
56
36
3
52
13
65
64
73
92
39
95
45
53
78
9
66
17
51
72
94
5
93
44
99
DB
DB
RB
OL
P
WR
DB
DB
DL
DB
LB
DB
DB
DB
RB
DB
DB
DB
LB
DL
DL
RB
LB
WR
DL
WR
WR
LB
LB
OL
OL
OL
DL
RB
LB
DB
LB
OL
WR
OL
DB
OL
OL
DL
WR
DL
RB
DL
209
179
296
280
205
177
181
164
238
202
255
202
188
197
202
175
211
179
257
240
276
214
206
192
250
186
196
239
243
288
298
313
321
281
208
185
224
269
169
340
171
279
310
258
165
328
203
291
Malala, Michael
Martinez, A.J.
Mauia, Reagan
McKay, Nathan
Milne, Kurt
Mock, Chad
Monteilh, Keao
Newberry, Myron
Noa, Karl
Noa, Waikoloa
Paepule, Timo
Patek, Jacob
Patton, Kenny
Pedersen, Erik
Peoples, Khevin
Perry, Ryan
Peters, Leonard
Porlas, Dane
Purcell, Amani
Purcell, Elliot
Purcell, Melila
Rego, Jayson
Rice, Joshua
Rivers, Jason
Russell, Nathan
Salas, Greg
Sample, Ian
Saole, Rustin
Satele, Brashton
Satele, Hercules
Satele, Samson
Sauafea, Larry
Savaiigaea, Rocky
Seti, Siave
Siaki, Sebastian
Smith, Spencer
Soares, Blaze
Steinhoff, Keoni
Taylor, Rick
Thomas, Adrian
Thomas, Desmond
Uperesa, Dane
Veikune, David
Washington, Michael
Watson, Keala
Weisbarth, Gabriel
Wilson, Lawrence
6-2
5-10
6-0
6-2
6-0
6-0
5-11
5-8
6-4
6-1
6-2
6-0
6-0
6-0
5-11
5-9
6-1
5-10
6-3
6-3
6-5
5-9
5-11
6-2
6-2
6-1
5-10
5-11
6-2
6-2
6-3
6-2
6-3
6-0
6-2
5-11
6-1
6-3
5-9
6-5
6-3
6-0
6-4
6-3
5-7
6-3
5-10
6-1
Sr
Jr
Sr
Fr
Sr
Sr
Jr
Jr
Jr
Jr
Jr
Jr
Sr
Fr
So
So
Sr
So
Jr
Fr
Sr
Fr
Fr
Jr
So
Fr
Sr
Jr
Fr
Jr
Sr
Jr
Fr
Jr
Fr
Fr
Fr
So
Fr
Fr
So
So
Sr
So
So
So
Fr
Sr
1L
1L
1L
RS
3L
1L
2L
JC
2L
JC
2L
JC
3L
RS
1L
TR
3L
1L
TR
HS
3L
RS
RS
2L
JC
HS
1L
2L
RS
2L
3L
1L
RS
RS
HS
HS
HS
RS
HS
HS
1L
1L
3L
JC
1L
1L
HS
1L
Honolulu, O‘ahu/UH Hilo
Fountain Valley, CA/Edison HS
Stockton, CA/San Joaquin Delta College
Lake Oswego, OR/Lake Oswego HS
Roswell, GA/Centennial HS
Honolulu, O‘ahu/Avila College
Honolulu, O’ahu/St. Louis School
Denton, TX/Trinity College
Wai‘anae, O‘ahu/Kamehameha Schools
Honolulu, O’ahu/Golden West JC
Kane‘ohe, O‘ahu/St. Louis School
Victoria, TX/Blinn JC
Altadena, CA/St. Francis HS
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA/Peninsula HS
Tampa, FL/Blake HS
Charlotte, NC/Sacramento State
La‘ie, O‘ahu/Kahuku HS
San Diego, CA/University of San Diego HS
Pago Pago, American Samoa/Penn State Univ.
Ewa Beach, O’ahu/St. Louis School
Pago Pago, American Samoa/Leone HS
Wailuku, Maui/Kamehameha Schools
Las Vegas, NV/Coronado HS
Waipahu, O‘ahu/St. Louis School
Wai’anae, O’ahu/West Hills JC
Chino, CA/Chino HS
Washington Township, NJ/Bergen College
Waipahu, O‘ahu/Waipahu HS
Mililani, O‘ahu/Word of Life Academy
Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Poly HS
Kane‘ohe, O‘ahu/Kailua HS
Pago Pago, American Samoa/Samoana HS
Ewa Beach, O‘ahu/Aiea HS
Long Beach, CA/West Los Angeles College
Mesa, AZ/Mesa HS
Marietta, GA/Kell HS
Kane’ohe, O’ahu/Castle HS
Ewa Beach, O‘ahu/Damien HS
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL/Nease HS
Bangor, NSW, Australia/Gymea Tech HS
Vallejo, CA/Vallejo HS
Corona, CA/Corona HS
Hau‘ula, O‘ahu/Punahou School
Wahiawa, O’ahu/Fresno CC
Aliquippa, PA/Aliquippa HS
Nanakuli, O‘ahu/Nanakuli HS
San Mateo, CA/Burlingame HS
Honolulu, O‘ahu/Dixie JC
13
No
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
56
57
58
59
60
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
72
73
74
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
Name
Lene, Jared
Letuli, Laupepa
Saole, Rustin
Soares, Blaze
Purcell, Amani
Estes, John
Bannigan, Kavan
Russell, Nathaniel
Ingram, Jake
Lipp, Joey
Kaonohi, Marques
Ah-Soon, Keith
Ginlack, Brysen
Satele, Samson
Satele, Hercules
Thomas, Adrian
Lafaele, Michael
LaCount, Kahai
Johnson, Daniel
Esera, Tala
Uperesa, Dane
Sauafea, Larry
Ieru, Raphael
McKay, Nathan
Kia, Aaron
Steinhoff, Keoni
Allen-Jones, Cameron
Mahaley, Antwan
Linkner, Dylan
Dickerson, Ross
Farney, Mitch
Rivers, Jason
Bain, Aaron
Kelly, Dan
Jackson, Marquez
Mock, Chad
Lane, Malcolm
Purcell, Elliot
Savaiigaea, Rocky
Watson, Keala
Veikune, David
Siaki, Sebastian
Laeli, Fale
Fruean, Renolds
Purcell, Melila
Wilson, Lawrence
Pos
LB
DL
OL
LB
LB
LB
OL
OL
DL
DL
OL
LB
OL
OL
OL
OL
OL
OL
DL
DL
OL
OL
OL
OL
OL
OL
OL
OL
OL
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
WR
PK/P
WR
WR
WR
DL
DL
DL
DL
DL
LB
DL
DL
DL
DL
GAME 2 • SEPT. 16, 2006
GAME 1 • SEPT. 2, 2006
BRYANT-DENNY STADIUM (92,138)
Hawai’i
Alabama
1
3
3
2
0
12
3
7
7
4
7
3
OT
-
Final
17
25
1
0
14
UNLV
Hawai’i
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – It was a night of missed opportunities for the Warrior football team, Sept. 2, before a sold-out crowd of 92,138 at the newly renovated
Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Three Warrior turnovers (2 fumbles, 1 interception) amounted to zero
points for Alabama, but the Tide managed to score 12 points in the second
quarter and stole close to 12 minutes off the third quarter clock to win its 200th
game in the facility.
The teams traded field goals on game-opening drives before Alabama got
in the end zone first when fullback Tim Castille scored on a 3-yard run around
the left side.
Hawai’i was trapped at their own 1-yard line when Warrior punter Kurt
Milne fumbled the snap paving the way for Alabama’s Roy Upchurch to recover
the ball in the end zone for an apparent touchdown, but the call was overturned
on an instant replay review, awarding the Tide with a safety, to take a 12-3 lead.
Alabama took a 22-3 lead coming out of the locker room when John Parker
Wilson hit Keith Brown for a 35-yard touchdown. Hawai’i responded with quarterback Colt Brennan, leading the Warriors down to the Alabama 9-yard line,
but the drive came to a screeching halt when running back Reagan Mauia, in for
starter Nate Ilaoa, fumbled at the 4-yard line.
Mauia came back on the ensuing possession, taking a shovel pass from
Brennan and scampered 16 yards for the first Warrior touchdown of the season.
Alabama managed a field goal to take a 25-10 lead with 14:42 left to play.
Brennan got the Warriors moving midway through the fourth quarter, with a
31-yard touchdown strike to Ryan Grice-Mullen, cutting the lead to eight, at 2517.
Hawai’i got the ball back at its own 25-yard line with 2:04 remaining.
Brennan completed six of his next seven passes to get the Warriors to the
Alabama 26-yard line and took three shots at th end zone, but was intercepted
on the final play of the game.
Scoring Summary
UH
1 11:31 Dan Kelly 42 FG
UA
1 7:18 Leigh Tiffin 31 FG
UA
2 14:30 Tim Castille 3 run (Leigh Tiffin kick)
UA
2 5:13 Team safety
UA
UA
3 11:15 Keith Brown 35 pass from John Parker Wilson (Leigh Tiffin kick)
UH
3 4:59 Reagan Mauia 16 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
UA
UH
4 7:04 Ryan Grice-Mullen 31 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
2
0
14
3
7
14
4
6
0
OT
-
Final
13
42
HONOLULU – Hawai’i gained 583 yards of total offense on the legs of running
back Nate Ilaoa and the hands of Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullen to beat
UNLV, 42-13, Sept. 16 at Aloha Stadium.
Ilaoa rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, averaging a whopping 11.6 yards per carry, while Bess caught for 124 yards and a
score and Grice-Mullen added 111 yards and a touchdown. It was Ilaoa’s second 100-yard game in thrree outings after finishing the 2005 season with a
career-high 151 rushing yards against San Diego State.
But the story of the night belonged to the Warrior defense, which held
UNLV scoreless until the 3:51 mark in the third quarter, and to 271 yards of
total offense. Warrior defenders got to UNLV quarterback Rocky Hinds three
times, hurried him eight, and added an interception, which was returned for a
touchdown.
Hawai’i jumped out to a 14-0 lead, scoring on its first two possessions of
the game. Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan completed 12-of-15 passes for
121 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter.
The junior also rushed for a 1-yard score and ended the first half 18-of27 for 229 yards and two scores. Ilaoa, who finished the first half with 74
yards on six attempts, scored his first touchdown of the night on an 8-yard
run to give the Warriors a 28-0 lead at the break.
After holding the Rebels to three rushing yards and 112 total yards in
the first half, the Warrior defense began the second half in the same fashion.
Safety Leonard Peters picked UNLV quarterback Rocky Hinds and dashed 33
yards for a touchdown, giving Hawai’i a 35-0 lead.
After forcing UNLV to punt, Brennan went to work, orchestrating a 96yard drive on 12 plays, capped by a 7-yard touchdown run by Ilaoa, Hawai’i’s
final touchdown of the game before calling in the second team.
Scoring Summary
UH
UH
1 7:20 Davone Bess 7 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
UH
UH
UH
UH
UNLV
UNLV
2 10:34 Nate Ilaoa 8 run (Dan Kelly kick)
2 5:58 Colt Brennan 1 run (Dan Kelly kick)
3 14:31 Leonard Peters 33 interception return (Dan Kelly kick)
3 3:51 David Peeples 1 run (Ben Jaekle kick)
4 2:34 Rodelin Anthony 15 pass from Shaen Steichen
(Ben Jaekle kick blocked)
Team Statistics
Rebels
Warriors
First Downs __________________________18 __________________30
Total Net Yards ________________________271 __________________583
Rushing (Att-Yards) __________________28-73 ______________31-236
Passing (C-A-I-Yards) ____________18-47-1-232 __________33-45-2-369
Sacks Against-Yards __________________3-25 ________________2-10
Punting ______________________5-192-38.4 ____________3-112-37.3
Fumbles-Lost ________________________0-0 __________________2-2
Penalties-Yards ______________________1-15 ________________11-92
Time of Possession __________________28:04 ________________31:56
Team Statistics
Warriors
Crimson Tide
First Downs ____________________________18 __________________20
Total Net Yards ________________________372 __________________378
Rushing (Att-Yards) __________________15-22 ________________36-125
Passing (C-A-I-Yards) ____________30-44-1-250____________16-29-0-253
Sacks Against-Yards ____________________3-21 __________________1-2
Punting ______________________3-106-35.3 ____________4-159-39.8
Fumbles-Lost __________________________4-2 __________________1-0
Penalties-Yards ______________________11-82 __________________5-34
Time of Possession ____________________24:16 ________________35:44
Individual Leaders
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) – UNLV: David Peeples (13-39-1). Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa
Individual Leaders
(9-104-2).
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa (4-27-0). UA: Jimmy Johns (8-58-
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) – UNLV: Rocky Hinds (13-166-0). Hawai’i: Colt Brennan
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Colt Brennan (30-350-2). UA: John Parker
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) – UNLV: Casey Flair (4-87-0). Hawai’i: Davone Bess
(24-296-2).
0).
Wilson (16-253-1).
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Ryan Grice-Mullen (6-109-1), Davone Bess
(8-74-0). UA: Keith Brown (6-132-1).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) – Hawai’i: Kurt Milne (3-106-35.3. UA: P.J. Fitzgerald (4-
159-39.8).
Sacks By (No-Yards) – Hawai’i: Adam Leonard (1.0-2). UA: Terrance Jones (1.0-
12), Zach Schreiber (1.0-5), Prince Hall (1.0-4), Ezekial Knight (1.0-3), Marcus
Carter (1.0-1).
Leading Tacklers – Hawai’i: Adam Leonard (6-5-11), Leonard Peters (6-4-10),
Jacob Patek (5-5-10). UA: Juwan Simpson (3-6-9).
(10-124-1), Ryan Grice-Mullen (7-111-1).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) – UNLV: Kip Facer (5-192-38.4). Hawai’i: Kurt Milne (3112-37.3).
Sacks By (No-Yards) – UNLV: Beau Bell (1-6), Jason Beauchamp (1-4). Hawai’i:
Amani Purcell (1-12), David Veikune (1-8), Brad Kalilimoku (1-5).
Leading Tacklers – UNLV: Jason Beauchamp (8-1-9) Hawai’i: Brad Kalilimoku
(4-4-8).
14
GAME 4 • SEPT. 30, 2006
GAME 3 • SEPT. 23, 2006
BRONCO STADIUM (30,642)
Hawai’i
Boise State
1
0
15
2
14
12
3
7
7
4
13
7
OT
-
Final
34
41
1
6
21
Eastern Illinois
Hawai’i
2
3
13
3
0
7
4
0
3
OT
-
Final
9
44
BOISE, Idaho – Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan passed for 388 (25-of-36) yards
and five touchdowns but it wasn’t enough as Boise State held-off Hawai’i, 41-34, in
a Western Athletic Conference game Sept. 23 at Bronco Stadium.
A sold-out crowd of 30,642 saw Boise State running back Ian Johnson rush for
178 yards and two touchdowns and the Broncos take advantage of three Hawai’i
turnovers, two in the first half, to win their 26th straight WAC home game.
Four Warrior miscues, a bad snap on a field goal try, a muffed snap on a PAT
attempt that resulted in a defensive two-point conversion for Boise State, an interception on a tipped ball which resulted in a Boise State field goal, and a fumble that
resulted in a Boise State touchdown, cost the Warriors a chance at winning it’s first
WAC game of the season.
Boise State jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first quarter before Hawai’i got
on the board when Brennan hit Jason Rivers on an inside screen for a 26-yard score.
After trading touchdowns in the second quarter, the Warrior offense had
another opportunity to score with the ball at the Boise State 41-yard line with 3:30
left on the first half clock. But Brennan’s pass was tipped and intercepted, allowing
the Broncos to sneak in a 32-yard field goal, and take 27-14 lead, just before the
break.
Boise State took a 34-14 lead right out of the locker room when Johnson ran
it in from eight yards out. Four plays later, Brennan hit Bess for a 15-yard touchdown to make it 34-21.
The Warrior defense caught its first break when cornerback Kenny Patton
intercepted Zabransky in the end zone. The turnover sparked the Warrior offense as
Brennan tossed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Bess on fourth down, cutting the
Bronco lead to seven, at 34-27.
The Warriors got the ball back with 12:28 left to play, but a fumble allowed
Boise State to take a 41-27 lead and consume 4:22 off the clock.
HONOLULU – The University of Hawai’i Warrior football team gained 571 yards
of total offense to win its second game of the season, 44-9, over Eastern
Illinois Sept. 30 at Aloha Stadium. Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan threw
for a season-high 409 yards, 369 in the first half, and five touchdowns in less
than three quarters of action.
Hawai’i’s first three drives ended with touchdown passes from Brennan
to Ian Sample (29 yards), Ross Dickerson (16 yards), and Nate Ilaoa (4 yards)
respectively. Eastern Illinois, playing without head coach Bob Spoo who is
recovering from surgery, managed to sneak into the end zone on a 9-yard run
by Norris Smith, but the night belonged to the Warriors.
Brennan spread the wealth, tossing touchdown strikes to Sample and
Chad Mock before leaving the game in the third quarter. Sample led all
receivers with a career-high 122 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions,
including a 43-yarder, the longest touchdown catch so far this season.
Junior receiver Jason Rivers added six catches for 106 yards, his first
100-yard game of the season. Back up quarterback Inoke Funaki saw his first
legitimate action of his young career and finished the game with 120 yards on
5-of-10 passing.
The Warrior defense held the Panthers to 291 total yards, 234 on the
ground. EIU running back Vincent Webb gained 117 yards and moved up to
the fourth spot on the school’s career rushing list.
Warrior linebacker Adam Leonard led all tacklers with 10 (9 solo), while
the Warrior secondary recorded three interceptions, including one by safety
Leonard Peters, his second in four games.
Scoring Summary
BSU 1 12:35 Ian Johnson 3 run (Anthony Montgomery kick)
BSU 1 9:16 Legedu Naanee 6 pass from Jared Zabransky (Kyle Stringer rush)
UH
2 13:41 Jason Rivers 26 pass from Colt Brennan (Kurt Milne rush fumbled)
BSU
2 13:41 Orlando Scandrick PAT return
BSU 2 8:09 Derek Schouman 23 pass from Jared Zabransky (Anthony Montgomery kick)
UH
2 5:52 Jason Rivers 11 pass from Colt Brennan
(Davone Bess pass from Colt Brennan)
BSU 2 0:13 Anthony Montgomery 32 FG
BSU 3 11:42 Ian Johnson 8 run (Anthony Montgomery kick)
UH
EIU
UH
EIU
UH
UH
UH
UH
UH
BSU
UH
4
4
4
13:50 Davone Bess 14 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly pass failed)
5:55 Derek Schouman 18 pass from Jared Zabransky (Anthony Montgomery kick)
2:59 Jason Rivers 8 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
Team Statistics
Warriors
Broncos
First Downs ____________________________24 __________________26
Total Net Yards ________________________476 __________________515
Punting ________________________2-83-41.5 ____________4-180-45.0
Fumbles-Lost __________________________2-2 __________________1-0
Penalties-Yards ______________________4-23 __________________9-90
Individual Leaders
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa (12-68-0). BSU: Ian Johnson (29-
178-2).
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Colt Brennan (25-388-5). BSU: Jared
Zabransky (17-273-3).
Scoring Summary
UH
1 12:48 Ian Sample 29 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
UH
1 8:51 Ross Dickerson 16 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
1 6:31
1 2:03
2 8:25
2 5:51
2 2:39
3 6:35
4 14:13
Norris Smith 9 run (Zach Yates kick failed)
Nate Ilaoa 4 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
Zach Yates 43 FG
Ian Sample 43 pass from Colt Brennan (Team kick blocked)
Chad Mock 18 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
Nate Ilaoa 1 run (Dan Kelly kick)
Dan Kelly 35 FG
Team Statistics
Panthers
First Downs __________________________16
Total Net Yards________________________291
Rushing (Att-Yards) ________________40-234
Passing (C-A-I-Yards) ______________8-21-3-57
Sacks Against-Yards ____________________1-9
Punting ______________________5-193-38.6
Fumbles-Lost ________________________1-0
Penalties-Yards ______________________3-25
Time of Possession __________________32:35
Warriors
__________________26
__________________571
________________17-42
__________35-51-1-529
________________2-19
______________0-0-0.0
__________________2-1
________________5-60
________________27:25
Individual Leaders
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) – EIU: Vincent Webb (11-117-0). Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa (9-
46-1).
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) – EIU: Cole Stinson (6-42-0). Hawai’i: Colt Brennan
(30-409-5).
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) – EIU: Brian Berdis (3-28-0). Hawai’i: Ian Sample (6-
122-2), Jason Rivers (6-106-0).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) – EIU: Zach Yates (5-193-38.6). Hawai’i: None.
Sacks By (No-Yards) – EIU: Seymour Loftman (1-10), Tristan Burge (1-9).
Hawai’i: Melila Purcell (1-9).
Leading Tacklers – EIU: Donald Thomas (7-1-8). Hawai’i: Adam Leonard (9-110).
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Davone Bess (6-104-2), Nate Ilaoa (4-96-0),
Jason Rivers (6-81-3). BSU: Drisan James (5-66-0), Legedu Naanee (3-66-1).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) – Hawai’i: Kurt Milne (2-83-41.5). BSU: Kyle Stringer (4-
180-45.0).
Sacks By (No-Yards) – Hawai’i: Michael Lafaele (1.0-9). BSU: Nick Schlekeway
(1.0-2), Colt Brooks (1.0-2).
Leading Tacklers – Hawai’i: Leonard Peters (6-7-13). BSU: Korey Hall (5-7-12).
15
GAME 5 • OCT. 7, 2006
1
7
10
Nevada
Hawai’i
GAME 6 • OCT. 14, 2006
BULLDOG STADIUM (39,122)
2
14
21
3
0
3
4
13
7
OT
-
Final
34
41
Hawai’i
Fresno State
HONOLULU – Warrior running back Nate Ilaoa gained 219 all-purpose yards
(151 rushing, 68 receiving) and the Warrior defense forced two turnovers and
made key stops, including a goal line stand at the end, to help Hawai’i win its
first Western Athletic Conference game, 31-34, against Nevada Oct. 7 at Aloha
Stadium.
The game featured a little bit of everything. There were back-to-back
fumbles, instant replay reviews and reversals, personal fouls, a blocked punt,
a blocked field goal, you name it. Hawai’i racked up 579 yards of total
offense, quarterback Colt Brennan threw for 419 yards and four touchdowns
(36 of 47) and also ran for a score, while Davone Bess (10-139) and Ian
Sample (5-107) combined for 15 catches for 246 yards and three touchdowns.
But it was the Warrior defense that saved the offense for a change. The
Warriors, ahead 41-21 with 11:45 left to play, allowed the Wolf Pack back in
the game. After Nevada back up quarterback Travis Moore rallied the Wolf
Pack, orchestrating a 86-yard drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown strike to
tight end Anthony Pudewell, the Warriors had the ball deep in their own territory. And then disaster struck as Brennan fumbled at his own 3-yard line.
A goal line stand by the Warrior defense kept the Wolf Pack from stealing
the win. Warrior safety Leonard Peters stuffed Nevada running back Luke
Lippencott on first-and-goal. Moore then threw three incompletions, the last
one fourth-and-goal, which was broken up by Peters, allowing Hawai’i to run
out the 1:47 remaining on the clock to preserve the win.
A key stop also came when Nevada, trailing 34-21 early in the fourth
quarter, drove the ball to midfield and decided to go for it on 4th-and-5.
Warrior middle linebacker Adam Leonard, who had already forced and recovered a fumble earlier in the game, stuffed Lippencott at the line of scrimmage.
Scoring Summary
UH
UN
1 6:36 Jack Darlington 19 pass from Jeff Rowe (Brett Jaekle kick)
UH
UH
UH
UN
UH
UN
UH
UH
UN
UN
2 5:44 Brandon Fragger 3 run (Brett Jaekle kick)
2 1:48 Ross Dickerson 3 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
2 0:10 Mike McCoy 3 pass from Jeff Rowe (Brett Jaekle kick)
4 11:45 Colt Brennan 6 run (Dan Kelly kick)
4 9:08 Anthony Pudewell 13 pass from Travis Moore (Brett Jaekle kick)
4 3:57 Anthony Pudewell 5 pass from Travis Moore (Brett Jaekle kick failed)
Team Statistics
Wolf Pack
Warriors
First Downs __________________________25 __________________28
Total Net Yards ________________________472 __________________579
Rushing (Att-Yards) ________________25-108 ______________24-160
Passing (C-A-I-Yards)____________26-36-0-364 __________36-47-0-419
Sacks Against-Yards ____________________1-8 ________________3-12
Punting ______________________3-93-31.0 ____________1-41-41.0
Fumbles-Lost ________________________2-2 __________________2-2
Penalties-Yards ______________________4-25 ______________12-109
1
21
7
2
21
10
3
20
6
4
6
14
OT
-
Final
68
37
FRESNO, Calif. – Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan threw for 409 yards and five
touchdowns (32 of 39) while rushing for an additional 43 yards to help Hawai’i
defeat Fresno State, 68-37, Oct. 14 at Bulldog Stadium.
The win was the first on the road against the Bulldogs since the 2000 season. It was the most points scored on the road in UH football history, and the
most points ever scored against the Bulldogs on their home field.
Fresno State jumped out to a 7-0 lead, when Bulldog quarterback Tom
Brandstater hit tight end Bear Pascoe for a 75-yard touchdown. But that was all
she wrote for the Bulldogs. Hawai’i scored 28 unanswered points, two off Bulldogs
fumbles, to take a 28-7 lead early in the second quarter and never look back.
The Bulldogs got in the end zone when back up quarterback Sean Norton
came off the bench throwing a 20-yard strike to Pascoe to make it 28-14. But the
Warrior defense forced its third turnover of the half, when safety Leonard Peters
intercepted Norton and dashed 54-yards to the "house." A 28-yard field goal by
Bulldog kicker Clint Stitser made it 42-17 at the break.
Norton hit Marlon Moore for a 75-yard touchdown on the opening play of
the second half to make it 42-23, but that was as close at the Bulldogs got.
Brennan threw his next three touchdown passes, two to slot receiver Davone Bess,
and another to Ross Dickerson before leaving the game in the third quarter. The
Warrior defense held Fresno State to 64 rushing yards through three quarters of
play.
Scoring Summary
FSU
1 12:28 Bear Pascoe 75 pass from Tom Brandstater (Clint Stitser kick)
UH
UH
1 5:11 Ian sample 47 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
UH
UH
FSU
2 6:56 Bear Pascoe 20 pass from Sean Norton (Clint Stitser kick)
UH
UH
2 1:37 Leonard Peters 54 interception return (Dan Kelly kick)
FSU
2 0:00 Clint Stitser 28 FG
FSU
UH
UH
UH
FSU
UH
FSU
3
3
3
3
14:21 Marlon Moore 75 pass from Sean Norton (Clint Stitser kick)
12:13 Davone Bess 20 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
7:26 Davone Bess 2 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick blocked)
0:41 Ross Dickerson 35 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
4 11:22 Lonyae Miller 4 run (Clint Stitser kick)
4 7:38 Jason Rivers 1 pass from Tyler Graunke (Dan Kelly kick blocked)
4 2:26 Isaac Kinter 8 pass from Sean Norton (Clint Stitser kick)
Team Statistics
Warriors
Bulldogs
First Downs ____________________________30 __________________22
Total Net Yards ________________________570 __________________487
Punting ________________________2-90-45.0 ____________3-116-38.7
Fumbles-Lost __________________________1-0 __________________3-2
Penalties-Yards ______________________4-31 __________________6-53
Individual Leaders
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Colt Brennan (7-43-0), Nate Ilaoa (6-34-3).
Individual Leaders
FSU: Lonyae Miller (16-113-1).
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) – UN: Brandon Fragger (10-54-1). Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Colt Brennan (32-409-5). FSU: Sean Norton
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) – UN: Jeff Rowe (20-243-2). Hawai’i: Colt Brennan (36-
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Ross Dickerson (10-115-1), Ian Sample (6-
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) – UN: Jack Darlington (8-135-1). Hawai’i: Davone
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) – Hawai’i: Kurt Milne (2-90-45.0). FSU: Kyle Zimmerman
(14-151-0).
419-4).
83-2), Davone Bess (8-70-2). FSU: Marlon Moore (3-100-1).
Bess (10-139-1), Ian Sample (5-107-2).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) – UN: Zachary Whited (2-60-30.0). Hawai’i: Kurt Milne
(1-41-41.0).
Sacks By (No-Yards) – UN: Jonathon Amaya (1-4), Jason DeMars (1-4). Hawai’i:
Karl Noa (1-8).
Leading Tacklers – UN: Ezra Butler (8-0-8). Hawai’i: Adam Leonard (8-1-9).
(14-225-3).
(3-116-38.7).
Sacks By (No-Yards) – Hawai’i: Brad Kalilimoku (1.0-8). FSU: Jason Roberts (1.0-3).
Leading Tacklers – Hawai’i: Solomon Elimimian (4-3-7), Leonard Peters (4-2-6).
FSU: Josh Sherley (5-1-6).
16
GAME 7 • OCT. 21, 2006
AGGIE MEMORIAL STADIUM (17,318)
1
14
14
Hawai’i
New Mexico State
2
14
3
3
0
7
4
21
6
OT
-
Final
49
30
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Warriors scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth
quarter to run away from New Mexico State, 49-30, in a Western Athletic
Conference game Oct. 21 at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan passed for 330 yards (22 of 31) and
five touchdowns, two to Ross Dickerson (6 receptions, 125 yards) in the win.
Brennan extended his pass attempts to 120 straight without an interception.
Dickerson finished the game with 283 all-purpose yards.
The Warrior defense sparked the offense when defensive end Melila
Purcell sacked Aggie quarterback Chase Holbrook, forcing a fumble scooped
up by linebacker Adam Leonard who returned it 20 yards for a touchdown to
give the Warriors a 42-21 lead with 8:57 left to play.
On the Aggie’s next possession, the Warrior defense recovered another
fumble, this time on a bad snap. Two plays later, Hawai’i extended its lead to
49-24 when Brennan hit Dickerson for a 36-yard score.
Purcell finished with a career-high eight tackles, including three sacks.
Solomon Elimimian led all tacklers with a career-high 14 tackles. Linebacker
Adam Leonard recorded a career-high 11 tackles, while cornerback Myron
Newberry, making his first career start, added a career-high 10 stops.
Scoring Summary
UH
1 10:39 Nate Ilaoa 4 run (Dan Kelly kick failed)
UH
1 6:17 Ross Dickerson 34 pass from Colt Brennan
(Davone Bess pass from Colt Brennan)
NMSU 1
NMSU 1
0:35 Chris Nwoko 3 run (Ryan Bowling kick)
0:01 Chris Williams 27 pass from Chase Holbrook (Ryan Bowling
kick)
UH
NMSU
UH
NMSU
2 8:56 Ryan Bowling 25 FG
3 12:39 Chris Williams 61 pass from Chase Holbrook (Ryan Bowling
kick)
UH
4 12:27 Jason Rivers 13 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
UH
4
UH
4
NMSU 4
11:11 Adam Leonard 20 fumble recovery (Dan Kelly kick)
7:58 Ross Dickerson 36 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
4:25 A.J. Harris 13 pass from Chase Holbrook
(Chris Nwoko rush failed)
Team Statistics
Warriors
Aggies
First Downs __________________________26 __________________28
Total Net Yards________________________508 __________________448
Rushing (Att-Yards) ________________33-155 ______________30-118
Punting ________________________0-0-0.0 ____________1-56-56.0
Fumbles-Lost ________________________1-1 __________________3-2
Penalties-Yards ______________________9-82 ________________4-40
Individual Leaders
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa (18-94-1). NMSU: Chris Nwoko
(12-59-1).
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Colt Brennan (22-330-5). NMSU: Chase
Holbrook (31-323-3).
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Ross Dickerson (6-125-2). NMSU: Chris
Williams (7-160-2).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) – Hawai’i: None. NMSU: Jared Kaufman (1-56-56.0).
Sacks By (No-Yards) – Hawai’i: Melila Purcell (3.0-3), Renolds Fruean (1.0-3).
NMSU: Nathan Nuttal (1.0-1).
Leading Tacklers – Hawai’i: Solomon Elimimian (2-12-14), Adam Leonard (4-7-
11), Myron Newberry (4-6-10). NMSU: Nathan Nuttal (2-10-12).
GAME 8 • OCT. 28, 2006
1
7
14
Idaho
Hawai’i
2
3
21
3
0
13
4
0
20
OT
-
Final
10
68
HONOLULU – Ross Dickerson took the opening kickoff 100-yards to the
“house” to set the tone for Homecoming 2006 as Hawai’i routed Idaho, 68-10,
before a crowd of 34,051, Oct. 28, at Aloha Stadium.
Hawai’i (6-2, 4-1 WAC) quarterback Colt Brennan completed 31-of-38
pass attempts for 333 yards and five touchdowns about three quarters of
work. He also led the Warriors with 63 rushing yards.
Brennan passed for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and added 57
rushing yards in the first half. The junior tossed touchdown strikes to Jason
Rivers, Davone Bess, and running back Nate Ilaoa to help the Warriors take a
35-10 lead at the break.
The Warrior defense forced Idaho quarterback Steven Wichman to fumble
in the third quarter. Safety Jacob Patek jarred the ball loose as Wichman
scrambled towards first down yardage. Linebacker Micah Lau recovered the
ball, and four plays later, Brennan his Ian Sample for an 11-yard touchdown
to put Hawai’i ahead, 48-10, in the third quarter.
Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville’s defense allowed just 10 points in
the first half, and shut out the Vandals, allowing just 133 yards of total
offense in the second half.
Dickerson finished the game with two catches for 57 yards. His kickoff
return was his second career 100-yard return, after doing the same on the
opening kickoff against Appalachian State in 2003.
Scoring Summary
UH
1 14:42 Ross Dickerson 100 kickoff return (Briton Forester kick)
UH
1 6:26 Jason Rivers 10 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
UI
UH
UI
UH
UH
UH
UH
UH
UH
UH
1 2:34 Wendell Octave 2 pass from Steve Wichman (Tino Amancio kick)
2 14:08 Davone Bess 2 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
2 10:45 Tino Amancio 26 FG
2 5:46 Nate Ilaoa 1 run (Briton Forester kick)
2 0:21 Nate Ilaoa 18 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
3 11:30 Ryan Grice-Mullen 34 pass from Colt Brennan
(Briton Forester kick failed)
3
4:20 Ian Sample 11 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
4 12:31 Ryan Grice-Mullen 18 pass from Tyler Graunke
(Briton Forester kick)
4 7:27 Tyler Graunke 5 run (Briton Forester kick)
4 1:46 Ryan Keomaka 29 interception return (Briton Forester kick)
Team Statistics
Vandals
First Downs __________________________19
Total Net Yards________________________334
Rushing (Att-Yards)__________________31-141
Passing (C-A-I-Yards) ____________14-37-1-193
Sacks Against-Yards ____________________0-0
Punting ______________________7-247-35.3
Fumbles-Lost ________________________1-1
Penalties-Yards ______________________5-55
Time of Possession __________________29:37
Warriors
__________________29
__________________575
________________15-78
__________40-51-0-497
__________________1-1
____________1-46-46.0
__________________1-1
________________5-38
________________30:23
Individual Leaders
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) – UI: Brian Flowers (9-37-0). Hawai’i: Colt Brennan (5-
63-0).
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) – UI: Steve Wichman (13-192-1). Hawai’i: Colt Brennan
(31-333-5).
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) – UI: Luke Smith-Anderson (5-88-0). Hawai’i: Jason
Rivers (6-108-1), Ian Sample (8-90-1).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) – UI: T.J. Conley (7-247-35.3). Hawai’i: Kurt Milne (146-46.0).
Sacks By (No-Yards) – UI: Brandon Ogletree (1-1). Hawai’i: None.
Leading Tacklers – UI: David Vobora (9-0-9). Hawai’i: Adam Leonard (5-2-7).
17
GAME 9 • NOV. 4, 2006
ROMNEY STADIUM (10,291)
Hawai’i
Utah State
1
14
3
GAME 10 • NOV. 11, 2006
2
14
0
3
21
7
4
14
0
OT
-
Final
63
10
Louisiana Tech
Hawai’i
LOGAN, Utah – Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan broke two schools records
and passed for 413 yards (18 of 29) and a season-high six touchdowns to lead
Hawai’i over Utah State, 63-10, in a Western Athletic Conference game, Nov.
4, at Romney Stadium.
After the game, the Warriors became the first team in the nation to
accept an invitation to play in a bowl game, as Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl officials
were on hand for the invite.
Brennan broke the school record for most touchdown passes in a season
(38) set by Timmy Chang in 2004. Brennan now has 39, and is chasing the
NCAA record of 54 set by Houston’s David Klingler in 1990. Brennan also
broke the school record for pass attempts without an interception with 182,
breaking the record also set by Chang (178) in 2004.
Running back Nate Ilaoa led the team in both rushing and receiving,
going for 55 yards on the ground and a career-high 155 yards receiving with
three total touchdowns (one rushing, two receiving). Ryan Grice-Mullen
added four catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
Hawai’i took a 21-3 lead in the second quarter when Brennan hit Ilaoa
on a shovel pass who dashed 60 yards untouched into the end zone. Ilaoa
gained 125 yards (53 rushing, 72 receiving) and scored twice in the first half.
A 35-yard touchdown strike from Brennan to Jason Rivers made it 28-3 at the
break.
Utah State put together an 80-yard scoring drive fresh out of the locker
room. Antraun McDaniel took it in from a yard out for Utah State’s only touchdown of the game. But the Warrior offense could not be stopped. Two plays
later, Brennan hit Davone Bess for a 7-yard touchdown to take a commanding
42-10 lead.
Scoring Summary
UH
USU 1 9:26 Bryan Shields 46 FG
UH
1 6:09 Nate Ilaoa 13 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
UH
2 10:12 Nate Ilaoa 60 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
UH
2 5:15 Jason Rivers 35 pass from Colt Brennan (Dan Kelly kick)
USU 3 12:28 Antuan McDaniel 1 run (Bryan Shields kick)
UH
UH
UH
UH
UH
2
7
17
3
0
28
4
7
7
OT
-
Final
17
61
HONOLULU – Heisman hopeful quarterback Colt Brennan threw for 406 yards
(27 of 40) and four touchdowns in his usual three quarters of work to help
Hawai’i to its seventh straight win, 61-17, over Western Athletic Conference
foe Louisiana Tech Nov. 11 at Aloha Stadium.
The Hawai’i offense racked up a season-high 618 total yards, without
starting running back Nate Ilaoa who took the night off to rest a nagging
injury. Warrior receivers Davone Bess and Jason Rivers both finished with
more than 100 receiving yards. Bess led all receivers with seven catches for
143 yards and two touchdowns, while Rivers hauled in four passes for 113
yards and a touchdown.
But the Warrior defense commanded respect, holding its opponent to
less than 20 points for the third straight week, recording a season-high five
sacks, and forcing two turnovers, both interceptions, to spark a 28-point
third quarter.
Louisiana Tech enjoyed a 10-9 lead early in the second quarter, but not
for long. Hawai’i scored the next 17 straight points to take a 26-10 lead at the
break, and then erupted for 28 points in the third quarter, the most this season, to build an insurmountable 54-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Scoring Summary
LTU
1 12:56 Danny Horwedel 30 FG
UH
1 10:10 Reagan Mauia 1 run (Briton Forester kick failed)
UH
LTU
2 14:54 Dennis Morris 43 pass from Zac Champion (Danny Horwedel kick)
UH
2 13:35 Chad Mock 18 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
UH
2 5:33 Ross Dickerson 13 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
UH
UH
3 12:08 Colt Brennan 1 run (Briton Forester kick)
UH
UH
3 6:53 Ian Sample 3 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
UH
3 3:02 Reagan Mauia 3 run (Briton Forester kick)
UH
4 7:35 Davone Bess 32 pass from Tyler Graunke (Briton Forester kick)
LTU
4 0:17 Bryan Carroll 41 pass from Michael Mosley
(Danny Horwedel kick)
Team Statistics
Bulldogs
Warriors
First Downs __________________________21 __________________27
Total Net Yards________________________360 __________________618
Rushing (Att-Yards) ________________41-135________________12-112
Sacks Against-Yards __________________5-49 __________________0-0
Punting5-210-42.0 ________________0-0-0.0
Fumbles-Lost ________________________2-0 __________________3-1
Penalties-Yards ______________________6-65 ________________7-57
4 12:03 Jason Rivers 1 pass from Tyler Graunke (Dan Kelly kick)
4 6:29 David Farmer 4 run (Dan Kelly kick)
Team Statistics
Warriors
Aggies
First Downs __________________________22 __________________18
Total Net Yards ________________________572 __________________362
Punting ______________________3-107-35.7 ____________6-248-41.3
Fumbles-Lost ________________________0-0 __________________4-3
Penalties-Yards ______________________6-50 ________________11-93
Individual Leaders
Individual Leaders
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa (6-55-1). USU: Riley Nelson (15-
65-0).
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Colt Brennan (18-413-6). USU: Riley Nelson
(17-225-0).
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) – Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa (6-155-2), Ryan Grice-Mullen
(4-135-2). USU: Kevin Robinson (5-84-0).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) – Hawai’i: Kurt Milne (3-107-35.7). USU: Leon Jackson
(6-248-41.3).
Sacks By (No-Yards) – Hawai’i: Ikaika Alama-Francis (1.0-8). USU: None.
Leading Tacklers – Hawai’i: Adam Leonard (3-8-11). USU: Devon Hall (2-3-5).
1
3
9
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) - LTU: Patrick Jackson (13-94-0). Hawai’i: Colt Brennan
(6-60-1).
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) - LTU: Zac Champion (12-135-1). Hawai’i: Colt Brennan
(27-406-4).
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) - LTU: Bryan Carroll (4-81-1). Hawai’i: Davone Bess
(7-143-2), Jason Rivers (4-113-0).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) - LTU: Chris Keagle (5-210-42.0). Hawai’i: None.
Sacks By (No-Yards) - LTU: None. Hawai’i: Blaze Soares (1-13), Josh Rice (113), Ikaika Alama-Francis (1-11), Melila Purcell (1-8), David Veikune (1-4).
Leading Tacklers - LTU: Marquis Spurgon (5-1-6). Hawai’i: Adam Leonard (5-16).
18
GAME 11 • NOV. 18, 2006
San Jose State
Hawai’i
1
0
10
GAME 12 • NOV. 25, 2006
2
10
10
3
7
14
4
0
20
OT
-
Final
17
54
HONOLULU – Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan passed for 402 yards (28 of
39) and five touchdowns, while running back Nate Ilaoa added 166 all-purpose yards (100 rushing, 66 receiving) and two touchdowns to help Hawai’i
defeat San Jose State, 54-17, Nov. 18 at Aloha Stadium.
The Warrior offense racked up 568 yards, but it was the defense, which
held San Jose State, the nation’s 10th-best rushing offense, to 82 yards on
the ground, and a season-low 192 total yards.
Hawai’i jumped out to a 13-0 lead before San Jose State took advantage
of a fumbled punt and scored its first touchdown on James T. Callier’s 1-yard
run midway through the second quarter. The Warrior defense held the
Spartans to 67 first-half yards.
Brennan scrambled for an 8-yard touchdown to help the Warriors take a
20-10 halftime lead.
The teams traded touchdowns to open the second half before Davone
Bess caught a deflected pass from Brennan to help the Warriors take a 34-17
lead late in the third quarter.
Brennan then orchestrated a 90-yard drive, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass to Bess. A Spartan fumble gave Hawai’i the ball back, but Brennan
threw an interception on the next play to negate the turnover. But it was
another night of hard-hitting Warrior defense as linebacker Blaze Soares
jarred the ball from Spartan quarterback Adam Trafalis to give Hawai’i the ball
back, again, at the Spartan 19-yard line.
And the Warrior offense did the rest, scoring in one play, a 19-yard
touchdown toss from Brennan to Ryan Grice-Mullen, to put the game out of
reach at 47-17.
Scoring Summary
UH
UH
1 6:13 Chad Mock 36 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
UH
SJSU 2 8:32 James T. Callier 1 run (Jared Strubeck kick)
UH
SJSU 2 0:04 Jared Strubeck 37 FG
UH
SJSU 3 7:24 James T. Callier 1 run (Jared Strubeck kick)
UH
UH
UH
4 10:14 Ryan Grice-Mullen 19 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
UH
4 7:10 Nate Ilaoa 19 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
Team Statistics
Spartans
Warriors
First Downs __________________________12 __________________28
Total Net Yards________________________192 __________________568
Rushing (Att-Yards) __________________38-82________________26-151
Passing (C-A-I-Yards) ____________40-29-1-417 ____________17-7-1-110
Punting ______________________6-254-42.3 ______________0-0-0.00
Fumbles-Lost ________________________4-2 __________________3-1
Penalties-Yards ______________________3-35 ______________12-140
Individual Leaders
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) - SJSU: Cameron Island (5-38-0). Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa
(12-100-1).
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) - SJSU: Adam Trafalis (7-110-0). Hawai’i: Colt Brennan
(28-402-5).
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) - SJSU: Chester Coleman (2-32-0). Hawai’i: Davone Bess
(6-81-2).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) - SJSU: Waylon Prather (6-254-42.3). Hawai’i: None.
Sacks By (No-Yards) - SJSU: None. Hawai’i: Melila Purcell (2.5-9), Ikaika AlamaFrancis (1-8), Michael Lafaele (1-5), Renolds Fruean (0.5-1).
Leading Tacklers - SJSU: Damaja Jones (7-3-10). Hawai’i: Solomon Elimimian (102-12).
1
0
7
Purdue
Hawai’i
2
0
10
3
14
3
4
21
22
OT
-
Final
35
42
HONOLULU – The nation’s top-rated offense racked up a season-high 653
yards, while the Warrior defense came up with timely big plays, including two
key interceptions, to boost No. 25 Hawai’i over Purdue, 42-35, in front of a
season-best 47,825 noise-making fans Nov. 25 at Aloha Stadium.
Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan threw for 434 yards (33 of 48) and
three touchdowns, while running back Nate Ilaoa rushed for a career-high 159
yards and two touchdowns to help Hawai’i win its ninth straight game.
The Warrior defense shutout Purdue in the first half and came up with two
drive-ending interceptions in the fourth quarter.
Hawai’i jumped out to a 17-0 lead before Purdue got going in the third
quarter. The Boilermakers capitalized on two UH turnovers to score 14
straight points, and took its first lead of the game (21-20) when Curtis
Painter hit Greg Orton for a 28-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Brennan tossed his first touchdown pass of the night, a 14-yard strike to
Ross Dickerson to help the Warriors regain the lead, 27-21. But the
Boilermakers scored 14 points in the next four and a half minutes to take a
35-27 with 6:50 left to play.
And then Brennan went to work, orchestrating an 80-yard drive in just
over two minutes, capped by a 5-yard touchdown strike to Ryan Grice-Mullen.
Brennan hit Grice-Mullen again for the two-point conversion, tying the game
at 35 with 4:48 on the clock.
The Warriors got the ball back when Painter tossed an interception. Five
plays later, Brennan hit Ian Sample on an inside screen, which went for 28
yards and the winning touchdown.
Purdue had the ball at its own 20-yard line with 1:27 remaining, but
Painter’s pass was intercepted by Warrior linebacker Adam Leonard to end any
hope of a Boilermaker victory.
Scoring Summary
UH
UH
UH
PU
3 9:23 Dustin Keller 9 pass from Curtin Painter (Chris Summers kick)
PU
3 8:20 Kyle Adams 25 pass from Desmond Tardy (Chris Summers kick)
UH
PU
4 14:49 Greg Orton 28 pass from Curtis Painter (Chris Summers kick)
UH
4 11:28 Ross Dickerson 14 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
PU
4 7:29 Dustin Keller 19 pass from Curtis Painter (Chris Summers kick)
PU
4 6:50 Selwyn Lymon 32 pass from Curtis Painter (Chris Summers kick)
UH
4 4:48 Ryan Grice-Mullen 5 pass from Colt Brennan
UH
4
(Ryan Grice-Mullen pass from Colt Brennan)
1:27 Ian Sample 23 pass from Colt Brennan (Briton Forester kick)
Team Statistics
Boilermakers
Warriors
First Downs __________________________28 __________________33
Total Net Yards ________________________472 __________________653
Punting ______________________4-198-49.5 ____________1-17-17.0
Fumbles-Lost ________________________1-1 __________________2-2
Penalties-Yards ______________________6-35 ________________4-37
Individual Leaders
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) - PU: Jaycen Taylor (7-46-0). Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa
(12-159-2).
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) - PU: Curtis Painter (29-357-4). Hawai’i: Colt Brennan
(33-434-3).
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) - PU: Dorien Bryant (8-76-0). Hawai’i: Davone Bess
(6-117-0), Jason Rivers (6-103-0).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) - PU: Jared Armstrong (3-155-51.7). Hawai’i: Kurt Milne
(1-17-17.0).
Sacks By (No-Yards) - PU: Cliff Avril (1.0-2). Hawai’i: Blaze Soares (1.0-7).
Leading Tacklers - PU: Terrell Vinson (6-2-8). Hawai’i: Solomon Elimimian (9-5-14).
19
GAME 13 • DEC. 2, 2006
Oregon State
Hawai’i
1
7
0
2
14
21
3
7
3
4
7
8
OT
-
Final
35
32
HONOLULU – A school record nine-game win streak came to an end as No. 24
Hawai’i fell to Oregon State, 32-35, in front of a sellout crowd Dec. 2 at Aloha
Stadium. The Warriors gained 504 yards of total offense, but Oregon State
produced big plays and capitalized on Warrior miscues to steal the victory
from 20 departing seniors on the Warrior roster.
Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan threw for 401 yards and two touchdowns, but added an uncharacteristic two interceptions, one which the led to
the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. The Beaver defense sacked
Brennan six times on the night.
Hawai’i missed two field goals in the first quarter before the teams traded touchdowns, but OSU’s Gerard Lawson took the ensuing kickoff 100 yards
to put the Beavers ahead, 14-7.
The Warriors scored 14 of the next 21 points, on a 4-yard run by
Brennan, and an 11-yard catch by Davone Bess, to tie the game at 21 at halftime.
Brennan threw two interceptions in the next three possessions, while
Oregon State scored 14 points before the Warrior defense forced OSU to punt.
A bobbled snap put the Warriors at the Beaver 44-yard line. Eight plays later,
Brennan hit Ryan Grice-Mullen for a 4-yard touchdown to cut the lead to five
(35-30) after a failed two-point conversion.
The Warrior defense forced a three-and-out on the next series, to get
the Hawai’i offense the ball back at the OSU 40-yard line with 4:10 on the
clock. The Warriors drove down to the OSU 19-yard line and failed on 4th-and14 to end all hopes of a win.
Scoring Summary
OSU 1 0:00 Joe Newton 21 pass from Matt Moore (Alexis Serna kick)
UH
OSU 2 11:10 Gerard Lawson 100 kickoff return (Alexis Serna kick)
UH
OSU 2 3:26 Ruben Jackson 30 pass from Matt Moore (Alexis Serna kick)
UH
OSU 3 5:08 Sammie Stroughter 80 pass from Matt Moore
(Alexis Serna kick)
UH
OSU 4 13:18 Yvenson Bernard 1 run (Alexis Serna kick)
UH
4 7:06 Ryan Grice-Mullen 4 pass (Colt Brennan rush failed)
UH
4 0:02 Team Safety
Team Statistics
Beavers
Warriors
First Downs __________________________17 __________________31
Total Net Yards ________________________316 __________________504
Punting ______________________3-158-52.7 ______________0-0-0.0
Fumbles-Lost ________________________2-0 __________________3-0
Penalties-Yards ______________________4-38 ________________3-25
Individual Leaders
Rushing (Att-Yards-TD) - OSU: Yvenson Bernard (20-108-1). Hawai’i: Nate Ilaoa
(8-48-1).
Passing (Cmp-Yards-TD) - OSU: Matt Moore (11-245-3). Hawai’i: Colt Brennan
(37-401-2).
Receiving (Rec-Yards-TD) - OSU: Sammie Stroughter (3-106-1). Hawai’i: Davone
Bess (10-116-1).
Punting (Att-Yards-Avg) - OSU: Kyle Loomis (3-158-52.7). Hawai’i: None.
Sacks By (No-Yards) - OSU: Dorian Smith (3.0-22), Derrick Doggett (1.0-10), Coye
Francies (1.0-9), Bryant Cornell (1.0-3). Hawai’i: jacob Patek (1.0-6).
Leading Tacklers - OSU: Derrick Doggett (9-3-12). Hawai’i: Adam Leonard (4-6-10).
20
INDIVIDUAL GAME-BY-GAME (PASSING)
#15 Brennan, C
Att Comp Int
at Alabama
44
30
1
UNLV
35
24
2
at Boise State
36
25
1
Eastern Illinois
41
30
1
Nevada
47
36
0
at Fresno State
39
32
0
at New Mexico State 31
22
0
Idaho
38
31
0
at Utah State
29
18
1
Louisiana Tech
40
27
1
San Jose State
39
28
1
Purdue
48
33
1
50
37
2
Oregon State
TOTALS
517 373 11
Pct
68.2
68.6
69.4
73.2
76.6
82.1
71.0
81.6
62.1
67.5
71.8
68.8
74.0
72.1
Yards TD
350
2
296
2
388
5
409
5
419
4
409
5
330
5
333
5
413
6
406
4
402
5
434
3
401
2
4990 53
BRENNAN NOTES
Long Sack Yds
32
2
17
32
2
10
37
2
4
43
1
10
63
3
12
47
1
3
36
1
1
50
1
1
60
0
0
49
0
0
37
2
14
49
1
2
34
6
44
63
22
118
Effic
145.5
147.0
200.3
192.3
179.6
212.5
213.6
198.6
243.1
180.8
195.6
161.2
146.6
182.8
#6 Graunke, T.
Att Comp Int Pct Yards TD
UNLV
9
8
0 88.9
65
0
at Fresno State
5
5
0 100.0
61
1
at New Mexico State 3
1
0 33.3
23
0
Idaho
12
9
0 75.0
164
1
at Utah State
9
5
0 55.6
73
1
Louisiana Tech
4
3
0 75.0
100
1
1
1
0 100.0
15
0
San Jose State
TOTALS
43
32
0 74.4
501
4
Long Sack Yds Effic
21
0
0 149.6
40
0
0 268.5
23
0
0
97.7
62
0
0
217.3
29
0
0 160.4
45
0
0 367.5
15
0
0 226.0
62
0
0 203.0
#11 Funaki, I.
UNLV
Eastern Illinois
Idaho
TOTALS
Long Sack Yds Effic
8
0
0
167.2
58
1
9 150.8
0
0
0
0.0
58
1
9 139.6
Att Comp Int Pct Yards TD
1
1
0 100.0
8
0
10
5
0 50.0
120
0
1
0
0
0.0
0
0
12
6
0 50.0
128
0
QUICK-STRIKE OFFENSE Hawai’i’s Run-and-Shoot offense, ranked first in the
country for the eighth straight week, has not only struck often in 2006, but quickly as
well. The Warrior offense has scored four touchdowns on one-play drives this season,
including a 63-yard pass (Brennan to Sample) against Nevada (Oct. 7), a 60-yard shovel
pass (Brennan to Ilaoa) at Utah State (Nov. 4), a 19-yard pass (Brennan to Bess) against
Louisiana Tech (Nov. 11), and 19-yard pass (Brennan to Grice-Mullen) against San Jose
State (Nov. 18). Hawai’i has recorded a 32 touchdown drives in five plays or less, which
currently ranks first in the country (Clemson is second with 27). Hawai’i has also managed
24 touchdown drives in two minutes or less, tied for first nationally with Texas Tech.
MORE NUMBERS
OPENING DRIVES
Opponent
Result (Plays-Yards-TOP)
at Alabama
FG (7-26-3:29)
UNLV
TD (6-65-2:05)
at Boise State Punt
EASTERN ILL.
TD (9-69-2:12)
NEVADA
FG (8-63-4:22)
at Fresno State Punt
at NMSU
TD (9-64-4:21)
IDAHO
TD (11-64-5:58)
at Utah State
TD (5-71-1:33)
LA TECH
TD (10-77-2:46)
SJSU
FG (8-43-3:13)
PURDUE
TD (10-72-3:26)
OREGON STATE Missed FG
COIN TOSS
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise State
EASTERN ILL.
NEVADA
at Fresno State
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah State
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON STATE
Result
Lost toss (receive)
Won toss (receive)
Won toss (receive)
Lost toss (receive)
Won toss (receive)
Won toss (receive)
Won toss (receive)
Won toss (receive)*
Won toss (receive)
Lost toss (kickoff)
Lost toss (kickoff)
Lost toss (kickoff)
Lost toss (receive)
LEADS NATION IN SIX PHASES Quarterback Colt
Brennan, who earned WAC Offensive Player of the Week
honors three times this season, currently leads the nation
in six statistical categories, including touchdown passes
(53), passing efficiency (182.8), total offense (410.8),
completion percentage (72.14%), total passing yards
(4,990), and points responsible for (26.8). Brennan posted career-highs in passing efficiency at New Mexico State
(213.6) and at Utah State (243.1). So far this season,
Brennan has surpassed the 200 mark four times in passing efficiency. Before this season, Brennan highest efficiency rating was 193.1 against New Mexico State in
2005. His current rating of 182.8 and could break the
NCAA single-season record of 183.3 set by Tulane’s Shaun
King in 1998.
CHASING NCAA TOUCHDOWN MARK Quarterback Colt Brennan has thrown 53 touchdown
passes in 13 games this season and needs one more to
reach the NCAA season mark of 54 set by Houston’s David
Klingler in 1990. Brennan is averaging 4.1 touchdown
passes per game with one game remaining on the schedule. He has already broken the NCAA mark for most TD
passes in two seasons (83) also held by Klingler. Brennan
threw 35 TD passes in 2005, giving him a two-year total
of 88.
SECOND ON CAREER PASSING LIST Colt Brennan occupies the No. 2 spot on the UH career
passing list with 9,291 yards and needs 7,781 yards to
catch NCAA career leader Timmy Chang, who holds the
top spot with 17,072 yards (2000-04). Brennan has
played in 25 games in his UH career, the same as No. 3
Dan Robinson (6,038), nine less than No. 4 Garrett
Gabriel (5,631), and 12 less than No. 5 Raphel Cherry
(5,046).
THE STREAK ENDS IN LOGAN Quarterback Colt
Brennan broke the school record for most pass attempts
without an interception with 182 at Utah State (old
record was 178 set by Timmy Chang in 2004).
SPREADING THE WEALTH The Warrior offense
has scored 80 touchdowns in 13 games in 2006. Although
running back Nate Ilaoa leads the team with 18 touchdowns (13 rushing, 5 receiving), 10 other Warriors on
offense have reached the end zone, including receivers
Davone Bess (14), Ian Sample (10), Ryan Grice-Mullen
(9), Jason Rivers and Ross Dickerson (8 each), Chad Mock
(3), quarterbacks Colt Brennan (5) and Tyler Graunke (1),
and running backs Reagan Mauia (3) and David Farmer
(1). Hawai’i has also scored four defensive touchdowns
this season, two by safety Leonard Peters (INT returns),
one by linebacker Adam Leonard (fumble return), and
another by cornerback Ryan Keomaka (INT return). As a
team, the Warriors have scored 84 touchdowns in 13
games in 2006. Hawai’i scored a total of 48 touchdowns
in 12 games last season.
* denotes KOR TD
21
RUSHING
No-Yds/TD
Ilaoa, N.
Brennan, C.
Mauia, R.
Funaki, I.
Laumoli, J
Graunke, T.
Farmer, D.
Grice-Mullen
Dickerson, R.
Peoples, K.
Seti, S.
TEAM
UA
UNLV
113-893/13 4-27/0 9-104/2
79-351/5
6-3/0
6-27/1
29-144/2
3-15/0 6-33/0
10-34/0
DNP
2-16/0
4-34/0
DNP
9-30/1
DNP
4-20/0
7-30/1
1-15/0
2-24/0
4-13/0
4-7/0
DNP
DNP
3-2/0
DNP
2-1/0
7--32/0
2--23/0 1--2/0
RECEIVING No-Yds/TD
Bess, D.
91-1155/14
Rivers, J.
58-870/8
Ilaoa, N.
63-781/5
Dickerson, R.
54-726/7
Sample, I.
53-686/10
Grice-Mullen
38-659/9
Mock, C.
25-363/3
Lane, M.
3-120/0
Mauia, R.
10-109/1
Bain, A.
7-69/0
Washington, M.
3-50/0
Linkner, D.
1-15/0
Farmer, D.
4-12/0
Seti, S.
1-4/0
UA
UNLV
8-74/0 10-124/1
3-39/0 2-22/0
5-49/0 3-32/0
5-49/0 2-27/0
2-16/0
6-109/1 7-111/1
2-17/0
DNP
DNP
1-16/1
1-4/0
DNP
1-5/0
DNP
1-7/0
DNP
DNP
2-14/0
1-0/0
DNP
1-4/0
BSU
EIU
NEV
FSU
NMSU IDAHO
USU
12-68/0
4-17/0
2-3/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
9-46/1
4--1/0
DNP
3--3/0
DNP
DNP
1-0/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
14-151/0
7-14/1
1--2/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
2--3/0
6-34/3
7-43/0
DNP
3-14/0
DNP
1-5/0
1-4/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
18-94/1 3-7/1
6-28/0 5-63/0
7-26/0
1-2/0
DNP
DNP
2-7/0
2--2/1
1-5/0
DNP
DNP
2-2/0
DNP
1-1/0
DNP
-
6-55/1
1-12/0
2-8/0
1-5/0
DNP
3-6/1
DNP
DNP
DNP
NEV
FSU
NMSU IDAHO
BSU
EIU
6-104/2
6-81/3
4-96/0
2-23/0
2-24/0
2-40/0
1-6/0
DNP
2-14/0
DNP
DNP
7-58/0
6-106/0
4-29/1
5-67/1
6-122/2
DNP
4-73/1
1-58/0
DNP
2-16/0
DNP
DNP
10-139/1 8-70/2
4-55/1 6-39/1
3-27/0
6-80/1
5-49/1 6-108/1
8-68/0
5-78/0
2-41/0 7-48/1
7-55/1 10-115/1 6-125/2 2-57/0
5-107/2 6-83/2
4-42/1 8-90/1
DNP
DNP
DNP
5-83/2
2-20/0
1-46/0
1-18/0 5-46/0
1-3/0
DNP
1-26/0
DNP
DNP
1-23/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
1--2/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
ALL-PURP. YDS TOT
UA
UNLV
BSU
EIU
NEV
FSU
Ilaoa, N.
Dickerson, R.
Bess, D.
Rivers, J.
Sample, I.
Grice-Mullen
Mock, C.
Brennan, C.
Mauia, R.
Lane, M.
Newberry, M.
Patton, K.
Peters, L.
Bain, A.
Keomaka, R.
Washington, M.
Farmer, D.
Funaki, I.
Laumoli, J
Lewis, G.
Patek, J.
Graunke, T.
Veikune, D.
Soares, B.
Linkner, D.
Fergerstrom, V.
Peoples, K.
Seti, S.
Leonard, A.
Chopp, A.
Hawthorne, CJ
TEAM
76
171
74
39
109
3
31
DNP
DNP
21
DNP
DNP
14
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
2
-23
136
47
124
22
16
111
17
27
37
DNP
-4
35
33
5
7
15
16
20
DNP
DNP
5
DNP
-2
164
65
104
81
24
40
6
17
3
DNP
27
61
14
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
75
98
58
106
122
DNP
73
-1
DNP
58
-2
14
16
-3
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
219
55
139
27
107
DNP
20
14
1
52
14
18
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
-3
112
135
70
80
83
DNP
46
43
DNP
-1
54
DNP
2
14
DNP
5
DNP
DNP
12
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
1674
1342
1224
870
686
683
375
351
253
207
179
135
101
69
52
50
42
34
34
33
31
30
25
18
15
15
7
6
5
4
2
-32
22
NMSU IDAHO
135
283
55
49
42
DNP
18
28
26
3
DNP
23
DNP
7
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
55
157
39
108
90
83
46
63
22
DNP
26
29
5
2
DNP
-2
DNP
3
2
1
DNP
-
USU
LTU
SJSU
PUR
OSU
DNP 12-100/1 12-159/2 8-48/1
6-60/1 7-15/1
6-59/0 14-11/1
6-52/2
1-2/0
1-7/0
4-34/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
2-24/0
4-13/0
DNP
2-5/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
1--3/0
1--1/0
-
LTU
3-35/1 7-143/2
3-51/2 4-113/0
6-155/2
DNP
3-36/0 6-82/1
6-45/1
4-135/2 3-44/0
2-30/1
1-17/0 1-45/0
1-29/0
1-4/0
1-8/0
DNP
1-20/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
SJSU
PUR
OSU
6-81/2
4-43/0
6-66/1
2-31/0
5-68/0
4-77/1
1-36/1
1-15/0
DNP
6-117/0
6-103/0
7-52/0
2-26/1
3-43/1
3-20/1
5-57/0
1-16/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
10-116/1
4-48/0
6-67/0
2-33/0
6-46/0
4-40/1
1-14/0
4-37/0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
USU
LTU
SJSU
PUR
OSU
210
51
35
51
135
12
12
37
17
24
DNP
8
23
20
6
5
DNP
10
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
DNP
105
143
113
45
44
30
60
56
67
77
DNP
DNP
DNP
33
7
DNP
DNP
4
-
166
47
81
43
68
77
36
15
19
DNP
34
31
15
5
DNP
DNP
-3
211
64
139
103
43
20
57
59
18
13
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
5
DNP
-1
115
64
163
48
46
64
14
11
44
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
18
8
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
INDIVIDUAL GAME-BY-GAME (DEFENSE)
TACKLES
Leonard, A.
Elimimian, S.
Peters, L.
Purcell, M.
Patek, J.
Alama-Francis
Kalilimoku, B.
Newberry, M.
Lewis, G.
Lafaele, M.
Lau, M.
Patton, K.
Kafentzis, T.
Saole, R.
Martinez, AJ
Keomaka, R.
Allen-Jones, CJ
Paepule, T.
Noa, Ka.
Soares, B.
Hawthorne, CJ
Malala, M.
Purcell, A.
Veikune, D.
Porlas, D.
Fruean, R.
Galdeira, G.
Wilson, L.
Watson, K.
Pedersen, E.
Savaiigaea, R.
Fergerstrom, V.
Thomas, D.
Kelly, D.
Kiesel-Kauhane
Clore, V.
Satele, B.
Laeli, F.
Mock, C.
Funaki, I.
LaCount, K.
Rice, J.
Letuli, L.
Farmer, D.
Mauia, R.
Ieru, R.
Bess, D.
Ilaoa, N.
Rivers, J.
Grice-Mullen
No
TOT UA UNLV BSU
59-49 108 6-5 2-3
3-7
45-36 81 1-6 DNP
40-28 68 6-4 1-0
6-7
34-20 54 1-2 3-0
1-6
32-18 50 5-5 1-1
0-4
18-18 36 0-6 2-0
0-3
19-15 34
4-4
0-4
21-10 31 DNP 1-0
17-13 30 0-1 1-0
1-0
16-13 29 0-1
2-4
13-8
21 0-2 1-0
13-5
18 4-1 4-1
1-3
11-7
18 1-2 1-0
16-1
17
2-0
10-7
17 0-1 2-0
4-3
14-2
16
1-0
DNP
6-9
15 1-1 1-3
1-1
10-5
15 1-1 2-0
9-6
15
1-0
5-5
14-0
14 1-0 1-0
12-2
14 1-0
1-0
7-7
14 0-1
0-1
6-5
11
0-2
8-2
10
2-0
7-1
8
1-0 1-0
4-3
7
4-3
7
DNP
4-3
7
0-1 1-1
1-0
3-4
7
2-2
0-1
5-2
7
DNP
DNP
6-0
6
DNP
DNP
2-3
5
DNP
DNP
4-0
4
2-0
4-0
4
1-0
1-0
2-1
3
DNP DNP DNP
2-0
2
DNP
DNP
2-0
2
1-0
0-2
2
0-1
2-0
2
1-0
1
DNP
DNP
1-0
1
DNP
1-0
1
DNP
0-1
1
DNP
DNP
1-0
1
DNP
1-0
1
1-0
0-1
1
DNP DNP DNP
1-0
1
1-0
1-0
1
1-0
1
1-0
1
1-0
-
EIU
9-1
3-0
1-2
3-1
1-0
1-2
2-0
1-0
2-1
0-1
1-0
DNP
2-0
DNP
5-0
1-0
3-2
1-0
0-2
1-0
1-1
1-0
DNP
DNP
2-0
1-1
DNP
1-0
1-0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
1-0
DNP
NEV
8-2
8-0
6-2
4-0
3-0
0-1
1-0
3-0
DNP
1-1
DNP
2-0
2-0
DNP
3-1
0-1
1-0
1-0
DNP
DNP
DNP
0-1
1-0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
FSU
3-0
4-3
4-2
1-4
3-1
0-3
1-4
1-1
2-3
2-0
3-0
DNP
1-0
1-2
1-0
2-2
DNP
1-0
1-1
2-1
1-0
2-1
2-0
DNP
1-0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
1-0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
NMSU
4-7
2-12
0-5
6-2
0-1
0-1
1-1
4-6
6-2
1-2
1-3
DNP
DNP
1-0
0-3
1-0
0-1
1-2
0-1
2-0
0-1
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
23
IDAHO USU
5-2
3-8
2-1
0-2
3-1
4-2
3-0
2-2
3-1
4-2
DNP
3-2
3-1
1-0
3-1
3-2
0-3
0-1
1-0
1-1
DNP
DNP
2-1
2-2
5-0
1-0
2-1
1-0
1-1
1-1
0-1
1-0
1-0
1-0
2-0
3-0
3-1
1-0
1-0
DNP
1-0
1-0
1-1
DNP
0-1
1-0
1-0
DNP
1-0
3-1
2-0
1-0
1-1
DNP
DNP
1-0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
1-0
1-0
DNP
0-1
DNP
0-1
-
LTU
5-1
5-0
4-0
4-0
4-0
3-0
3-0
3-0
4-0
1-1
2-1
DNP
2-1
2-0
DNP
3-0
2-0
1-0
DNP
1-0
1-0
DNP
1-1
1-0
DNP
1-0
DNP
2-0
0-1
DNP
1-0
1-0
DNP
DNP
1-0
-
SJSU
2-3
10-2
2-1
7-1
1-0
3-1
2-0
1-0
0-1
1-0
2-0
DNP
2-1
3-0
1-1
DNP
1-0
0-1
0-1
0-1
DNP
1-0
DNP
DNP
-
PUR
5-4
9-5
3-2
2-3
2-0
2-0
3-0
1-1
6-1
2-0
DNP
1-0
DNP
2-0
3-0
DNP
0-1
1-0
DNP
1-0
DNP
0-1
DNP
DNP
1-0
DNP
-
OSU
4-6
1-5
3-2
4-0
1-0
DNP
1-0
1-2
1-2
DNP
1-0
DNP
2-0
DNP
1-0
DNP
1-0
0-1
1-0
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
DNP
-
TFL
Purcell, M.
Alama-Francis
Lafaele, M.
Kalilimoku, B.
Leonard, A.
Soares, B.
Veikune, D.
Noa, Ka.
Savaiigaea, R.
Elimimian, S.
Allen-Jones, CJ
Martinez, AJ
Kafentzis, T.
Peters, L.
Wilson, L.
Lau, M.
Fruean, R.
Rice, J.
Paepule, T.
Purcell, A.
Patek, J.
Letuli, L.
Lewis, G.
Keomaka, R.
Watson, K.
No
12-3
8-2
4-3
5-1
3-1
3-0
3-0
2-1
2-0
0-4
2-0
2-0
2-0
2-0
1-1
1-1
1-1
1-0
1-0
1-0
1-0
0-1
0-1
0-1
0-1
TOT
13.5
9.0
5.5
5.5
3.5
3.0
3.0
2.5
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
UA
1.0-1
0.5-1
1.0-2
DNP
0.5-1
1.0-4
1.0-2
DNP
DNP
-
SACKS
Purcell, M.
Alama-Francis
Lafaele, M.
Soares, B.
Kalilimoku, B.
Veikune, D.
Fruean, R.
Patek, J.
Noa, Ka.
Purcell, A.
Leonard, A.
Rice, J.
No
7-1
3-0
2-0
2-0
2-0
2-0
1-1
1-0
1-0
1-0
1-0
1-0
TOT UA
7.5
3.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.5
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0 1.0-2
1.0 DNP
UNLV
1.0-1
1.0-5
1.0-8
DNP
1.0-1
2.0-9
1.0-1
0.5-0
1.0-12
0.5-1
BSU
1.0-9
1.0-3
DNP
1.0-4
1.0-1
DNP
DNP
-
EIU NEV FSU
1.0-9
1.0-2
1.0-2
1.0-5
1.0-2
1.0-4
1.5-8
1.0-2
DNP DNP
1.0-2
1.0-8
1.0-1 DNP
DNP
DNP DNP DNP
1.0-9
DNP
DNP DNP DNP
1.0-2
DNP DNP DNP
0.5-4
DNP
-
NMSU
4.0-4
0.5-1
0.5-0
0.5-1
1.5-4
DNP
1.0-3
DNP
DNP
-
IDAHO
1.0-2
DNP
1.0-1
1.0-1
-
USU
2.0-10
1.0-2
DNP
DNP
DNP
0.5-0
0.5-1
DNP
LTU
1.0-8
2.0-20
0.5-0
2.0-3
1.0-13
1.0-4
DNP
DNP
0.5-1
DNP
1.0-13
DNP
DNP
DNP
SJSU
3.5-10
3.0-13
1.0-5
1.0-4
DNP
1.0-6
0.5-1
DNP
DNP
-
PUR OSU
DNP
1.0-5
1.0-7
DNP
DNP DNP
DNP
DNP DNP
DNP DNP
-
UNLV BSU EIU NEV FSU
1.0-9
1.0-9
DNP DNP
1.0-5
1.0-8
1.0-8
DNP
1.0-8
1.0-12
DNP DNP DNP
NMSU
3.0-3
1.0-3
DNP
IDAHO USU
DNP 1.0-8
DNP
DNP
DNP
LTU
1.0-8
1.0-11
1.0-13
1.0-4
DNP
DNP
1.0-13
SJSU
2.5-9
1.0-8
1.0-5
0.5-1
DNP
-
PUR OSU
1.0-7
DNP
1.0-6
DNP
DNP DNP
DNP
24
WARRIORS IN THE WAC/NATIONAL STATS
Category
Rushing
Nate Ilaoa (74.4)
Passing Average
Colt Brennan (383.8)
Total Offense
Receptions Per Game
Davone Bess (7.00)
Nate Ilaoa (5.25)
Jason Rivers (4.46)
Ross Dickerson (4.15)
WAC National
5th
46th
2nd
NA
Scoring (Kick)
Dan Kelly (5.8)
1st
2nd
5th
6th
10th
Receiving Yards Per Game
Davone Bess (88.8)
2nd
Jason Rivers (66.9)
3rd
Nate Ilaoa (65.1)
7th
10th
All-Purpose Yards
Nate Ilaoa (139.5)
Davone Bess (94.2)
Passing Efficiency
Category
Scoring (Touchdowns)
Nate Ilaoa (9.0)
Davone Bess (6.8)
Ian Sample (4.6)
5th
8th
10th
1st
STREAKING WARRIORS
WAC National
2nd
3rd
7th
NA
NA
NA
2nd
NA
1st
5th
30th
62nd
85th
14th
45th
56th
91st
12th
67th
89th
Field Goals
Dan Kelly (0.85)
4th
69th
Field Goal Pct.
Dan Kelly (78.6)
2nd
NA
PAT Kicking Pct.
Dan Kelly (93.3)
4th
NA
Tackles
Adam Leonard (8.3)
5th 49th
Solomon Elimimian (6.8) T12th NR
Sacks
Melila Purcell (0.58)
3rd
50th
Tackles-for-Loss
4th
Ikaika Alama-Francis (0.75) 8th
67th
NR
1st
T5th
28th
T81st
1st
Punt Return Average
Myron Newberry (5.9)
2nd
70th
Fumbles Forced
Jacob Patek (0.23)
Kickoff Return Average
1st
16th
Fumbles Recovered
Adam Leonard (0.31)
T1st
NA
Scoring
Nate Ilaoa (9.0)
Davone Bess (6.8)
Dan Kelly (5.8)
2nd
4th
7th
9th
50th
91st
Passes Defended
Leonard Peters (0.77)
Adam Leonard (0.69)
7th
10th
99th
NR
25
Consecutive Starts
Pos Player
OL Samson Satele
OL Tala Esera
OL Dane Uperesa
WR Davone Bess
NT Michael Lafaele
Starts
52 (1st nationally)
41
24
24
21
Consecutive Games Throwing at least 1 TD
Pos Player
Games
QB Colt Brennan
25
Consecutive Games Throwing at least 2 TDs
Pos Player
Games
QB Colt Brennan
17
Consecutive Games Throwing for at least
300- yards
Pos Player
Games
QB Colt Brennan
11
Consecutive Games Throwing for at least
400- yards
Pos Player
Games
QB Colt Brennan
5
Consecutive Games With at least 6 Receptions
Pos Player
Games
WR Davone Bess
4
RECORDS WATCH
NCAA RECORDS BROKEN IN 2006...
PASSING
Most Touchdown Passes (2 Seasons): 88 by Colt Brennan, 2005-06
old record 83 held by David Klingler (Houston), 1990
SCHOOL RECORDS BROKEN IN 2006
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
Most Pass Completions (Season): 373 by Colt Brennan, 2006
Consecutive 200-Yard Games (Season): 13 by Colt Brennan, 2006
Consecutive Games Throwing A Touchdown:
(Season): 13 by Colt Brennan, 2006
Consecutive Attempts Without An Interception: 182 by Colt Brennan, 2006
(during six games from Sept. 30 to Nov. 4)
Consecutive 200-Yard Games (Career): 24 by Colt Brennan, 2005-present
Most Touchdown Passes (Season): 53 by Colt Brennan, 2006
Consecutive Games Throwing A Touchdown:
(Career): 25 by Colt Brennan, 2005-present
Most Passing Yards (Season): 4,990 by Colt Brennan, 2006
INDIVIDUAL TOTAL OFFENSE
Yards (Season): 5,341 by Colt Brennan, 2006
Touchdowns Responsible For (Season): 58 by Colt Brennan, 2006
Points Responsible For (Season): 348 by Colt Brennan, 2006
old record 358 held by Timmy Chang, 2004
old record 12 held by Colt Brennan, 2005
old record 12 held by Colt Brennan, 2005
old record 178 held by Timmy Chang, 2004 (during five games)
old record 14 held by Timmy Chang, 2001-02
old record 13 held by Timmy Chang, 2000-02
old record 4,474 held by Timmy Chang, 2002
old record 4,457 held by Timmy Chang, 2002
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
Receptions By A Running Back (Season): 63 by Nate Ilaoa, 2006
Receptions By A Running Back (Career): 99 by Nate Ilaoa, 2005-06
Yards Gained By A Running Back (Season): 781 by Nate Ilaoa, 2006
Yards Gained By A Running Back (Career): 1,055 by Nate Ilaoa, 2002-present
TEAM SEASON - PASSING
Yards: 5,619 in 2002
old record 42 held by Charles Tharp, 1997
old record 73 held by Gary Allen, 1978-81
old record 435 held by Charles Tharp, 1997
old record 895 held by Gary Allen, 1978-81
5,619 in 2006
TEAM SEASON - SCORING
Points: 615 in 2006
old record 502 set in 2002
TEAM SEASON - TOTAL OFFENSE
Yards: 7,149 in 2006
old record 6,939 set in 2002
MISCELLANEOUS
Largest Road Crowds: 92,138 at Alabama, Sept. 2, 2006
old record 75,615 at Nebraska, 1978
NCAA RECORDS TO WATCH...
PASSING
Most Touchdown Passes (Season): 54 by David Klingler (Houston), 1990
Highest Pass Efficiency Rating (Season): 183.3 by Shaun King (Tulane), 1998
53 by Colt Brennan, 2006 *** NEEDS 1 TO TIE ***
182.80 by Colt Brennan, 2006
SCHOOL RECORDS TO WATCH...
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
Completions Percentage (Season):
min 150 atts: 68.0% (350-515) by Colt Brennan, 2005
min 200 atts: 68.0% (350-515) by Colt Brennan, 2005
Lowest Interception Percentage (Season):
min 200 atts: 1.7 by Raphel Cherry (5-295)
Passing Yards Per Game (Season): 358.4 by Colt Brennan, 2005
(4,301 in 12 games)
Passing Yards Per Attempt (Season):
min 150 atts: 8.6 by Garrett Gabriel, 1989 (249-2,145)
min 200 atts: 8.6 by Garrett Gabriel, 1989 (249-2,145)
Passing Yards Per Completion:
min 100 comp: 16.67 by Garrett Gabriel, 1990 (165-2,752)
Pass Efficiency Rating (Season): 155.5 by Colt Brennan, 2005
72.1% by Colt Brennan, 2006
72.1% by Colt Brennan, 2006
26
Touchdowns With Same Passer & Receiver:
(Season): 17 Timmy Chang-Chad Owens, 2004
(Career): 28 Timmy Chang -Chad Owens, 2001-04
Attempts To Touchdown Ratio (Season): 14.7 (35-515), 2005
Colt Brennan to Davone Bess (14)
Colt Brennan to Davone Bess (27), Ryan Grice-Mullen (20)
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
Receptions Per Game (Season): 7.84 by Chad Owens, 2004
Touchdowns (Season): 19 by Ashley Lelie, 2001
7.00 by Davone Bess, 2006
Davone Bess (14), 2006
INDIVIDUAL TOTAL OFFENSE
Yards Gained Per Game (Season): 371.3 by Colt Brennan, 2005
Average Gain Per Play (Season): 7.41 by Nick Rolovich, 2001
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
Points (Season): 132 by Chad Owens, 2004 (22 TDs)
Points Per Game (Season): 10.5 by Jamal Farmer, 1989
Touchdowns (Season): 22 by Chad Owens, 2004
Nate Ilaoa (108), Davone Bess (88)
9.0 by Nate Ilaoa, 2006
Nate Ilaoa (18)
INDIVIDUAL KICKOFF RETURN
Yards (Season): 852 by Larry Khan-Smith, 1988
Return Average (Season): 33.6 by Chad Owens, 2001
603 By Ross Dickerson, 2006 *** NEEDS 249 TO TIE ***
26.2 by Ross Dickerson, 2006
INDIVIDUAL DEFENSE
Forced Fumbles (Season): 6 by Al Noga, 1986
Fumble Recoveries (Season): 5 by three players
Sacks (Season): 17 by Al Noga, 1986
4 by Melila Purcell, 2006 *** NEEDS 2 TO TIE ***
4 by Adam Leonard, 2006 *** NEEDS 1 TO TIE ***
13.5 by Melila Purcell, 2006 *** NEEDS 3.5 TO TIE ***
TEAM SEASON - PASSING
Yards Per Game: 386.1, 2002
Average Gain Per Attempt: 8.8, 1988
Average Gain Per Completion: 16.45, 1998
Attempts Per Game: 53.9, 2003
Completions Per Game: 31.7, 2003
Completion Percentage: 65.6%, 2005
Lowest Interception Percentage: 1.7, 1984
Touchdowns Per Game: 3.44, 2001
432.2 in 2006
9.8 in 2006
13.67 in 2006
44.1 in 2006
31.6 in 2006
71.7% in 2006
1.9 in 2006
4.38 in 2006
TEAM SEASON - TOTAL OFFENSE
Yards Gained Per Game: 495.6, 2002
Average Gain Per Play: 6.678, 2002
Touchdowns Rushing, Passing Per Game: 4.35, 2002
Most First Downs Per Game: 25.7, 2005
Most Passing First Downs Per Game: 17.5, 2005
549.9 in 2006
8.470 in 2006
6.07 in 2006
27.1 in 2006
19.62 in 2006
TEAM SEASON - SCORING
Points Per Game: 40.3, 2001
Touchdowns Per Game: 5.08, 2001
PATs Per Game: 4.5, 2001
47.3 in 2006
6.46 in 2006
5.6 in 2006
TEAM SEASON - PUNTING
Fewest Punts Per Game: 3.41, 2001
1.23 in 2006
TEAM SEASON - KICKOFF RETURN
Fewest Returns Per Game: 2.1, 1981
3.31 in 2006
TEAM SEASON - DEFENSE
Interception Return Yards: 377, 2001
Interceptions Returned For A Touchdown: 4 in 2002
Most Points Scored By The Defense: 32 in 2002 (5 TDs, 1 safety)
Most Touchdowns Scored By The Defense: 5 (1980, 1999, 2002)
290 in 2006 *** NEEDS 87 TO TIE ***
3 in 2006 *** NEEDS 1 TO TIE ***
26 (4 TDs, 1 safety) in 2006 *** NEEDS 6 TO TIE ***
4 in 2006 *** NEEDS 1 TO TIE ***
MISCELLANEOUS
Victories In A Season: 11 in 1992
10 in 2006 *** NEEDS 1 TO TIE ***
27
CAREER HIGHS
1 WR RYAN GRICE-MULLEN
Receptions: 11 vs. Wisconsin, 11/25/05
Yards: 188 vs. Boise St., 10/1/05
TDs: 4 vs. NMSU, 10/15/05
3 WR IAN SAMPLE
Receptions: 8 vs. Idaho, 10/28/06
Yards: 122 vs. Eastern Ill., 9/30/06
TDs: 2, 3x, last at Fresno St., 10/14/06
4 RB NATE ILAOA
RUSHING
Attempts: 18 at NMSU, 10/21/06
Yards: 159 vs. Purdue, 11/25/06
TDs: 3 at Fresno St., 10/14/06
RECEIVING
Receptions: 11 at Rice, 11/16/02
Yards: 155 at Utah St., 11/4/06
TDs: 2 at Utah St., 11/4/06
7 WR DAVONE BESS
Receptions: 14 vs. Fresno St., 10/29/05
Yards: 171 at Nevada, 11/5/05
TDs: 2, 9x, last vs. SJSU, 11/18/06
8 LB TYSON KAFENTZIS
Tackles: 6 vs. SDSU, 12/3/05
Sacks: None
TFL: 1.0, 2x, last vs. UNLV, 9/16/06
INT: None
15 QB COLT BRENNAN
RUSHING
Attempts: 14 vs. Oregon St., 12/2/06
Yards: 63 vs. Idaho, 10/28/06
TDs: 1, 5x, last vs. Oregon St., 12/2/06
PASSING
Completions: 38 vs. NMSU, 10/15/05
Attempts: 54 vs. Fresno St., 10/29/05
Yards: 515 vs. NMSU, 10/15/05
TDs: 7 vs. NMSU, 10/15/05
Pass Eff. Rating: 243.1 at Utah St., 11/4/06
23 DB GERARD LEWIS
34 RB REAGAN MAUIA
RUSHING
Attempts: 7 at NMSU, 10/21/06
Yards: 56 vs. SDSU, 12/3/05
TDs: 2 vs. La Tech, 11/11/06
RECEIVING
Receptions: 4 vs. Oregon St., 12/2/06
Yards: 37 vs. Oregon St., 12/2/06
TDs: 1 at Alabama, 9/2/06
Tackles: 12 vs. UTEP, 10/25/03
Sacks: 3.0 at NMSU, 10/21/06
TFL: 4.5 vs. Florida Atlantic, 9/4/04
41 LB SOLOMON ELIMIMIAN
Tackles: 14, 2x, last vs. Purdue, 11/25/06
Sacks: None
TFL: 1.5 at NMSU, 10/21/06
INT: 1 at Idaho, 9/24/05
43 LB BRAD KALILIMOKU
Tackles: 10 vs. Wisconsin, 11/25/05
Sacks: 1.0, 2x, last at Fresno St., 10/14/06
TFL: 2.0, 2x, last vs. La Tech, 11/11/06
INT: None
44 LB ADAM LEONARD
Tackles: 11, 3x, last at Utah St., 11/4/06
Sacks: 1.0 at Alabama, 9/2/06
TFL: 1.0, 4x, last vs. Oregon St., 12/2/06
INT: 1 vs. Purdue, 11/25/06
47 DB LEONARD PETERS
Tackles: 16 at Boise St., 10/29/04
Sacks: 1.0 vs. Idaho, 11/20/04
TFL: 1.0, 7x, last vs. SJSU, 11/18/06
INT: 1, 7x, last at Fresno St., 10/14/06
67 NG MICHAEL LAFAELE
Tackles: 7 vs. Purdue, 11/25/06
Sacks: 1.0, 2x, last vs. SJSU, 11/18/06
TFL: 1.0, 3x, last vs. SJSU, 11/18/06
26 LB MICAH LAU
84 WR JASON RIVERS
Tackles: 6 at Utah St., 11/4/06
Sacks: 1.0 vs. Oregon St., 12/2/06
TFL: 1.0 vs. Idaho, 10/28/06
INT: 1 vs. SJSU, 11/18/06
98 DE MELILA PURCELL
Tackles: 10 at NMSU, 10/21/06
Sacks: None
TFL: None
INT: 1, 2x, last vs. La Tech, 11/11/06
82 WR ROSS DICKERSON
31 DB JACOB PATEK
Tackles: 7 at Michigan St., 9/10/05
Sacks: 1.0, 8x, last vs. SJSU, 11/18/06
TFL: 3.0 vs. SJSU, 11/18/06
38 DB MYRON NEWBERRY
Sacks: None
TFL: 0.5 at Fresno St., 10/14/06
INT: 1, 3x, last vs. Purdue, 11/25/06
Sacks: None
TFL: 1.0 at Fresno St., 10/14/06
INT: None
91 DE IKAIKA ALAMA-FRANCIS
Receptions: 10 at Fresno St., 11/14/06
Yards: 124 at NMSU, 10/21/06
TDs: 2 at NMSU, 10/21/06
Receptions: 11 vs. UAB, 12/24/04
Yards: 167 vs. Idaho, 11/20/04
TDs: 4 vs. Idaho, 11/20/04
88 WR CHAD MOCK
Receptions: 11 at SJSU, 10/22/05
Yards: 147 vs. NMSU, 10/15/05
TDs: 1, 3x, last vs. SJSU, 11/18/06
28
UNDER JUNE JONES
100-YARD RUSHERS
159 Nate Ilaoa vs. Purdue, 2006
151 Nate Ilaoa vs. SDSU, 2005
151 Nate Ilaoa vs. Nevada, 2006
150 Michael Brewster vs. Nevada, 2004
147 James Fenderson vs. Nevada, 2000
146 Michael Bass vs. UTEP, 2001
126 James Fenderson vs. La Tech, 2000
124 James Fenderson at Fresno State, 2000
116 Thero Mitchell at SMU, 2001
107 James Fenderson at TCU, 2000
104 Nate Ilaoa vs. UNLV, 2006
101 Michael Brewster at Fresno State, 2004
100 Nate Ilaoa vs. SJSU, 2006
100-YARD RECEIVERS
285 Ashley Lelie vs. Air Force, 2001
283 Chad Owens vs. Michigan State, 2004
262 Ashley Lelie vs. BYU, 2001
238 Britton Komine vs. Nevada, 2002
220 Dwight Carter vs. Eastern Illinois, 1999
211 Ashley Lelie vs. Miami-Ohio, 2001
208 Dwight Carter vs. Navy, 1999
207 Jeremiah Cockheran vs. Alabama, 2002
188 Ryan Grice-Mullen vs. Boise St., 2005
188 Justin Colbert at Fresno State, 2002
182 Chad Owens vs. Tulsa, 2004
182 Chad Owens vs. SMU, 2002
181 Ashley Lelie vs. Rice, 2001
171 Davone Bess at Nevada, 2005
170 Ashley Lelie vs. Nevada, 2000
168 Chad Owens vs. Army, 2003
167 Ryan Grice-Mullen vs. SDSU, 2005
167 Jason Rivers vs. Idaho, 2004
164 Chad Owens at Nevada, 2003
163 Ashley Lellie vs. Montana, 2001
162 Jeremiah Cockheran vs. Houston, 2003 *
160 Craig Stutzman vs. SJSU, 2000
159 Britton Komine vs. SJSU, 2004
158 Davone Bess vs. Fresno State, 2005
158 Justin Colbert vs. Tulane, 2002 *
156 Justin Colbert vs. SJSU, 2002
155 Nate Ilaoa at Utah State, 2006
155 Chad Owens vs. Northwestern, 2004
154 Jeremiah Cockheran vs. App. State, 2003
152 Dwight Carrter vs. UTEP, 1999
151 Justin Colbert vs. Miami-Ohio, 2001
149 Chad Owens at SJSU, 2003
148 Jason Rivers vs. UAB, 2006 *
147 Chad Mock vs. NMSU, 2005
147 Britton Komine vs. Nevada, 2004
145 Channon Harris vs. BYU, 2001
143 Jason Rivers vs. Houston, 2003 *
140 Britton Komine vs. Tulsa, 2002
139 Davone Bess vs. Nevada, 2006
139 Ryan Grice-Mullen vs. Wisconsin, 2005
139 Justin Colbert vs. Montana, 2001
138 Michael Brewster vs. UTEP, 2003
138 Dwight Carter vs. Rice, 1999
137 Ryan Grice-Mullen vs. NMSU, 2005
137 Jason Rivers vs. Louisiana Tech, 2004
135 Ryan Grice-Mullen at Utah State, 2006
134 Ryan Grice-Mullen vs. Wisconsin, 2005
128 Davone Bess vs. NMSU, 2005
127 Dwight Carter at SMU, 1999
125 Ross Dickerson at NMSU, 2006
125 Ryan Grice-Mullen at SJSU, 2005
125
125
124
124
124
122
122
122
122
121
120
119
118
117
117
117
117
117
116
116
115
115
114
112
112
112
112
111
111
111
110
110
109
108
108
107
106
106
106
104
104
104
103
103
102
Ashley Lelie vs. SJSU, 2000
Channon Harris vs. Rice, 1999
Davone Bess vs. UNLV, 2006
Jeremiah Cockheran vs. Alabama, 2003
Justin Colbert vs. Wisconsin, 2000
Ian Sample vs. Eastern Illinois, 2006
Jeremiah Cockheran vs. Rice, 2003
Ashley Lelie vs. Fresno State, 2001
Craig Stutzman vs. La Tech, 2000
Ashley Lelie at SMU, 2001
Justin Colbert vs. Nevada, 2002
Neal Gossett vs. SJSU, 2002
Justin Colbret at UTEP, 2000
Davone Bess vs. Purdue, 2006
Jason Rivers vs. Army, 2003
Jeremiah Cockheran at USC, 2003
Nate Ilaoa at Rice, 2002
Justin Colbert vs. SJSU, 2000
Davone Bess vs. Oregon State, 2006
Ross Dickerson vs. USC, 2005
Ross Dickerson at Fresno State, 2006
Gerald Welch vs. Fresno State, 2003
Chad Owens vs. UAB, 2004 *
Ross Dickerson vs. Utah State, 2005
Britton Komine at UNLV, 2003
Jeremiah Cockheran at Fresno St., 2002
Channon Harris vs. Boise State, 2001
Ryan Grice-Mullen vs. UNLV, 2006
Ashley Lelie vs. UNLV, 2000
Channon Harris vs. UTEP, 1999
Davone Bess vs. Utah State, 2005
Ross Dickerson at Nevada, 2005
Neal Gossett vs. UNLV, 2000
Jason Rivers vs. Idaho, 2006
Justin Colbert vs. San Jose State, 2001
Ian Sample vs. Nevada, 2006
Jason Rivers vs. Eastern Illinois, 2006
Davone Bess at Idaho , 2005
Davone Bess vs. Boise State, 2005
Davone Bess at Boise State, 2006
Chad Mock at SJSU, 2005
Dwight Carter vs. Wash. State, 1999
Jason Rivers vs., Purdue, 2006
Justin Colbert vs. Tulsa, 2002
Davone Bess at SJSU, 2005
*denotes bowl game
TWO 100-YARD RECEIVERS IN SAME
GAME
Dwight Carter (152), Channon Harris (111) vs.
UTEP, 1999
Dwight Carter (138), Channon Harris (125) vs.
Rice, 1999
Ashley Lelie (111), Neal mGossett (109) vs.
UNLV, 2000
Ashley Lelie (163), Justin Colbert (139) vs.
Montana, 2001
Ashley Lelie (211), Justin Colbert (151) vs.
Miami-Ohio, 2001
Ashley Lelie (262), Channon Harris (145) vs.
BYU, 2001
Britton Komine (238), Justin Colbert (120) vs.
Nevada, 2002
Britton Komine (140), Justin Colbert (103) vs.
Tulsa, 2002
29
Justin Colbert (188), Jeremiah Cockheran
(112) at Fresno State, 2002
Justin Colbert (156), Neal Gossett (119) vs.
SJSU, 2002
Chad Owens (168), Jason Rivers (117) vs.
Army, 2003
Jeremiah Cockheran (162), Jason Rivers (143)
vs. Houston, 2003 *
Jason Rivers (148), Chad Owens (114) vs. UAB,
2004 *
Ryan Grice-Mullen (188), Davone Bess (106)
vs. Boise State, 2005
Davone Bess (171), Ross Dickerson (110) at
Nevada, 2005
Ross Rickerson (112), Davone Bess (110) vs.
Utah State, 2005
Davone Bess (117), Jason Rivers (103) vs.
Purdue, 2006
THREE 100-YARD RECEIVERS IN SAME
GAME
Chad Mock (147), Ryan Grice-Mullen (137),
Davone Bess (128) vs. NMSU, 2005
Ryan Grice-Mullen (125), Chd Mock (104),
Davone Bess (102) at SJSU, 2005
Craig Stutzman (160), Ashley Lelie (125),
Juston Colbert (117) vs. SJSU, 2000
400-YARD PASSERS
475 Timmy Chang vs. Houston, 2003 (SHB)
462 Timmy Chang at Fresno State, 2002
457 Colt Brennan at SJSU, 2005
452 Dan Robinson vs. Eastern Ill., 1999
437 Timmy Chang vs. San Diego State, 2002
434 Colt Brennan vs. Purdue, 2006
434 Timmy Chang vs. Montana, 2001
426 Colt Brennan vs. Boise State, 2005
426 Timmy Chang vs. UTEP, 2003
419 Colt Brennan vs. Nevada, 2006
416 Timmy Chang vs. Michigan State, 2004
413 Colt Brennan at Utah State, 2006
409 Colt Brennan at Fresno State, 2006
409 Colt Brennan vs. Eastern Ill., 2006
409 Colt Brennan at Nevada, 2005
405 Timmy Chang vs. UAB, 2004 (SHB)
405 Timmy Chang vs. Northwestern, 2004
403 Colt Brennan vs. Wisconsin, 2005
403 Timmy Chang vs. Tulsa, 2002
403 Timmy Chang vs. SJSU, 2000
402 Colt Brennan vs. SJSU, 2006
401 Colt Brennan vs. Oregon State, 2006
400 Dan Robinson vs. Rice, 1999
500-YARD PASSERS
543 Nick Rolovich vs. BYU, 2001
530 Dan Robinson vs. Navy, 1999
515 Colt Brennan vs. NMSU, 2005
505 Nick Rolovich vs. Air Force, 2001
500 Nick Rolovich vs. Miami (Ohio), 2001
TURNOVER MARGIN
Hawai’i ranks fourth in the WAC and 52nd nationally in turnover margin, having given up the football a total of 26 times in 13 games this season. That
compared to 27 takeaways equals a turnover margin of +1 (0.08 per game). After a slow start where the Warriors gave up the pigskin 10 times in their
first three games (against two takeaways), Hawai’i has managed to take care of the football, with 25 takeaways against 16 giveaways in its last 10
games. The Warrior defense has scored four touchdowns in 2006 and have forced turnovers which has led to 16 touchdowns this season.
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise State
EASTERN ILLINOIS
NEVADA
at Fresno State
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah State
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON STATE
TOTALS
Takeaways
0
1 (INT)
1 (INT)
3 (INTs)
2 (2 F)
3 (2 F, 1 INT)
3 (2 F, 1 INT)
2 (1 F, 1 INT)
4 (3 F, 1 INT)
2 (2 INT)
3 (2 F, 1 INT)
3 (1 F, 2 INT)
0
27
Giveaways
3 (2 F, 1 INT)
4 (2 F, 2 INT)
3 (2 F, 1 INT)
2 (F, INT)
2 (2 F)
0
1 (1 F)
1 (1F)
1 (1 INT)
2 (1 F, 1 INT)
2 (1 F, 1 INT)
3 (2 F, 1 INT)
2 (2 INT)
26
Margin
-3
-3
-2
+1
0
+3
+2
+1
+3
0
+1
0
-2
+1
Points Off TO (UH-Opp)
0-2
7-7
7-17
7-0
7-0
21-0
14-0
14-0
21-0
14-0
14-7
14-21
0-7
140-61
Variance
Final Score
-2
L, 17-25
0
W, 42-13
-10
L, 34-41
+7
W, 44-9
+7
W, 41-34
+21
W, 68-37
+14
W, 49-30
+14
W, 68-10
+21
W, 63-10
+14
W, 61-17
+7
W, 54-17
-7
W, 42-35
-7
L, 32-35
+79
10-3 Overall Record
DEFENSIVE TAKAWAYS
Opponent
UNLV
at Boise State
EASTERN ILLINOIS
EASTERN ILLINOIS
EASTERN ILLINOIS
NEVADA
NEVADA
at Fresno State
at Fresno State
at Fresno State
at New Mexico State
at New Mexico State
at New Mexico State
IDAHO
IDAHO
at Utah State
at Utah State
at Utah State
at Utah State
LA TECH
LA TECH
SJSU
SJSU
SJSU
PURDUE
PURDUE
PURDUE
TO
INT
INT
INT
INT
INT
Fumble
Fumble
Fumble
Fumble
INT
INT
Fumble
Fumble
Fumble
INT
Fumble
Fumble
INT
Fumble
INT
INT
Fumble
Fumble
INT
Fumble
INT
INT
Player(s)
Leonard Peters
Kenny Patton
Leonard Peters
C.J. Hawthorne
Myron Newberry
FF Jacob Patek - FR Kenny Patton
FF Adam Leonard - FR Adam Leonard
FF Solomon Elimimian - FR Ikaika Alama-Francis
FF Melila Purcell - FR Adam Leonard
Leonard Peters
Gerard Lewis
FF Melila Purcell - FR Adam Leonard
Bad snap - FR Kahai LaCount
FF Jacob Patek - FR Micah Lau
Ryan Keomaka
FF Rocky Savaiigaea - FR Lawrence Wilson
FR Adam Leonard
Ryan Keomaka
FF Michael Malala - FR Michael Malala
Gerard Lewis
Myron Newberry
FF Jacob Patek - FR Solomon Elimimian
FF Blaze Soares - FR Ikaika Alama-Francis
Jacob Patek
FR Myron Newberry
Gerard Lewis
Adam Leonard
30
Result
Touchdown (33 yards)
Led to touchdown
Out on downs
Led to touchdown
Out on downs
Led to touchdown
Missed FG
Led to touchdown
Led to touchdown
Out on downs
Led to touchdown
Led to touchdown
Led to touchdown
Led to touchdown
Interception
Led to touchdown
Led to touchdown
Led to touchdown
Interception
Led to touchdown
Led to touchdown
Led to touchdown
Led to touchdown
Ran out clock
PARTICIPATION
No
62
91
33
85
7
15
2A
46
16
82
41
70
55
48
1A
40
97
11
18
6
1
19
74
4
57
87
29
8
43
60
86
9
77
59
68
96
67
89
26
4A
44
50
23
81
20
3A
34
76
25
88
38
12
22
10
31
24
28
27
42
30
54
98
47
84
3
52
13
65
64
73
92
39
53
78
17
51
72
94
5
93
99
Name
Ah-Soon, K.
Alama-Francis
Allen-Jones, CJ
Bain, A.
Bess, D.
Brennan, C.
Chopp, A.
Clore, V.
Davis, J.
Dickerson, R.
Elimimian, S.
Esera, T.
Estes, J.
Farmer, D.
Fergerstrom, V.
Forester, B.
Fruean, R.
Funaki, I.
Galdeira, G.
Graunke, T.
Grice-Mullen
Hawthorne, CJ
Ieru, R.
Ilaoa, N.
Ingram, J.
Jackson, M.
Jones, K.
Kafentzis, T.
Kalilimoku, B.
Kaonohi, M.
Kelly, D.
Keomaka, R.
Kia, A.
Kiesel-Kauhane
LaCount, K.
Laeli, F.
Lafaele, M.
Lane, M.
Lau, M.
Laumoli, J
Leonard, A.
Letuli, L.
Lewis, G.
Linkner, D.
Malala, M.
Martinez, AJ
Mauia, R.
McKay, N.
Milne, K.
Mock, C.
Newberry, M.
Noa, Ka.
Olchovy, P.
Paepule, T.
Patek, J.
Patton, K.
Pedersen, E.
Peoples, K.
Peters, L.
Porlas, D.
Purcell, A.
Purcell, M.
Rice, J.
Rivers, J.
Sample, I.
Saole, R.
Satele, B.
Satele, H.
Satele, S.
Sauafea, L.
Savaiigaea, R.
Seti, S.
Soares, B.
Steinhoff, K.
Thomas, D.
Tuioti-Mariner
Uperesa, D.
Veikune, D.
Washington, M.
Watson, K.
Wilson, L.
GP/GS
11/12/12
13/4
9/13/13
13/13
1/5/2/13/7
12/11
13/13
13/13
12/11/5/10/11/11/7/9/8
13/5
3/12/11
13/1/2/9/7
12/6
10/13/11/9/4/9/7/13/13
10/13/8
3/13/13
3/13/6
2/13/9/4
11/3
2/9/13/2
12/7
12/2
1/13/13/13
6/4
7/2/13/13
13/8/13/13
6/13/11
13/10
13/7/1
13/13
13/13
11/8/3/11/10/13/2/13/13
13/7/11/1
13/-
UA
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UNLV
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BSU
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EIU
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XXX
XXX
NEV
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FSU
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NMSU
XXX
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XXX
XXX
XXX
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XXX
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31
IDAHO
XXX
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XXX
XXX
XXX
XXX
XXX
XXX
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USU
XXX
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LTU
XXX
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XXX
XXX
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XXX
XXX
XXX
PUR
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OSU
...
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XXX
2006 GAME-BY-GAME STARTERS
OFFENSE
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise State
Eastern Illinois
NEVADA
at Fresno State
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah State
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON STATE
XWR
Rivers
Mock
Rivers
Rivers
Rivers
Rivers
Rivers
Rivers
Rivers
Rivers
Rivers
Mock
Rivers
HWR
Bess
Bess
Bess
Bess
Bess
Bess
Bess
Bess
Bess
Bess
Bess
Bess
Bess
DEFENSE
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise State
Eastern Illinois
NEVADA
at Fresno State
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah State
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON STATE
END
M.Purcell
M.Purcell
M.Purcell
M.Purcell
M.Purcell
M.Purcell
M.Purcell
M.Purccell
M.Purcell
M.Purcell
M.Purcell
M.Purcell
M.Purcell
SPECIALISTS
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise State
Eastern Illinois
NEVADA
at Fresno State
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah State
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON STATE
PUNT
Milne
Milne
Milne
NONE
Milne
Milne
NONE
Milne
Milne
NONE
NONE
Milne
NONE
NT
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
Lafaele
FG/KO
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
RT
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
Uperesa
RG
Estes
Estes
Estes
Estes
Estes
Estes
Estes
Estes
Estes
Estes
Estes
Estes
Estes
END
A-Francis
A-Francis
A-Francis
A-Francis
A-Francis
A-Francis
A-Francis
Watson
A-Francis
A-Francis
A-Francis
A-Francis
A-Francis
PAT
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Kelly
Forester
Kelly
Forester
Forester
Forester
Forester
C
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
S.Satele
WILL
CJ A-Jones
CJ A-Jones
CJ A-Jones
B.Satele
CJ A-Jones
Lau
Lau
Lau
Lau
Lau
Lau
Lau
Lau
LSNAP
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
NONE
NONE
Ingram
Ingram
NONE
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
LG
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
H.Satele
BUCK
Elimimian
Kalilimoku
Kalilimoku
Elimimian
Elimimian
Elimimian
Elimimian
Elimimian
Elimimian
Elimimian
Elimimian
Elimimian
Elimimian
SSNAP
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
Ingram
LT
Esera
Esera
Esera
Esera
Esera
Esera
Esera
Esera
Esera
Esera
Esera
Esera
Esera
MAC
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
Leonard
YWR
G-Mullen
G-Mullen
G-Mullen
Dickerson
Mauia (RB)
Dickerson
Dickerson
G-Mullen
G-Mullen
G-Mullen
G-Mullen
G-Mullen
Mauia
STUB
Kafentzis
Kafentzis
Kafentzis
K.Noa
K.Noa
Kalilimoku
Kalilimoku
Kalilimoku
Kalilimoku
Kafentzis
Kafentzis
Kafentzis
Kafentzis
KOR
Dickerson/Patton
Dickerson/Patton
Dickerson/Patton
Dickerson/Lane
Dickerson/Lane
Dickerson/Patton
Dickerson/Lane
Dickerson/Lane
Dickerson/Lane
Dickerson/Lane
Dickerson/Lane
Dickerson/Lane
Dickerson/Lane
ZWR
Dickerson
Dickerson
Dickerson
Sample
Sample
Sample
Sample
Sample
Sample
Sample
Sample
Sample
Sample
LCB
Martinez
Martinez
Martinez
Hawthorne
Hawthorne
Hawthorne
Lewis
Lewis
Martinez
Lewis
Lewis
Lewis
Lewis
PR
Hawthorne
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Bess
Bess
QB
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
Brennan
FS
Peters
Peters
Peters
Peters
Peters
Peters
Peters
Peters
Peters
Peters
Peters
Peters
Peters
RB
Ilaoa
Ilaoa
Ilaoa
Ilaoa
Ilaoa
Ilaoa
Ilaoa
Ilaoa
Ilaoa
Mauia
Ilaoa
Ilaoa
Dickerson
SS
Patek
Patek
Patek
Patek
Patek
Patek
Patek
Patek
Patek
Patek
Patek
Patek
Patek
RCB
Hawthorne
Hawthorne
Patton
Patton
Patton
Patton
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
Newberry
HOLD
Milne
Milne
Milne
Funaki
Funaki
Funaki
Funaki
Funaki
Funaki
Funaki
Funaki
Funaki
Funaki
2006 GAME-BY-GAME LEADERS
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise State
Eastern Illinois
NEVADA
at Fresno State
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah State
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON STATE
Passing
Brennan (350)
Brennan (296)
Brennan (388)
Brennan (409)
Brennan (419)
Brennan (409)
Brennan (330)
Brennan (333)
Brennan (413)
Brennan (406)
Brennan (402)
Brennan (434)
Brennan (401)
Rushing
Ilaoa (4-27)
Ilaoa (9-104)
Ilaoa (12-68)
Ilaoa (9-46)
Ilaoa (14-151)
Brennan (7-43)
Ilaoa (18-94)
Brennan (63)
Ilaoa (55)
Brennan (60)
Ilaoa (100)
Ilaoa (159)
Ilaoa (48)
Receptions
Bess (8)
Bess (10)
Bess/Rivers (6)
Bess (7)
Bess (10)
Dickerson (10)
Dickerson (6)
Sample (8)
Ilaoa (6)
Bess (6)
Bess/Ilaoa (6)
Ilaoa (7)
Bess (10)
32
Receiving Yards
G-Mullen (109)
Bess (124)
Bess (104)
Sample (122)
Bess (139)
Dickerson (115)
Dickerson (125)
Rivers (108)
Ilaoa (155)
Bess (143)
Bess (81)
Bess (117)
Bess (116)
Touchdowns
G-Mullen/Mauia (1)
Ilaoa (2)
Rivers (3)
Sample/Ilaoa (2)
Sample (2)
Ilaoa (3)
Dickerson (2)
G-Mullen (2)
Ilaoa (3)
Bess/Mauia (2)
Bess/Ilaoa (2)
Ilaoa (2)
4 Players (1)
Tackles
Leonard (11)
Kalilimoku (8)
Peters (13)
Leonard (10)
Leonard (10)
Elimimian (7)
Elimimian (14)
Leonard (7)
Leonard (11)
Leonard (6)
Elimimian (12)
Elimimian (14)
Leonard (10)
RECORD
ALL GAMES
CONFERENCE
NON-CONFERENCE
DATE
Sept. 2
Sept. 16
Sept. 23
Sept. 30
Oct. 7
Oct. 14
Oct. 21
Oct. 28
Nov. 4
Nov. 11
Nov. 18
Nov. 25
Dec. 2
Dec. 24
OVERALL
10-3-0
7-1-0
3-1-0
OPPONENT
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise State *
EASTERN ILLINOIS
NEVADA *
at Fresno State *
at New Mexico State *
IDAHO *
at Utah State *
LOUISIANA TECH *
SAN JOSE STATE *
PURDUE
OREGON STATE
ARIZONA STATE (SHB)
HOME
7-0-0
4-0-0
3-0-0
W/L
L
W
L
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
L
AWAY
3-2-0
3-1-0
0-1-0
SCORE
17-25
42-13
34-41
44-9
41-34
68-37
49-30
68-10
63-10
61-17
54-17
42-35
32-35
NEUTRAL
0-0-0
0-0-0
0-0-0
ATTEND
92,138
32,008
30,652
29,358
33,761
39,122
17,318
34,051
10,291
32,083
33,622
47,825
50,000
TEAM STATISTICS
HAWAI'I
OPPONENTS
SCORING ____________________________615 __________________313
Points Per Game ______________________47.3__________________24.1
FIRST DOWNS__________________________352 __________________270
Rushing ____________________________79 __________________97
Passing ____________________________255 __________________149
Penalty ______________________________18 __________________24
RUSHING YARDAGE ____________________1530 ________________1705
Yards gained rushing __________________1737 ________________2035
Yards lost rushing ____________________207 __________________330
Rushing Attempts ____________________271 __________________449
Average Per Rush ______________________5.6 __________________3.8
Average Per Game ____________________117.7 ________________131.2
TDs Rushing __________________________22 __________________12
PASSING YARDAGE______________________5619 ________________3193
Att-Comp-Int ______________________573-411-11 ____________420-231-14
Average Per Pass ______________________9.8 __________________7.6
Average Per Catch ____________________13.7 ________________13.8
Average Per Game ____________________432.2 ________________245.6
TDs Passing __________________________57 __________________27
TOTAL OFFENSE ________________________7149 ________________4898
Total Plays __________________________844 __________________869
Average Per Play ______________________8.5 __________________5.6
Average Per Game ____________________549.9 ________________376.8
KICK RETURNS: #-YARDS ________________43-862 ______________61-1290
PUNT RETURNS: #-YARDS ________________28-219 ________________7-50
INT RETURNS: #-YARDS ________________14-290 ________________11-47
KICK RETURN AVERAGE __________________20.0 ________________21.1
PUNT RETURN AVERAGE __________________7.8 __________________7.1
INT RETURN AVERAGE __________________20.7 __________________4.3
FUMBLES-LOST________________________26-15 ________________25-13
PENALTIES-YARDS ____________________93-826 ______________67-603
Average Per Game ____________________63.5 ________________46.4
PUNTS-YARDS ________________________16-602 ______________56-2304
Average Per Punt______________________37.6__________________41.1
Net punt average ____________________34.5 ________________35.8
TIME OF POSSESSION/GAME ______________ 28:40 ________________ 31:20
3RD-DOWN CONVERSIONS ______________71/123 ______________67/171
3rd-Down Pct ________________________58% ________________39%
4TH-DOWN CONVERSIONS ________________8/20 ________________7/22
4th-Down Pct ________________________40% ________________32%
SACKS BY-YARDS ______________________26-166 ______________24-131
MISC YARDS ____________________________0 __________________56
TOUCHDOWNS SCORED __________________84 __________________40
FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS ________________11-14 ________________11-13
ON-SIDE KICKS ________________________0-1 __________________1-2
RED-ZONE SCORES __________________71-83 86% ____________34-43 79%
RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS ______________63-83 76% ____________25-43 58%
PAT-ATTEMPTS ______________________70-77 91% ____________34-37 92%
ATTENDANCE ________________________292708 ______________189511
Games/Avg Per Game ________________8/36588 ______________5/37902
Neutral Site Games __________________________________________0/0
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Hawai’i
Opponents
PASSING
Colt Brennan
Tyler Graunke
Inoke Funaki
Kurt Milne
TEAM
Total
Opponents
G
1st
137
72
2nd
190
88
3rd
140
69
4th
148
84
13
7
11
9
10
13
13
Effic Cmp-Att-Int
182.80 373-517-11
202.99
32-43-0
139.60
6-12-0
0.00
0-1-0
0.00
0-0-0
183.09 411-573-11
133.41 231-420-14
RUSHING
Nate Ilaoa
Colt Brennan
Reagan Mauia
Jason Laumoli
Inoke Funaki
Tyler Graunke
David Farmer
Grice-Mullen
Ross Dickerson
Khevin Peoples
Siave Seti
TEAM
Total
Opponents
GP
12
13
11
3
11
7
12
9
13
2
3
10
13
13
Att
113
79
29
4
10
9
7
2
4
4
3
7
271
449
Gain Loss Net Avg
905
12 893 7.9
472 121 351 4.4
147
3 144 5.0
34
0
34 8.5
46
12
34 3.4
46
16
30 3.3
32
2
30 4.3
24
0
24 12.0
15
2
13 3.2
14
7
7 1.8
2
0
2 0.7
0
32 -32 -4.6
1737 207 1530 5.6
2035 330 1705 3.8
RECEIVING
Davone Bess
Nate Ilaoa
Jason Rivers
Ross Dickerson
Ian Sample
Grice-Mullen
Chad Mock
Reagan Mauia
Aaron Bain
David Farmer
Malcolm Lane
Michael Washington
Dylan Linkner
Siave Seti
Total
Opponents
G
13
12
13
13
13
9
13
11
9
12
10
7
2
3
13
13
No.
91
63
58
54
53
38
25
10
7
4
3
3
1
1
411
231
Yds
1155
781
870
726
686
659
363
109
69
12
120
50
15
4
5619
3193
Avg
12.7
12.4
15.0
13.4
12.9
17.3
14.5
10.9
9.9
3.0
40.0
16.7
15.0
4.0
13.7
13.8
Pct Yds
72.1 4990
74.4 501
50.0 128
0.0
0
0.0
0
71.7 5619
55.0 3193
TD Lng Avg/G
53
63 383.8
4
62
71.6
0
58
11.6
0
0
0.0
0
0
0.0
57
63 432.2
27
80 245.6
TD Long Avg/G
13
38
74.4
5
30
27.0
2
22
13.1
0
19
11.3
0
12
3.1
1
24
4.3
1
15
2.5
0
20
2.7
0
9
1.0
0
9
3.5
0
1
0.7
0
0
-3.2
22
38 117.7
12
69 131.2
TD Long Avg/G
14
49
88.8
5
60
65.1
8
62
66.9
7
50
55.8
10
63
52.8
9
60
73.2
3
46
27.9
1
29
9.9
0
26
7.7
0
10
1.0
0
58
12.0
0
23
7.1
0
15
7.5
0
4
1.3
57
63 432.2
27
80 245.6
PUNT RETURNS
Myron Newberry
Davone Bess
C.J. Hawthorne
Kenny Patton
Total
Opponents
No.
22
4
1
1
28
7
Yds
130
69
2
18
219
50
Avg
5.9
17.2
2.0
18.0
7.8
7.1
TD
0
0
0
0
0
0
Long
25
35
2
18
35
16
INTERCEPTIONS
Leonard Peters
Gerard Lewis
Myron Newberry
Ryan Keomaka
Kenny Patton
Jacob Patek
Adam Leonard
C.J. Hawthorne
Total
Opponents
No.
3
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
14
11
Yds
101
33
49
52
19
31
5
0
290
47
Avg
33.7
11.0
24.5
26.0
19.0
31.0
5.0
0.0
20.7
4.3
TD
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
3
0
Long
54
33
49
29
19
31
5
0
54
16
33
OT Total
615
313
KICK RETURNS
No.
Ross Dickerson
23
Malcolm Lane
6
Kenny Patton
5
Victor Vergerstrom
3
Blaze Soares
2
David Veikune
2
Chopp, A.
1
1
Chad Mock
Total
43
Opponents
61
FUMBLE RETURNS
Adam Leonard
Kenny Patton
Total
Opponents
No.
2
1
3
7
Yds
603
87
98
15
18
25
4
12
862
1290
Avg
26.2
14.5
19.6
5.0
9.0
12.5
4.0
12.0
20.0
21.1
Yds
20
0
20
28
Avg
10.0
0.0
6.7
4.0
TD
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
FIELD GOALS
Dan Kelly
Long
100
22
35
12
10
18
4
12
100
100
FG SEQUENCE
ALABAMA
UNLV
Boise State
Eastern Illinois
Nevada
Fresno State
New Mexico State
Idaho
Utah State
Louisiana Tech
San Jose State
Purdue
Oregon State
TD Long
1
20
0
0
1
20
0
11
SCORING
Nate Ilaoa
Davone Bess
Dan Kelly
Ian Sample
Grice-Mullen
Ross Dickerson
Jason Rivers
Colt Brennan
Briton Forester
Reagan Mauia
Chad Mock
Leonard Peters
Tyler Graunke
David Farmer
Ryan Keomaka
Adam Leonard
TEAM
C.J. Allen-Jones
Kurt Milne
Inoke Funaki
Total
Opponents
|----------- PATs -----------|
TD FGs Kick Rush Rcv Pass DXP
18
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
14
0-0
0-0 0-0
2
0-0
0
0 11-14 42-45 0-0
0
0-1
0
10
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
9
0-0
0-0 0-0
1
0-0
0
8
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
8
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
5
0-0
0-0 0-1
0
3-3
0
0
0-0 28-31 0-0
0
0-0
0
3
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
3
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
2
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
1
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
1
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
1
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
1
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
0
0-0
0-1 0-0
0
0-0
0
0
0-0
0-0 0-0
0
0-0
0
0
0-0
0-0 0-1
0
0-0
0
0
0-0
0-0 0-1
0
0-0
0
84 11-14 70-77 0-3
3
3-4
0
40 11-13 34-37 1-3
0
0-0
1
TOTAL OFFENSE
Colt Brennan
Nate Ilaoa
Tyler Graunke
Inoke Funaki
Reagan Mauia
Jason Laumoli
David Farmer
Grice-Mullen
Ross Dickerson
Khevin Peoples
Siave Seti
TEAM
Total
Opponents
G Plays
13
596
12
113
7
52
11
22
11
29
3
4
12
7
9
2
13
4
2
4
3
3
10
7
13
844
13
869
PUNTING
Kurt Milne
Total
Opponents
KICKOFFS
Dan Kelly
Kurt Milne
Total
Opponents
No.
16
16
56
Rush
351
893
30
34
144
34
30
24
13
7
2
-32
1530
1705
Yds
602
602
2304
Pass
4990
0
501
128
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5619
3193
No.
Yds
Avg
104 6422 61.8
40
4
246
61.5
0
108 6668 61.7
40
62
3419 55.1
14
Saf Points
0
108
0
88
0
75
0
60
0
56
0
48
0
48
0
30
0
28
0
18
0
18
0
12
0
6
0
6
0
6
0
6
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
615
1
313
Total Avg/G
5341 410.8
893
74.4
531
75.9
162
14.7
144
13.1
34
11.3
30
2.5
24
2.7
13
1.0
7
3.5
2
0.7
-32
-3.2
7149 549.9
4898 376.8
Avg Long
37.6
52
37.6
52
41.1
57
TB
7
0
7
0
FGM-FGA
11-14
TB
0
0
4
FC
5
5
6
I20 Blkd
3
0
3
0
15
1
OB Retn
Net YdLn
1290
862
42.4
36.7
Pct 01-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-99 Lg Blk
78.6
0-0
5-6
4-5
1-1
1-2 52 1
HAWAI'I‘I
(42)
(35)
(35),(25),24
(39),(24)
(39),(29)
(22),(52)
50,38,(26)
OPPONENTS
(31),31,(23),(27)
(32)
(43)
(28)
(25)
(26)
(46),33
(30)
(37)
-
Numbers in (parentheses) indicate field goal was made
ALL PURPOSE
Nate Ilaoa
Ross Dickerson
Davone Bess
Jason Rivers
Ian Sample
Grice-Mullen
Chad Mock
Colt Brennan
Reagan Mauia
Malcolm Lane
Myron Newberry
Kenny Patton
Leonard Peters
Aaron Bain
Ryan Keomaka
Michael Washington
David Farmer
Inoke Funaki
Jason Laumoli
Gerard Lewis
Jacob Patek
Tyler Graunke
David Veikune
Blaze Soares
Victor Vergerstrom
Dylan Linkner
Khevin Peoples
Siave Seti
Adam Leonard
Chopp, A.
C.J. Hawthorne
TEAM
Total
Opponents
G
12
13
13
13
13
9
13
13
11
10
12
6
13
9
11
7
12
11
3
13
13
7
13
11
11
2
2
3
13
1
13
10
13
13
Rush
893
13
0
0
0
24
0
351
144
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
30
34
34
0
0
30
0
0
0
0
7
2
0
0
0
-32
1530
1705
Rec
781
726
1155
870
686
659
363
0
109
120
0
0
0
69
0
50
12
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
15
0
4
0
0
0
0
5619
3193
PR
0
0
69
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
130
18
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
219
50
KOR
0
603
0
0
0
0
12
0
0
87
0
98
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
25
18
15
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
862
1290
IR
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
49
19
101
0
52
0
0
0
0
33
31
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
0
0
290
47
Tot
1674
1342
1224
870
686
683
375
351
253
207
179
135
101
69
52
50
42
34
34
33
31
30
25
18
15
15
7
6
5
4
2
-32
8520
6285
Avg
139.5
103.2
94.2
66.9
52.8
75.9
28.8
27.0
23.0
20.7
14.9
22.5
7.8
7.7
4.7
7.1
3.5
3.1
11.3
2.5
2.4
4.3
1.9
1.6
1.4
7.5
3.5
2.0
0.4
4.0
0.2
-3.2
655.4
483.5
22
28
34
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
44 Adam Leonard
41 Solomon Elimimian
42 Leonard Peters
98 Melila Purcell
31 Jacob Patek
91 Ikaika Alama-Francis
43 Brad Kalilimoku
38 Myron Newberry
23 Gerard Lewis
67 Michael Lafaele
26 Micah Lau
24 Kenny Patton
8 Tyson Kafentzis
3A A.J. Martinez
52 Rustin Saole
9 Ryan Keomaka
12 Noa, Ka.
33 C.J. Allen-Jones
10
19
20
53
54
94
30
99
28
18
93
97
92
1A
86
17
59
13
88
46
96
74
50
47
11
48
34
68
1
84
7
4
|-------Tackles-------|
GP Solo Ast Total
13
59
49
108
12
45
36
81
13
40
28
68
13
34
20
54
13
32
18
50
12
18
18
36
12
19
15
34
12
21
10
31
13
17
13
30
13
16
13
29
13
13
8
21
6
13
5
18
9
11
7
18
9
10
7
17
13
16
1
17
11
14
2
16
12
9
6
15
13
6
9
15
TFL/Yds
3.5-9
2.0-5
2.0-10
13.5-37
1.0-1
9.0-50
5.5-18
.
0.5-4
5.5-22
1.5-10
.
2.0-3
2.0-9
.
0.5-1
2.5-12
2.0-5
|-Sacks-| |----Pass Def----|
No-Yards Int-Yds BrUp
1.0-2
1-5
8
.
.
1
.
3-101
7
7.5-29
.
1
1.0-6
1-31
3
3.0-27
.
2
2.0-13
.
.
.
2-49
2
.
3-33
4
2.0-14
.
.
.
.
.
.
1-19
3
.
.
.
.
.
4
.
.
.
.
2-52
.
1.0-8
.
.
.
.
2
QBH
3
2
1
12
4
14
1
.
.
1
.
.
3
.
.
.
.
.
|----Fumbles----|
Rcv-Yds
FF
4-20
1
1-0
1
.
1
.
4
.
3
2-0
1
.
.
1-0
.
.
.
.
.
1-0
.
1-0
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Blkd
Kick
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1
Saf
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Timo Paepule
C.J. Hawthorne
Michael Malala
Blaze Soares
Amani Purcell
David Veikune
Dane Porlas
Lawrence Wilson
Erik Pedersen
Guyton Galdeira
Keala Watson
Renolds Fruean
Rocky Savaiigaea
Victor Vergerstrom
Dan Kelly
Desmond Thomas
R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane
Brashton Satele
Chad Mock
Victor Clore
Fale Laeli
Raphael Ieru
Laupepa Letuli
Joshua Rice
Inoke Funaki
David Farmer
Reagan Mauia
Kahai LaCount
Grice-Mullen
Jason Rivers
Davone Bess
Nate Ilaoa
13
13
13
11
8
13
13
13
7
11
11
10
8
11
13
13
4
7
13
5
7
3
3
6
11
12
11
9
9
13
13
12
10
12
7
14
6
8
7
4
5
4
3
4
6
2
4
4
2
2
2
2
.
.
.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
2
7
.
5
2
1
3
2
3
4
3
.
3
.
.
1
.
.
.
2
1
1
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
15
14
14
14
11
10
8
7
7
7
7
7
6
5
4
4
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1.0-2
.
.
3.0-24
1.0-12
3.0-14
.
1.5-1
.
.
0.5-1
1.5-4
2.0-2
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
0.5-0
1.0-13
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
2.0-20
1.0-12
2.0-12
.
.
.
.
.
1.5-4
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1.0-13
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1-0
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1
2
1
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
3
3
.
.
.
.
.
2
1
.
.
.
.
.
2
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1-0
.
.
.
.
1-0
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1-0
.
.
.
.
.
2
1
1
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Total
Opponents
13
13
510
515
310
231
820
746
68-269
45.0-180
26-166
24-131
14-290
11-47
41
48
52
12
13-20
16-28
16
15
2
4
1
1
35
RED ZONE NUMBERS
HAWAI’I Inside Opponent Red Zone
Date
Sept 2
Sep 16
*Sep 23
Sep 30
*Oct 7
*Oct 14
*Oct 21
*Oct 28
*Nov 04
*Nov 11
*Nov 18
Nov 25
Dec 2
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise State
EASTERN ILL.
NEVADA
at Fresno State
at NMSU
Idaho
at Utah State
Louisiana Tech
San Jose State
Purdue
Oregon State
Totals
Score
L 17-25
W 42-13
L 34-41
W 44-9
W 41-34
W 68-37
W 49-30
W 68-10
W 63-10
W 61-17
W 54-17
W 42-35
L 32-35
Times
In RZ
2
6
5
5
8
7
6
7
6
8
8
6
9
83
Times
Scored
1
5
4
5
6
7
4
7
6
8
8
5
5
71
Total
Pts
7
35
28
31
34
47
27
48
42
51
47
32
30
459
TDs
1
5
4
4
4
7
4
7
6
7
6
4
4
63
Rush
TDs
0
3
0
1
1
3
1
2
2
3
2
2
2
22
Pass FGs
TDs Made
1
0
2
0
4
0
3
1
3
2
4
0
3
0
5
0
4
0
4
1
4
2
2
1
2
1
41
8
[------- Failed to score inside RZ -------]
FGA Downs Int
Fumb Half Game
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
1
1
0
0
0
3
3
1
4
1
0
Times
In RZ
5
2
6
3
6
4
4
2
2
2
3
3
1
43
Times Total
Scored Pts
4
16
2
13
5
32
1
6
5
34
4
24
3
16
2
10
1
7
1
3
3
17
2
14
1
7
34
199
TDs
1
2
4
1
5
3
2
1
1
0
2
2
1
25
Rush
TDs
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
0
1
0
2
0
1
12
Pass FGs
TDs Made
0
3
1
0
2
1
0
0
4
0
2
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
2
0
0
0
13
9
[------- Failed to score inside RZ -------]
FGA Downs Int
Fumb Half Game
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
4
2
1
0
0
71 of 83 (85.5%)
OPPONENTS Inside Hawai’i Red Zone
Date
Sept 2
Sep 16
*Sep 23
Sep 30
*Oct 7
*Oct 14
*Oct 21
*Oct 28
*Nov 04
*Nov 11
*Nov 18
Nov 25
Dec 2
Opponent
at ALABAMA
UNLV
at Boise State
Eastern Illinois
Nevada
at Fresno State
at NMSU
Idaho
at Utah State
Louisiana Tech
San Jose State
Purdue
Oregon State
Totals
Score
L 17-25
W 42-13
L 34-41
W 44-9
W 41-34
W 68-37
W 49-30
W 68-10
W 63-10
W 61-17
W 54-17
W 42-35
L 32-35
34 of 43 (79.1%)
36
HAWAI’I RED ZONE DRIVES
Opponent
at Alabama
at Alabama
UNLV
UNLV
UNLV
UNLV
UNLV
UNLV
at Boise St.
at Boise St.
at Boise St.
at Boise St.
at Boise St.
EIU
EIU
EIU
EIU
EIU
NEVADA
NEVADA
NEVADA
NEVADA
NEVADA
NEVADA
NEVADA
NEVADA
at Fresno St.
ar Fresno St.
at Fresno St.
at Fresno St.
at Fresno St.
at Fresno St.
at Fresno St.
at NMSU
at NMSU
at NMSU
at NMSU
at NMSU
at NMSU
IDAHO
IDAHO
IDAHO
IDAHO
IDAHO
IDAHO
IDAHO
at Utah St.
at Utah St.
at Utah St.
at Utah St.
at Utah St.
at Utah St.
LA TECH
LA TECH
LA TECH
LA TECH
LA TECH
LA TECH
LA TECH
LA TECH
Started
A 18
A 18
U 20
U7
U8
U 18
U 14
U 20
B8
B 11
B 18
B 19
B 20
E 15
E9
E 18
E 20
E 18
N 17
N 17
N 19
N 12
N 11
N 17
N8
N1
F 14
F 15
F 20
F 20
F 20
F 11
F 10
N4
N 16
N 20
N 16
N 15
N 11
I 19
I 16
I 10
I 18
I 17
I 18
I 10
U 13
U 12
U 18
U3
U1
U4
LTU 5
LTU 19
LTU 13
LTU 7
LTU 5
LTU 19
LTU 6
LTU 18
Quarter
3rd
3rd
1st
1st
2nd
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
4th
1st
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
1st
1st
2nd
2nd
3rd
3rd
3rd
4th
1st
1st
2nd
2nd
3rd
3rd
4th
1st
2nd
2nd
3rd
4th
4th
1st
2nd
2nd
2nd
3rd
4th
4th
1st
3rd
3rd
3rd
4th
4th
1st
2nd
2nd
2nd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
Score
3-22
3-22
0-0
7-0
14-0
21-0
35-0
42-7
0-15
6-24
14-34
21-34
27-41
7-0
14-6
27-9
34-9
41-9
0-0
3-7
17-7
24-14
31-21
34-21
34-21
34-21
0-7
14-7
21-7
28-14
42-23
49-23
62-30
0-0
14-14
21-17
28-24
28-24
49-30
7-0
14-7
10-21
10-28
10-41
10-48
10-55
7-3
28-10
35-10
42-10
49-10
56-10
0-3
9-10
16-10
23-10
26-10
33-10
40-10
47-10
Plays-Yards
2-14
2-18
3-20
1-7
2-8
3-18
2-14
7-19
4-4
1-11
1-18
4-19
3-20
3-16
2-9
1-18
3-20
4-18
1-18
1-17
5-24
5-12
4-8
2-16
4-1
1-6
2-14
2-15
3-25
1-20
1-20
1-2
3-10
1-4
1-16
2-20
6-14
3-25
2-7
3-19
5-16
3-10
2-18
2-17
2-18
2-10
1-13
1-12
1-18
1-3
1-1
1-4
3-5
2-19
1-13
1-7
2-5
1-19
3-6
3-18
Result
Fumble (Reagan Mauia)
Touchdown (Reagan Mauia 16 shovel pass from Colt Brennan)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan 7 pass to Ryan Grice-Mullen)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan 7 pass to Davone Bess)
Touchdown (Nate Ilaoa 8 run)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan 1 run)
Fumble (Tyler Graunke)
Bad snap on FG attempt
Touchdown (Colt Brennan 11 pass to Jason Rivers)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan 16 pass to Ross Dickerson)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan 4 pass to Nate Ilaoa)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan 18 pass to Chad Mock)
Field Goal (Dan Kelly 35)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan 17 pass to Ian Sample)
Fumble (Nate Ilaoa)
Blocked Field Goal
Touchdown (Tyler Graunke 1 pass to Jason Rivers)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan 16 pass to Davonme Bess)
Fumble (Colt Brennan)
End of game
Touchdown (Tyler Graunke 18 pass to Ryan Grice-Mullen)
Touchdown (Tyler Graunke 5 run)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan to Nate Ilaoa)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan to Davone Bess)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan to Ryan Grice-Mullen)
Touchdown (Tyler Graunke to Jason Rivers)
Touchdown (David Farmer 4 run)
Touchdown (reagam Mauia 1 run)
Touchdown (Colt Brennan 18 pass to Chad Mock)
Touchdown (Reagan Mauia 3 run)
37
Opponent
SJSU
SJSU
SJSU
SJSU
SJSU
SJSU
SJSU
SJSU
PURDUE
PURDUE
PURDUE
PURDUE
PURDUE
PURDUE
OREGON STATE
OREGON STATE
OREGON STATE
OREGON STATE
OREGON STATE
OREGON STATE
OREGON STATE
Started
SJSU 17
SJSU 16
SJSU 8
SJSU 18
SJSU 15
SJSU 15
SJSU 19
SJSU 19
PU 15
PU 17
PU 16
PU 20
PU 18
PU 10
OSU 20
OSU 13
OSU 12
OSU 20
OSU 14
OSU 9
OSU 15
Quarter
1st
1st
2nd
3rd
3rd
4th
4th
4th
1st
1st
2nd
2nd
4th
4th
1st
2nd
2nd
2nd
3rd
3rd
4th
Score
0-0
10-0
13-7
20-10
27-17
34-17
41-17
47-17
0-0
7-0
7-0
14-0
20-21
27-35
0-0
0-7
7-14
14-21
21-21
21-28
24-35
Plays-Yards
2-22
5-12
2-8
4-18
2-15
2-15
1-19
1-19
3-15
4-7
1-16
2-37
2-18
1-5
4-0
3-10
3-12
2-20
1-0
1-26
4-15
Result
Out on downs
Missed FG
Touchdown (Cotl Brennan 11 pass to Davone Bess)
INT (Colt Brennan)
38
HAWAII Team Game-by-Game
Date
Sept 2, 2006
Sep 16, 2006
Sep 23, 2006
Sep 30, 2006
Oct 7, 2006
Oct 14, 2006
Oct 21, 2006
Oct 28, 2006
Nov 04, 2006
Nov 11, 2006
Nov 18, 2006
Nov 25, 2006
Dec 2, 2006
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise St.
EASTERN ILL.
NEVADA
at Fresno St.
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah St.
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON ST.
Totals
Opponent
|---RUSHING---| |--RECEIVING--|
|------PASSING------|
No. Yds TD Lg No. Yds TD Lg Cmp-Att-Int Yds TD Lg
15 22 0 18
30 350 2 32
30-44-1
350 2 32
31 214 3 24
33 369 2 32
33-45-2
369 2 32
18 88 0 18
25 388 5 37
25-37-1
388 5 37
17 42 1 19
35 529 5 58
35-51-1
529 5 58
24 160 1 35
36 419 4 63
36-47-0
419 4 63
18 100 3 20
37 470 6 47
37-44-0
470 6 47
33 155 1 12
23 353 5 36
23-34-0
353 5 36
15 78 2 26
40 497 6 62
40-51-0
497 6 62
13 86 2 33
23 486 7 60
23-38-1
486 7 60
12 112 3 30
30 506 5 49
30-44-1
506 5 49
26 151 2 20
29 417 5 37
29-40-1
417 5 37
20 219 2 38
33 434 3 49
33-48-1
434 3 49
29 103 2 20
37 401 2 34
37-50-2
401 2 34
271 1530 22 38
411 5619 57 63
411-573-11 5619 57 63
449 1705 12 69
231 3193 27 80
231-420-14 3193 27 80
|--KICK RET--|
No Yds TD Lg
5 143 0 48
3 55 0 35
4 84 0 42
2 31 0 20
3 52 0 20
2 32 0 20
4 158 0 64
3 103 1 100
3 37 0 15
4 56 0 23
2 16 0 9
4 51 0 21
4 44 0 18
43 862 1 100
61 1290 1 100
|--PUNT RET--|
No Yds TD Lg
1 2
0 2
1 -4 0 0
2 27 0 15
3 -2 0 0
2 32 0 18
2 -1 0 0
1 3
0 3
2 22 0 15
4 24 0 14
2 28 0 25
4 19 0 8
2 22 0 12
2 47 0 35
28 219 0 35
7 50 0 16
All
Purp
517
667
606
614
663
655
669
729
656
784
634
731
595
8520
6285
Games played: 13
Avg per rush: 5.6
Avg per catch: 13.7
Pass efficiency: 183.09
Kick ret avg: 20.0
Punt ret avg: 7.8
All purpose avg/game: 655.4
Total offense avg/gm: 549.9
Date
Sept 2, 2006
Sep 16, 2006
Sep 23, 2006
Sep 30, 2006
Oct 7, 2006
Oct 14, 2006
Oct 21, 2006
Oct 28, 2006
Nov 04, 2006
Nov 11, 2006
Nov 18, 2006
Nov 25, 2006
Dec 2, 2006
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise St.
EASTERN ILL.
NEVADA
at Fresno St.
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah St.
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON ST.
Totals
Opponent
|---------TACKLES---------| |-SACKS-| |-FUMBLE-|
Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds
No-Yds FF FR-Yds
30
40 70
5.0-11
1.0-2
1 0-0
41
17 58
9.0-38
3.0-25
0 0-0
29
50 79
4.0-17
1.0-9
1 0-0
45
14 59
6.0-18
1.0-9
0 0-0
44
9
53
2.0-10
1.0-8
2 2-0
40
28 68
6.0-32
1.0-8
2 2-0
30
50 80
8.0-13
4.0-6
2 2-20
46
14 60
3.0-4
0.0-0
1 1-0
42
32 74
4.0-13
1.0-8
3 3-0
58
6
64
9.0-62
5.0-49
0 0-0
39
14 53
10.0-39
5.0-23
3 2-0
44
18 62
1.0-7
1.0-7
0 1-0
22
18 40
1.0-5
1.0-6
1 0-0
510
310 820
68.0-269
25.0-160 16 13-20
515
231 746
45.0-180
24.0-131 15 16-28
Date
Sept 2, 2006
Sep 16, 2006
Sep 23, 2006
Sep 30, 2006
Oct 7, 2006
Oct 14, 2006
Oct 21, 2006
Oct 28, 2006
Nov 04, 2006
Nov 11, 2006
Nov 18, 2006
Nov 25, 2006
Dec 2, 2006
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise St.
EASTERN ILL.
NEVADA
at Fresno St.
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah St.
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON ST.
Totals
Opponent
|------------------PUNTING------------------|
No Yds Avg Long Blkd TB FC 50+ I20
3
106 35.3 50
0
0
1
1
0
3
112 37.3 42
0
0
1
0
0
2
83 41.5 43
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0.0 0
0
0
0
0
0
1
41 41.0 41
0
0
1
0
1
2
90 45.0 52
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0.0 0
0
0
0
0
0
1
46 46.0 46
0
0
0
0
0
3
107 35.7 44
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0.0 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0 0
0
0
0
0
0
1
17 17.0 17
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0 0
0
0
0
0
0
16
602 37.6 52
0
0
5
2
3
56 2304 41.1 57
1
4
6
11
15
39
Int-Yds
0-0
1-33
1-19
3-14
0-0
1-54
1-0
1-29
1-23
2-82
1-31
2-5
0-0
14-290
11-47
QBH
4
8
0
7
3
0
0
4
1
6
10
4
5
52
12
Pass Blkd |--Kicks--XPTS--|
Brk Kick Att-Mad Run Rcv Saf Pts
3
0
2-2
0
0
0 17
8
1
6-6
0
0
0 42
4
0
2-2
0
1
0 34
1
0
6-5
0
0
0 44
3
1
5-5
0
0
0 41
2
0
10-8 0
0
0 68
4
0
6-5
0
1
0 49
4
0
9-8
0
0
0 68
2
0
9-9
0
0
0 63
4
0
8-7
0
0
0 61
2
0
7-6
0
0
0 54
4
0
4-4
0
1
0 42
0
0
3-3
0
0
1 32
41 2
77-70 0
3
1 615
48 4
37-34 1
0
1 313
|--FIELD GOALS--|
Att-Made Lg Blkd
1-1
42 0 5
0-0
0
07
0-0
0
05
1-1
35 0 8
3-2
35 1 8
0-0
0
0 11
0-0
0
08
0-0
0
0 11
0-0
0
0 11
2-2
39 0 10
2-2
39 0 10
2-2
52 0 8
3-1
26 0 6
14-11
52 1 108
13-11
46 0 62
|------KICKOFFS------|
No Yds Avg TB OB
319 63.8 1
0
422 60.3 0
1
215 43.0 1
1
475 59.4 1
0
518 64.8 2
0
666 60.5 3
2
520 65.0 7
0
700 63.6 3
0
727 66.1 7
0
611 61.1 2
3
643 64.3 6
0
489 61.1 5
0
363 60.5 2
0
6668 61.7 40
7
3419 55.1 14
0
OPPONENT Team Game-by-Game
Date
Sept 2, 2006
Sep 16, 2006
Sep 23, 2006
Sep 30, 2006
Oct 7, 2006
Oct 14, 2006
Oct 21, 2006
Oct 28, 2006
Nov 04, 2006
Nov 11, 2006
Nov 18, 2006
Nov 25, 2006
Dec 2, 2006
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise St.
EASTERN ILL.
NEVADA
at Fresno St.
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah St.
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON ST.
Opponents
HAWAII
|---RUSHING---| |--RECEIVING--|
|------PASSING------|
No. Yds TD Lg
No. Yds TD Lg Cmp-Att-Int Yds TD Lg
36 125 1 17
16 253 1 36
16-29-0
253 1 36
28 39 1 12
18 232 1 40
18-47-1
232 1 40
44 242 2 27
17 273 3 53
17-29-1
273 3 53
40 234 1 69
8 57 0 10
8-21-3
57 0 10
25 108 1 18
26 364 4 46
26-36-0
364 4 46
41 183 1 25
18 304 4 75
18-29-1
304 4 75
30 118 1 19
32 330 3 61
32-46-1
330 3 61
31 141 0 15
14 193 1 38
14-37-1
193 1 38
42 137 1 11
17 225 0 39
17-31-1
225 0 39
41 135 0 43
17 225 2 43
17-38-2
225 2 43
38 82 2 18
7 110 0 30
7-17-1
110 0 30
27 90 0 14
30 382 5 37
30-43-2
382 5 37
26 71 1 19
11 245 3 80
11-17-0
245 3 80
449 1705 12 69
231 3193 27 80
231-420-14 3193 27 80
271 1530 22 38
411 5619 57 63
411-573-11 5619 57 63
|--KICK RET--|
No Yds TD Lg
4 87 0 31
6 145 0 30
3 60 0 21
7 74 0 26
6 142 0 29
6 127 0 24
2 26 0 20
8 168 0 27
4 85 0 24
5 85 0 22
4 89 0 24
2 39 0 25
4 163 1 100
61 1290 1 100
43 862 1 100
|--PUNT RET--|
No Yds TD Lg
0 0
0 0
1 13 0 13
1 16 0 16
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
2 16 0 11
0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0
2 5 0 4
0 0
0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0 0 0
7 50 0 16
28 219 0 35
All
Purp
465
432
607
375
614
630
474
502
458
453
283
513
479
6285
8520
Games played: 13
Avg per rush: 3.8
Avg per catch: 13.8
Pass efficiency: 133.41
Kick ret avg: 21.1
Punt ret avg: 7.1
All purpose avg/game: 483.5
Total offense avg/gm: 376.8
Date
Sept 2, 2006
Sep 16, 2006
Sep 23, 2006
Sep 30, 2006
Oct 7, 2006
Oct 14, 2006
Oct 21, 2006
Oct 28, 2006
Nov 04, 2006
Nov 11, 2006
Nov 18, 2006
Nov 25, 2006
Dec 2, 2006
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise St.
EASTERN ILL.
NEVADA
at Fresno St.
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah St.
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON ST.
Opponents
HAWAII
|---------TACKLES---------| |-SACKS-| |-FUMBLE-|
Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds
No-Yds FF FR-Yds
37
20 57
5.0-25
3.0-21
3 2-0
53
8
61
4.0-16
2.0-10
0 2-5
25
32 57
3.0-5
2.0-4
2 2-0
49
4
53
3.0-20
2.0-19
1 1-0
52
2
54
5.0-15
3.0-12
2 2-0
40
18 58
4.0-9
1.0-3
1 0-0
21
62 83
2.0-2
1.0-1
0 1-0
44
2
46
5.0-18
1.0-1
1 1-10
19
24 43
2.0-3
0.0-0
0 0-0
32
12 44
0.0-0
0.0-0
1 1-11
48
9
57
2.0-14
2.0-14
0 2-0
42
12 54
1.0-2
1.0-2
2 2-2
53
26 79
9.0-51
6.0-44
2 0-0
515
231 746
45.0-180
24.0-131 15 16-28
510
310 820
68.0-269
25.0-160 16 13-20
Date
Sept 2, 2006
Sep 16, 2006
Sep 23, 2006
Sep 30, 2006
Oct 7, 2006
Oct 14, 2006
Oct 21, 2006
Oct 28, 2006
Nov 04, 2006
Nov 11, 2006
Nov 18, 2006
Nov 25, 2006
Dec 2, 2006
Opponent
at Alabama
UNLV
at Boise St.
EASTERN ILL.
NEVADA
at Fresno St.
at NMSU
IDAHO
at Utah St.
LA TECH
SJSU
PURDUE
OREGON ST.
Opponents
HAWAII
|------------------PUNTING------------------|
No Yds Avg Long Blkd TB FC 50+ I20
4
159 39.8 55
0
0
1
1
2
5
192 38.4 49
0
0
0
0
4
4
180 45.0 53
0
0
1
2
0
5
193 38.6 48
0
0
0
0
0
3
93 31.0 43
1
0
0
0
0
3
116 38.7 44
0
0
1
0
1
1
56 56.0 56
0
0
0
1
1
7
247 35.3 46
0
1
0
0
1
6
248 41.3 47
0
0
2
0
1
5
210 42.0 56
0
1
0
1
1
6
254 42.3 56
0
1
0
1
2
4
198 49.5 53
0
1
1
3
1
3
158 52.7 57
0
0
0
2
1
56 2304 41.1 57
1
4
6
11
15
16
602 37.6 52
0
0
5
2
3
40
Int-Yds
1-0
2-3
1-16
1-10
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
1-6
1-8
1-2
1-2
2-0
11-47
14-290
QBH
4
1
0
1
2
0
0
0
1
0
1
2
0
12
52
Pass Blkd |--Kicks--XPTS--|
Brk Kick Att-Mad Run Rcv Saf Pts
1
0
2-2
0
0
1 25
2
0
2-1
0
0
0 13
6
0
4-4
1
0
0 41
5
1
1-0
0
0
0 9
3
1
5-4
0
0
0 34
4
2
4-4
0
0
0 37
6
0
3-3
0
0
0 30
4
0
1-1
0
0
0 10
5
0
1-1
0
0
0 10
3
0
2-2
0
0
0 17
2
0
2-2
0
0
0 17
6
0
5-5
0
0
0 35
1
0
5-5
0
0
0 35
48 4
37-34 1
0
1 313
41 2
77-70 0
3
1 615
|--FIELD GOALS--|
Att-Made Lg Blkd
4-3
31 0 6
0-0
0
03
1-1
32 0 7
1-1
43 0 3
0-0
0
06
1-1
28 0 6
1-1
25 0 4
1-1
26 0 3
2-1
46 0 3
1-1
30 0 4
1-1
37 0 4
0-0
0
06
0-0
0
07
13-11
46 0 62
14-11
52 1 108
|------KICKOFFS------|
No Yds Avg TB OB
371 61.8 1
0
113 37.7 0
0
428 61.1 3
0
150 50.0 0
0
344 57.3 1
0
381 63.5 4
0
259 64.8 0
0
132 44.0 0
0
149 49.7 0
0
210 52.5 0
0
160 40.0 0
0
353 58.8 2
0
369 52.7 3
0
3419 55.1 14
0
6668 61.7 40
7
HAWAI’I INDIVIDUAL GAME HIGHS
OPPONENT INDIVIDUAL GAME HIGHS
Rushes
18 Nate Ilaoa at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
Yards Rushing
159 Nate Ilaoa vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
TD Rushes
3 Nate Ilaoa at Fresno State (Oct 14, 2006)
Long Rush
38 Nate Ilaoa vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
Pass attempts
50 Colt Brennan vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
Pass completions 37 Colt Brennan vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
Yards Passing
434 Colt Brennan vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
TD Passes
6 Colt Brennan at Utah State (Nov 04, 2006)
Long Pass
63 Colt Brennan vs Nevada (Oct 7, 2006)
Receptions
10 Davone Bess vs UNLV (Sep 16, 2006)
Davone Bess vs Nevada (Oct 7, 2006)
Ross Dickerson at Fresno State (Oct 14, 2006)
Davone Bess vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
Yards Receiving
155 Nate Ilaoa at Utah State (Nov 04, 2006)
TD Receptions
3 Jason Rivers at Boise State (Sep 23, 2006)
Long Reception
63 Ian Sample vs Nevada (Oct 7, 2006)
Field Goals
2 Dan Kelly vs Nevada (Oct 7, 2006)
Dan Kelly vs Louisiana Tech (Nov 11, 2006)
Dan Kelly vs San Jose State (Nov 18, 2006)
Dan Kelly vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
Long Field Goal
52 Dan Kelly vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
Punts
3 Kurt Milne at ALABAMA (Sept 2, 2006)
Kurt Milne vs UNLV (Sep 16, 2006)
Kurt Milne at Utah State (Nov 04, 2006)
Punting Avg
46.0 Kurt Milne vs Idaho (Oct 28, 2006)
Long Punt
52 Kurt Milne at Fresno State (Oct 14, 2006)
Long Punt Return 35 Davone Bess vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
Long Kickoff Return100 Ross Dickerson vs Idaho (Oct 28, 2006)
Tackles
14 Solomon Elimimian at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
Solomon Elimimian vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
Sacks
3.0 Melila Purcell at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
Tackles For Loss
4.0 Melila Purcell at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
Interceptions
1 By 8 players
Rushes
Yards Rushing
TD Rushes
HAWAI’I TEAM GAME HIGHS
Rushes
Yards Rushing
Yards Per Rush
TD Rushes
Pass attempts
Pass completions
Yards Passing
Yards Per Pass
TD Passes
Total Plays
Total Offense
Yards Per Play
Points
Sacks By
First Downs
Penalties
Penalty Yards
Turnovers
Interceptions By
33
219
10.9
3
51
40
529
12.8
7
79
653
11.2
68
5
33
12
140
4
3
at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
vs UNLV (Sep 16, 2006)
at Fresno State (Oct 14, 2006)
vs Louisiana Tech (Nov 11, 2006)
vs Eastern Illinois (Sep 30, 2006)
vs Idaho (Oct 28, 2006)
at Utah State (Nov 04, 2006)
vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
at Fresno State (Oct 14, 2006)
vs San Jose State (Nov 18, 2006)
vs Nevada (Oct 7, 2006)
29 Ian Johnson, at Boise State (Sep 23, 2006)
James T Callier, vs San Jose State (Nov 18, 2006)
Long Rush
69 WEBB, Vincent, vs Eastern Illinois (Sep 30, 2006)
Pass attempts
45 Holbrook, Chase, at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
Pass completions 31 Holbrook, Chase, at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
Yards Passing
357 Painter,Curtis, vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
TD Passes
4 Painter,Curtis, vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
Long Pass
80 Moore, Matt, vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
Receptions
8 Darlington, J., vs Nevada (Oct 7, 2006)
Bryant,Dorien, vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
Yards Receiving
160 Williams, Chris, at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
TD Receptions
2 Derek Schouman, at Boise State (Sep 23, 2006)
Pudewell, A., vs Nevada (Oct 7, 2006)
Pascoe, Bear, at Fresno State (Oct 14, 2006)
Williams, Chris, at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
Long Reception
80
Field Goals
3
Long Field Goal
46
Punts
7
Punting Avg
56.0
Long Punt
57
Long Punt Return 16
Long Kickoff Return100
Tackles
12
Keller,Dustin, vs Purdue (Nov 25, 2006)
Stroughter, S., vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
Leigh Tiffin, at ALABAMA (Sept 2, 2006)
Shields, Bryan, at Utah State (Nov 04, 2006)
Conley, T.J., vs Idaho (Oct 28, 2006)
Kaufman, Jared, at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
Loomis, Kyle, vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
Quinton Jones, at Boise State (Sep 23, 2006)
Lawson, Gerard, vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
Korey Hall, at Boise State (Sep 23, 2006)
Nuttal, Nathan, at New Mexico State (Oct 21, 2006)
Sacks
Tackles For Loss
Interceptions
Doggett, D., vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
3.0 Smith, Dorian, vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
3.0 Smith, Dorian, vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
2 Piscitelli, S., vs Oregon State (Dec 2, 2006)
OPPONENT TEAM GAME HIGHS
Rushes
Yards Rushing
Yards Per Rush
TD Rushes
44
242
5.8
2
Pass attempts
Pass completions
Yards Passing
Yards Per Pass
TD Passes
Total Plays
Total Offense
Yards Per Play
Points
Sacks By
First Downs
47
32
382
14.4
5
79
515
7.7
41
6
28
Penalties
Penalty Yards
Turnovers
Interceptions By
11
93
4
2
41
at Boise State (Sep 23, 2006)
vs Nevada (Oct 7, 2006)
WARRIOR BOWL GAMES
2004 SHERATON HAWAI’I BOWL
DECEMBER 24, 2004
2003 SHERATON HAWAI’I BOWL
DECEMBER 24, 2004
UAB __________________40
HAWAI’I ______________59
HOUSTON ______________48
HAWAI’I ______________54
HONOLULU-- Hawai’i outscored Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), 31-14, in the
second half to win the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl, 59-40, Dec. 24 at Aloha
Stadium. A crowd of 39,754 filled the stands, the largest in Sheraton
Hawai’i Bowl history.
Quarterback Timmy Chang threw for 405 (31-of-46) yards and four
touchdowns, and rushed for another, while slot receiver Chad Owens
caught eight passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns, and scored
another on a 59-yard punt return, to put an exclamation point on both
storied careers. The two were named the game’s co-MVPs.
The teams traded scoring and UAB’s Nick Hayes added a 36-yard
field goal to make it 28-26 at halftime.
The Warriors took control in the second half. Chang threw a 15-yard
strike to Owens to put Hawai’i ahead, 35-26. The pass put Chang over the
17,000-yard mark as college football’s career passing leader. Four minutes later, Owens returned a punt for a 59-yard score down the near sideline to put the Warriors up, 42-26.
Justin Ayat added a 43-yard field goal, but Hackney managed an 80yard drive and scored on a 4-yard touchdown rush to bring the score to
45-33, heading into the fourth quarter.
Chang helped put the game out of reach, putting together a 15-play,
85-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard touchdown scramble with 9:05 left to
play.
Hackney hit Lance Rhodes for a 17-yard touchdown to cut the
Warrior lead to 12 with 2:05 left in the game, but Britton Komine
returned the onside kick 42 yards to the house to end all hopes for the
Blazers.
HONOLULU-- An all-world performance by quarterback Timmy Chang and a
defense that came up with timely big plays and three overtimes amounted to a 54-48 Hawai’i win over Houston in front of 29,005 in the Sheraton
Hawai’i Bowl on Dec. 25, 2003, at Aloha Stadium.
Chang came off the bench to throw for 475 yards and five touchdowns on 26-of-42 passing, and Kelvin Millhouse Jr. snagged two interceptions, one that led to the go-ahead touchdown, to help Hawai’i win its
second bowl game in three tries under head coach June Jones.
Chang completed passes to eight different receivers, most notably
to senior Jeremiah Cockheran, who finished with five catches for a gamehigh 162 yards, and true freshman Jason Rivers, who had a career night
with seven catches for 143 yards and three TDs.
Houston jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead when quarterback Kevin Kolb
drove the Cougars 73 yards on eight plays, capped by a 34-yard touchdown pass to Chad McCullar. Less than three minutes later, a 60-yard punt
return by McCullar led to a 21-yard field goal by Dustin Bell. Kolb finished
19-of-34 for 332 yards and two TDs.
Hawai’i managed a 19-yard field goal by Nolan Miranda and Chang
needed one play to tie it up. Chang, who came off the bench for starter
Jason Whieldon on UH’s third possession, found Clifton Herbert wide
open across the middle for a 48-yard touchdown strike to tie the game at
10.
Houston took a 20-13 lead at the break, but the Warrior defense and
Chang came out of the locker room ready to play. The defense forced two
punts and two interceptions, while Chang connected on 8-of-12 for 191
yards and two scores to take the lead, 27-20, at the end of the third.
Houston scored 14 points in the fourth, with the tying TD on an 81yard pass from Kolb to Vincent Marshall with 22 seconds left in regulation
to send the game into overtime.
The teams matched touchdowns in two overtimes and Michael
Brewster scored the game-winner on an 8-yard run to leave it up to the
Warrior defense, which held Houston to four-and-out on the final stand.
42
WARRIOR BOWL GAMES
2002 CONAGRA FOODS HAWAI’I BOWL
DECEMBER 25, 2002
1999 JEEP O’AHU BOWL
DECEMBER 25, 1999
TULANE ______________36
HAWAI’I ______________28
HAWAI’I ______________23
OREGON STATE __________17
HONOLULU-- The University of Hawai’i won the pre-game entertainment
contest with a savvy “Haka,” but fell short against the Green Wave that
tore into Honolulu to defeat the Warriors, 36-28, in the ConAgra Foods
Hawai’i Bowl at Aloha Stadium.
Tulane (8-5) gained 429 total yards and sacked Warrior quarterbacks
eight times to win the program’s fourth bowl game. But it was the Tulane
special teams that sparked a 30-point second half to overcome a 14-6
halftime deficit.
Hawai’i took its first drive of the game 64 yards on seven plays,
capped by a one-yard run by Thero Mitchell, to take a 7-0 lead and struck
again when senior reserve running back Josh Galeai ran around the left
side for a two-yard touchdown to put the Warriors up, 14-0. The Green
Wave settled for two field goals, 22- and 37-yards respectively, by Seth
Marler to get on the board before the end of the first half.
Tulane came out of the locker room like a team on a mission behind
big returns by Lynaris Elpheage, who cut the lead to two with a 60-yard
punt return for a touchdown early in the third quarter. Elpheage set up
Tulane’s go-ahead score with a 56-yard punt return. Six plays later,
Tulane quarterback J.P. Losman took it in from one yard out to give
Tulane its first lead of the game, 20-14, with 6:17 left in the third quarter.
Tulane added to the lead after Shawn Withy-Allen fumbled in UH territory. One play later, Mewelde Moore rumbled 25 yards for a touchdown
and Tulane had a 26-14 lead.
Hawai’i got the ball back just before the end of the third quarter
after blocking a field goal attempt and turned it into a touchdown.
Withy-Allen, facing fourth-and-one, tossed a 57-yard strike to Justin
Colbert, who turned and dashed untouched to the “house” to bring the
Warriors within five at 26-21.
Tulane answered with a 10-play, 80-yard drive that took 4:32 off the
fourth-quarter clock. Withy-Allen hit Colbert on a crossing pattern for a
31-yard score to put the Warriors within reach, but a safety by the Green
Wave ended all hopes of a second bowl victory for Warrior head coach
June Jones.
Colbert caught nine passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns in his
last game as a Warrior. Withy-Allen completed 18-of-31 passes for 239
yards and two touchdowns.
HONOLULU-- It was a fairy-tale ending for a fairy-tale season. Hawai’i
capped its worst-to-first season with a 23-17 Christmas Day win over
Oregon State in the Jeep Oahu Bowl before a crowd of 40,974 at Aloha
Stadium. The Warriors, a year removed from a winless season, notched
their ninth win against four losses and gave UH fans a holiday gift not
soon to be forgotten.
Senior quarterback Dan Robinson connected with Channon Harris for
two scoring strikes and the Warrior defense recorded six sacks to help
lead the school to a victory in its first bowl game in seven years.
Things did not start well for UH. OSU running back Ken Simonton
busted loose for a 30-yard gain on the Beaver’s first play from scrimmage
and then capped a 10-play, 79-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown to
give the Beavers an early 7-0 lead. Simonton gained 58 yards in the first
quarter alone, while the UH offense was stagnant with just one first
down.
The Warriors got their first break of the game early in the second
quarter when senior defensive lineman Tony Tuioti recovered an OSU fumble deep in Beaver territory. The turnover was converted into a 26-yard
field goal by Eric Hannum to cut the lead to 7-3.
UH took a 10-7 lead at the 6:05 mark in the second quarter when
Harris finished an 80-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown catch. Nearly
half of the yards in the drive were aided by OSU penalties. For the game,
the Beavers were hit for 14 penalties worth 138 yards.
OSU also failed to capitalize on numerous first-half scoring opportunities. A UH fumble and failed onside kick twice gave the Beavers excellent field position.
However, Ryan Cecsca missed field goal attempts of 42 and 31 yards,
while UH’s Sean Butts blocked a third attempt. The freshman place-kicker,
however, hit a 37-yarder as the half ended to knot the score, 10-10.
Hawai’i took the lead for good when Robinson found a wide-open
Harris for a 30-yard touchdown with 6:30 left in the third quarter. A 23yard field goal by Hannum four minutes later gave UH a 20-10 lead.
UH sealed the game in the fourth quarter with its defense and the
tough performance of Oahu Bowl MVP Avion Weaver. The junior running
back finished the game with 150 total yards of offense, including 85 on
the ground.
The Beavers (7-5) outgained the Warriors, 438-349, including 159
yards rushing by Simonton. However, the UH defense held the OSU
offense scoreless for nearly the entire second half. A 13-yard run by
Simonton cut the lead to 23-17 with 1:31 left, but the game was finally
decided when the Beavers were unable to recover the ensuing onside
kick.
43
WARRIOR BOWL GAMES
1992 THRIFTY CAR RENTAL HOLIDAY BOWL
DECEMBER 30, 1992
JACK MURPHY STADIUM (44,457)
1989 JEEP EAGLE ALOHA BOWL
DECEMBER 25, 1989
HAWAI’I ______________27
ILLINOIS ______________17
MICHIGAN STATE ________33
HAWAI’I ______________13
SAN DIEGO, Calif.-- The Rainbows made their first appearance in a U.S.
mainland bowl game a successful one, defeating Illinois, 27-17, at Jack
Murphy Stadium in San Diego, Calif.
After spotting the Illini the lead twice, 7-0 and 10-7, Hawai’i put
together 20 second-half points to complete its most successful season
ever with an 11-2 mark. And when the final polls came out several days
later, the Rainbows were ranked 20th in the nation, the first time Hawai’i
was listed in the final ratings.
With Illinois holding a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, Travis
Sims capped a 64-yard drive by going over from the 6-yard line to tie the
score.
Illinois came back on the next drive and Chris Richardson kicked a
19-yard field goal to make the score 10-7 at halftime.
The Rainbows went back to basics in the second half, sticking to their
triple option which quarterback Michael Carter ran like a magician.
Hawai’i scored 20 unanswered points before Illinois got back on the
scoreboard.
The Rainbows took the second-half kickoff and marched 80 yards in
13 plays with Sims going up the middle from the one to put Hawai’i ahead
for good. Jason Elam’s point-after-touchdown made it 14-10.
After forcing the Illini to punt on the next series, Hawai’i marched 62
yards in 16 plays with Elam kicking a 45-yard field goal to make it 17-10.
Illinois took the kickoff on its own 9 and eight plays later, gave up
the ball with the Rainbows recovering a muffed backward pass on the
Illinois 21. Two plays later, the Rainbows tried a fumble-rooskie, but were
called for an illegal procedure as the officials were not informed about
the trick play. Elam kicked a 37-yard field goal to put Hawai’i up, 20-10.
Illinois tried to play catch up, but Hawai’i’s Zac Odom intercepted a
Jason Verdusco pass and ran it back to his own 24. From there, Hawai’i
needed only six plays to score, with Carter hitting Darrick Branch for a
53-yard touchdown pass. Elam’s PAT made it 27-10 with 7:11 left.
After the Illini scored with 4:42 remaining, Carter ran the offense to
perfection as the Rainbows ran out the clock at the
Illinois 23.
Carter was selected the Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game
with 105 yards rushing and 115 yards passing. Junior Tagoai was voted
the game’s Outstanding Defensive Player.
HONOLULU-- Playing on its home field of Aloha Stadium, the University of
Hawai’i football team was the visitor in the Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl VIII.
The Rainbows wore their white road uniforms for the first time at home.
The Aloha Bowl was the third time in the 1989 football season that
the Rainbows lost in white, as Michigan State took advantage of numerous Hawai’i turnovers to win 33-13.
It was Hawai’i’s first appearance in an NCAA-sanctioned post season
bowl game and if stage fright had anything to do with it, it may explain
why the Rainbows were guilty of eight turnovers.
Within the first 15 minutes of the game, the Rainbows had already committed four turnovers, one of which led to Blake Ezor’s three-yard TD run
for MSU.
That score was set up by defensive end Matt Vanderbeek’s recovery
of a bad pitch by UH quarterback Garrett Gabriel on the MSU 35. Ezor carried seven of nine plays with the payoff a three-yard run.
The fourth turnover, a pass interception near the end of the opening
quarter, resulted in Ezor taking it over from the 2 on the first play of the
second quarter. This capped a 48-yard, seven-play drive with Ezor carrying five times.
An interception of a Gabriel pass by Carlos Jenkins led to a 30-yard
field goal by John Langeloh. Langeloh added another field goal late in
the half after a fumble recovery, giving the Spartans a 19-0 lead at intermission.
Hawai’i tried to make a game of it in the second half with Gabriel
hitting Chris Roscoe for an 11-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 19-6.
The Spartans then made their fourth interception of the game and
drove 57 yards with Hyland Hickson gaining the final yard.
On the following series, Gabriel hit Dane McArthur with a 23-yard
scoring toss only to see the Spartans come right back with a 48-yard
drive. Ezor scored his third touchdown of the game.
Ezor finished the game with three touchdowns, tying an Eagle Aloha
Bowl record. He carried the ball 41 times for 179 yards, both new marks.
He was selected by the media as the MVP for Michigan State.
The 33 points scored by the Spartans were the most scored by a
team since the bowl began in 1982.
Gabriel also made the record books, although not the way he wanted. He was intercepted three times and contributed to the record-breaking four interceptions of Hawai’i passes made by MSU.
44
DEFENSIVE BACK GRATEFUL FOR ANOTHER SEASON
AT UH
By Stephen Tsai
July 23, 2006
To be sure, University of Hawai’i football
player Leonard Peters is trying to do the right
thing.
Peters, a free safety, has never smoked or
touched a drop of alcohol in his 24 years.
What’s more, he performs hours of community service every week without being
begged; forgives the punk who stole his prized
truck; spends his free time playing with his
nephews and nieces; attends church for four
hours every Sunday, and won’t date during
football season.
“Believe me,” UH assistant strength
coach Mel deLaura said, “Leonard Peters is an
unbelievably awesome guy.”
Rich Miano, who coaches the UH defensive backs, said: “I could coach another 50
years and never have another player like him
both on and off the field.”
Last year, teammates voted Peters as
defensive team captain.
Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville,
who refers to players by their position and jersey number, said, proudly: “I know his name.
‘Leonard Peters’ is the only Samoan name I
know.”
Peters, in fact, is a mix of Fijian and
Samoan. His paternal grandfather changed his
surname from “Matavau” to his stepfather’s
“Peters.”
For now, Peters is making a name as the
Warriors’ defensive leader.
Last month, Peters was awarded a medical exemption that will allow him to play as a
sixth-year senior this season. Peters’ range,
Glanville said, will enable the UH cornerbacks
to play more bump-and-run, man-to-man coverages.
Peters, a graduate of Kahuku High
School, has bulked up to 215 pounds, adding
15 pounds to his 6-foot-2 frame, while maintaining his quickness and improving his
strength. He has run 40 yards in 4.47 seconds,
and bench pressed more than 400 pounds. In
the flat-bench discipline, with 135-pound
dumbbells in each hand, he performed eight
repetitions.
Peters works out at UH every weekday,
leaving his home in La’ie before the dawn’s
early light. He lifts and runs in the morning,
then runs again in the afternoon.
He took took a breather to answer questions from The Advertiser.
On coaching at youth
camps every week:
“I always try to give
back to the community and
help the younger kids. I talk
to them about staying away
from drugs, and to listen to
their coaches and parents. I
want them to reach for their dreams, not let
anyone tell them they can’t do it just because
they’re from Hawai’i. It always helps to hear it
from an older person who’s in college, living
the dream they want to get to. Sometimes it’s
better to hear from the student-athlete.”
On just saying “no” to drugs and alcohol:
“It’s a choice I made. Growing up, I didn’t want to get caught up in that kind of stuff.
I’m not saying I’m perfect. I just don’t want to
get involved in that kind of stuff. There are
always temptations. People will always put
pressure on you to do the wrong thing. I’ve
been raised by good parents and in a good
community. I’ve learned not to do those kinds
of things.”
On his early childhood:
“I was born in American Samoa. I
remember a lot about it. I moved to Hawai’i
when I was 8 years old. Samoa is beautiful.
It’s just like La’ie. It’s country. The community is small. Everybody knows everybody there.
They say you’re not raised by just your family,
you’re raised by the village.
“In the community I lived in, you don’t
have to worry about people stealing. Whatever
anybody has, he shares with others. You do
things because you want to do them. You don’t
worry about getting paid back, because everybody helps everybody.”
On moving to Hawai’i:
“I didn’t know anything about Hawai’i. I
knew it was a beautiful place. That was about
it.
“My parents wanted to move to make a
better life for me and my siblings. They figured by moving to Hawai’i there would be better opportunities.
“It was my first time on an airplane. It
was pretty scary. I closed the windows. It was
a long trip.”
On breaking the language barrier:
“English is my second language. It was
tough to learn. I don’t think I really prepared
for it. Any kid who comes from (other) Pacific
Islands, you’re put in what they call a step
class. They teach you English and stuff like
that, break it down for you a little bit slower. It
was pretty hard. I used to always think in
Samoan first, then try to translate it in my
head. It was even harder for me in Hawai’i. It
wasn’t only English (spoken) where I lived. It
was pidgin. You’re trying to learn English and
pidgin at the same time. You’re trying to learn
two languages instead of one.
“I learned English by watching TV, and
listening and watching other people talk. I
CLIPPINGS 1
looked at their lips to see
how they would make the
different sounds. I would
watch anything on TV. After
a year or two, I started to
pick it up. It’s equal to me
now.”
On adjusting to Hawai’i:
“I remember when I moved here, I looked
forward to recess, because that would be a
time to make friends. I would race everybody
on the field. Knowing I was a little faster,
everybody would cheer for me and want to be
my friend.
“I was (in a class) with the other
Polynesian kids who came from Tonga, Tahiti.
They were straight off the boat, as they would
say. You could still smell the fish. We clicked.
It was like us aliens coming to another place.
We grew to be good friends.”
On the Golden Arches:
“We didn’t have McDonald’s in Samoa.
Going to McDonald’s was like a field trip for
us. Anytime we ate at McDonald’s we were
always happy. Like they say, we were like a
kid in the candy shop.”
On his true valentine:
“My first love was Polynesian dancing. I
was about 12 when I first started dancing.
There was an audition at the Polynesian
Cultural Center. My mom was working there
at the time as a secretary. She took us, and we
auditioned. I didn’t know much dancing, but I
was good at following instructions.
“That was my first love. I love to go out
there. I love the beat of the drums. When I
hear the beat of the drums and the songs and
what they represent, I get goosebumps. I just
love it.
“I also do the fire-knife dance. You have
to get used to the heat. That’s the main thing,
and getting burned. The first time I got burned,
it really hurt. But I went back because I just
love it. It’s like in football. You get hit, but you
go back again and again because you love it so
much. I love performing just as much as I love
football. The secret (to fire-knife dancing) is to
spin it fast. Keep spinning it. If it’s going fast,
you don’t feel it. If you stop it from spinning,
you can really feel the heat. You get battle
scars. It’s like a sport. You get scars from playing football. You get scars from playing soccer.
Everybody gets scars from fire-knife dancing.”
On playing football:
“I was playing soccer at first. Then I
heard about Pop Warner football. I had to beg
my parents to let me play. They didn’t want
me to get hurt. You know how parents want to
protect their kids. At the same time, I was
working (as a dancer at the Polynesian
Cultural Center). I had to beg them. I would
ask them every night. Finally, they gave in,
and it was all great.”
On receiving only one scholarship offer,
from UH, as a Kahuku senior:
“It didn’t matter that I wasn’t recruited by
a big Mainland school. I wanted to stay home.
I would have picked UH anyway.”
On taking a semester’s break before
enrolling at UH:
“I made the Polynesian Cultural Center’s
promotion team. You get to travel the world to
get people to come to Hawai’i. I went to
Taiwan, Japan, Poland, Alaska. I was really
lucky. How many people can say they’ve been
to all of those places? I was working (as an
entertainer), but it was a job I loved.
“Poland was beautiful. We were treated
like celebrities up there. They never saw people dance with fire before. It’s funny with
dancing. You can connect with people, even if
you don’t speak the same language.”
On joining the Warriors:
“I was lucky because I’ve always had
great coaches, especially Rich Miano. I didn’t
know at first who Rich Miano was. I went and
did some research and found out he played in
the NFL for 11 years. I was excited about that.
Then I learned my high school DB coach actually played with Rich Miano at UH. I’ve
learned so much from coach Miano. He not
only can coach me, he can show me what to
do. Not a lot of kids get that. A lot of coaches
draw things on the board. I’ve been fortunate
to have coaches who can show me how to do
drills. If I’m doing something wrong, they’ll
show me how to do it the right way instead of
writing it on the board. They always talk about
chalkboard coaching. I’m lucky to get on-thefield coaching. Coach Miano is in great shape.
He works every day. He has love for the local
kids. He went to Kaiser (High School). He
knows what it’s all about. Sometimes he’ll
show us tapes from when he was in college,
and we’ll rag on him. But he was such a physical specimen. You can see it now. He’s like 40
something years old, but he can play.”
On his numerous injuries:
“I don’t know what it is. I just play the
game. I’ve had (injuries to the) spleen, shoulders, knees, ankles, arms. Everything. I’ve
been lucky. I only had one surgery, to my (left)
shoulder. The rest I could recover on my own.
“When I injured my spleen (in 2003), I
didn’t need surgery. I ripped my spleen. It was
like a freak accident. It was in training camp.
One of my teammates accidentally hit me with
his elbow on my side. I thought I just lost my
wind. I sat out a play, and went back in to finish practice. I went to take a shower, and then I
started bleeding. I checked with the trainer. I
went to the hospital. They took a CAT scan,
and sure enough, I was bleeding inside.
“With the (left) shoulder (in 2004), I
played through the whole season. I couldn’t
even comb my hair (with the left hand). It got
to the point where I was walking around
school, and the shoulder would pop out (of the
socket) on me. I would shrug my shoulder, and
it would go back in. I thought, ‘It’s just a
shoulder.’ The doctors told me, ‘You’re going
to have to have surgery.’ I told them to put the
brace on it, and I’ll have surgery after the season. It was really hard. I remember I hurt it in
the USC (road) game. We stayed up on the
Mainland to play UNLV. I had to get special
shoulder pads to hold my arm close to my
body. Underneath that, I had a brace that
would tie up. I couldn’t even raise my arm. I
thought I’d just play through it. I was fortunate
I could finish the season. I figured if I didn’t
hurt my team, I would play through it.”
On why he won’t change his aggressive
style of play:
“I play the game knowing that at any snap
or any time, you can get hurt. I think that’s
why I’ve gotten hurt so much. I play as hard as
I can. If I get hurt, I get hurt. I always want to
play football. I’ll play football until my legs
fall off. If the doctors told me, ‘If you take one
more hit, you’ll get paralyzed,’ I’ll play until
that day comes. I love the game so much.”
On receiving his medical exemption,
allowing him to play this season:
“I was happy about that. A lot of people
were telling me, ‘The team needs you.’ I don’t
think it was that way. I needed the team. I’m
happy I can suit up one more year. A lot of
people don’t get cleared. I’m very grateful.”
On forgiveness:
“I had a truck I loved. I dropped it. I had
the rims. I changed the lines. I changed everything on the truck. It was a fast truck.
Everybody knew my truck. It was different
from any other truck on the road. One night, I
was sleeping, and I was sleeping right in the
garage. The truck was right outside. I didn’t
hear it start up. My mom woke me up, and
said, ‘Who took the truck?’ I was like, ‘No,
I’ve got the keys right here.’ I went outside
and it wasn’t there. A police officer came over
and you could hear (on the scanner) another
police officer following the truck. You could
hear him on the radio saying, ‘OK, turn down
so-and-so street,’ and ‘He’s going down the
Pali,’ and ‘He’s busting a U-turn, and is going
up the Pali.’ It was silent for a while, and then
you hear, ‘I lost him.’ I’m like, ‘What? You
lost him?’ I figured if that person was so desperate to steal my truck, he probably needed it
more than I did. I know he knows who I am,
because my license is in the truck. I never saw
the truck again. They either chopped it up or
sent it to the Mainland. I don’t see it on the
island.”
On living in La’ie during the school year:
“I take turns driving (with teammates Tala
Esera and Inoke Funaki). If you come and live
in La’ie, even for one day, you’ll know why I
make that drive. It’s such a peaceful place.
And I’d rather sleep in my own bed. Even if I
have to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning and
drive down every day, I’ll sleep in my bed. A
home cooked meal after you come home from
practice? You can’t beat that. I’m not a freshCLIPPINGS 2
man anymore. That dorm life, with all of that
noise? I’d rather wake up (and) listen to roosters crow in the morning than hear the mopeds
and the shuttles going back and forth. It’s a
great drive. It’s not like you don’t have anything to look at. There are beautiful beaches.
The sun rises while you’re driving. It’s like a
movie.
“But the gas? Oh, my gosh. They should
make a special price for people who have to
drive in from my side of the island. It’s the
cost of living, like everything else here. Milk’s
expensive. Food’s expensive. I pay $80 to fill
up my truck. I come to school. I do the errands
I need to do. By the time I get home, it’s at
halfway already. About every other day I have
to fill it up. All of my dance money is going to
gas. But that’s OK. I’ll pay for the gas if it
means I can live in La’ie.”
On his golden rule:
“When I come from practice during the
season, we’re not to talk about football. When
I’m home, with my family, I want to spend
time with them. I’m sure it’s the same for any
other person who works in America. When
they come home, they don’t want to talk about
work. It’s the same for me. My family always
wants to ask questions, like, ‘Who’s hurt?’ I
don’t want to talk about it. I leave football at
UH. I want to play with my nieces or nephews
and enjoy my time at home.”
On dating:
“No girlfriend. This is my last year. I
want to focus on school and football. It’s difficult. Living in Hawai’i, there are beautiful
ladies everywhere. I don’t want to be detoured.
My mom always says I don’t need a girlfriend
because I have three sisters and a mom, and
that’s enough girls in my life.”
ALAMA-FRANCIS BORN FOR
FOOTBALL
Despite finding the sport late, the son of
a former Packer is gaining notice
nationally
By Dave Reardon
July 23, 2006
When Ikaika Alama-Francis was a little boy,
he never bragged about being the son of an
NFL player.
First, it’s not in his nature to do so. Plus,
it would have been difficult, considering he
didn’t know anything about Joe Francis’ gridiron history.
“My dad’s a quiet person. I had no idea
until I was playing Pop Warner and I started
hearing stories,” Alama-Francis said. “When I
got into basketball at Kalaheo (High), I learned
more about it. I heard all the stories about
what a tremendous athlete he was. Some from
my mom and many other people around.
Everyone except him. He’s always been a
humble guy, very quiet.”
Before his career was shortened by
injuries, Joe Francis was a backup quarterback
for the Green Bay Packers during their glory
years of the late 1950s and early 1960s, during
the era when Vince Lombardi and Bart Starr
led them to wins in the first two Super Bowls.
Francis returned to Hawaii, where he was
the longtime football coach and a P.E. teacher
at Pearl City High, retiring five years ago. He
also coached at Pac-Five, running innovative
offenses at both programs.
When he was a youngster, Alama-Francis
spent his time on video games and cartoons, so
his father’s football-playing past never came
up.
“He was in his own world,” said Francis,
who also starred at Kamehameha and Oregon
State. “I never told him about it, he never
heard about it. I never saw any reason to bring
it up because he wasn’t interested in football.
“Later, my friends would talk, and that
kind of opened up his eyes. I think he was
around 11 years old. Then he started to play
Pop Warner (football) at Pearl City, and he had
some success. They needed someone to pass
the ball, so they put him at quarterback. It kind
of piqued his interest.”
But not that much. By the time AlamaFrancis got to Kalaheo High, he was a basketball player first and a volleyball player second.
Football? He played it on a computer
screen, if at all. That didn’t stop University of
Hawaii coach June Jones from offering him a
scholarship anyway, based on his potential.
After a stellar high school basketball
career, the 6-foot-5 Alama-Francis walked on
to the UH basketball team. He played as a
freshman forward in 2002-03, getting mostly
mop-up minutes at the end of blowouts.
That spring, Alama-Francis showed up for
spring football practice.
“He came home one day and said, “I’m
going to try football,’” his father said. “I said,
‘Go ahead.’ He said, ‘I already did.’”
Francis said he had some doubts at first
that his 220-pound son could grow into an
effective college football player.
“When I watched him play basketball I
didn’t think he was overly physical, a skinny
kid,” Francis said. “I figured football? He’s got
to be a little more physical than what he
showed in basketball.
“Then I watched him on the scout team,
and I saw the kid had the motor going.
Sometimes he was pretty decent.”
Alama-Francis increased his bulk (by
some 70 pounds) and his strength, and soaked
up enough knowledge to become a starter at
defensive end last year in UH’s 3-4 scheme.
“I think I have the tools to be a good
defensive end,” Alama-Francis said. “I think
I’ve just got to keep getting better technique,
and get a little more physical. If I can do those
things I can be better.
“I just try to play the hardest I can every
play and hope for the best. I try to stay under
control and read the offense.”
When the Warriors start their season
Sept.. 2 at Alabama, Alama-Francis will be
UH’s leading returnee in sacks, with five last
year. He is on the watch list for the Ted
Hendricks Award, given annually to the
nation’s best defensive end.
“Jerry (defensive coordinator Glanville)
and I both said last year we didn’t have anyone
as good as him in the NFL,” Jones said. “I
think he’s a first-day draft pick.”
Defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold said
he’d never seen another end with “the combination of speed, size, flexibility and tenacity”
in 14 seasons of college and pro coaching.
“It’s even more incredible when you
break it down by the number of snaps he
played going into last season -- less than 50
snaps,” Reinebold said. “That is amazing that
a kid with that little experience could accelerate to being mentioned among the best at his
position.
Jones and strength and conditioning
coach Mel deLaura said Alama-Francis is
among the hardest weight room workers on the
team. He’s up to 290 pounds.
“He has an unquenchable thirst for work,”
Reinebold said. “And he learned from his
father to respect the game and to play hard. If
anybody should take credit for his development, it has to be dad Joe. Joe really lit a fire
in him early in his life, not about football, but
doing the right thing and being the right kind
CLIPPINGS 3
of guy.”
Jones chose Alama-Francis to represent
the Warriors at this week’s Western Athletic
Conference Media Day in Boise. His intriguing story and potential and personable
demeanor should make him a popular interview subject.
“I really think the kid can sell ice cubes to
Eskimos. He has me buffaloed sometimes,”
Francis said of his son. “But everything he has
he’s earned. I don’t know how far he’ll go, but
I wish him all the luck. He came from a tomato can, and he’s working toward a consommé.”
One of Francis’ best friends from the
Packers glory days is Jerry Kramer, who lives
near Boise. Alama-Francis regrets that he
won’t have time to meet up with the Hall of
Famer on this quick trip.
“My dad’s told me a lot about Jerry
Kramer and his other buddies from Green Bay
... only since I started playing football,”
Alama-Francis said.
IT’S SHAPING UP TO BE A
GOOD SEASON AT UH
By Stephen Tsai
August 5, 2006
With 82 of 104 players completing a series of
220-yard sprints, it was the highest success
rate (79 percent) during Mel deLaura’s six
years as summer conditioning coordinator.
After breezing through his six 220-yard
sprints, Colt Brennan showed his arm is in
good shape, too.
The success of Mel deLaura’s School of
Hard Knocks could be measured in the low
dropout rate.
DeLaura, who oversees the summer conditioning program for University of Hawai’i
football players, measures his students’ accomplishments with the “220s” — a rite-ofWarrior discipline in which each player must
complete 10 sprints of 220 yards.
The 220s are always conducted on the
first practice of training camp, and time limits
and rest breaks are set according to a player’s
position. As a bonus, deLaura allowed 38 players who participated in every summer workout
to run only six 220-yard sprints.
DeLaura said 82 of 104 Warriors completed the discipline. Offensive lineman Larry
Sauafea did not run because of an ankle injury.
The success rate of 79 percent is the highest
during deLaura’s six years as summer coordinator.
“They did an awesome job,” deLaura
said.
UH head coach June Jones said: “They
worked hard all summer, and they obviously
reported to camp in shape, even the guys who
were on the Mainland. They handled their 220s
pretty good.”
DeLaura said the four quarterbacks, 17 of
18 receivers and all but two defensive backs
completed their required 220s. Kicker Daniel
Kelly and punter Kurt Milne breezed through
their 220s.
Quarterback Colt Brennan took off his
cleats and ran in socks. Strong safety Brad
Kalilimoku ran in bare feet, then practiced that
way, too. Running back Nate Ilaoa, who had
perfect summer attendance, easily completed
his six sprints.
“I feel good,” said Ilaoa, who failed to
make his minimum sprints last year. “The
hardest part of camp is the 220s. We got that
out of the way. It’s now just football.”
Jones said: “Nate had a good summer.”
Jones also was pleased with the improved
condition of several players who spent the
summer on the Mainland.
Adam Leonard, who is projected to start
at middle linebacker, spent the summer at his
family home in Seattle, reshaping his body.
Two years ago, as a high school senior,
Leonard underwent two knee surgeries. He
played in eight games as a UH freshman last
year, but was admittedly out of shape.
“I came in (last year) at 237, (but) it was
a lot of bad weight,” Leonard said. “I cut down
to about 225 (in the spring), then I put the
good weight back on (this summer).”
He said he weighs 235 pounds.
Tyson Kafentzis, who is listed No. 1 at
left outside linebacker, gained 22 pounds, and
now weighs 230.
Ilaoa compared Kafentzis to a former AllAmerican and first-round NFL draft choice.
“I thought he was A.J. Hawk when he
showed up,” Ilaoa sid.
Kafentzis said: “I had to go home (to
Washington) for the summer because I can’t
afford to live here, being a walk-on and all. I
went home, and mom fed me. I’m really working hard.”
Kafentzis said he worked a construction
job during the day, then trained in the late
afternoon and evening.
“You have to do what you have to do,” he
said. “I love being here. I wouldn’t change it.
If I have to be a walk-on for five years (to play
here) ... that’s what I’ve got to do. I don’t want
to be (a walk-on), but I love playing here.
There are a lot of guys (on scholarship) who
aren’t going to be playing. I’m a walk-on, and
I’m playing.”
As for being listed as a starter, Kafentzis
said: “You can lose your job in one day. I
know that.”
CLIPPINGS 4
SPIRITUAL BELIEFS, FAMILY
TIES GUIDE WARRIOR LINEBACKER
By Stephen Tsai
August 6, 2006
Each day, Solomon Elimimian kneels in
prayer.
He prays for the good health and safety of
his parents, who live in Los Angeles’ most
hard-scrabbled area, South Central.
He prays in thankfulness for his life’s
blessing — his University of Hawai’i football
scholarship, his free tuition, his chance for a
good life.
Most of all, he said, “I ask God to show
me the right path, to use me to be the best person I can be, to better the world. That’s my
No. 1 goal: To better the world. I want to do
something positive with my life, and maybe
that will inspire someone. I want someone to
say, ‘If he can do it, why can’t I?’ That’s what
I pray for. Every day.”
Elimimian already accomplished much
last season, his first year at UH.
By the third game of his college career,
weeks before he took his first mid-term exam,
Elimimian was a starting inside linebacker and
the director of the Warriors’ defense.
Overcoming homesickness and a bad diet,
he finished as the Warriors’ second-leading
tackler as a freshman in 2005 while maintaining a B average.
For that, he thanks God.
“Our family is really Christian-based,”
said Elimimian, whose siblings have the
Biblical names of Abraham, Jacob, Elizabeth
and Isaac. “We have a strong faith. Without
God, nothing is possible. With God, everything
is possible.
“For me, I’m blessed to have the opportunities I have. I get to come to Hawai’i to play
football. This is a great place to play. It’s all
about taking advantage of opportunities. I’m a
very blessed person.”
UH coach June Jones praised Elimimian,
saying, “Solomon played like an NFL veteran.
For a freshman to come in and take control of
a defense, to make the calls and adjustments
and play the game the way he played as a
freshman, he’s got a really bright three years
ahead of him.”
UH opened training camp Thursday, but
Elimimian managed to take time to answer
questions from The Advertiser.
On his Nigerian birthplace:
“I came to America when I was 1. I’ve
never been back to Nigeria. My parents have
been back. I haven’t. It seems whenever they
go, it’s during school or football season. I plan
to go (next) year. I have a lot of family still
living in Nigeria.”
“When we first came to America, we
lived in San Luis Obispo (Calif.), maybe
around nine, 10 years. I remember a lot about
that. It was really cool. It was a nice neighborhood. I guess that’s where my family really
bonded.”
On moving to South Central:
“We moved to L.A. because it was a big
opportunity for my family. But it was a
change. It was really tough.
“A lot of people in SoCal would know
(the area). It’s called ‘The Jungles.’ It’s government housing and stuff. There was a lot of
gang violence. It was really hard to be accepted by the kids. Everything you were taught
was challenged by the kids. You were doing
things a certain way, and the kids were doing
the opposite.
“There were a lot of temptations to join
the gangs. The part we were living in was real
heavy on gangs. In middle school there were a
lot of gang-bangers. Having a strong family, I
knew I could never go that route. I had my
brothers in college. My dad was a professor
with a PhD in English. My mom got a degree
in college. I couldn’t go that route. I was never
in a gang, but I hung out with a lot of guys
who were in gangs.
“Being an athlete, I had a pass, I guess. I
never messed with that stuff.
“A lot of people think gang members are
heartless. They’re human beings who don’t
have a lot of opportunities. There were cool
people. They let me do my football thing and
not interfere with that.”
On his parents:
“It was hard growing up in L.A. with
Nigerian parents. They were overprotective
and strict. No matter how old you get, it seems
it was always their way. I didn’t really understand that when I was little. Now I understand
that’s how the culture is. I respect it a lot. It’s
always strict, but it worked.
“My friends used to ask why I couldn’t
spend a night, why I couldn’t go out, stuff like
that. I felt bad. Every kid wants to be accepted.
Having Nigerian culture, it was difficult in that
aspect. The freedom wasn’t really there. The
curfew was when it got dark, you had to be in
the house. I never really spent time in my
friends’ house. Even when I go back to L.A.,
my parents don’t really like me to go out. It’s
really dangerous in L.A.
“As I look at it now, it was great. Not
many of my friends are in college. My parents
taught us well.”
CLIPPINGS 5
On his brother, former UH cornerback
Abraham Elimimian:
“My brother was a big inspiration to me.
Growing up, I always wanted to be like my
brother Abe. When Abe was playing basketball, I was playing basketball. When Abe
dropped basketball and started playing football, that’s when I stopped playing basketball
and started playing football. I didn’t play football until my ninth grade year. It was natural, I
guess. My brother is the reason I played football.”
On turning down other schools to sign
with UH:
“After my (recruiting) trip, I kept thinking
about signing, but I didn’t really want to follow my brother’s path. I wanted to make my
own path. The more I thought about it, I realized I can make my own path even if I went to
Hawai’i.
“I think I made the best choice. The (UH)
coaches are cool. They teach you how to play.
They inspire. (Linebacker) coach Cal (Lee) is a
great guy. He always has time for us. That’s
what I like about coach Cal.
“Hawai’i is the best place for me. I
wouldn’t change anything. A lot of schools
wouldn’t give a freshman a chance to play.
The coach told me they would give me a
chance. All I had to do was show them what
I’ve got. They were honest with me.”
On his first start, replacing Ikaika Curnan,
who was a senior:
“I really look up to Ikaika Curnan. He
was hurt all last year. If he were healthy, I
wouldn’t have started. He didn’t have a grudge
against me. He was a hero, a real inspiration.
How can a man be so humble? He was the
man when my brother played here. I looked up
to Ikaika Curnan. I was surprised at how he
embraced me, how he tried to help me a lot.
He could have been bitter, and that’s understandable. A lot of guys get bitter when they’re
not playing. I feel he was an inspiration to me.
I had his support. He couldn’t really play 100
percent. That’s when (defensive coordinator
Jerry) Glanville told me, ‘You’re going to start
this week.’ I was really nervous, but excited to
play.
“The most nervous I ever got was the
(season-opening) USC game. I’m from L.A.,
and everybody back home was like, ‘I’m going
to have to watch you.’ But I did pretty good.
That boosted my confidence.”
On being asked to call the defensive plays
as a freshman:
“It was real tough. When things go
wrong, and the line can’t hear you calling the
plays, you get blamed for it. It’s your responsibility to make sure everyone knows what
you’re doing. You have to call the audibles.
You have to grasp the whole concept almost as
much as the defensive coordinator. I guess
you’re the general on the field.
“I was really worried about how the
(older) players would receive me. A lot of guys
don’t respect you. That’s the honest truth.
You’re a freshman. You haven’t done anything
to help the program. They don’t know you.
Everybody is looking at you. You hear stuff.
‘Solomon this.’ It’s tough, but you respect it.
They’re the seniors. You’re a freshman. You
have to earn your way. You have to earn
respect. It’s really hard to trust a freshman calling plays.
“But the environment I grew up in
Crenshaw (High School), the coaches really
got us prepared to accept challenges. They’re
yelling in your face. There’s a lot of pressure.”
On his first year at UH:
“My freshman year was mind boggling. It
was the hardest year of my life. The coaches
take in mind you’re a freshman, but it was
either right or wrong. You don’t do things
right, you’re not going to play.
“Even though people were saying I had a
good freshman year, I didn’t feel I had a good
year, not by my standards. Being away from
Los Angeles, it was really hard. I was homesick. It was tough. But I feel the fact I was
playing helped me through it. It kept me
focused on things, not going out to clubs. I feel
if I redshirted (as a freshman), I would have
been miserable. It would have been hard to be
so far from my family and not playing.
“The hardest thing about being a freshman is learning to take care of your responsibilities. I’ve got to be honest with you. I don’t
really like school, but I did pretty well. What
helped me through was football. In order for
me to be successful in football, I have to go to
school. There are a lot of guys who aren’t here
because of school. It’s not that hard. You have
to go to class. Study hall is long. But in the
end, it pays off. It’s mandatory, so you might
as well go in there and do the work. The
biggest thing about school is being focused.”
On the difference between Hawai’i and
Los Angeles:
“Hawai’i is a big melting pot. There are
so many different cultures. In South Central,
it’s a different way of people thinking. There’s
less violence (here). It’s real easy. It’s not
about material things. It’s not how you dress or
how much jewelry you have on. Out here, it’s
more free. You wear sandals wherever you go.
I like it. You don’t have to worry about materialistic stuff.
“I feel, in my heart, L.A. will always be
home. I feel I need that tough environment to
bring out the best in me. When things are
tough, as the saying goes, people get better.
Los Angeles is a tough place to live in. But if
you can get out, you’re most likely to be successful.
“As a matter of fact, two weeks ago, I got
a phone call that my best friend’s cousin got
shot. He’s still in a coma. My ninth grade year
until now, I’d say over 15 people I knew per-
sonally are dead through gang violence or stupid things. It makes me angry that people can’t
see there’s more to life than gang-banging, and
that they don’t value human life.
“In a way, it’s understandable. I don’t
agree with what they do, but it’s understandable when you have parents who gang-bang.
They have no role models. For me, it was different. I had my brothers and my parents.
Some kids don’t have role models. The rap
artists are talking about killing and drinking.
And the parents are gang-banging. It’s wrong,
but it’s understandable. It’s what you know.
It’s so hard to change how you think, especially when everyone around you is thinking one
way.”
On his offseason conditioning program:
“I felt like last year I was in the worst
shape I’ve ever been in. I got to 235 (pounds)
at one point. It was bad weight. I felt really
bloated. I was eating like I never ate before. I
was eating everything. I had to understand you
can’t eat everything. You have to eat how your
body wants you to eat.
“I’m at a good weight now. I worked hard
during the summer. I’m at 226. That’s a good
weight. It’s all about if you can play, if you
can run, especially with the defense we play.
“I was up in Seattle for eight weeks this
summer, working out with Adam (Leonard,
UH’s other starting inside linebacker). Adam’s
place was surprising. The family eats a lot,
eats really good. My family eats good, too, but
not like Adam’s family. I thought the reason
they were cooking so much was because of
me. I told Adam, ‘Your parents don’t have to
cook that much because of me.’ He said, ‘No,
we eat like this all of the time.’ It was great.
By the time I left I was really comfortable.
“Adam is the closest friend I have on the
team. We’re competitive. He brings out the
best in me, and I bring out the best in him.
Training with Adam is the best for me. He has
a goal, which is similar to mine, which is to be
the best linebacker.”
On his off-field interests:
“I’m not a real outgoing person. A lot of
my teammates said I was a hermit because I
never really went out. That’s fine with me. I
like to relax, hang out with my friends, play
some dominos. Dominos is really competitive.
It’s strategic. If you don’t have the hand that
you want, you have to be more strategic. You
need a poker face. You can’t have people read
you. You can’t let them know what you’re
thinking or what you’re trying to do. That’s
easy for me. Everybody says I never smile. It’s
just me. It’s not that I don’t like to smile, but
that’s how I am. What you see is what you get,
I guess.”
CLIPPINGS 6
RESPECT WORKS BOTH
WAYS FOR UH CENTER
By Stephen Tsai
August 13, 2006
For Fa’alata Satele, every day is Father’s Day.
“I don’t know where I would be without
my dad,” said Samson Satele, the University of
Hawai’i football team’s starting center and
undisputed leader.
Fa’alata introduced his son to football and
good manners. Fa’alata calls every guy by the
same first name — “Mister.”
“He taught me to be respectful of other
people,” Samson recalled. “When I was in
high school, I never respected anybody. A
father is going to discipline you if you’re not
being respectful. I got tired of being disciplined. I learned my lesson, and now I show
respect to everyone.”
Fa’alata has opened his home to all of
Samson’s cousins on the team — running back
Nate Ilaoa, offensive linemen Larry Sauafea,
Raphael Ieru and Hercules Satele, defensive
end Melila Purcell III and outside linebackers
Amani Purcell and Brashton Satele.
“All Samoans are related,” Samson said,
smiling.
On the real Father’s Day, Fa’alata
receives the same gift.
“I give him a big hug,” Samson said. “He
loves it. He knows there’s a lot of love
between us. He’ll always love me until the day
he dies, and I’ll always love him until the day I
die. My whole life, he helped me make the
right decisions.”
Samson has missed the past three days of
practice because of a sore right Achilles tendon. That allowed him to sit down with The
Advertiser and discuss his full house, the baldheaded coach who broke his heart, and why
somebody named Samson should never cut his
hair.
On his first name:
“My dad told me the story that when he
was a junior in high school, he had a dream
where he named his son ‘Samson.’ He wrote
‘Samson’ on his Bible. When I was born, in
‘84, he named me Samson. Whatever child
came out, he was going to name the baby
‘Samson.’ I’m glad it was me and not my sister.”
On living at his paternal grandparents’
home in Kalihi this summer:
“My grandma and grandpa always had so
much love. She welcomes anybody. It’s a pretty big house — big enough to hold my
cousins. It holds 15 of us. I was dorming the
last four years, but I’ll be staying there this
fall. Plus, it’s closer than when I was living on
the Windward side. Driving
in from the Windward side
takes, like, an hour, with all
of the traffic. It’s only 10
minutes from Kalihi to
school.”
On his introduction to
football:
“Football is the first
sport I ever watched on TV.
I fell in love with it. I loved
the contact. I was looking
up to people who played
football. I always wanted to
be one of those guys.
Hopefully, I can be somebody’s idol.
“I played for the first
time when I was 6. I was
too heavy, but they let me
play, anyway. I had to lose weight to play.
“My idol was (offensive lineman) Larry
Allen, because I liked the Dallas Cowboys. I
always watched them pull (the guards). He
was big, but he could get very low. When he
made contact, it was over.”
On becoming an offensive lineman:
“I started playing d-end. I moved to linebacker. One day, my dad sat me down, and he
told me, ‘To get to the next level, you have to
play offensive line.’ I was in the ninth grade. I
listened to him, and look what happened.”
On growing up in Hawai’i:
“We moved all over. I’ve been to 11 different schools. We’ve been moving back and
forth, going from Kane’ohe to Kalihi,
Kane’ohe to Kailua, Kahalu’u, Kaimuki. Every
‘K’ out there. I had a choice to go to Kahuku,
Kailua or Kamehameha (for high school). I
went to Kailua.”
On his next move:
“My mom just got granted (Hawaiian
Homestead) land in Waimanalo. My (maternal)
grandma was on the waiting list until the day
she died, but she never got it. She put my mom
on the list.
“I wasn’t there when my mom was granted the land. My sister called me. She was
there, and she was all happy. My mother was
happy. There were 1,000 people there, and
only 100 got called.
“My mom said because (my grandma) is
buried in Hilo, she wants all of us to go to Hilo
and thank her for everything she’s done.
Hopefully, we’ll name the house after her.”
On being recruited by Brigham Young,
which is administered by the Mormon church:
“I’m Mormon, and proud to be Mormon.
(BYU coaches) recruited me hard, because
they knew I was Mormon and part of the LDS
church. But I knew I wanted to stay in
Hawai’i.
“The day before UH beat BYU, 72-45 (in
2001), I verbally committed to UH. The
(BYU) coaches were down here. They wanted
CLIPPINGS 7
to have dinner. I told them I
chose Hawai’i. I didn’t want
anyone else on my back, and
I always wanted to go to
UH.”
On his relationship with 5foot-6 Mike Cavanaugh,
who was coaching UH’s
offensive linemen at the
time:
“It wasn’t that hard of a
decision (to pick UH).
Coach Cav was recruiting
me since I was a junior. I
had trust in him, coming out
of high school. He taught
me a lot of things.
“Everybody was like a son
to Cav. Every O-lineman, no
matter who you were. You
could be a nobody coming to Hawai’i, and
coach Cav will make you into somebody.
“The first time I saw him, he was a cool
guy. It was like, ‘We want you,’ and all of that.
I didn’t look at him as being a tough guy until
we went onto the field. Then it was, ‘There
went that little guy.’
“When I stepped on that field for the first
time, I heard him yelling, swearing. He got me
moving just yelling and swearing. I thank him
for that. I like it when coaches yell — well,
not every time — but when they’re on you,
they’re coaching you. When coaches are not
talking to me, something’s wrong. That’s the
way I look at it.
“I could talk to him about anything.
Whatever I say to him, stays with me, him and
the four walls. He kept it like that. We all had
trust in him. He used to eat dinner with us on
Thursdays, just to get the O-line together as a
unit, just to make us comfortable with him.
That was a good thing.”
On Cavanaugh’s resignation in February
2005 to coach at Oregon State:
“It was hard, but he made sure he called
all of us before he announced the decision.
Family comes first. You’ve got to take care of
your family before you take care of others. He
was taking care of his family. He made a good
choice. We can’t act like we died. Life goes
on. We have to pick it up.
“But I was hurt. I thought he would leave
after my class (graduated). I guess he had other
plans. He stayed here and coached me for three
years. I learned a lot from him. I wanted him
to stay longer, so I could learn more.
“After he left, I didn’t talk to him for a
long time. I was kind of mad at him. I was sad,
but more mad.”
On making up with Cavanaugh:
“He came back that summer (in 2005) to
visit. I saw him, and he was the same guy, just
yelling and more yelling.”
On adjusting to life without Cavanaugh:
“At first it was hard, because you didn’t
know what to expect. We had a good leader in
(center) Derek Fa’avi. He told us to respect
whoever was going to coach us. In the back of
our minds, you hear Cav’s voice telling you
what you did wrong. When Cav left, Derek
took over as the leader of the pack. I thank
Derek for that. He kept my head in there. He
kept everybody’s head in there. Derek was like
a step-dad. He was funny. He knew when to
work. Derek was open to everybody. He talked
to anybody. He would be your friend if you
were alone. He was a great leader and set good
examples for us.”
On establishing his role as a leader last
week by scolding teammates for breaking a
team rule:
“When I heard guys weren’t disciplined
and guys weren’t respecting coaches, somebody had to step up.
“It’s not my team. It’s everybody’s team.
If you disrespect the coach, he’s not going to
coach you. My dad always said, ‘Never show
respect to anybody who doesn’t show respect.’
I was looking around to see if somebody
would step up, but nobody did. I told myself I
wasn’t going to be that vocal person. But if I
have to do it, I’ll do it.
“A couple of guys came up to me after
practice and said, ‘Good speech. We never
knew you had that in you.’ I always had it in
me. My dad always told me I’m a leader. But I
wanted to be a leader by example, not by
yelling.”
On Dennis McKnight, who will help Wes
Suan coach the offensive line this season:
“He’s like a bigger version of Cav. You
can’t get away with anything because he’s
always watching the films. He’s learning, too,
while he’s coaching. He’s watching every little
detail, from your footwork to your hands and
head. He knows what to do and what not to do
at a certain time or play. He’s very strict on
technique. If you’re bad on technique, he’s
going to correct you, no matter if it takes five
minutes or 10 minutes or how many minutes.
“He’s intimidating to look at. He’s a very
big guy. The first time I saw him was in the
spring. It was like, ‘Who is this guy?’ He was
a beast. I found out he was the special teams
coach back in ‘99. When I found out he was
coming, I was very scared of him and what he
was going to do to us. He’s very intense. Very
loud. Very intimidating. I trust him, just like I
trust coach Cav. I can go into his office at any
time. I can tell him anything. I like the guy.”
On playing with injuries:
“I hurt my (left) shoulder (two years ago).
I never really thought about it every game. If I
hurt something during practice, I won’t tell
anybody, unless it’s really sore. If it’s sore, I’ll
let it go. But if I can’t walk or move, I’ll tell
the trainers. But this shoulder thing, I didn’t
think it was bad. I just wanted to play because
I love this game a lot. My shoulder wasn’t
really bothering me until my sophomore year.
Then I checked it out with the doctor. The ligaments were messed up. I had surgery.
Everything is all fixed. It’s like a brand new
shoulder.”
On his decision to return for his senior
season instead of declaring for the NFL draft
as a junior:
“I wanted to finish school. I talked to a lot
of people about staying or going. Cav told me
I was in a win-win situation. I could go to the
NFL and make money, or stay in college and
try to win a WAC championship, and get to
hang out with my cousins. I love college. I
couldn’t lose with my decision.
“My mom and dad told me that no matter
what I decided, I shouldn’t worry about the
money. They would take care of me.
“I thought it was a hard decision, but my
parents knew I wanted to stay. I wanted to see
(cousin) Brashton (Satele) play his first season,
and I wanted to be on the same team with Colt
(Brennan), Davone (Bess), Ryan (GriceMullins), Jason Rivers and, well, the list goes
on and on.”
On moving from left guard to center:
“I’m going to miss pulling (as a guard).
Maybe I can try to be a pulling center.
“My favorite play (as a guard) was
‘Tampa Right.’ We ran that a bunch. I start
pulling, and whoever’s in front, I just hit him.
“(Moving to center) is something coach
Jones wanted me to to do for the team. But in
the long run, it’s going to help me out. It might
help me get to the next level.
“Because I started for three years next to
Derek, I learned a lot. Derek was the smartest
center.”
On his fellow linemen:
“Every year we have a barbecue. Last
year, we had it at Ala Moana. The year before,
we had it at (Tala Esera’s) place. This year we
had it at the water park. Almost everybody
came. Three or four guys were on the
Mainland. We had steak, chicken, ribs. I like to
barbecue. I can cook anything. That’s why
Sam Choy has my name.”
On his free time:
“I like to stay home with my family. I like
to hang out with my sisters.
“(Tiatti) was taller than me for a while. It
was bad. She’s a year younger, and she was
taller than me when she was in the fifth grade.
I was short. I would get mad because she was
taller. My dad said my sister was going to stop
growing at a certain point, and I was going to
start growing. I would try to stretch myself and
eat right. Being shorter than my sister was not
a good thing. When she was taller than me, I
would not stand next to her. I would sit down
whenever I would see her. I’m taller now. I
grew to 6-3. She’s 5-9.”
On his long hair:
“I always wanted my hair to be long.
Every time I saw my grandma, she told me to
cut my hair. I cut my hair my freshman year
CLIPPINGS 8
(at UH). I grew it out, and I’m used to it. I
haven’t cut it since. I want it to be as long as it
can be. You know the story about Samson. It
wasn’t good for Samson to cut his hair.”
UH LINEBACKER LEONARD
MAKES SIZABLE STRIDES
By Jason Kaneshiro
August 14, 2006
As Adam Leonard gradually built strength -and trust -- in his surgically repaired knee, a
skill highly valued in a linebacker was among
the slowest to return.
“Change of direction was the most difficult for me, as far as planting and getting off
that leg,” Leonard said.
Close to two years after a complete tear
of the anterior cruciate ligament and the
meniscus in his right knee changed the direction of his football career, the Hawaii sophomore finally feels back up to speed.
“Now it’s like nothing’s wrong,” he said
as the Warriors left the field following a grueling fall-camp workout. “If I need to get somewhere, I can get there and it just feels great.”
Leonard appeared to have a route to a
Division I program all mapped out in the fall
of 2004, but was forced to alter course when
the injury ended his senior season at Seattle’s
Rainier Beach High School.
He returned to action late in his freshman
year at UH, recording nine tackles, but still
couldn’t perform at his previous level. After a
spring and summer devoted to enhancing his
strength and speed, Leonard finally feels like
his old self.
At 6-foot and 236 pounds, he tops the
depth chart at Mac (inside) linebacker and is
slated to start alongside fellow sophomore
Solomon Elimimian in UH’s 3-4 alignment,
bearing little resemblance to the player who
arrived on campus a year ago.
“He looks like a different player,” UH
head coach June Jones said. “He looks like the
player we thought we recruited. I can see why
now USC and Tennessee, and all those guys
recruited him before he hurt his knee.
“I told him last year, it’s going to be a
year before you get over that type of knee
injury. ... That’s what’s happened. He’s had a
year, he’s played one season, now it’s 100 percent, and he’s playing like he did (in high
school).”
Leonard’s blend of physical gifts had him
on track to earn a scholarship with a high-profile program entering his senior season at
Rainier Beach.
But when his ACL gave way early in the
season, the offers went with it.
“All the schools that were recruiting me
before basically dropped me,” he said. “Cal
tried to talk me into going to junior college,
Duke tried to talk me into going to military
school. I knew in my heart that shouldn’t be
the route I should have to go. I was academically eligible and I had the ability, so I wanted
to find a D-I (school) and thankfully the Lord
put it on (Jones’) heart to say, ‘I’m going to
take a chance on him.’”
A tape of Leonard’s high school highlights found its way to Jones’ office and convinced the coach to fly him over for a recruiting visit.
“Speed and acceleration to the football,”
Jones said, recalling the skills that leapt off the
screen. “He just finds the football and he’s a
hitter.”
Leonard spent most of his first year with
the Warriors working back into football shape
and progressed enough to contribute on special
teams and at linebacker late in the season.
Following a freshman year of on-the-job
training, both Leonard and Elimimian returned
to Manoa confident and comfortable with the
system as they aim to help the Warriors
improve on a 2005 season in which the
defense ranked 102nd in the country in yards
surrendered.
“Last year it was kind of new to everybody -- we were learning as we went,” said
Elimimian, who finished second on the team
with 83 tackles last fall. “This year it’s more
comfortable, everybody knows where to go,
what to do. We’re just out there having fun.”
Said Leonard: “You don’t think about it,
you feel where the other guy is at. You trust
that he’s going to be there, he’s got your back.
It’s easier to fly around and make plays
because if I make a mistake I know Sol will be
right there. If he makes a mistake, I’ll be right
there. It makes it real easy to go out there and
just relax.”
With Brad Kalilimoku, a starter at linebacker last season, moving to safety in the
spring, Leonard was elevated to the top line of
the depth chart.
To prepare for his opportunity, Leonard
sought the help of former NFL star Eric
Metcalf in the offseason and convinced
Elimimian to join him in Seattle.
Metcalf, a three-time Pro Bowl selection,
is a regular on the track at Rainier Beach and
picked up a couple of workout partners over
the summer.
“When I got out of school I let him know,
‘E, I see you working out every day, I’m ready
to get down,’ “ Leonard said. “He said, ‘Just
get here at 9 every morning.’
“I told Sol, I said Eric’s going to help us
out a lot. And he said, ‘I’m willing to sacrifice
and get up to Seattle for the summer,’ and
that’s what he did.”
Throughout his journey, Leonard’s faith
helped him through the rough spots, and he’s
part of a prayer group organized by team manager Bryan Maneafaiga, which meets on the
field after each practice.
And having navigated his way through
the unexpected turn, Leonard said he feels
CLIPPINGS 9
blessed to have found his way to the islands.
“It all collapsed on one play,” he said of
his initial post-high school plans. “It was hard,
but I stuck through it and I knew something
good would turn out, and it was Hawaii.”
UH’S FUNAKI ROLLING
ALONG
By Dave Reardon
August 15, 2006
Hawaii quarterback Inoke Funaki could end up
with a new nickname one of these days.
Maybe “Skates” or “Carhop.”
He covers the 300 yards between the
Warriors locker room and practice field, twice
a day, on roller skates.
“The first time I saw that I almost ordered
a cheeseburger from him. I thought he was
from one of those restaurants,” UH running
back Reagan Mauia said. “Maybe he should
play that sport, where they skate around in a
circle. What is it? Yeah, roller derby.”
Most of the Warriors walk. A few ride
bikes. Funaki is the only one on skates. And
they’re the old-school, four-wheel kind, not the
more modern in-line version.
“I was gonna bring a bike (to fall camp),
but I couldn’t fit it in the car,” said Funaki,
who is from Laie. “Earlier this year, I was
cleaning out the garage and found a box. There
was a lot of old stuff and I found the skates. I
don’t know who they belong to.”
Funaki said teammates tease him a lot
about his mode of transportation.
“They always making fun,” he said. “Just
making jokes when I roll past them. They’re
walking and here I come, weaving in and out.
And they all start laughing, ‘Aw man, you
must be the (goofiest) quarterback in the
nation.’ I just laugh and keep going and say,
‘I’ll see you guys in the locker room.’ “
Also, Mauia said Funaki might be starting
a fashion trend with old-fashioned two-stripe
socks.”
“Those socks are classic, man. They’re
awesome, especially with the skates. A lot of
guys are starting to wear the socks,” Mauia
said.
“I don’t know about the skates. But that’s
a smart idea. I’d rather skate than walk, but I’d
probably break my ankle. He’s got a brain on
those shoulders.”
Quarterback Colt Brennan summed it up.
“Inoke’s the only guy who can make
wearing roller skates seem cool.”
CLIPPINGS 10
LINEMAN ON TOP OF HIS
GAME
By Stephen Tsai
August 13, 2006
A deal is a deal, and if University of Hawai'i
football player Dane Uperesa wanted to make
a public announcement, he needed to come
through with his part.
“Tell a joke?” Uperesa said, his voice
trailing into a mutter. “That’s not easy for me.”
It was a difficult request for the selfdescribed “boring guy.”
But it was no more difficult than the other
things he has done that went against his nature.
Like how he struggled as a Punahou
School freshman before working up the
courage to ask for tutoring. He averaged a Bplus as a junior and senior. Or how he followed his father’s “suggestion” to play football, even though he never really felt comfortable in the sport, and now is a pro prospect as
an offensive tackle.
So after several pauses, Uperesa said:
“Why do scuba divers fall backwards into the
water?”
Shrug.
“It’s because if they fall forward, they
would fall into the boat.”
Uh ... OK.
“That’s about as good as I can do. That’s
the only clean joke I know, and I stole it from
(offensive lineman) Brysen Ginlack.”
Then Uperesa said: “I know this is coming out on my mother’s birthday, so I want to
wish her a happy birthday. My mom is my
spiritual and emotional guide. I can talk to her
about anything. I’m very blessed to have her
opinion on many things. She broadens my
view of the world. So, happy birthday, Mom. I
love you.”
Uperesa also discussed life in the “happiest place on Earth,” learning a lesson from an
Appalachian State player, and why real men
wear poker bracelets.
On living in Southern California for eight
years:
“I was born here. When I was about eight
months old, my dad (Kevin Uperesa) had been
in Los Angeles trying out with the Rams. He
hadn’t seen me when I was born. Finally, we
moved to California when I was eight months
old. That was the first time he saw me. He
always stresses how hard it was not to see his
first born.
“Unfortunately, he blew out his knee.
That was the end of his football career. We
stayed there (in Fullerton). He worked security
for Disneyland, and became management over
there. We got in for free, actually. I’ve been
there so many times. It was
tons of fun.”
On moving back to
Hawai’i.
“My parents didn’t want
us growing up in Southern
California. They had a lot of
childhood memories growing
up here. They wanted to send
me and my brother to Punahou. They worked hard. They
sacrificed a lot.
“Because my dad and his
brother (Keith Uperesa) were
standout athletes (at Punahou),
and they tried to contribute to
the school, I had a better shot
(at being admitted). I did well
on the test. Fortunately, I got
in. It was still hard, even though I had financial aid. It’s an expensive school. It’s very
competitive from an academic standpoint. I
went to a good school before Punahou, but
when I got there, it was still tough. I started in
the ninth grade. Everyone is talking about Harvard and Yale. I found it a struggle at first.
“We lived in Hau’ula. My dad woke up
very early, made breakfast, got us up. It was a
long drive. But I wouldn’t trade living out
there for anything. I love it out there — the
atmosphere, the people, the scenery. Even
though it was a long drive, it was a nice
drive.”
On adjusting to Punahou:
“I almost made academic probation as a
freshman. Not that I wasn’t working hard, but
I thought it was too much for me. I was really
struggling at the time. I thought I might have
to leave the school. I had that kind of fear. The
thing was, I was always pushed to do well in
school, and I always did well in school. It was
hard to struggle like that. My biggest thing
was I was scared to ask for help. I didn’t want
to seem like the stupid kid. I finally got the
courage to ask teachers for help, to stay after,
to do what no other kid wants to do: to appear
less than average to his peers. But I had to
suck it up and do it. I started to get the study
habits down, probably by the end of my sophomore year. That’s when I was no longer in the
red. I was getting my average up. My junior
and senior years were when I hit my stride. I
knew how to write papers and do the work.
The last two years, I got a 3.4 GPA. It really
came together for me.” On taking up football:
“I played basketball. That was my first
love. I didn’t want to play football in high
school. I wanted to focus on basketball. My
dad said I had to play. I never played it, but I
thought, ‘why not?’ I could still remember my
first day of football. It was JV conditioning
week. I had never worn a helmet before. I was
always this out-of-shape kid. I put on the helmet, and it was just hell. It was the worst day
of my life. My neck was sore. I couldn’t
CLIPPINGS 11
breathe. I thought, ‘Wow,
this is football.’
“They told me to line
up at defensive end. I ran
20 yards away from the
coach. He was yelling:
‘What are you doing?’ I
didn’t really know anything about football. If I
ever watched a game, it
would be to see who
would score a touchdown, because I knew
what that was.
“I’ve been a project
the day I first put on that
helmet. Football never
came naturally for me. In
basketball, if you throw
me the ball, it feels right. You put me in pads
across from a guy just as big as me, I have to
adjust.”
On choosing to play for the Warriors.
“At first, they weren’t recruiting me at all.
We were almost at the end of our season, and
my friend was invited (by the UH coaches) to
a game. He had an extra ticket, so he invited
me. I was sitting there, eating my meal with
the recruits. (Mike Cavanaugh, who was UH’s
offensive line coach at the time) came up to
me and asked if I committed (to a school) yet.
I said, ‘no,’ and that’s when we really started
talking. He came out for my last game against
Iolani. He went on to offer me a scholarship
during my recruiting trip.
“(Southern California offered) a walk-on
deal. Cal(ifornia) offered a full ride. It came
down to Cal, Hawai’i and maybe SC. Everybody thought I was going to Cal. When I was
sure about my decision was the BYU game (in
2001). I went to that game. I remember traffic
was horrible. I just got there before the kickoff. I saw Chad Owens’ touchdown. To see
that crowd respond, my home crowd, I knew
right then that’s where I wanted to go. If Chad
Owens doesn’t take it to the house, maybe I’m
at Cal today.
“My parents never said they wanted me to
go to Hawai’i. But I could see it in my dad’s
eyes. I remember my dad and mom were in
their room, watching TV. I knocked on the
door, and came in. I told them I verbally committed to the University of Hawai’i. They were
really happy for that. I know my dad was waiting for me to get him tickets. They never used
to follow UH sports. Now they’re two of the
biggest fans. They’ll go to basketball games
and volleyball games.
“There is pressure at Punahou to send the
kids to the Mainland. I didn’t feel pressure. I
knew once I made my decision, that was it.”
On redshirting as a UH freshman in 2002:
“I remember being on the scout team that
year. I tell all of the freshmen, ‘Scout team is
nothing like it was for us when we were fresh-
men.’ We had Pisa (Tinoisamoa), Chris Brown,
Lui Fuga, Isaak (Sopoaga), Lance (Samuseva),
Houston (Ala), Travis (LaBoy). Big, strong
guys. And they were fast. There was probably
no better way for me to learn than by throwing
me into the fire against them. And they’d beat
up on us. I couldn’t believe their speed.
“I thought Kevin Jackson was probably
the toughest guy. He had the speed to get
around you, and he was physical enough to
bull rush you. It’s funny. He wasn’t even starting.”
On his struggles as a second-year freshman in 2003:
“I started against Appalachian State (in
the opener). That was a wake-up call. I got my
butt kicked that game. I can still remember the
defensive end, K.T. Stovall. If I ever see him
again, I’ll thank him. That’s what I needed, to
get up in front of all of those people, and get
my butt kicked. I needed a wake-up call. From
then on, I made an effort to get in the weight
room six days a week, and work hard.
“I remember in 2003, that was the toughest year for me. There were a whole bunch of
things going on — on the field and off the
field. I got through that year, and the next year
I was asked to move to the defensive line by
coach Jones. It wasn’t an order. It was an open
invitation. He said, in the end, it’s up to me. I
consulted Cav, who still thought I had something in me to play the offensive line. He told
me ultimately it was up to me. He told me if I
did return to the offensive line, I’d have to
make a better effort to be the player he thinks I
can be. My dad and my family said the same
thing. I was probably very close to switching
over to the D-line. I remember one night I
made the decision that I was, but the next
morning I changed my mind. Coach Jones told
me he thought I could still be a player. I made
the decision I was recruited for the offensive
line; that Cav, who is a great offensive line
coach, still believed in me; that my family still
had faith in me. I made the decision to stay on
the offensive line.”
On his comeback in 2004:
“Against Idaho, there was ‘260,’ which is
a screen to the right. I probably got up to the
(line)backer faster than I’ve ever done before. I
really tried to put it on him, because I was trying to change my attitude. Everybody always
tells me I’m too much of a nice guy. I don’t
think my problem was the nice-guy thing. I
think it was because I wasn’t comfortable as a
football player until recently.
“In the bowl game against UAB, I was
backing up both the right and the left tackle.
Tala (Esera) had some food poisoning the
night before. He started the game, but I could
tell something was wrong. I went in there (at
left tackle) about halfway through the first
quarter. I got to block for Timmy (Chang) and
Chad (Owens) in their last game. It was exciting. I did good enough, I guess, to make me
the starter the next year.
On developing into one of the strongest
Warriors:
“There’s no way I thought I’d be there. I
was benching probably 260 after high school. I
used to see guys throw on three plates, and I
was like, ‘Oh, my goodness.’
“I remember my first day coming to UH.
It was the Monday after I graduated. I came in
to work out. I walked into the weight room. I
was intimidated. I wasn’t very strong. I saw
these guys in there — La’anui (Correa),
Wayne Hunter. I remember seeing Vince
(Manuwai) for the first time, and how big his
arms were. I was very intimidated. I didn’t
look like that. I kept my shirt on. I remember
sitting outside the weight room. I saw Tala sitting outside, too. We knew each other from
before. We struck up a conversation. We were
like, ‘Man, everybody in there is huge.’ We sat
out there for an hour, thinking of what we
were going to do, or waiting for them to leave.
I remember Jonathan Kauka came out, and he
helped us get into a weight program, to calm
our nerves around the veterans. He was so
good at it I thought he was a coach. On the
first day of camp, I see him come out with a
helmet. We’re like, ‘What is this?’
On his future wife:
“We’ve been together for four years. We
got together during graduation. She’s a Punahou grad. Her name is Brook. She’s a very
smart and dedicated woman. She’s one of the
most beautiful people I’ve known, both inside
and out. She just graduated (from college).
She’s studying medicine. I see a future with
her. Definitely. She’s the love of my life.”
On his other great love:
“I was born a Lakers fan. We were on the
San Jose State trip (three years ago), and I got
a phone call from Kainoa Akina. He told me
the Lakers were in the weight room. That was
the year they had Karl Malone and Gary Payton. I ran to the weight room to see if they
were there. I got on a bench, because no one
was in there at the time. I did a set, I sat up,
and I looked to my left, and Kobe (Bryant)
was benching right next to me. There went my
whole workout. Needless to say I was staring
in his direction most of the time.”
On being a regular at the Warriors’ Texas
Hold’em tournaments:
“I’ve been fortunate to win five of these
circuit events. Hercules (Satele) is good. Ian
(Sample) is good because he’s aggressive. The
worst is Marques (Kaonohi). He doesn’t really
know how to play. He’s always asking, ‘Can I
bet?’ or ‘Can I raise?’ One game he kept doing
it. He kept catching cards. We play for pride.
We call them bracelets. I think coach Jones
would have a good poker face. I definitely
wouldn’t want to call him.”
CLIPPINGS 12
BRENNAN MASTERS
WARRIOR OFFENSE
By Stephen Tsai
August 28, 2006
Anyone who has been to Dave & Buster’s
knows the seemingly simple games of skills
are not so simple at all.
It is why starting quarterback Colt
Brennan has earned the admiration of the
University of Hawai’i football coaches.
The coaches were not as much impressed
with Brennan’s gaudy statistics as a third-year
sophomore last season — nation-leading 4,301
passing yards and 35 touchdowns — as they
were with his consistency.
One of UH coach June Jones’ pet plays is
the bubble screen to the slotbacks, a pass that
travels no more than 10 yards. It would be as
easy as throwing a football through a hanging
tire — that is, if the tire were moving diagonally in the opposite direction and 280-pound
defensive ends were approaching at feedingtime speed.
“As much as the average person thinks
that’s an easy throw, it’s not,” said Dan
Morrison, who tutors the quarterbacks. “It’s a
tough angle, a throw to the sideline, with the
receiver running downhill.”
Morrison said Brennan completed all 21
of those passes last season.
“It’s a difficult play,” Jones said. “On
those type of passes, he’s the most accurate
we’ve had here.”
And as much as Brennan uses the awshucks demeanor of having limited knowledge
of the four-wide offense last season, his first at
UH, in fact, according to Morrison, by midseason Brennan was given as many plays as
his predecessor, Tim Chang, the NCAA’s
career passing leader, had as a senior.
“He was doing pretty much everything
Timmy was asked to do, and he showed he
could do it,” Morrison said.
And that is why entering Saturday’s season opener against Alabama, Brennan is given
more leeway than any other quarterback Jones
has coached.
Jones has not tried to change Brennan’s
throwing motion, nor put the brakes on
Brennan’s willingness to scramble when all
else fails.
In the four-wide system, the quarterback
is instructed to go through his progressions —
look at the first receiver, and if he’s covered,
go to the next, and so forth — before scrambling.
This Colt, the coaches have learned, cannot be harnessed, and Brennan often jetted out
of the pocket after only a few reads.
“He does have a certain ability
to improvise,” Morrison said. “You
want to be careful not to take that
away from him. He’s learning to
stay within the system, because the
system is very good, and it will help
him. At the same time, we don’t
want to completely — and this is a
bad way to phrase it — corral him.
You want to utilize his strength. We
want him to stay in (the pocket)
longer, but we understand there will be times
he’s going to take off, and usually good things
happen when he does.”
Brennan said he and Jones reached a
compromise last year. Jones held his right
hand chest high and his left hand a foot lower.
The left hand indicated Brennan’s play-making
level.
“I want to bring you here,” Jones said,
waving his right hand.
Jones emphasized that a completed pass
covers more yards than a scramble, and staying in the pocket a second longer will open
more options.
“He did a good job with me,” Brennan
said. “He had a lot of patience with me, as far
as letting me develop into the system.
“I understand you’ve got to do what the
system is asking you to do to be successful. I
understand that. I was really trying hard.
That’s why this leeway came. Because I was
trying so hard, but when I couldn’t get it, I
would go. Coach would be yelling at me, but
we’d be going down the field together. He
would scream at me to ‘hit this guy’ or ‘hit
that guy,’ but I would pick up first downs with
my scrambling or finding someone. Coach
decided instead of taking that away from me,
he would allow it, if I did it within his system.”
Brennan also said he was pleased he was
not forced to change his passing motion.
“People are judgmental about that,”
Brennan said. “They say I have a sidearm
motion. I really don’t. If you watch tape of me,
I don’t have a sidearm motion. I throw a little
bit lower than the average guy. But there
comes times in the game when you have to
lower your arm to get a ball off. People will
see me lower my arm to throw a ball. People
will say, ‘He’s a sidearm thrower.’ It’s one of
those things.”
In 2005, Brennan was playing for his fifth
team in five years. He is a 2002 graduate of
Mater Dei High School. After that, he attended
the Worcester Academy in Massachusetts, the
University of Colorado and Saddleback
Community College in California.
“I’ve been around,” he said. “I’ve seen a
lot.”
Brennan opened the 2005 season as a
backup to Tyler Graunke, his former roommate. By the third game, against Idaho,
CLIPPINGS 13
Brennan was the starter. By then, he
won over his teammates. And it wasn’t only because he buys pizza for
the offensive linemen after each victory.
“Look at him, he’s a pretty-boy from California,” right tackle
Dane Uperesa said, laughing.
“Really, he’s just a heck of a guy.
He’s a good leader. He has a leadership quality you don’t find in many
people. We let him take the lead of
the offense, and we like to follow him.”
In deciding to remain at UH for his senior
season, center Samson Satele said he wanted
to play another season with Brennan.
Last Friday, teammates Leonard Peters
and Inoke Funaki invited Brennan to attend the
Kahuku High School football game on the
North Shore.
After practices, Brennan is among the
most animated in performing the haka.
“That’s our leader,” Uperesa said.
Most important, Brennan joins Dan
Robinson as the only UH starting quarterbacks
in the past 16 years never to be booed by the
home crowd.
Garrett Gabriel, who led UH to two
thumpings of arch-rival Brigham Young;
Michael Carter, the star of the Warriors’ 11-2
season in 1992; Nick Rolovich, who led the
Warriors to an 8-1 finish in 2001, and Chang
were never embraced as warmly as Brennan.
Brennan has no explanation, and is hopeful — knock on wood — the affection will
continue.
He offers only this: “I’ve grown up and
I’ve played football for so long now. I love
playing the game. I think, maybe, the fans
enjoy seeing someone have fun. I take a lot of
pride in football, and I love playing the game.
People out here are very old school. They love
the hard-hitting. Maybe they love to see me
run, get laid out and pop right back up.”
WARRIORS SETTLE ON TRICAPTAINS
By Stephen Tsai
August 29, 2006
Making official what was already acknowledged, free safety Leonard Peters, defensive
right end Ikaika Alama-Francis and center
Samson Satele were named tri-captains for the
University of Hawai’i football team this season.
They were selected following a team election.
The Warriors usually pick an offensive
and defensive captain. But Alama-Francis and
Peters finished in a dead heat, and both will
share the defensive leadership.
UH coach June Jones said he will name a
special teams captain for each game.
Each of the tri-captains is a senior.
Peters, who is starting his sixth season at
UH, was named defensive captain last year.
During the first half of the 2005 opener, Peters
suffered a knee injury. Although he did not
require surgery, he did not play again the rest
of the season.
Peters successfully petitioned the NCAA
for an exemption that allows him to play as a
sixth-year senior in 2006.
But Peters was not as persuasive when it
came to the election. Peters told the coaches he
wanted to be removed from consideration.
“I was captain last year,” Peters said. “I
wanted them to let somebody else have a
chance.”
But Jones refused to accept Peters’ withdrawal.
“Leonard is a leader by example, and he’s
highly thought of by his teammates,” Jones
said.
During a team meeting yesterday afternoon, Jones announced that Peters and AlamaFrancis would be captains of the defense.
“The guys pick who they want to pick, so
I guess I’m a captain,” Peters said. “I’m honored. Hopefully, Ikaika is going to be the guy
who yells at everybody.”
Peters, who is 6 feet 1 and 217 pounds,
said he has healed from a sprained right ankle
that kept him from competing in contact drills
for nearly two weeks.
Alama-Francis, who has gained 75
pounds since moving from the UH basketball
team in 2003, has grown into a leader.
“Ikaika has worked really hard,” Jones
said. “He’s earned everybody’s respect by the
way he’s worked out and played. He gives so
much every play.”
Alama-Francis, who is 6 feet 5 and 290,
has improved his strength. When he first
reported to the Warriors, he could bench press
225 pounds one time. Now he can bench press
405 pounds.
Last month, Jones asked Alama-Francis to
represent the Warriors at the Western Athletic
Conference Football Media Preview in Boise.
Being named captain, Alama-Francis said,
“is something special. When I came over from
basketball, I never thought this would happen.
The way I look at it, we’ve got great leaders
on this team. Everybody is a captain in his
own way.”
Several teammates, especially quarterback
Colt Brennan and running back Nate Ilaoa, had
looked to Satele to emerge as a vocal leader.
That happened on the fourth day of training camp, when the Warriors were forced to do
20 minutes of painful drills as punishment for
some players missing curfew.
Five minutes into the drills, Satele began
yelling. At the end of the punishment, he
scolded the rule-breakers during an impromptu
team meeting.
“He’s the king,” Brennan said, a reference
to Satele’s nickname of S-King. “This isn’t just
his team. This is his monarchy.”
Satele said: “It’s an honor, and I accept it.
It feels wonderful. It wasn’t really a shock to
me, because everyone has been telling me to
be a leader since Day 1, so I’m a leader now.”
Jones said Satele was the right choice.
“Samson has asserted himself in a leadership role this year through his workouts and on
the field,” Jones said. “He’s trying to be a winner. He’s a good kid, and a very powerful player.”
Peters
CLIPPINGS 14
Alama-Francis
Satele
TIDE HANDLE HAWAII
The Warriors hang around until the final
play of the game before falling short in
Tuscaloosa
By Dave Reardon
September 3, 2006
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. » That first 30 minutes
of football Hawaii stumbled through last night
in its season opener at Alabama was nothing
new.
And recent history shows that at a tough
road site it's usually more of the same after
halftime, leading to an embarrassing final
score against a brand-name foe or WAC contender. At USC in 2003, Boise State and
Fresno State in 2004, and Michigan State last
year come to mind.
This time it was different.
Very much so, as the Warriors almost
gave the Tide something to really be Crimson
about before 92,138 at the breaking in of
newly refurbished Bryant-Denny Stadium.
This time the Warriors fought back, down
to the final second and the final play. But
Lionel Mitchell intercepted Colt Brennan's
pass at the Alabama goal line to preserve the
Tide's 25-17 win.
UH was a 17-point underdog, and played
like it most of the first two quarters. But then
the Warriors (who beat Alabama at Aloha
Stadium three years ago) proved they are far
from a typical BCS nonconference seasonopening cupcake -- at least they are this year.
"A year ago, I don't think we had the
camaraderie or team cohesion to fight in the
second half," said Brennan, who passed for
350 yards and two touchdowns, both late in
the game. "You have to take the positive and
you have to look at the negatives. I think the
negatives were pretty blatant, but the positive
is that we fought with a great football team."
The Warriors' woes in the first half were
many. Two dropped passes by the usually
dependable and often spectacular Davone
Bess. A mishandled snap by punter Kurt Milne
leading to a safety. A fumble by Nate Ilaoa that
turned into three Tide points when Leigh Tiffin
hit a 31-yarder, one of his three field goals.
"The fumbles really hurt us and the
dropped punt," Jones said.
The Warriors were just fortunate the mistakes didn't cost them more.
"We weren't ourselves in the first half,"
Jones said. "You could tell we were nervous
and stumbling."
Dan Kelly made a 42-yarder when
Hawaii's opening drive stalled after Brennan
started the game with four straight completions. That was all UH would score until late
in the third quarter.
Four minutes into the second half,
Alabama led 22-3 when Keith Brown scored
on a 35-yard pass from J.P. Wilson.
Wilson, in his first start, was expected to
spend most of the game handing off to star
running back Kenneth Darby. But Wilson piled
up 253 yards on 16-for-29 passing, including
six catches by Brown for 132 yards.
"My number was called tonight," said
Brown, who had a bigger role with fellow
receiver D.J. Hall out due to a suspension. "I
had to step up and make plays."
Darby was limited to 25 yards on 16 rushes. One of his backups, Jimmy Johns, led the
Tide with 58 yards, and Alabama rushed for
125 total.
"We were a little off with the running
game," Alabama coach Mike Shula said.
"That's something we'll get corrected."
The Tide managed just 22 yards on 14
carries after halftime.
"We went to some fresh people and made
some minor adjustments," UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said. "We changed very
little, just a couple of little tweaks."
Inside linebacker Adam Leonard, making
his first start, was in on a game-high 11 tackles, including the only sack of Wilson.
UH finally reached the end zone on a 16yard shovel pass to Reagan Mauia from
Brennan, then a 31-yarder on a fade route to
Ryan Grice-Mullins, with 7:04 left.
That accounted for the final score and put
the Warriors back in the game.
"We saw that they played a lot of manfree, really pretty much the whole game,"
Grice-Mullins said. "So Coach said just go for
it right here, and just beat him off the line and
get to the corner."
Grice-Mullins caught six passes for 109
yards -- all but one for 11 yards in the second
half.
Hawaii's defense -- which many predicted
would wilt under the pressure of Alabama's
running game -- stiffened and forced the Tide
to punt twice in crucial fourth-quarter situations.
The first set up the 85-yard drive that culminated in Grice-Mullins' touchdown, and the
second -- preceded by Leonard's sack of
Wilson -- gave UH the ball at its own 35 with
2:52 left and a chance to tie it with a touchdown and 2-point conversion.
The Warriors, using a series of short passes and an 8-yard scramble by Brennan, drove
to the Alabama 26 with 13 seconds remaining.
But the last three passes were high for
Bess, incomplete to Jason Rivers in the end
zone, and then into the hands of Mitchell.
"We were just trying to take a shot,"
Brennan said.
It was a long shot, the final pass, with
five Alabama defenders at the goal line.
CLIPPINGS 15
It was a long shot, taking on the Crimson
Tide at Tuscaloosa.
But fewer mistakes in the first half, and
Hawaii could be celebrating today instead of
thinking about what might have been.
"It was like everything was there for us
and we couldn't do the little things," Brennan
said.
The Warriors have a bye this week before
their Sept. 16 home opener against UNLV.
WARRIORS’ PETERS VOWS
TO PLAY DESPITE RIB CAGE
INJURY
By Stephen Tsai
September 7, 2006
University of Hawai’i football player Leonard
Peters said he will not miss any games or practices despite being diagnosed with a “broken
cartilage” in his rib cage.
X-rays taken Tuesday afternoon showed
the damage, said Peters, who is the starting
free safety and a tri-captain.
“He’s probably going to be sore for six to
eight weeks,” UH head coach June Jones said.
“If he keeps playing on it, he’ll be sore all
year. It’s a tough injury to go through if you’re
trying to hit people.”
Peters said he suffered the injury during
the third quarter of Saturday’s 25-17 loss to
Alabama.
He did not notify the trainers of the extent
of the injury for fear of being removed from
the game. He finished with 10 tackles and a
forced fumble.
He wears a padded wrap during practices.
“I have to play with the pain, which is
OK,” Peters said. “They said the cartilage is
broken, whatever that means. I played through
pain before. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
During his six-year UH career, Peters has
suffered injuries to his spleen, shoulders,
knees, ankles and arms. He played the entire
2003 season with a torn ligament in his left
shoulder.
“I can play through the pain,” Peters said.
“I’m not going to miss any games. My legs are
fine, and I can still use my arms. The only
thing is (the injured area is) my core. It connects to everything. But I’ll be all right.”
PATEK FULFILLS HIS
FATHER’S PREMONITION
UH’s strong safety from Texas is living
out his dream of playing Division I college football
By Jason Kaneshiro
September 11, 2006
Clicking the remote control looking for his
college football fix on a Saturday afternoon in
Texas, Gary Patek happened upon a glimpse of
his son’s future.
“We were sitting here and we were
watching a Hawaii game and I said to my wife,
‘Wouldn’t it be something if he went to
Hawaii,’ “ recalled the father of Jacob Patek,
then a promising junior college prospect.
Hawaii? Yeah, right.
The Pateks were familiar enough with
Hawaii’s reputation and one of Jacob’s former
Blinn Junior College teammates had gotten a
call or two from Warrior coaches. But Manoa
was an awfully long way from Victoria, Texas,
and the family figured Jacob would continue
his football career much closer to home.
But after riding a recruiting roller coaster
following his sophomore season at Blinn,
Jacob Patek ended up making a prophet out of
his dad by signing with UH last February, and
he has taken little time in making an impact
with the Warriors.
Since arriving in late July, the transfer
quickly ascended the depth chart, earned the
starting job at strong safety during fall camp
and began his Division I career by recording
10 tackles against one of college football’s legendary programs.
“When I came out here I was trying to
work hard -- my goal was to be a first-teamer,”
said Patek. “I wanted to show the coaches that
I wanted it and try to get them to trust me so
they know I’ll be able to do what I have to
do.”
Patek got off to a bit of a shaky start in
UH’s opener at Alabama on Sept. 2. (“I was
pretty nervous,” he said. “When we graded
out, probably five of the first 10 plays I
messed up on.”) But once he got his legs under
him, he turned in a solid debut as the Warriors
put a scare into the Crimson Tide before
falling 25-17.
“The first quarter he got lined up wrong a
few times and made a couple mistakes, but
he’ll get better each week,” UH defensive
coordinator Jerry Glanville said. “He’s a hitter
and he’s a hustler. Now, as long as you do
those two things, you’ve always got a chance.”
Following standout careers at Victoria
Memorial High School and Blinn JC, Patek
received some interest from Kansas and coaches from Division II Henderson State kept the
phone ringing. But things got really interesting
when Texas A&M entered the picture.
After an all-conference sophomore season, he faced a choice of walking on at Texas
A&M -- where he had already started the
admissions process -- accepting a scholarship
to Henderson State, or returning to junior college to further explore the recruiting process.
“We were all on different pages,” said
Gay Patek, Jacob’s mother. “None of us were
in agreement on what Jacob should do and we
spent that entire Christmas holiday, two weeks,
agonizing every day just looking at every
detail of what’s going to be best for Jacob.”
When it was decided that Patek would
return to Blinn for the spring, the Texas A&M
staff summoned him back to College Station to
offer him a scholarship. But after making the
2-hour drive from Victoria, he was told there
had been a mixup and the Aggies’ last scholarship had been already promised to another
player.
Word of the developments in Texas quickly reached Hawaii assistant coach Jeff
Reinebold, and he wasted little time in working the phone.
When Jacob broached the idea to his
folks, Gary was transported back to that afternoon in his living room.
“The day A&M called and told him they
wanted him to walk on, he called that night
and said ‘What about me playing for Hawaii?’
“ Gary Patek said. “I said, ‘two months ago I
said that.’ It was pretty unreal.
“It was boom, boom, boom. Not much
time to feel upset about it. It went from a low
to a high real quick.”
Patek was sold on his recruiting visit and
signed with the Warriors in the spring.
Patek had played outside linebacker in a
4-3 scheme at Blinn, where he racked up 96
tackles, including six sacks, in 2005. But the
Warrior coaches envisioned a future as a safety
for the 6-foot 202-pounder in UH’s 3-4 alignment.
“I’m doing a lot of the same stuff,” Patek
said. “I wasn’t back in coverage (in JC), I wasn’t on any deep stuff. Other than that, everything’s pretty much the same.
“I think I caught on quick because I’ve
always seen myself as a safety. When I was in
junior college, I’d do drills with the safeties, so
it wasn’t too much different.”
Once he got into fall camp, the coaches
quickly took notice of his hustle and tenacity.
“His effort and work intensity are second
to no one,” Glanville said. “He’s just a great
character person, he chases the ball like
(Warrior free safety) Leonard Peters and does
everything the way you want it done, really.
“We’re hoping to keep his size up, keep
him in the weight room and hope that he keeps
eating good food, because he’s a little underCLIPPINGS 16
sized for the position. But his heart’s big
enough to play anywhere.”
The Patek family is planning to visit
Oahu for two weeks in November and catch
the Warriors’ games against Louisiana Tech
and San Jose State at Aloha Stadium. His parents and sister have already had a chance to
see Jacob play in person, as they were among
the 92,000-plus fans crammed into BryantDenny Stadium.
“When Jacob was a junior in high school
he told me he wanted to play in front of a
crowd of 80,000 at a D-I school,” Gary Patek
said. “And to sit there and watch him on the
field and see him play the way he did, it just
overwhelms you. It’s just unbelievable that
he’s out there playing at that caliber and playing his dream.
“At one point my wife said something
about not going to Alabama. And I said I don’t
care if I’ve got to walk. This is his first game
and I’m going to be there.”
QUICK-STRIKE WARRIORS
CRUISE TO VICTORY
By Stephen Tsai
September 17, 2006
Hawai’i running back Nate Ilaoa is untouched
as he scores on an 8-yard run. Ilaoa carried
nine times for 104 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Hawai’i quarterback Colt Brennan avoids
a tackle attempt by UNLV linebacker Jason
Beauchamp to score on a 1-yard run in the second quarter.
Dominating from the pregame haka to the
singing of the alma mater, the University of
Hawai’i football team rolled to a 42-13 rout of
UNLV last night in Aloha Stadium.
Before 28,173 — the third-smallest UH
home opener in three decades — the Warriors
relied on inspiration and perspiration to
improve to 1-1.
The Rebels, who have lost 11 consecutive
road games, fell to 1-2.
“We did what we were supposed to do,”
said UH running back Nate Ilaoa, who rushed
nine times for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
“It was a lovely thing.”
The Warriors threw multiple problems at
the Rebels, who rarely guessed correctly.
In 2 1/2 quarters of work, Colt Brennan
completed 24 of 35 passes for 296 yards and
two touchdowns.
Ilaoa, who is 5 feet 9 and 250 pounds,
and 285-pound running back Reagan Mauia
ran — hard — into the heart of the 3-3-5
defense until the Rebels were ready to tap out.
And the UH defense turned the Rebels’
offense into a Rocky Horror Show.
Quarterback Rocky Hinds, playing on a
wounded knee, was held to 13-of-37 passing
and 166 yards.
The Rebels’ first touchdown came when
the Warriors had only nine defenders on the
field.
“The players did a great job,” UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said. “They
knew what to do. I promise you, by the time
we got off the bus, our job as coaches was
done. I just watched. It was fun to watch.”
The program began during warmups,
when the Warriors performed the haka, a
Maori war dance, in the Halawa drizzle.
“It’s a Polynesian tradition that people on
our team take seriously,” slotback Davone
Bess said. “It’s a chance to take all of the
anger and excitement we have inside and get it
out. It really gets us going.”
And the Warriors wasted little time, using
less than eight minutes to race to a 14-0 lead.
Ryan Grice-Mullins caught a pass in the left
flat, then zipped past safety Daryl Forte to
complete a 7-yard scoring play on the
Warriors’ opening drive.
“We wanted to come out striking,” GriceMullins said. “It felt good to score the early
touchdown. Scoring early sets the tone, and it
usually sets the tone to a good night.”
On their next possession, the Warriors
drove 68 yards in six plays, with Bess punctuating it with a leaping catch for a 7-yard score.
“I did my squats this summer,” Bess said.
“Actually, it’s second nature. If you see the
ball, you have to go get it.”
The stunningly quick deficit forced the
Rebels to abandon their original balanced plan
of mixing option runs and passes. The health
of Hinds also contributed to the modifications.
Last week against Iowa State, Hinds exited early in the second quarter after suffering a
sprained right knee. He did not practice
Monday and Tuesday, but resumed workouts
on Wednesday.
Still, Hinds, who has run 100 meters in
10.4 seconds, admittedly was not at his best.
“I wasn’t 100 percent, but I played as
hard as I could,” he said.
While Hinds, who is 6 feet 5 and 225
pounds, often was able to buy time with
scrambles, he was inefficient on option plays.
He never had a legitimate rushing attempt —
his three credited rushes were on sacks — and
the Warriors sniffed out the weakness.
UH often brought up the two outside linebackers, creating a five-man front, which was
intended to bracket Hinds’ play area.
“We knew he was a runner,” defensive
end Ikaika Alama-Francis said. “We’ve been
watching films on him for two weeks. All we
had to do was keep him contained, keep him in
the box. It wasn’t easy. He’s so fast he keeps
you on your toes. He was running all over the
place (on pass plays). I felt I was running a 40yard dash on every play.”
The Warriors also received a boost from
inside linebacker Brad Kalilimoku, who started
in place of injured Solomon Elimimian
(sprained right knee). Kalilimoku, an inside
linebacker last year who practiced at strong
safety from spring practice until last week,
doubles as the Warriors’ nickelback.
Kalilimoku was able to rotate between playing
inside linebacker and defensive back without
forcing the Warriors to substitute.
“It was fun,” he said. “I could play a lot
different places. I played where the coaches
told me to play.”
Kalilimoku, and his defensive teammates,
also followed the lead of free safety Leonard
Peters, who was playing despite a broken rib
cartilage.
On UNLV’s first possession, Peters
leaped to break up a fourth-down pass.
“Trust me, I thought I had angels carrying
me up because my ribs were hurting the whole
game,” said Peters, who also scored on a 33CLIPPINGS 17
yard interception return.
Inside linebacker Adam Leonard, who
made UH’s defensive calls, said: “Leonard
Peters and the other seniors inspired us. We
know the pain he’s going through, and all of
the things he’s going through to be out there.
For him to play through that, to play for us,
he’s a real hero. We fed off that.”
And Ilaoa proved to be inspiration for the
offense.
Ilaoa, who suffered a concussion in the
season opener two weeks ago, this time left the
Rebels dizzy. He caught three passes off slip
screens — lobs over on-rushing defenders —
and turned one running path into his personal
contra-flow lane.
Most of his rushing yards came on Tampa
Right, a stretch play in which left guard
Hercules Satele pulls to the right as the lead
blocker.
“It was an honor to block for him,” Satele
said.
BRONCOS BOOT WARRIORS
The Warriors come closer, but mistakes
keep them from winning in Boise for the
first time
By Dave Reardon
September 24, 2006
BOISE, Idaho » It was almost equal parts
recurring nightmare and spirited comeback.
Ultimately for Hawaii, it was another oh-soclose loss aided by further review that left the
Warriors kicking themselves.
Dogged by its own mistakes and Boise
State’s efficiency, the UH football team
stubbed its collective toe again on the blue turf
last night.
Ian Johnson rushed for 178 yards, and
UH was betrayed once again by its special
teams in 25th-ranked BSU’s 41-34 victory. A
sellout crowd of 30,642 watched on a nearly
balmy night at Bronco Stadium as BSU beat
UH for the fifth season in a row.
Hawaii lost its WAC season opener
despite five touchdown passes by Colt Brennan, including three to Jason Rivers.
“They have an offense that can score
from anywhere, so we knew we had to keep
the pressure on,” Brennan said. “We just made
too many mistakes. Our defense did some
good things for us, but we just didn’t get it
done overall.”
UH fell to 1-2 overall, while four-time
league champion Boise State went to 4-0 and
1-0 in the WAC with its third victory over UH
without a loss here.
“It’s disappointing,” Hawaii coach June
Jones said. “But they’re a good football team.”
Not that the Broncos were error-free:
They suffered from numerous dropped passes
and were penalized nine times for 90 yards,
compared to four for 23 for UH. But the Warriors’ mistakes were game and heart breakers.
So were two instant-replay reviews that
went against the Warriors late in the game
while they were trying to battle back.
But it might not have come to that if UH
hadn’t botched a field-goal try and two pointafter-touchdown attempts, both on bad snaps.
“I don’t even know what to say. ... I practice as hard as I can. Snap, snap, snap,” said
UH snapper Jake Ingram. “It’s not like I was
nervous in the game, or I felt pressured. There
was no bad thoughts. I feel bad I let everyone
down.”
On one flubbed PAT, Orlando Scandrick
returned a fumble by holder Kurt Milne 88
yards for 2 points.
Scandrick was the same player to return a
blocked PAT for a score on the decisive play of
BSU’s 44-41 win last year at Aloha Stadium.
“Every year (against Boise State) it’s been
special teams,” said Milne, a senior who is
also UH’s punter. “Returns, field position,
blocked kicks. I really honestly don’t think it’s
what they do. We do it to ourselves.”
Boise State took a 15-0 lead on Johnson’s
first of two TDs and Jared Zabransky’s 6-yard
scoring pass to Legedu Naanee, giving it 84
unanswered points on the blue turf going back
to Hawaii’s 69-3 loss here in 2004.
“A couple of years ago we came in here
and we didn’t do too good,” Rivers said. “This
year we got down, but our guys showed
pride.”
Touchdown passes to Rivers from Brennan of 26 and 11 yards kept the Warriors in the
game this time, and Boise State’s halftime lead
was 27-14.
Following the break, Brennan found
Davone Bess for an 18-yard scoring pass after
Johnson ran in from 8 yards out, and Boise
State led 34-21.
The Broncos had a chance to go up by 20
and put the game away late in the third quarter,
with first and goal at the UH 10.
But after a holding penalty, a sack by
Mike Lafaele and a tackle for loss by Karl Noa
(who had 10 tackles) of Zabransky, BSU faced
third and 32. On the next play, Kenny Patton
picked off Zabransky’s pass in the end zone
and returned it to the Hawaii 19.
The Warriors then drove steadily downfield, scoring when Brennan hit Bess for a 14yard TD on fourth and 5, and BSU’s lead was
cut to 34-27.
UH failed again on the ensuing PAT, with
a bad snap skidding by Milne. Kicker Dan
Kelly picked up the ball and threw a pass that
fell to the ground nowhere near anyone.
Hawaii forced BSU to punt, and the Warriors offense had the ball at the Broncos 48
after a roughing call, setting up the final turning point of the game.
As Colt Brooks sacked Brennan for a 2yard loss, Brennan either threw or dropped the
ball and it was recovered by BSU’s Gerald
Alexander. The officials ruled it a fumble, and
a replay review requested by Jones went for
naught.
“It’s too bad,” Jones said. “That’s life. If you
don’t win the turnover battle on the road, you
give it away on the road, you don’t give yourself a chance.”
For the third time in three games this season, Hawaii turned it over more than its opponent. UH lost two fumbles and an interception,
while the Warriors got just the one pick by Patton.
“I thought they threw up three interceptions in the first half and we didn’t get any.
Both games (Boise State and Alabama) we
should be making interceptions on bad balls,
ducks,” defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville
said.
CLIPPINGS 18
The Warriors allowed a season-high 515
yards, and Johnson netted more yards against
UH himself on the ground than Alabama and
UNLV combined.
“He’s the real deal,” Jones said. “He’s
better than what I thought he was. I thought he
was just a fast guy.”
Johnson got the tough yards, too, carrying
eight times in a row on the next series before
Zabransky found tight end Derek Schouman
for an 18-yard touchdown and a 41-27 lead
with time running out.
On Johnson’s fifth carry of the drive, Noa
appeared to recover a fumble by him. But a
replay review reversed the call. The official
determined that Johnson lost control of the ball
after he hit the ground.
“You never leave it up to the referees,”
said UH safety Leonard Peters, who had a
game-high 13 tackles. “You got to win the
game on your own. We should’ve got a couple
calls, but it should never come down to that.”
Brennan hit Rivers for an 8-yard TD with
2:59 left, but Brennan’s junior-college teammate Jerard Rabb recovered the onside kick
and BSU ran out the clock.
The teams combined for 991 yards.
“We always have interesting games with
Hawaii,” BSU coach Chris Petersen said.
“They usually are high scoring, but I thought it
would be more of a defensive struggle.”
UH’S BRENNAN IMPRESSING
JONES
The Warriors’ coach says his junior
quarterback is one of the best he’s
worked with at any level
By Jason Kaneshiro
September 26, 2006
June Jones has tutored his share of talented
passers in his travels, and the Hawaii football
coach rates his current pupil near -- if not at -the top of the list.
Although a couple of turnovers proved
costly in last week’s 41-34 loss to Boise State,
Jones saw some next-level qualities in junior
quarterback Colt Brennan in last Saturday’s
loss to the nationally ranked Broncos.
“Colt, this game, was about as good as
I’ve seen him,” Jones said yesterday during his
weekly press conference. “Unfortunately, he’s
remembering the fumble and the interception,
which to be quite honest shouldn’t have happened, but he played almost a perfect game
other than that.”
Brennan completed 25 of 36 passes for
388 yards and five touchdowns against Boise
State and enters Saturday’s game against
Eastern Illinois second in the nation in passing
yards per game (344.7) and total offense
(360.3 ypg). He trails only New Mexico
State’s Chase Holbrook in both categories.
The miscues Jones referred to were an
interception in the second quarter that led to a
Boise State field goal and a fumble in the
fourth quarter that the Broncos converted into
a touchdown to extend their lead to 41-27.
Still, in two games against Boise State,
Brennan has passed for 814 yards and nine
touchdowns while being intercepted three
times.
Overall this season, he’s completed 69 percent
of his passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns.
“I think physically he’s the best (he has
coached),” Jones said. “Jeff George threw the
ball better, but he doesn’t do all the things Colt
does. As far as everything, he’s the real deal.”
Jones -- who said he doesn’t know
whether an early jump to the pros might be a
possibility for Brennan -- pointed to his command of the offense during the Warriors’ rally
as an indication of his improved grasp of UH’s
system.
“He made throws under pressure in critical situations when you have to have the
throws,” Jones said. “We’re trying to fight to
get it to a seven-point game, he has two touchdown passes dropped, doesn’t even let it faze
him, throws the next strike for a first down,
then throws another one for a touchdown.
That’s the stuff the great ones have and I’m
seeing those things in him now. That makes
him different than everybody else.”
Though frustrated by the Warriors’ second
close loss on the road this season, Jones credited the team’s resolve in battling back from a
15-0 deficit to get back within a touchdown in
the second half.
“There’s no question this is the best football team I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Jones
said. “I have no problem saying we’re going to
win games this year and we’ll get it done
because the guys I have in the room are character people, they’ve already shown it for three
games.
“That 15-0 lead would have snowballed
two or three other times I’ve been up there.
The kids weren’t going to let it snowball.”
CLIPPINGS 19
NATE’S DOING GREAT
With the end of his Hawaii career in
sight, productive running back Nate
Ilaoa is happy he picked UH
By Dave Reardon
September 28, 2006
Hawaii slotback Nate Ilaoa played his first college football game in 2002 against Eastern
Illinois, the Warriors’ opponent Saturday at
Aloha Stadium.
“I scored my first touchdown, a good
memory,” he said yesterday.
The good memories at UH as one of the
guys have been many for Ilaoa, one of the
Warriors’ most popular players among his
teammates.
He still has 10 or 11 games to add to
them, but there haven’t been as many on the
field as were predicted for Ilaoa, who coach
June Jones has said is the Warriors’ most gifted
football player -- on one of the most physically
loaded squads in the program’s history.
Four years since that first game -- after
surgeries for shoulder and knee injuries, questions from his coach about his dedication, and
a position change -- Ilaoa, now UH’s starting
running back, is still here.
He had his choice of Top 25 programs out
of high school, but Ilaoa has no regrets.
“Hawaii was the perfect place,” he said.
And now, he’s living up to the promise
the highly regarded recruit arrived at Manoa
with in 2001, after he was named the
Washington Post’s Metro Offensive Player of
the Year.
The NCAA granted Ilaoa an additional
year of eligibility because injuries knocked
him off the field for almost two full seasons.
He’s made the most of it so far, with a teamhigh 376 all-purpose yards for the 1-2
Warriors. He leads UH in rushing with 199
yards in 25 attempts.
Jones said Ilaoa could’ve been a running
back from the beginning.
“He had the capability to, but I knew he’d
be a great slot. He was a great slot. He played
very, very well,” Jones said. “He’s a great runner.”
Last year Jones challenged him publicly
to get in better shape. Ilaoa has since proven
he’s effective as a running back at 5-feet-9 and
254 pounds.
Ilaoa was courted by schools all over the
country after his stellar high school career at
Stafford, Va. His first choice was Oklahoma.
He had lived there when he first started
playing football, and was a Sooners fan.
Ilaoa’s father was a Marine whose office
was at the Murrah Federal Building in
Oklahoma City. Filipo Ilaoa knew many of the
168 people who died from the massive explosion there April 19, 1995.
“He was a recruiter for that entire area of
the country. Luckily he was on the road that
day,” Ilaoa said. “He lost some friends in
there.”
When the family was re-stationed in
Virginia, Nate Ilaoa’s football heart remained
with the Sooners.
“I was ready to go to Oklahoma. I had an
offer on the table and was close to verbally
committing, but I wanted to take all my visits
and I didn’t want to commit early. By the time
my visit came up, they pulled back the scholarship and said they had enough receivers.
That was my first choice. After that I really
had to start looking for a school,” Ilaoa said.
“The kid who committed ended up going
to Kansas State and then Tulsa. The guy took
my dream-school scholarship and didn’t even
use it.”
Miami and Virginia Tech were among
those providing firm offers, but Ilaoa chose
UH, partly because his father would be stationed at Kaneohe.
It wasn’t because of the ocean.
“I don’t go to the beach at all. Not unless
we’re barbecuing or something,” Ilaoa said. “I
don’t like the water. I think all humans should
stay on land. When you see a shark walking
around Dole Street, let me know.”
That sense of humor is why quarterback
Colt Brennan asked Ilaoa to be his roommate
for road games.
“I kind of like the pressure being taken
off me. I like to enjoy myself and be relaxed.
He definitely brings that atmosphere,” Brennan
said. “You sit around laughing for a day-and-ahalf and before you know it it’s game time.
CLIPPINGS 20
“My one goal is to tackle Nate,” Brennan
said. “I try, countless times, to tackle him
when he’s not looking. He said it only counts
on the football field. When we’re practicing I
try to get him, and I haven’t yet.”
Brennan isn’t alone. Opposing defenders
have had their difficulties, too. Ilaoa’s average
of 8.0 yards per rushing attempt is among the
best in the nation.
“He can make guys miss, he can run
through you,” Jones said.
UH WINS IN ROUT
By Stephen Tsai
October 1, 2006
Starve the defense, feed the offense.
That was the remedy for the University of
Hawai’i football team in a 44-9 rout of Eastern
Illinois last night before 22,480 at Aloha
Stadium.
The treatment took 2 hours, 54 minutes.
“We wanted to finish them off early,” said
UH running back Nate Ilaoa, whose team
rebounded from last week’s loss to Boise State
to improve to 2-2.
Eastern Illinois, a Division I-AA team
limited to 63 scholarships —22 fewer than UH
— fell to 2-3.
“We’re happy everybody came out
healthy, and nobody was hurt,” said EIU running back Vincent Webb.
The only bruises were to the Panthers’
feelings.
The Panthers managed 291 yards against
the Warriors’ self-described “hungry” defense,
with 57 yards accumulated on pass receptions.
In the meantime, Colt Brennan fueled the
Warriors’ offense, completing 30 of 41 passes
for 409 yards and five touchdowns. He left
after the Warriors’ second series in the second
half, which concluded with Ilaoa’s 1-yard run
to make it 41-9.
Brennan was dealing with a shuffled lineup. Ryan Grice-Mullins, the usual starting right
slotback, was wearing a medical boot because
of a badly sprained left ankle. Ross Dickerson,
who started the first three games at right wideout, opened at right slotback. Ian Sample, a
sixth-year senior, made his first start of the
season at right wideout.
“Our receivers are so good, you can move
them in and out and around, and it won’t make
a difference,” Brennan said.
Indeed. On the game’s opening drive,
Sample sprinted past cornerback Terrance
Sanders on a post pattern for a 29-yard scoring
play.
On the Warriors’ next drive, Dickerson
sneaked into the right corner of the end zone to
secure Brennan’s 16-yard pass.
“It was a perfectly placed pass,”
Dickerson said. “Colt went through all of his
progressions, and saw me in the corner. He put
it right there.”
Dickerson had played two years at slotback before moving to wideout in the spring of
2004. While the offense has an equal number
of opportunities for the four receivers, Brennan
admitted, “When you’re an outside receiver,
you’re really limited in what you can do. In
our offense, the focal point is on the two inside
guys. When Ross was told he would move
inside, you could tell he was excited. He knew
he would get more opportunities.”
Dickerson dropped his first pass, much to
Brennan’s surprise — and amusement.
“Ross never makes mistakes, so it was
funny to see,” Brennan said. “But he came
back and made some big plays.”
Dickerson finished with five catches for
67 yards; he was trumped by three other starting receivers. Sample caught six passes for
122 yards, left wideout Jason Rivers was six
for 106, and left slotback Davone Bess, playing on a sprained ankle, was seven for 58.
“We wanted to go out there and make
plays and have fun,” Bess said. “We clicked,
and we ended up having fun.”
The Panthers, who were without injured
All-America linebacker Clint Sellers, had no
permanent answers for the Warriors’ four-wide
offense. When they crammed the tackle box to
deny the Warriors’ pet play, the shovel pass,
Brennan would throw to the wideouts running
post patterns. When the Panthers dropped
seven defenders into pass coverage, Brennan
would throw inside screens to the wideouts,
swing passes to the slotbacks, or shovel passes
and slips screens to Ilaoa.
“The defense was bouncing around, making it hard to read,” Brennan said. “We fell
back on what we know and what we’re taught.
I would throw the ball, and somebody would
be right there to catch it. I don’t think we
played the best we can play. But we made the
plays when we needed to make the plays.
Luckily, the ball was in our court. The ball
bounced our way. Did I leave out any other
basketball analogies?”
The run-and-gun style gave the Warriors
leads of 14-0, 21-9 and, at the intermission,
34-9.
The defense did the rest.
“We were so hungry,” defensive end
Ikaika Alama-Francis said. “It was depressing
after we lost to Boise State. We couldn’t wait
to take it out on somebody. Eastern Illinois is a
good team, but they were next on the schedule.
We wanted to jump on them early. We wanted
to set a tone and get them out of there as fast
as we could.”
The Panthers rushed for 234 yards,
including Webb’s 117. But 69 of those yards
came when Webb broke free off a trap play.
Other than that, the Panthers were largely
ineffective in the first half, when the outcome
was still in suspense, and they faced too many
obvious passing situations.
“We knew when it was a passing down,
they tried to go long,” UH safety Leonard
Peters said.
But the Panthers were without wideout
Ryan Voss, who was held out because of a
shoulder injury, and 6-foot-6, 220-pound wideout Micah Rucker could not get unhinged from
the Warriors’ grasping cornerbacks.
CLIPPINGS 21
Rucker, who entered averaging a touchdown every third catch, finished with two
catches for 17 yards. Neither reception was a
touchdown.
C.J. Hawthorne, who is 5 feet 11 and 166
pounds, and Kenny Patton, who is 6 feet and
185 pounds, took turns defending Rucker.
“Big guys don’t like to be pushed, so we
made sure we were really aggressive,” Patton
said. “Coach (Jerry) Glanville set up schemes
where we had hands on (Rucker) the whole
game. He couldn’t run down the field free.”
Rich Miano, who coaches the defensive
backs, said: “We thought he would be the best
receiver we’d face in terms of his physical
ability. We wanted to jam him. We wanted to
affect him. We wanted to double him. A lot of
the game we didn’t double him, and when we
didn’t, the corners really went up for the ball
and made some plays.
“A lot of big receivers don’t let the corner
get off the ground,” Miano added. “They lean
on the corner. Our guys did a good job of timing it up and getting the ball at the highest
point. That’s what we teach, that’s what they
practice, and that’s what they did.”
Hawthorne said the best pass defense is a
good pass rush.
“Our front seven did all the work,”
Hawthorne said.
Nose tackle Michael Lafaele held the
point, and defensive ends Melila Purcell III
and Alama-Francis sealed the perimeters. The
Warriors then sent blitzers from all points.
The Panthers combined for 8-of-21 passing for 57 yards. Starter Mike Donato was 2 of
8 for 15 yards.
“The quarterback was running for his
life,” inside linebacker Adam Leonard said.
“It’s hard for a quarterback to put the pass on
the money when he’s running around.”
Purcell said: “He looked like he was
scared. I would be a little scared if I saw
Ikaika coming off the edge.”
The Warriors ended up with a season-high
three interceptions.
“We wanted to force turnovers, and let
our offense do its thing,” Peters said. “That’s
what happened. It was a nice night.”
UH’S ESERA EAGER TO
LEAD
The converted defensive tackle is taking
his senior season seriously
By Dave Reardon
October 5, 2006
Ask Tala Esera about his hunger for a win
against Nevada on Saturday, and the Hawaii
left tackle will tell you that you are understating the issue.
“I’m starving,” Esera said after yesterday’s practice. “Put it that way.”
It wasn’t always that way for the former
defensive tackle from Kahuku.
After switching over from defense after
his redshirt year, Esera caught on quickly and
did a competent job for nearly two years as the
main bodyguard for Tim Chang and then last
season for Colt Brennan. But one of coach
June Jones’ favorite compound words, want-to,
was rarely uttered in the same sentence with
Esera’s name.
But his stomach is growling now and
Jones has noticed.
“Obviously he has some ability,” the
coach said. “He’s progressed. He’s worked
harder this year.”
Maybe it’s because this is his last year,
and Esera knows the scouts are watching
closely.
Maybe it’s because as leader of the team’s
Maori-warrior inspired haka dance, Esera is
more pumped up at the start of games.
“That’s when the beast comes out,” slotback Davone Bess said.
Esera and senior safety Leonard Peters
learned the haka last summer from relatives of
Esera’s wife, Nadia.
“I’m not Maori,” Esera said. “But my
daughters (Talia and Maia) are.”
Esera’s newfound leadership isn’t confined to the pregame dance.
His trademark used to be that he didn’t
make mistakes -- the first priority for a left
tackle, and his consistency earned him WAC
second-team recognition last year. But now
he’s added passion to his game.
“I see a tremendous growth in Tala from
last year,” quarterback Colt Brennan said.
“He’s really stepped up and taken on the senior
leadership thing.
“Most importantly it’s what you see on
film. (Against UNLV the coaches) gave him
player of the week because he was flying
around, he was doing so many things, so athletic and he was playing with so much intensity. Then the next two weeks he played even
better.”
As he is every game, the 6-foot-4, 305pound Esera will be on the spot against the
Wolf Pack. The left tackle is in many ways the
key to pass protection schemes, and Nevada,
which has 12 sacks in five games (including
five by J.J. Milan) likes to attack from all
directions.
“They move around a lot, swarming like
bees. Watching the film, it looks like one of
the toughest defensive lines we’re going to
face, I think. We’re going to have to focus
down, get the looks in,” he said.
Esera is scheduled to graduate in
December. Until then, he balances school,
football and raising a family. He gets up a 5
a.m. each day to carpool from the North Shore
with fellow Kahuku grads Leonard Peters and
Inoke Funaki.
“It’s really, really stressing me out right
now. But you gotta put in the work,” he said.
“Hopefully I can reap the benefits later.”
Reserves out: Reserve freshman outside
linebacker Brashton Satele is out for at least
two weeks with a hamstring he pulled on kickoff coverage drills Tuesday.
Satele had started at outside linebacker
against Eastern Illinois, but it appears C.J.
Allen-Jones reclaimed his old spot.
“He graded out the best,” position coach
George Lumpkin said of Allen-Jones.
Also, junior cornerback Ryan Keomaka is
expected to miss at least one game with a
sprained ankle suffered at yesterday’s practice.
“We have some other players at cornerback, but his energy will be missed on special
teams,” defensive backs coach Rich Miano
said.
Bess in the nation: Sophomore slotback
Davone Bess was excited yesterday about
being accepted into UH’s communications program. But he was also happy about ranking
first in Division I-A in pass receptions per
game with 7.75.
“It feels real good, and it reinforces in me
to just stay humble,” he said. “Stay focused
and push to stay No. 1, and try for even more.”
CLIPPINGS 22
UH NOSE TACKLE LAFAELE
ONE TOUGH COOKIE
By Stephen Tsai
October 6, 2006
Think your job is tough?
Har.
Don’t even whine if you’re not a shark
tamer, Paris Hilton’s publicist or a nose tackle
in football.
“If we didn’t have training camp and
practices,” Hawai’i defensive coordinator Jerry
Glanville said, “we’d prepare our nose tackle
by sending him out to the Interstate and letting
him dodge cars.”
Jeff Reinebold, who coaches the UH
defensive linemen, mused: “Know how we
pick our nose tackle? We take a guy into a
room, turn out the lights, and three guys with
baseball bats hit him from different angles. If
he can stand up and walk, then we sign him
up. If not, we send him to another position.
What happens in that room is what a nose
tackle will experience for the next five years in
games and practices.”
For the past two seasons, it was Michael
Lafaele who stood and delivered.
Lafaele, a fourth-year junior from
Farrington High School, is the unknown soldier in the Warriors’ three-man defensive front.
Lafaele, who is 6 feet and weighs 305 pounds,
holds the point — keeping the offensive traffic
from advancing — to allow his celebrated
wingmen, defensive ends Melila Purcell III
and Ikaika Alama-Francis, to seal the perimeters.
The ferocity of the defensive line is why
the Warriors are third among Western Athletic
Conference teams in scoring defense, relinquishing 22 points per game.
“He’s part of the reason we’re special,”
Glanville said.
Reinebold, who has become a devoted
video student, declared that Lafaele, “for the
position he plays, is playing as well as anybody I’ve seen on tape. And I’ve watched
everybody’s people when we’re doing our
cross-scouting evaluation. He has taken his
play, in my opinion, to the next level.
“He’s not a great guy to look at,”
Reinebold added. “He’s not going to win any
beauty contests coming off the bus in his uniform (for his style of play). But once the ball
is snapped, that’s what matters.”
UH’s 3-4 defense involves the same concepts as the scheme used by the Super Bowl
champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Because of that,
Lafaele has earned the nickname “Kimo,” in
tribute to Moloka’i High grad Kimo von
Oelhoffen, a defensive tackle with the Steelers
last season who now plays for the New York
Jets.
“They wear the same number (67) and
play the same style,” Reinebold said. “Kimo’s
not a real pretty guy, either, but he’s a really
good football player. I think it’s a good compliment for Michael.”
Lafaele deflects such praise. Told of the
comparison to von Oelhoffen, Lafaele said:
“No ways.”
In UH’s defense, Lafaele has the difficult
two-gap job, meaning he is responsible for
covering the gaps on each side of the opposing
center.
“He does it well, and it’s not an easy
thing to do,” Reinebold said.
It is even more difficult because Lafaele
is suffering from plantar fasciitis, a painful
injury to the heel of his left foot.
“When he’s not playing, he has to wear a
special (medical) boot,” Glanville said. “He
can’t even take (a pain-killing) injection.”
Lafaele said he tries to ignore the stabbing pain.
“I have treatment on it two times a day,
before practice and before (the afternoon)
meetings,” Lafaele said.
Glanville said: “He’s a tough guy. I don’t
know how he can even stand on it.”
Lafaele also said he does not mind the
double blocks he faces on every play.
“I’m used to it,” he said. “You just have
to play fast and smart.”
Reinebold said: “The reason he’s good is
he’s a tough, tough guy. He’s the kind of guy
you need on your football team. There are a lot
of guys who get overlooked in your recruiting
because everybody wants the bigger, taller,
faster guy. But when the final analysis is made,
there are a lot of big, tall, fast guys who aren’t
making plays. Michael makes plays.”
And, there are times, when Lafaele is
playful.
“I’m always busy with football and
school, but I try to spend as much time with
my kids,” said Lafaele, who is a father to two
daughters, 5 years and 20 months, and a 9month-old son. “Their mom does a great job
with them. I try to help.”
CLIPPINGS 23
UH WINS A HOWLER
Hawaii leads the entire way but needs a
goal-line stand to give Nevada its second
loss in the WAC
By Dave Reardon
October 8, 2006
DIFFERENT people have different ideas of
fun.
Hawaii nose tackle Mike Lafaele loved
the fact that Nevada fought back in the fourth
quarter and the Warriors needed to make a
goal-line stand to hold off the Wolf Pack.
UH prevailed 41-34, but not until the
defense stopped Nevada’s offense with four
tries from the Hawaii 3 last night at Aloha Stadium.
“I like this kind of game, where they keep
coming after us. It shows how tough our
defense is. It’s a lot of fun. It makes the celebration a lot better,” Lafaele said.
Quarterback Colt Brennan, who passed
for four touchdowns and rushed for another,
would prefer a blowout like the ones UH dealt
UNLV and Eastern Illinois in previous home
games.
Brennan, who completed 36 of 47
attempts with no interceptions, passed for 419
yards and went into the game leading the
nation in touchdowns responsible for. He was
worried that this game would end up as a loss
responsible for. And there’d be no fun in that.
“Once I fumbled, all the fun went out,”
said Brennan, whose miscue with less than 4
minutes left gave Nevada the ball at the 3 and
its chance for a first WAC win in Hawaii.
With a full moon over Halawa at the end
of a day that included WAC victories by Utah
State (over Fresno State) and Idaho, the Aloha
Stadium stage was set for something exciting.
That’s what the 29,427 in attendance got,
as Nevada kept clawing back.
In the end, Hawaii’s prolific offense and
improving defense proved too much for visiting Nevada to overcome, and the home team
held serve for the seventh consecutive time in
this series.
“It got a little antsy at the end, but I’m
glad we came out on top,” UH coach June
Jones said. “(Brennan) was pretty phenomenal.
At the end of the game, we fumbled the ball,
but I’m glad it didn’t make a difference and
overshadow the great game he played.”
The Warriors (3-2, 1-1 WAC) led all the
way, but needed the entire game to shake the
gum-on-the-shoe Wolf Pack.
Offensive stars, as usual, were plenty for
UH, and they helped the Warriors build what
seemed a comfortable lead. Nate Ilaoa rushed
for 151 yards and managed 68 more receiving.
Davone Bess caught 10 passes for 139 yards,
including a touchdown. Ian Sample grabbed
five for 107 yards and two scores.
Nevada closed to 41-34 on touchdown
connections of 13 and 5 yards from Travis
Moore to Anthony Pudewell, the second with
3:57 left.
Travis Branzell then recovered an onside
kick. But Nevada was called for being offside
and the Wolf Pack kicked it away to UH.
The Warriors took over at their own 5
with less than 4 minutes remaining, but on the
second play, Brennan rolled left and had the
ball knocked out of his grasp by Jason
DeMars. Charles Wilson recovered at the
Hawaii 3.
Nevada could not move the ball in four
plays, the last with Amani Purcell pressuring
Moore and Leonard Peters providing the pass
coverage in the end zone as the ball and Nevada’s hopes fell to the ground.
“We were doubling on that slot (Mike
McCoy) and we were lucky they went to him,”
Peters said. “They were going to have to throw
it through me or over me, and that’s what they
did (over).”
Purcell pressured Moore into a hasty
throw.
“People think I’m the hero,” Peters said.
“But the defensive line and linebackers were
pressuring them all game.”
Lafaele said stopping Luke Lippincott for
no gain on first down was crucial.
“They came at us that first play running
the ball. We knew they couldn’t run on us,”
Lafaele said.
Lafaele sought out Brennan afterward.
“He told me after the game to just trust us
and I sure do now,” Brennan said.
For the second game in a row, two of
Brennan’s TD passes were to Sample.
“I like the trend,” Sample said. “I hope I
can keep it up.”
The Warriors led 31-21 at halftime, but
Nevada (3-3, 0-2) took the momentum to the
lockers after putting together a successful 2minute drill aided by two Hawaii penalties.
The 80-yard drive was capped by Nevada
starting quarterback Jeff Rowe’s 3-yard touchdown pass to McCoy.
After the break, Dan Kelly’s second field
goal, a 25-yarder, pushed UH’s lead to 34-21
at 7:49 of the third quarter.
Hawaii threatened to add to the lead on
the next series, but Ilaoa fumbled at the Wolf
Pack 1. Leonard forced and recovered Brandon
Fragger’s fumble on the next play at the Nevada 21, but again UH could not score.
This time Joe Garcia blocked Kelly’s 24-yard
field-goal try.
The UH defense continued to come up
big in key spots.
Karl Noa knocked the ball out of Rowe’s
hands and Purcell recovered, apparently giving
Hawaii the ball at the Nevada 33. But the
CLIPPINGS 24
replay official ruled Rowe was already down
before the ball came out and the Wolf Pack
retained possession.
Once again, Hawaii stopped Nevada, this
time on fourth and 1 at midfield. Three plays
later, Brennan was in the end zone after a 6yard run.
Hawaii led 10-7 after a first quarter in
which the two quarterbacks combined for just
one incomplete pass in 19 attempts. Brennan
was 13-for-14 and Rowe 5-for-5 .
One of Rowe’s passes was a 19-yard
touchdown to Jack Darlington, and Brennan
hit Sample for a 17-yard score.
Sample’s first touchdown was reviewed
by officials because it appeared he may have
been out of bounds before he could put the ball
over the goal line.
There was no doubt on Sample’s next
score, which came on the Warriors’ next offensive play. Brennan found him wide open on a
post pattern for a 63-yard score, and UH led
17-7 early in the second quarter.
The Warriors extended the lead on a 9yard pass from Brennan to Bess. It culminated
a 61-yard drive set up by Kenny Patton’s
recovery of a fumble by Nevada’s Robert Hubbard.
PAYBACK COMPLETE
By Stephen Tsai
October 15, 2006
FRESNO, Calif. — The University of Hawai’i
football team took all of those IOUs, consolidated them into a dominating performance,
and cashed out a 68-37 rout of Fresno State
yesterday at Bulldog Stadium.
“This is so sweet I can’t even describe it,”
said UH free safety Leonard Peters, who
scored on a 54-yard interception return. “We
put it all on the line, and this is the result.”
It ended with right tackle Dane Uperesa
kicking the “head” of the painted Bulldog logo
at midfield, where the Warriors performed the
haka while the stunned-into-silence Fresno
State Marching Band watched from the side.
It ended with UH slotback Davone Bess
pointing at the “Boneyard” — the mock cemetery with bone-shaped tombstones marking the
Bulldogs’ conquered opponents — and yelling,
“Let them go bury themselves!”
It ended with June Jones, after giving his
last we’re-happy-to-win interview, running
into the locker room, jabbing a reporter on the
shoulder and flashing the widest grin in his
eight seasons as UH head coach.
The Warriors’ point total was their most
for a road game — and the most a visiting
team scored in Bulldog Stadium.
It also put to rest the nightmare of the
Warriors’ last visit to Fresno, in 2004, a 70-14
disaster in which the Bulldogs attempted an
onside kick late in the fourth quarter. Although
only 18 of the 60 players on yesterday’s UH
travel roster played in that game, the bitter
story has been passed down to this generation.
“They really stuck it to us the last time,”
said Uperesa, a senior. “No mercy. No mercy
at all. We felt so bad. We knew we had to
make it right.”
Bess, a UH prospect in 2004, was in the
stands for that game.
“It was so embarrassing,” Bess recalled.
“Right then, I knew I definitely wanted to go
to UH. I wasn’t even part of that team, but it
hurt so bad I wanted to do everything in my
power not to let it happen again.”
History did not have the slightest chance
of a hana hou, thanks to the dart-fling accuracy
of Colt Brennan, who passed for 409 yards and
five touchdowns; running back Nate Ilaoa,
who scored three touchdowns, and a UH
defense that forced three turnovers and dazedand-confused a senior who entered as the
nation’s seventh-leading rusher.
UH improved to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in
the Western Athletic Conference. FSU is 1-5
and 1-2.
UH built leads of 28-7, 42-17 at the intermission, and 62-23.
“When we were up 42-14, we said, ‘Let’s
make it the game they made it two years ago,”
Brennan said.
Brennan, a junior from Irvine, Calif.,
completed 71 percent of his passes in the
Warriors’ first five games. Yesterday, he was
even better. He was 32 of 39 (82 percent), and
made only one inaccurate throw — a pass
knocked down at the line of scrimmage. There
were four dropped passes; wideout Ian Sample
slipped after breaking into the open, and Bess
caught a pass outside of the sideline.
“He’s so consistently accurate, and he’s
becoming more consistently accurate,” said
Dan Morrison, who coaches the UH quarterbacks. “It’s a little scary when you think about
his potential. And nothing bothers him. It can
be day. It can be night. It can be in front of a
hostile crowd.”
Brennan certainly wasn’t flustered by an
early deficit — 7-0, when FSU’s Bear Pascoe
scored on a 75-yard, catch-and-trudge play —
or the Bulldogs’ initial bump-and-bump-somemore coverages.
On UH’s second series, Brennan broke
the ice with a shovel pass to Ilaoa, who juked
his way for 39 yards.
“Right then, we knew we could move the
ball,” Brennan said. “We didn’t see it on their
faces, we saw it on our faces. It was like,
‘Here we go. We got a big play. Let’s roll.’
Once we started rolling, there was no stopping
us.”
When the FSU defensive backs pressed,
the UH receivers ran cut patterns.
“All you had to do was go past the linebackers and it was pretty much one-on-one
with the safeties,” left wideout Jason Rivers
said. “We forced the safeties to make choices.
If they pick one, we pick the other. We have so
many weapons.”
Sample, UH’s right wideout, said: “It’s
really hard to play us one-on-one. All you need
is half an inch on somebody, and Colt will find
you. Colt is so perfect at placing the ball. His
accuracy is crazy. When you’re open, you
know the ball is coming to you, and it’s always
on the money. We really don’t have to make
plays. Colt makes plays for us.”
Ross Dickerson led UH with 10 receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. Bess,
who is the nation’s leading receiver, had eight
grabs for 70 yards. Sample and Rivers each
had six catches.
“Colt did a nice job of finding people,”
Jones said, noting Brennan used a silent count
to counter the crowd noise. “We practiced the
silent counts all week, but it’s not easy, not in
this place.”
Ilaoa said: “If you want to get rid of the
loud crowds, you have to execute.”
Ilaoa, the uppercut to Brennan’s rat-a-tat
passing, powered his way off “Tampa,” a play
in which he follows a guard pulling from the
back side. Left guard Hercules Satele made the
key block on Ilaoa’s 5-yard scoring run; right
guard John Estes led the way on a 20-yard
touchdown run.
“He was ‘Nasti Nate,’ “ Brennan said.
“We have to keep feeding him the ball and
keep him happy.”
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, were running
on empty. Dwayne Wright, who entered averCLIPPINGS 25
aging 132.6 rushing yards per game, carried 11
times for 16 yards, including a 12-yard run. He
fumbled twice — once when hit by a visually
challenged Solomon Elimimian.
Elimimian, the left inside linebacker, said
he was struck on the left eye the play before
forcing the fumble.
“I couldn’t see (clearly) out of my whole
left eye for two plays,” said Elimimian, who
sought guidance from right inside linebacker
Adam Leonard. “I was like, ‘Adam, what’s the
play?’ My left eye was blurry. All I saw was
the guard pull. I knew that was an automatic
(run). I scraped downhill, and I saw (Wright’s)
red shirt, and I just hit him. I was lucky to
force the fumble.”
To defend the run, the Warriors often turn
to their “Jumbo” package, which employs five
defensive linemen. This time, the Warriors
went with “jumbo shrimp,” featuring nose
tackle Michael Lafaele, defensive ends Melila
Purcell III and Ikaika Alama-Francis, and
undersized outside linebackers Brad
Kalilimoku (5-10, 213 pounds) and Micah Lau
(5-9, 215).
Kalilimoku, who had the Warriors’ only
sack, moved to outside linebacker last
Wednesday.
“Coach told me to have fun and play football, and I had fun and I played football,”
Kalilimoku said.
Lau, who was making his first UH start,
set the defensive tone when he tackled Wright
for a 9-yard loss on a screen play in the first
quarter.
“We were practicing that the whole
week,” Lau said. “I was waiting for it to happen. You have to make plays when they put
you in. I never think about my size. It’s not
like I can get taller overnight. Worrying isn’t
going to get me playing time. I’ve got to rely
on my speed and strength.”
The key to UH’s defense was Lafaele,
who moved from center to nose tackle two
years ago. Lafaele was able to control Fresno
State’s Kyle Young, regarded as one of the
nation’s best centers. In the Bulldogs’ offensive scheme, when the center can’t move the
nose tackle, the running game dies.
“I just wanted to use my technique and
hands,” Lafaele said. That wasn’t so easy
because he suffered a broken middle finger in
his right hand during the game.
“The reason we played well is because
Mike Lafaele took what was supposed to be
one of the best centers in the nation and physically abused him,” said Jeff Reinebold, who
coaches the defensive line.
Lafaele said: “(Young is) a good player,
but I think our center (Samson Satele) is 10
times better, and I face our center every day in
practice.”
A half-hour after the final whistle, Fresno
State coach Pat Hill went into the UH locker
room to congratulate Jones. After 10 minutes,
Hill emerged, but declined further interview
requests.
“I’m done talking,” Hill said. “(What happened in the game) says enough.”
UH RULES THE ROAD
The Warriors poke another hole in their
image as a team that cannot win away from
Aloha Stadium
By Dave Reardon
October 22, 2006
LAS CRUCES, N.M. » Hawaii is in danger of
losing its football identity -- at least the popular perception of teams that haven’t played the
Warriors.
UH’s national image as a finesse team
that can’t win on the road took a serious
pounding last night, almost as rough as the one
UH laid on New Mexico State in the fourth
quarter as 17,318 watched at Aggie Memorial
Stadium.
Hawaii ruined a second consecutive
homecoming by dominating the end game after
NMSU, nearly a three-touchdown underdog,
managed to hang within four points with three
quarters in the books.
UH’s Colt Brennan (330 passing yards,
five touchdowns) and NMSU’s Chase Holbrook (323 yards, three TDs) didn’t disappoint
for the most part in the highly anticipated
matchup of prolific quarterbacks. But it was
Hawaii’s huge defensive plays late in the game
that allowed the Warriors to take control and
win 49-30.
Hawaii (5-2, 3-1 WAC) won its fourth
consecutive game. The Aggies (2-5, 0-3) are
still looking for their first win against a Division I-A team since 2004.
“I told the team it was going to be a dogfight,” Warriors coach June Jones said. “Whoever hit the hardest and got turnovers and took
care of the ball would win. We did that. We got
some big hits and turnovers and that made the
difference.”
Coupled with UH’s 68-37 win at Fresno
State last week, the Warriors have now won
road games consecutively for the first time
since they were victorious at Oregon and Air
Force to start the 1992 season.
UH is still a game behind unbeaten Boise
State (the last team Hawaii lost against) in the
standings, but Aggies coach Hal Mumme said
the Warriors are a better team.
“I think they are the best team in our conference. We’ve played all the top teams now
and those guys are road warriors,” Mumme
said. “You realize they’ve been on the road
four out of the last eight weeks and with
who’ve they had to play, June has done a real
good job.”
So did the UH defense last night, when
the game was on the line. The Warriors forced
the Aggies to turn the ball over on downs and
to fumble twice late in the game, resulting in
21 Hawaii points that put it out of reach.
Sophomore linebacker Adam Leonard
scooped up a fumble forced by end Mel Purcell’s big hit on Holbrook. Leonard returned it
20 yards for his first touchdown since high
school and a 42-24 lead with 11:11 left.
“Our motive was to come out and get
some turnovers, and everybody came out fired
up. We just had big plays,” Purcell said.
Leonard was in on 11 tackles.
“We knew whatever plays their offense
made we just had to line up and try again,”
said Leonard, of going up against the nation’s
No. 1-ranked passing offense. “We just had to
play longer than them and keep pushing and
pushing and finally we made some plays at the
end.”
A dividend of the play was Holbrook
being knocked out of the game for the next
few plays.
“It caught me out of the ceiling,” Holbrook said. “It just dazed me a bit. He got a
solid hit on me, I didn’t see him coming. It
was a clean tackle.”
When Holbrook did return, he fumbled
the snap from center and UH’s Kahai LaCount
recovered at the New Mexico State 42.
Two plays later, Ross Dickerson scored
his second touchdown of the game on a 36yard pass from Brennan, and the Warriors
owned a 49-24 lead with 7:58 left.
“It had to be that way,” said Dickerson,
who led UH with six catches for 125 yards.
“Because their receivers can catch the ball.
And our defense had to hit them in the mouth
to give us the ball back. They can score and
we can score. So whoever’s defense was there,
out there hitting, making guys fumble (would
win).”
And running back Nate Ilaoa, along with
the UH offensive line, also provided a physical
presence. Ilaoa pounded the Aggies’ weak
defense for 94 yards and the game’s first
touchdown rushing and 41 more on two receptions.
“I think what really helped our defense is
the offense running the football,” UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said. “That
quarterback can play. That’s a good football
player. Everything that we did to him, for him
to keep playing. I’m glad to get out of here.”
The Warriors led 28-17 after a first half in
which Brennan completed his first nine passes
and threw for touchdowns to Dickerson,
Davone Bess and Ian Sample.
UH also got a huge break when an apparent fumble by Bess was called back and
Hawaii -- trying to build on a 21-17 lead -retained the ball because of an inadvertent
whistle before the end of the play.
“The umpire (Mike Rhoades) came over
and apologized after the play was over and
said it has never happened in all the years that
he had been officiating,” Mumme said. “It’s
unfortunate, but that’s not what cost us the
CLIPPINGS 26
game. We got beat by a better team.”
Brennan completed his first nine passes
before an incompletion at 14:27 of the second
quarter, including a 34-yard TD to Dickerson
to give UH a 14-0 lead.
But the Aggies tied it up with two scores
in the space of 34 seconds.
Chris Nwoko scored on a 3-yard run, capping a 12-play, 68-yard drive.
NMSU elected to deceive on the ensuing
kickoff, with Matt Pratt recovering his own
onside kick at the Hawaii 46. A face-mask
penalty on UH moved the ball to the 31, and
Holbrook hit Chris Williams for a 27-yard TD.
Williams, who entered the game as the
nation’s second-leading receiver by yardage
per game, caught seven passes for 160 yards
and two scores.
Brennan hit Bess for a 16-yard score and
a 21-14 lead as Bess split the safeties and
Brennan found his third option.
The Aggies settled for a 25-yard field
goal by Ryan Bowling on the next drive. Holbrook appeared to connect with Nick Cleaver
for a touchdown, but safety Jake Patek caught
up to the play and knocked the ball out of
Cleaver’s hands.
Later, Holbrook eluded Hawaii’s pressure
long enough on second and 11 to find Williams
wide open 40 yards downfield. The 61-yard
touchdown clipped UH’s lead to 28-24 at
12:39 of the third quarter.
Dickerson returned the next kickoff from
a yard deep in his own end zone to the NMSU
36. The Warriors drove to the 1, but were
stonewalled by the Aggies. UH committed its
first and only turnover in three games as Brennan tossed a bad pitch toward Ilaoa on fourth
and goal at the 2 and NMSU’s Brandon
McKinney recovered.
The Aggies then drove to the Hawaii 21.
NMSU survived Myron Newberry’s interception when it was called back because of a
roughing call against Lawrence Wilson, but
not a fourth-down stand when Holbrook
scrambled 11 yards but was stopped short of a
first down by Solomon Elimimian (who had a
game-high 14 tackles) and C.J.Allen-Jones.
HAWAII’S ILAOA THROWS
EVERYBODY OFF
By Kalani Simpson
October 27, 2006
MAYBE it’s just my imagination, because, eh,
nobody’s out there hitting ME, but it just looks
like teams aren’t trying too hard to tackle Nate
Ilaoa. Yeah? These days it really seems like
they want no piece of him.
Um ... well, based on the reaction to the
question, maybe it is just my imagination
because I’m not the guy getting hit. The guy
getting hit has a dissenting opinion. He has the
bruises to prove it. Not trying to tackle him?
“I hope they’re not trying to tackle me,”
the Hawaii running back says, busting out a
grin the way he bursts into the secondary.
“That would be easier!”
Well, maybe he’s just making it look easy.
Maybe that’s it. Maybe he’s so good right now
it seems like defenders can only stick out an
arm and wave as he goes by. Maybe it just
looks like they drop their heads going in,
maybe he just makes them look like they’re
ducking, just hoping he’ll trip in their wake.
Maybe it’s what Nate says. Maybe it’s
that they’re not quite sure what to do with him,
these days, and so maybe it isn’t so easy for
him, either -- they’re so undecided, he’s befuddled. He has no idea how they’re going to
come at him. And how is a running back supposed to react to that?
“I’ve got guys going low now,” he says,
“so it’s kind of hard for me to guess what
they’re going to do. Because I usually try to
have a mind-set of what they’re doing so I can
get ready for it, my moves and stuff. Yeah,
they give me all type of different looks.”
Maybe that’s it. Maybe when they’re
coming up to hit him they’re the worst thing
an athlete can be: unsure.
Maybe that’s how good he’s been this
season. Maybe this is what happens when you
take the Washington Post high school player of
the year, add 20, 30, 40 ... whatever number of
pounds, keep the moves -- well, you see that
coming at you, it can be ... confounding.
How are they supposed to react?
“Usually, when I was smaller, most guys
would try to put the big hit on you because
when you’re smaller they try to give you the
big hits,” Nate says. “I guess now, my mind
frame is still like I’m a little guy, when I’m
running and stuff. But these guys are going
low, like big backs. Sometimes it feels a little
bit awkward. You could hurdle ‘em, but last
time I hurdled and hit my leg ...”
See how confusing this is for everybody?
Well, somehow, Ilaoa has found a way to
live with it, to the tune of eight touchdowns
and 8.9 yards every time he touches the ball.
And make no mistake. Colt Brennan is in
a Rolo zone and Hawaii’s receivers are both
good and plenty, and the line is playing out of
its mind (this line is incredible). This offense
would get a lot of yards and a lot of points
even without a running threat, that’s true. But
Ilaoa is the X factor -- he gives it that nextlevel gear. He’s the guy who makes it all go.
Doubt it? Why is it that it looked like
those New Mexico State guys looked like they
actually wanted to hit him, for once?
“I think they did a better job,” Ilaoa says.
“I feel like they were spying on me, both linebackers were spying on me, so not that I knew
anything, but the ends were kind of two-gapping it, looking in the backfield, waiting for
those little screens.”
Think about that. That’s four guys looking
at one guy. You think you have a shot to stop
Colt Brennan if that’s your defensive scheme?
Well, what choice is there? With Nate
Ilaoa back there you have to think shovels and
runs. Sure, you’re vulnerable against the pass,
but at least with the pass you can still have
hope that someone might drop one. When Nate
has the ball the next thing you know everyone
starts ducking and waving, not quite sure how
to approach him, what to do next. And then it’s
10 yards, then 20.
Something about him just throws everyone off. That’s how good he’s been this year.
“My quickness and stuff are still there,”
he says, “I’ve still got that mentality of being
that 185 dude, when I first came in.”
(Wait a minute. He was 185? That’s 40,
50 ...)
“Other than that I just feel a lot bigger,”
he says. “I just feel like there’s a little Porsche
inside that Hummer frame.”
CLIPPINGS 27
WARRIOR WIPEOUT
By Stephen Tsai
October 29, 2006
The University of Hawai’i football team’s
night to remember was Idaho’s nightmare to
forget.
The Warriors, who took control from the
coin toss, scored on the opening kickoff return
and never looked back in a 68-10 rout before a
homecoming crowd of 29,364 at Aloha
Stadium.
Colt Brennan threw for 333 yards and
five touchdowns. It was his third consecutive
five-touchdown game, and fifth in the last six
weeks.
The Warriors won their fifth in a row to
seize sole possession of second place in the
Western Athletic Conference. They are 6-2
overall and 4-1 in the WAC.
The Warriors are promised a berth in the
Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl if they finish with a
winning regular season. They can meet that
goal with a victory in Saturday’s road game
against Utah State.
“We’re a pretty good football team right
now,” UH coach June Jones said.
Brennan said: “We’re finally coming
around that hump. We started the second half
of our season (last night). We’ve seen so many
teams have good first halves, and then go in
the tank. For us to come out and win the way
we did, against a pretty good Idaho team, that
was great.”
The Warriors won the coin toss and, as
always, chose to receive. In reviewing videotapes, the Warriors noticed that the Vandals try
to overplay their kick coverage.
In the huddle before the kickoff, the UH
coaches called for “left return.”
“We knew that ‘left return’ was going to
break,” said Timo Paepule, who plays “center”
on the front line of the UH kick return. “They
loaded the other side. I was smiling, a big
smile. I turned around and looked at Ross
(Dickerson), and I thought, ‘This is going to
the house.’ “
Dickerson, who was aligned on the right,
fielded the kickoff on the goal line. Malcolm
Lane, the other kick returner, then joined
David Veikune, Amani Purcell and Bully
Fergerstrom to form the initial four-man
wedge.
“Everybody did their job, and Ross made
it happen,” Lane said.
Dickerson emerged from the wedge, and
sprinted along the left sideline to complete the
100-yard touchdown play.
“It was wide open,” Dickerson said.
“Everybody did their job. It just popped wide
open. I was running and my guys were knocking people down, keeping guys away from me.
It came out to be six. It was a total team
effort.”
On the UH sideline, free safety Leonard
Peters recalled: “Everybody was pumped and
jacked up. We always talk about getting
momentum. We got it on the first play. Ross
led the way.”
Dickerson also showed his leadership
before the game. Dickerson started the first
three games at right wideout, but moved to
right slotback as an injury replacement for
Ryan Grice-Mullins. With Grice-Mullins prepared to return last night, Jones decided to
rotate Grice-Mullins and Dickerson. But Jones
had difficulty coming up with an order.
Grice-Mullins wanted Dickerson to start,
but Dickerson refused, and ordered GriceMullins to open at right slotback.
“I wanted him to go in there, but he kept
insisting and insisting,” Grice-Mullins said. “I
had no choice. He took the leadership role and
made me go in.”
Brennan said: “Ross gave up his starting
position to let Ryan play. I’m a big karma guy.
I believe what goes around comes around. I
think when Ross did that, he set the tone for
us. He showed we’re a team. He made a personal sacrifice to help us reach our team goals.
That means a lot.”
After that, the Warriors could not be
stopped.
They scored touchdowns on their first six
possessions.
Brennan was 31 of 38, extending his
streak of passes without an interception to 168.
He also was able to solve the riddle of the
Vandals’ multiple-blitz schemes.
In the first quarter, the Vandals alternated
blitzing a cornerback or linebacker. On one
play, linebacker Josh Bousman raced toward
Brennan on a delayed blitz. Just before absorbing the hit, Brennan lofted a pass to Jason
Rivers, who was running a slant pattern, for a
touchdown and a 14-0 UH lead.
“When you blitz, you leave your coverage
at a disadvantage,” Brennan said. “Right now,
our offense has a good understanding. We
know what we need to do and where we need
to be. Sometimes I know where the receiver is
supposed to be even before he gets there.
That’s what happens when you practice the
same plays over and over. You get that feel. If
they’re going to blitz like that, we should have
an answer. Today we had the answers.”
The Warriors appeared to be a step ahead.
Davone Bess’ 2-yard scoring catch was set up
when Grice-Mullins went into motion, drawing
away a defender.
Later, Nate Ilaoa appeared to have scored
on a 10-yard run around the left side. But the
replay official nullified the touchdown, saying
Ilaoa’s knee touched the ground at the 1.
“I was thinking, ‘Dang replays,’” Ilaoa
said, smiling. “But I was happy to get a second
chance.”
He scored easily on the next play.
“Our defense had no answers,” Idaho
linebacker David Vorbona said. “It was one of
those nights you want to forget. They could do
CLIPPINGS 28
whatever they wanted to us. We couldn’t wrap
up. We couldn’t make tackles. I think they
converted every third down on us. When that
happens, you’re not going to be successful. It
just wasn’t our night.”
Idaho’s offense did not have it any easier.
After falling behind 14-0 and then 21-7,
the Vandals scrapped their power running
game and opted to pass frequently. Thing is,
UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said,
“I think they decided they would throw every
down before the game started.”
Instead of using the jumbo package featuring five defensive linemen, the Warriors
went nearly the entire game with their basic 34 scheme, with the secondary mixing zones
and man coverages on Idaho’s four receivers.
“We didn’t even look for the run,”
Glanville said. “If they ran, they ran.”
The Warriors, encouraged by their student
sections — more than 1,000 pairs of
ThunderStix-like noisemakers were circulated
— made a six-play stand in the second quarter
that resulted only in an Idaho field goal.
Later, on fourth-and-10 in the third quarter, quarterback Steve Wichman tried to sprint
for a first down. UH strong safety Jake Patek
raced over and floored Wichman short of the
first-down marker.
Wichman did not return. It was the sixth
time this season UH has forced a quarterback
from the game.
“Something clicks when you see a quarterback scrambling,” Patek said. “You think,
‘It’s a quarterback, I’ve got to hit him as hard
as I can.’ ... I saw a receiver. I don’t know if he
was trying to block me. The quarterback tried
to make a move outside the receiver. Once he
made the move, I knew I had to come out and
put the shoulder to him.
“Coach Glanville is always telling us ‘big
bag, big bag’ (hit a player hard). I wonder if
Glanville was pleased?”
Glanville said: “I have to go check it on
film. Live, it looked pretty good. All of our
players looked pretty good.”
DICKERSON GETS IT GOING
The return man gets the first punch in
against Idaho
By Jason Kaneshiro
October 29, 2006
Hawaii’s special teams got some rare recognition before the Warriors’ game against Idaho
last night, and the group responded by setting
the tone for a blowout victory.
The kickoff coverage unit was introduced
before the game and the return crew got the
night off to a rousing start, as Ross Dickerson
took back the game’s opening kick to the
house.
Dickerson’s 100-yard goal-line-to-goalline sprint sent the Warriors off to a 68-10
Western Athletic Conference win over the
Vandals at Aloha Stadium.
The return gave the nation’s second-highest scoring offense a head start and the
Warriors scored touchdowns on each of their
first six possessions.
“We knew we had a chance to return one,
but I didn’t know it would be on the opening
kickoff,” UH head coach June Jones said. “The
kids executed the return that we wanted. They
blocked it correctly and Ross did the rest.”
If Jones didn’t have an idea it would happen, one person on the unit did.
“Timo (Papilla) called it,” special-teams
player Rustin Saole said, referring to his fellow reserve linebacker and another contributor
in the kicking game. “He said we were taking
it to the house.”
With the fans still settling in, Dickerson
fielded the kick near the right hash mark,
veered to his left and burst through a hole in
the Vandals’ coverage. He followed his blockers to the sideline, then sprinted untouched to
the end zone.
“We just executed the game plan and
things just seemed to work out,” Dickerson
said. “We got it to the house, so everybody had
a key block.”
Dickerson, the reigning WAC special
teams player of the week, entered the game
first in the WAC and 13th in the nation in
kickoff returns with an average of 28.1 yards
per attempt.
The touchdown return was UH’s first
since Dickerson went the length of the field in
his debut as a Warrior against Appalachian
State in 2003.
“We’ve been close all year,” UH special
teams assistant Dennis McKnight said. “The
kids up front have been busting their butts and
we were fortunate tonight. Every guy got their
guy and Ross made a great run.
“(Dickerson’s) not the fastest guy in the
world, but a great returner hits it north and
south and that’s what he did tonight.”
Dickerson’s dash moved him past Darrick
Branch into fifth place in career kickoff-return
yards and spooked Idaho into keeping subsequent kickoffs on the ground. He also contributed a big play on offense in the third quarter, breaking loose over the middle for a 50yard completion from Colt Brennan to set up
UH’s seventh touchdown of the night.
The UH coverage team made its mark as
well after getting its moment in the spotlight
before kickoff.
“It’s a big thrill because they’ve worked
hard, they deserved it and they earned it and
(head coach June Jones’) the type of coach
who knows that,” McKnight said.
On a night when UH defenders seemed to
one-up each other with big hits, Saole got into
the mix by drilling Idaho returner Raymond
Fry at the Vandals’ 20 on a third-quarter kickoff return.
“I was kind of nervous coming out,”
Saole said of having his name called as he ran
out of the tunnel. “I was taking all the energy
from the crowd and my teammates, I was just
ready to come out and just play.
“We know what we can do and we have
the faith we can do it. Every game no matter if
we’re up or down we’re going to keep coming
at you.”
CLIPPINGS 29
GLANVILLE’S BIG BAG
THEORY HELPS DEFENSE
By Stephen Tsai
November 1, 2006
On the first day of football training camp in
August 2005, University of Hawai’i defensive
coordinator Jerry Glanville introduced his
close friend — a 6-foot, 200-plus-pound,
buoy-shaped green bag — to the players.
“The first time I saw it,” inside linebacker
Adam Leonard recalled, “I thought, ‘That’s a
big bag. I wonder what you use it for.’ “
Indeed, the big bag was named the Big
Bag, and it was used as a tackling and teaching
tool. In the drill known as “hitting the Big
Bag,” a player braces against the opposite side
while a defender tries to knock over the bag.
“One guy can’t do it,” Leonard said. “You
need another guy to jump in and help knock it
over. That’s the way the bag is designed. It
doesn’t fall if one guy hits it. It teaches us that
it’s always good to have more guys in on the
tackle. That’s how we got our saying: ‘There’s
always room for one more.’ “
In position drills each practice, pairs of
defenders take turn trying to hit the Big Bag.
“Ever since I’ve known Jerry, we’ve
always had the Big Bag,” head coach June
Jones said. “The Big Bag represents an attitude
and a belief in gang tackling. Jerry does a great
job of getting that part of it done. He uses the
Big Bag as a real person.”
Glanville created Frankenstein’s monster
in 1974, his first year as a coach with the
Detroit Lions. Glanville said he was told:
“This is pro football. We don’t do live hitting.”
Glanville found a loophole. “They said
‘no live hitting.’ That didn’t mean we couldn’t
hit something that wasn’t alive,” he theorized.
Glanville crafted the design for a large
tackling bag. A manufacturer in Michigan built
the first Big Bag.
Glanville ordered a new Big Bag every
year.
“We used to put Big Bag in a golf cart,”
Glanville said. “We drove the cart onto the
field to let Big Bag watch the game. For all of
the work he does, we figured he deserved to go
to the game.”
After his last NFL job, with the Atlanta
Falcons, Glanville went into broadcasting and
race-car driving. During those years, Big Bag
went into retirement.
In April 2005, Glanville was hired as
UH’s defensive coordinator. His first call was
to the Michigan company.
“Sorry,” Glanville was told, “We don’t
make it anymore. We only had one customer,
and you went to TV.”
Glanville called around, and found a company in Alabama. Glanville sent the designs.
“It has a heavy bottom, like a lot of people I used to know,” Glanville said.
At the start of the 2005 training camp,
Big Bag arrived. The players originally nicknamed it “Uriah,” after former UH offensive
lineman Uriah Moenoa.
“It’s just Big Bag,” Glanville stressed.
Glanville said the athletic department paid
for Big Bag.
“I’m not sure of the cost, but I know the
cost wasn’t as much as the shipping,”
Glanville said.
He also does not know the contents of
Big Bag.
“I’m guessing they filled it with the dirt
from my office,” Glanville said.
Glanville said the smaller bag, which is
used for solo tackling, is “Big Bag’s son.
That’s Little Stick.”
Leonard said: “Big Bag really works. It’s
helps us a lot.”
This season, 10 running backs and six
quarterbacks have been forced from the game
after absorbing UH hits.
CLIPPINGS 30
IT DOESN’T GET ANY
BETTER THAN BRENNAN’S
BODYGUARDS
Hawaii’s offensive linemen can accomplish
anything as long as they can do it together
By Dave Reardon
November 2, 2006
It was the greatest upset in the history of
University of Hawaii sports. But hardly anyone saw it, and few can even remember the
score.
“Well, if you ask them, they’ll say they
weren’t trying,” Samson Satele said. “But it
wasn’t a fluke. We beat them by four.”
It was the UH football team offensive
line’s triumph over the defensive line two summers ago -- in basketball.
“We have these little tournaments
between units and we have the best five on the
team,” starting right tackle Dane Uperesa said.
“Me, Tala (Esera), Sam (Satele), Keoni
(Steinhoff) and (John) Estes.”
A formidable five, especially under the
boards. But the defensive line’s team had former UH basketball players Ikaika AlamaFrancis and Tony Akpan.
“And Mel Purcell, he can play,” Uperesa
said. “But we made our shots.”
Who played point guard?
“Estes,” Uperesa said. “He’s like a fatter
Steve Nash. He knows how to handle the
rock.”
This fabulous five is even better in pads.
Just sub in Hercules Satele for Steinhoff, and
you have the starting group that paves the way
for the nation’s most productive offense.
Heading into Saturday’s game at Utah State (17, 1-3 WAC) the Warriors (6-2, 4-1) are atop
Division I-A in points scored (45.4 per game),
total offense (529.2) and passing (421.9).
A veteran NFL scout said the group might
be the best in college football, and that all
three seniors -- Esera, Satele and Uperesa -will be drafted.
“Texas might be close. But I certainly
don’t see any better at pass blocking,” the
scout said.
Coach June Jones has sent five offensive
linemen to the NFL in his previous seven seasons at UH. He says this group is the best
overall.
“They’re physical pass blockers.
Normally you think of that as a passive thing,”
Jones said. “But they’re initiators and they’re
very aggressive in their approach to blocking.
And they finish the plays, playing the play
longer than the opponent. I think this is the
best, going by the way the whole group plays.”
Quarterback Colt Brennan is the main
beneficiary of the efforts, which have led to
just 15 sacks compared to 353 pass attempts.
“They’re walking into every game to
make a statement with the way they block and
that has a lot to do with the fact that they punish guys. That’s one of the funnest things I like
to watch on film. I watch guys come blitz at
me hard in the first quarter and try to get me
off track. By the second, third, fourth quarter,
guys are tired of coming up and meeting these
guys in the hole. You can see when they blitz,
guys don’t even come hard. Once they come to
the O-line they stop and try to go around
them,” Brennan said. “They just wear teams
out and hit ‘em and hit ‘em and hit ‘em. As a
QB, I get to just stand back there and have a
day.”
Durable Warriors
Hawaii has started the same five offensive
linemen all season. Here are their numbers and
what offensive line assistant Dennis McKnight
has to say about the five starters:
Tala Esera
Pos: Left tackle
Height: 6-4
Weight: 308
Year: Senior
Career starts: 41
McKnight: “Tala I think
right now is the most dominant game-in and game-out offensive lineman
we have.”
Hercules Satele
Pos: Left guard
Height: 6-2
Weight: 288
Year: Junior
Career starts: 8
McKnight: “Herc’s the glue
who was the final straw to
make it a good line. I think he’s the most
improved player we got. On the whole team.”
CLIPPINGS 31
Samson Satele
Pos: Center
Height: 6-3
Weight: 298
Year: Senior
Career starts: 47
McKnight: “Sam, for having
moved inside and playing his
third position in four years, has done a phenomenal job at center. He makes all the calls.
He’s so smart. If we lost Sam, Marques
(Kaonohi) would be able to step inside and do
a good job.”
John Estes
Pos: Right guard
Height: 6-2
Weight: 290
Year: Freshman
Career starts: 8
McKnight: “John Estes is 10
times better than he was his
first start, and he was pretty damned good
then.”
Dane Uperesa
Pos: Right tackle
Height: 6-4
Weight: 310
Year: Senior
Career starts: 16
McKnight: “Dane just
played his best game of the
year.”
BRENNAN MAKES MOST OF
ANOTHER CHANCE AT
HAWAII
By JAYMES SONG, AP Sports Writer
November 2, 2006
HONOLULU (AP) -- The nation’s most efficient passer goes by the name Colt. That his
last name is Brennan and not McCoy may surprise a few people.
Colt Brennan -- not to be confused with
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy -- has been
super sharp in his second season, picking apart
defenses, racking up huge numbers and leading Hawaii to five straight wins.
The junior is the main reason why Hawaii
is No. 1 in the nation in total offense (525.2
yards a game), passing (421.9) and scoring
(45.4 points).
“I used to run this offense not to mess it
up,” he said. “Now I run this offense to attack
everything I see.”
Brennan has thrown for more than 300
yards and five TDs in five of the last six
games. In eight games, he has passed for 2,934
yards and an NCAA-leading 33 touchdowns
with five interceptions. He has completed 74
percent of his passes and leads the nation in
passing efficiency. McCoy, a freshman, ranks
seventh.
Pretty good, considering Brennan’s career
was nearly derailed as part of the Colorado
recruiting scandal.
After high school, he was a walk-on at
Colorado but was cut from the team after a
woman accused him of drunkenly barging into
her dorm room and fondling her.
The allegations came at the height of the
scandal in which player-hosts were accused of
supplying alcohol, drugs and sex to prospective recruits. Brennan said he thinks he was
used as an example by the school, police and
prosecutors, who were under fire for allegedly
giving special privileges to athletes.
Brennan pleaded not guilty and denied
abusing the woman. A jury convicted him of
felony burglary and trespassing but acquitted
the quarterback of sexual assault and indecent
exposure. Prosecution on misdemeanor sexual
contact was deferred, meaning the charge has
basically been dropped, the district attorney’s
office said. He was sentenced to 60 hours of
community service, four years’ probation and
seven days in jail.
“Those were the seven longest days of my
life,” Brennan said. “I made a mistake, but did
not commit a crime. For me to be charged with
what I was charged with, it was just wrong.”
Hawaii offered him a second chance
when several schools wouldn’t.
So far, no team has managed to slow
Brennan, including No. 14 Boise State.
Brennan threw for 388 yards and five touchdowns in Hawaii’s 7-point loss on the road last
month.
Brennan said he’s getting a stronger grasp
of June Jones’ run-and-shoot offense in his
second season.
“I don’t think it will ever be 100 percent,
knowing coach Jones,” he said. “He doesn’t
ever let us think we’re perfect, and I like that
because it makes us that much better.”
In Hawaii’s five-game winning streak, he
has thrown 24 touchdowns and one interception. His current streak of 158 passes without a
pick is second to Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn
(169).
“I could see (Jones) was going to give me
a chance and really wanted to see me do well,”
Brennan said.
Brennan’s stats have caught the attention
of NFL scouts, although some wonder whether
they are more a product of Hawaii’s offense.
“It’s funny how people get caught up in
the whole thing about system quarterbacks. In
the NFL, all you really hear about is a guy
learning how to run the system,” Brennan said.
“If you’re a system quarterback, it means
you’re doing everything right.”
Jones, a former NFL quarterback and
coach, said Brennan is among the top three
quarterbacks he’s worked with. Quite a compliment, considering Jones has coached Jim
Kelly, Warren Moon, Chris Miller and Jeff
George.
“He’s the real deal,” Jones said. “He’s
very competitive like Jim Kelly. He’s mobile
like Chris Miller. He’s very accurate like
Warren.”
Barring injury, Brennan could reach 5,000
yards and 50 TDs this season, joining
Houston’s David Klingler as the only college
quarterback to reach both milestones in one
season. If Hawaii (6-2, 4-1 WAC) earns a bowl
berth, he would have six games left. The
Warriors would become bowl eligible if they
beat Utah State (1-7, 1-3) Saturday.
Jones is confident Brennan will make the
NFL.
“There’s no question, he’ll play on
Sundays,” Jones said. “He’ll make it big-time,
barring injury.”
CLIPPINGS 32
HAWAII BOWLING
The Warriors blow out another opponent to
become eligible for December’s Hawaii
Bowl
By Dave Reardon
November 5, 2006
LOGAN, Utah » Athletic director Herman Frazier accepted the Hawaii Bowl invitation. The
Warriors mugged for the TV camera and performed a postgame haka.
Then, as quickly as it had begun, the celebration of UH’s sixth consecutive win, a 63-10
crushing at Utah State yesterday, was over.
The team assembled and broke by shouting in unison its next team goal: “WAC
champs.”
Sure, it was a happy plane ride home. But
the Warriors are already thinking about the
home stretch that begins with Saturday’s game
at Aloha Stadium against LaTech.
Hawaii is 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the
Western Athletic Conference, one loss behind
unbeaten Boise State (9-0, 5-0). The Broncos
are the only WAC team to have beaten the
Warriors. But if they finish tied, it is a shared
championship.
“It’s definitely possible. Boise’s not guaranteed every WAC win. We’re not guaranteed
every WAC win either,” said UH receiver
Ryan Grice-Mullins, who caught four passes
for 135 yards and two touchdowns. “That’s
why we gotta continue to practice the way we
practice and meet the challenges the way we
do and continue to do it.”
Running back Nate Ilaoa scored three
touchdowns while piling up 210 all-purpose
yards (including a game-high 155 receiving).
He continues a remarkable season a year after
coach June Jones called him out publicly for
poor conditioning and limited his playing time.
“He’s been in pretty good shape all year,”
Jones said. “We’re executing pretty well and
Nate’s a good football player.”
The Hawaii defense again did its part. It
recovered three Aggies fumbles and intercepted a pass, scoring touchdowns after all three
fumbles.
“Again, when they turned the ball over
we did something with it,” Jones said. “And
that changes momentum in games. The defense
has been doing a good job taking the football
away.”
Linebacker Adam Leonard was in on a
game-high 11 tackles and recovered one of the
fumbles as well.
“Same old deal, they keep playing hard,”
said UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville,
after a second consecutive game of just 10
points for the opponents.
Meanwhile, the Warriors scored enough
in each quarter alone (at least 14) to win, as
they did against Idaho.
Quarterback Colt Brennan broke two
school records in a season-high six-touchdown, 413-yard passing effort. He now holds
the UH record for single-season touchdown
passes with 39 and most consecutive passes
without an interception with 182. (Tim Chang
set both records in 2004 with 38 TDs and 179
pick-free passes.)
Brennan was finally intercepted for the
first time in five games, late in the third quarter by Terrance Washington.
By then, the score was 42-10, and the
only drama remaining was if Brennan was
injured by a hit delivered by USU linebacker
Paul Igboeli.
“That was one of the few plays that we
didn’t pick up correctly, and we paid the price
for it,” Jones said.
But Brennan said he just had the wind
knocked out of him. He returned to lead a final
touchdown drive, capped by Ilaoa’s third
score, a 3-yard run ending the third quarter.
The Aggies tried to pressure Brennan, but
the Warriors still managed to build an early 143 lead on a 29-yard touchdown pass to GriceMullins six plays into the game, and a 13yarder to Ilaoa.
After rare back-to-back punts, the Hawaii
defense held. Then the Warriors dug USU’s
grave with the shovel pass.
UH caught the Aggies in a blitz, with
Brennan tossing the ball to Ilaoa. The 5-foot-9,
250-pound Ilaoa, known more this season for
bulling through defenders, outran the USU
defense 60 yards to the end zone and a 21-3
lead.
Utah State coach Brent Guy said going to
the shovel pass was a great adjustment by UH
coach June Jones.
“We wanted to give them a different look,
because we knew, we sat there and watched
everybody else sit back and play zone and let
them catch it. ... We played some man, brought
some pressure, but Colt did a good job,” Guy
said. “June ended up going to the shovel, the
way we were playing them. That was his best
play, and obviously it worked for him.”
Hawaii’s defense set up the next score, as
Rocky Savaiigaea forced Antraun McDaniel to
fumble and Lawrence Wilson recovered at the
Utah State 48.
Two plays later Brennan hit Jason Rivers
10 yards past the line of scrimmage. Rivers
stepped out of a tackle and finished a 35-yard
play for his first of two touchdowns, making
the score 28-3.
Then it was the shovel again, in the third quarter, and again Ilaoa for 60 yards. It set up a 12yard TD pass to Davone Bess.
“The first couple of steps, it looks like a
pass,” Brennan said. “Everybody’s saying
CLIPPINGS 33
‘Pass, pass, pass,’ then I shovel it to Nate real
quick. It puts defenses in a bind, especially
when you’ve got O-linemen who move the
way ours do and Nate doing his thing. It’s just
a great play and I’m glad we capitalized on it.”
A big key to the play’s success is the
offensive linemen selling it as a longer pass.
“We have to act like its pass blocking,
then have the right timing to get downfield and
block,” left guard Hercules Satele said. “We
didn’t practice that play during the week
because we didn’t think we were gonna run it
that much. But it worked out and Nate took it
to the house the first time and then another
long one.”
Ilaoa now has 13 touchdowns for the season.
“That dude’s unstoppable now,” GriceMullins said. “I think he’s one of the best players in the country right now. You see his stats,
you see the way he runs. You can’t tackle him.
He just keeps rumbling.”
So does Brennan. He will likely receive
some more individual attention after yesterday’s performance. But he prefers to talk about
team achievements and goals.
“We’re bowling, baby -- put on your
bowling shoes. It’s obviously night and day
compared to last year (when Hawaii went 5-7).
You look at teams like Utah State, and they’re
struggling. We were there last year. But we
took a couple of things from last year and
learned from them,” Brennan said.
“Boise State’s last game, they’re at Nevada. ... We’re very much still in the run for a
WAC championship. But the main focus is
keep winning. We want a WAC championship,
but there’s a lot of other great things we can
have -- a great end to the year, a national ranking. We just gotta keep winning right now.”
STRUGGLES OFF THE FIELD
MAKE BRENNAN STRONGER
By Adam Rittenberg (ESPN.com)
November 5, 2006
Colt Brennan audibles for the first time in the
conversation.
After all he’s been through -- the trial, the
sentence, the seven days in jail, the criticism,
the embarrassment, the island escape, the fresh
start, the rise to glory -- Brennan can’t decide
whether or not he’s a fatalist.
”There is that whole belief, things happen
for a reason,” said Brennan, Hawaii’s superstar
junior quarterback. “I go back and forth on it. I
believe it sometimes, but I try not to believe it
fully. I like to think you have a lot of say in
what happens to you.”
It makes sense why Brennan doesn’t
choose a side.
Right now, he’s pulling all the strings in
his life. No football player in America (sorry,
Brady Quinn) possesses more control over a
game than Brennan. He leads Division I-A in
touchdown passes (43), total offense (401.9
ypg) and passing efficiency (189 rating), topping all three categories by wide margins. He
steers a Hawaii offense that leads the nation in
scoring (48.7 ypg), total yards (542.4 ypg) and
passing yards (436.7 ypg).
Behind Brennan, the Warriors have scored
61 or more points in four of their last five
games and have been held to fewer than 34
points only once this season. They enter
Saturday’s matchup with San Jose State on a
seven-game winning streak.
“I can’t imagine anybody in America is
playing better football than him,” Hawaii
coach June Jones said.
Brennan is living the surreal life.
He spends each day in paradise. Practices
in postcard conditions. Masters an offense
most quarterbacks would give their non-throwing arms to run. Immerses himself in the carefree island lifestyle.
“I’m out here in the middle of the Pacific
Ocean, just doing my day-to-day thing,”
Brennan said. “Living out here changes you. I
didn’t fight it, and if anything, I embraced it.”
He had to. For Brennan, Hawaii was more
than a refuge. It was a place to regain control,
something he lost on Jan. 28, 2004.
That night, Brennan, then a freshman at
Colorado, drunkenly entered a female student’s
room uninvited and didn’t leave. He was
charged with several crimes including sexual
assault. Colorado, which at the time faced
accusations of sex crimes involving several
football players, quickly dismissed Brennan
from the team.
Brennan was convicted of first-degree
criminal trespass and second-degree burglary,
but was acquitted of charges of sexual assault
and indecent exposure. He was sentenced to
seven days in jail and four years probation.
Brennan went through plenty of “rockbottom things” after the events of that January
night, but mixed in were moments of hope.
“Sitting in that courtroom with not one person
sitting behind the district attorney,” he said,
“there was not one person that sat behind him
and there were 50 people sitting behind me.
That’s a statement. I almost felt like I won that
case even though I kind of lost.”
Brennan received similar support from
coaches, teammates and teachers at
Saddleback Junior College in Mission Viejo,
Calif., near his hometown of Laguna Beach.
He enrolled at the Southern California college
after his dismissal from Colorado and led
Saddleback to a conference title in 2004. But
the sting of shame remained.
“I was embarrassed,” Brennan said. “I
wanted to get away and then come back a new
man, somebody different, somebody new.
Hawaii really presented that to me.” Brennan
had scholarship offers from five or six schools,
including San Jose State, where his cousin,
Brent, served as wide receivers coach. Jones
didn’t offer a scholarship but rather a promise:
to make Brennan the first quarterback selected
in the NFL draft.
“We were going through some things at
the university, ticket price changes, trying to
market different,” said Jones, who has a history of taking players with checkered pasts. “I
just said, ‘You have some pending court things
that I don’t want to deal with right now. But if
you’re not smart enough to know that you’ll be
maybe the first quarterback taken in the draft if
you walk on here, then you’re not the guy I
thought you were.’ “He walked on, and the rest
is history.”
Operating an NFL-style offense wasn’t
the only draw for Brennan.
Brennan’s first connection with star wide
receiver Davone Bess occurred nowhere near a
football field. In the summer of 2005, Bess and
several other Hawaii players invited Brennan
over to their apartment after a workout. At one
point during the night, Bess went outside to
take a phone call. When he hung up, he saw
Brennan walking up the porch.
“Next thing you know, we had a heart-toheart,” Bess said. “Within 15 or 20 minutes
into the conversation, we felt like we knew
each other. We’d both been down the same
road; we both went through the same situations.”
Bess was sentenced to 15 months at a
juvenile detention facility after being convicted
as an accessory for possessing stolen goods in
July 2003, two weeks before he was set to
begin his collegiate career at Oregon State.
“Our situations were totally two different
scenarios, but we both had the finger pointed
to us without the proper evidence,” said Bess,
who enrolled at Hawaii four months after
CLIPPINGS 34
being released. “We both were pretty much
taking life for granted. We couldn’t be stopped.
Everything was going so good for us. And then
all of a sudden, bam! That’s a reality check. “
“Now you have no choice but to mature
and man up, take it and learn from it, grow
from it and tell others your situation.” That’s
exactly what both men are doing.
Brennan lives near Hale Ho’omalu, the
main juvenile detention center in Honolulu.
Several Sundays ago, the quarterback was
walking by the center to get his morning coffee when one of the employees stopped him.
They began chatting. After several minutes,
Brennan asked if he could talk to the detainees.
He spoke for an hour, sharing his story,
instructing the kids to maintain strong relationships with their probation officers.
“They’re talking to a convicted felon who
also is a kid that’s kind of idolized around the
island right now,” Brennan said. “For them,
being in that juvie center, it gave them a lot of
hope. They were sitting there thinking, ‘God,
my life is not ruined. I can make my life a lot
better.’ “
Brennan hopes to go back to Hale
Ho’omalu this week. Last Sunday, he and
Bess, who has also spoken at juvenile detention centers, attended a church service where
Brennan gave a testimonial.
“Any time I can help out or make a difference,” Brennan said, “I’m going to put
myself out there to do it.”
He’s taking the same approach on the
field. Last year, Brennan felt “like such an
idiot” trying to figure out Jones’ offense, but
he still led the country in total offense (4,455
yards) and touchdown passes (35). This fall
he’s been a model of efficiency, completing
72.4 percent of his passes and throwing only
seven interceptions in 380 attempts. Brennan is
also dangerous on the run, averaging 5.1 yards
per carry.
“Every time Colt scrambles, I’m running
downfield, crossing my fingers, like, ‘Oh my
God, please get out of bounds or something,’ “
Bess said. “He wants to stick his head in there,
get that extra yard.”
Brennan’s off-field troubles have made
him fearless on Saturdays.
“My biggest weakness now is a poorly
developed sense of fear and the fact that I’ve
got no concept of the odds against me,” he
said. “I don’t care about things as much as I
used to. The fear is gone.”
His numbers are unparalleled, but
Brennan, much like Timmy Chang before him,
often gets labeled a “system guy.”
“Our offense is designed to put up numbers,” Brennan said. “I don’t understand why
people want to talk that down. It’s funny
because I watch some of the guys, the Brady
Quinns, the Brian Brohms from Louisville, and
they get credited for big games when they
throw for 280 yards and two touchdowns.”
Jones is confident Brennan will get his
just due when it counts -- on draft day.
“He will be the first quarterback taken,”
Jones said. Whether that happens this April or
next remains to be seen. Brennan’s full intention is to return for his senior year, though he
plans to gauge his draft stock following the
season.
Was all this part of a grand plan for
Brennan? Doesn’t matter now.
“I’m so happy where I’m at, so happy
with the way things are going,” Brennan said.
“That’s the main thing, and that’s the way I
plan to stay.”
HERE COMES HIGH-POWERED HAWAII
By JAYMES SONG, AP Sports Writer
November 6, 2006
HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii has never been
ranked nationally under eighth-year coach June
Jones, despite four seasons with at least nine
wins and four bowl appearances.
Being in the Western Athletic Conference,
failing to win big games on the road and playing home games starting at midnight Sunday
on the East Coast haven’t helped Hawaii’s
cause.
“We’re 7-2 and a pretty good team, but
the rest of America doesn’t know it yet,” Jones
said Monday.
Things could be changing.
High-powered Hawaii, which has won six
straight by a margin of nearly 34 points,
earned 11 votes in this week’s Associated Press
college football poll. And the Warriors (7-2, 51) are drawing more media attention every
week.
“I know we’re certainly getting more
recognition and if we just stay on course, all
that stuff takes care of itself,” Jones said.
The Warriors have been hard to ignore.
They are ranked No. 1 in the nation in total
offense (534 yards a game), passing (429) and
scoring (47.3).
Jones said the main reason the Hawaii
Bowl-bound Warriors don’t get more media
attention is because of the time difference.
Hawaii’s home games start at 6:05 p.m. in the
islands, which is 11:05 p.m. on the East Coast,
or just past midnight during daylight savings.
“The New York Times and Washington
Post don’t even have our scores in there, let
alone know what our record is,” Jones said.
“It’s just one of those things. (But) if we’re sitting here at 9-0, I think we’d already be recognized.”
But Jones said he likes the late start and
doesn’t want to change it.
Hawaii is 4-0 at Aloha Stadium and has
four more games at home to close out the regular season. The Warriors lost by 8 at Alabama
and by a touchdown at No. 14 Boise State.
A major reason for Hawaii’s success this
year is quarterback Colt Brennan, who threw
for 413 yards and six touchdowns in the
Warriors’ 63-10 win over Utah State.
The junior leads the nation in TD passes
with 39 and passer rating at 190. He is third in
yards passing with 3,347 and tops in total
offense per game at 394.8.
Jones had huge praise for Brennan during
his Monday news conference.
“Colt has inside of him what the great
ones have. That’s a lot of pressure to put on
him, but he’s got it,” Jones said. “He just has
to understand it, be humble and keep doing
what he’s doing.”
Brennan needs just 15 TD passes to tie
the NCAA record of 54 set by Houston’s
David Klingler in 1990. He has five games left
in the season, including the Hawaii Bowl.
But how much is Jones’ run-and-shoot a
factor in producing Brennan’s lofty numbers?
“I get this question all the time. ‘Is it the
offense?’ Yeah.” Jones said. “The offense
makes average quarterbacks a whole lot better
than they would be in another scheme. But
when we have a great one, they’re better in
what we do.
“That’s proven with Jim Kelly, Warren
Moon all the quarterbacks I’ve had. They had
their best seasons in our offense,” he said.
Brennan is quick to give credit to
Hawaii’s beefy offensive line, bruising running
backs and speedy receivers. Brennan said he
also has a stronger grasp of the offense compared to last year when he had a 75 percent
understanding of the offense but still led the
country in total offense and TD passes
“He made a lot of good things happen last
year, but he had no idea what he was doing,”
Jones said. “He was just running around making stuff happen. I knew once the light came
on, he would really, really blossom.”
CLIPPINGS 35
OVER THE RAINBOW
BRENNAN HAS FLOURISHED
WITH SECOND CHANCE AT
HAWAII
By Cory McCartney
Thursday November 9, 2006
Thousands of miles from the darkest time of
his life, Colt Brennan has found redemption in
the warmth of paradise.
After being charged with breaking into a
dorm room and fondling a girl and getting dismissed from the team at Colorado, he has
learned some valuable lessons to become the
player and person he always thrived to be. But
the Hawaii quarterback hasn’t forgotten, not
for a moment. He remembers that feeling in a
Boulder, Colo., courtroom of having his life
hanging in the balance of a jury.
“That whole experience just kind of
brought me down a level, just put my whole
life in perspective,” Brennan said. “It made me
wake up and realize you don’t always have
complete control of your life.”
Brennan was given a second chance by
coach June Jones at Hawaii and has become
the best quarterback you’ve never seen. The 6foot-3, 196-pound junior leads the nation in
passing efficiency (190.0) -- completing an
astonishing 72.9 percent of his passes -- and
total offense and has thrown a Division I-A
best 39 touchdowns to just six interceptions.
But there was a time when none of this
seemed possible.
The February 2004 incident, which came
at the height of the school’s sorded recruiting
scandal, got Brennan outsed from the team. He
says he felt “like I was really being made an
example of.”
He pled not guilty to all charges and was
acquitted of the sexual assault charge, but was
convicted of first-degree criminal trespass and
second-degree burglary. He received a sentence of seven days in jail and four years probation.
“I’m a big believer in karma and I think
that there were a lot of things that went down
out there in Colorado that really set me up and
I kept my head straight that there was something really big waiting for me down the
road,” Brennan said. “Something really, really
big.”
That something came in the form of
Jones, who saw a tape of Brennan playing for
Saddleback Community College in Mission
Viejo, Calif., after he left Colorado.
“At the end of [his highlight tape] was an
actual game tape,” Jones said. “I watched the
first 20 plays. I asked my quarterbacks coach
Dan [Morrison], ‘Who is this guy? This guy
can play.’ I’ve never seen anyone so accurate
throwing the football. Most highlight tapes
come with guys completing balls, but receivers
have to turn sometimes [to catch the ball] or
whatever. But every ball on this tape was right
on the money in stride.”
Jones had found his next quarterback, but
because of Brennan’s past he wasn’t willing to
offer him a scholarship. So he made a trip to
Brennan’s Laguna Beach home and gave him a
simple choice: “If you walk on, I’ll take care
of you,” Jones told him. “You can go to
Syracuse, go to San Jose [State] and you might
get drafted. But if you come to Hawaii, and
trust me on this, I’ll make you the first quarterback taken in the National Football League.”
Three weeks later Brennan was in
Honolulu, and in his first year in Jones’ runand-shoot offense he threw for a Division I-Abest 4,301 yards and 35 touchdowns, including
a 515-yard, seven-touchdown performance
against New Mexico State. Despite the gaudy
statistics, Brennan says he didn’t have much of
a grasp of things his first year.
“When I ran this offense last year, I was
running it not to mess it up,” he said. “I was
running it to try and do what I was taught.
Now when I run this offense, I do it to attack
everything I see.”
And attack he has. Brennan is at the controls of the nation’s top-ranked passing attack
and has thrown for more than 300 yards in all
but one of game for the 7-2 Warriors, including a season-high 419 yards against Nevada.
He has had five five-touchdown games and is
coming off a six-touchdown outing in a 63-10
rout of Utah State.
But Brennan already knows what you’re
thinking: It’s all the system. It’s the same passhappy offense that allowed Timmy Chang to
shatter the NCAA all-time career passing
record by more than 2,000 yards.
Brennan has heard it all before, and he
revels in it.
“Everything I’ve taken in from stuff I’ve
watched in the NFL is they’re trying to get the
quarterback to run the system and I get baffled
when people say, ‘Oh, he’s a system quarterback,’” Brennan said. “Isn’t that the job? Isn’t
that what defines a good QB, someone who
runs the system that they’re taught to run?
People call me a system quarterback, but I
really take that as a compliment.”
Jones has seen what the run-and-shoot
can do in the most capable of hands, having
worked with Hall of Famers Warren Moon
with the Oilers and Jim Kelly when he played
for the Houston Gamblers (USFL).
“I think people don’t understand that our
system is going to make an average quarterback a whole lot better,” Jones said. “When
you have a great one, he becomes even better
... If you have a great one, it doesn’t matter
what system you line up in. That’s true of Colt.
CLIPPINGS 36
“There’s no question in my mind Colt is
one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever had and
that includes all the pro players and I have put
a lot in the Pro Bowl. He’s a special, special
player.”
Brennan says when he was dealing with
the charges in Colorado he turned to a Bible
passage, Romans Chapter 12, as inspiration.
He cites Chapter 12:2 as a passage that has
helped mold the life he now leads.
And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to do ever
since then is just trying to be a good person as
far as the community, for my football team on
the field,” Brennan said. “That’s what I’ve
been trying to do since then is just be so good
that I show the world exactly who I am.”
COLT’S WELL-BEING TOPS
STATISTICS
By Ferd Lewis
November 9, 2006
No longer is it only opposing defenses that
University of Hawai’i quarterback Colt
Brennan poses dilemmas for.
Now it is his coaches.
With most quarterbacks the issue of when
to take them out surrounds too many interceptions and not being able to move the ball or
put up points.
But when you have Brennan, someone
who has thrown but one interception in the last
184 passes and is the triggerman on the
nation’s most productive passing offense, there
are altogether different questions. Like: After
how many points does he come out? Is there a
distinct Brennan Line, the point after which
leaving him in becomes foolhardy?
Those questions — and more — hung in
the chilly mountain air during the second half
of UH’s 63-10 victory at Utah State last week
and are likely to bubble to the surface again
Saturday night at Aloha Stadium if Louisiana
Tech’s status as a 38-point underdog holds
true.
The Colt quandary, you suspect, is one
most of the 119 NCAA Division I-A head
coaches would give their courtesy cars to have.
Still, the questions are topical with the
way the Warriors are putting up pinball-like
points. At Utah State, Brennan seemed headed
for a well-deserved pat on the back, a warm
parka and a seat on the sideline with 4 minutes, 11 seconds left in the third quarter and
UH up, 42-10. He had just thrown his first
interception after a school record 179 passes
without one.
With six touchdown passes and 330
yards, it seemed an opportune time to call it a
day and let the Tyler Graunke further polish
his skills. But Brennan was brought out for the
Warriors’ next series to close the third quarter
and drove UH to a touchdown and 49-10 lead,
adding 83 yards to his yardage total.
Not before being knocked on his wallet
by a shot to the numbers from linebacker Paul
Igboeli, the first of a couple licks that made
Warrior fans cringe. Afterward Brennan said
he’d only had some wind knocked out of him.
After that series, Graunke was brought in
for UH’s first possession of the fourth quarter.
With a game seemingly in the bag and a
such magical season in progress you’d hate to
risk Brennan’s health or the rest of the season
on a disabling shot. The Aggies weren’t doing
it, but you could see where some vanquished
opponent of less sportsmanship and self control might turn saltiness to a late hit.
That’s a thought that has to be balanced
by what’s fair to Brennan and UH and the stillfresh memory of Nevada. So well had the UH
offense been executing and so swiftly had it
been scoring — five touchdown drives of five
plays or less — that Brennan had seen only 31
plays when he threw the interception at Utah
State. A tour of duty that hardly qualifies as
padding the stats for someone who rarely sees
fourth quarter playing time anymore as he
chases several NCAA records with seemingly
one hand tied behind his back.
Then there is the lesson of Nevada. The
Wolf Pack, you’ll recall, rallied from a 41-21
fourth-quarter deficit to have four shots are
forcing overtime — or winning it all with a
two-point conversion — in the final minute
last month before losing 41-34, at Aloha
Stadium.
Brennan has helped make this a special
season for UH, knowing when to say when on
taking him out can keep it that way.
CLIPPINGS 37
RIVERS GIVES WARRIORS
LEADERSHIP THIS YEAR
The receiver didn’t play in 2005 but is making up for it with his unselfish attitude this
season
By Dave Reardon
November 10, 2006
Playing receiver at Hawaii is all about adjustments.
They’re usually in the middle of plays.
For Jason Rivers, the most important ones
were made mid-career.
He found himself in an awkward position
last offseason, a veteran and a rookie at the
same time. After two solid years in the same
lineup with Chad Owens, the former state
sprint champ was poised to become UH’s primary target in 2005.
A big highlight was catching the 7-yard
touchdown pass in 2004 that gave Tim Chang
the NCAA career passing-yardage record. That
came against Louisiana Tech (3-6, 1-3 WAC),
the team the Warriors (7-2, 5-1) play tomorrow
at Aloha Stadium in search of their sixth consecutive win.
Rivers’ breakthrough season of 2005
never happened because academic and injury
issues kept Rivers off the field. Freshman slotbacks Ryan Grice-Mullins and Davone Bess
emerged as the Warriors’ top receivers for new
quarterback Colt Brennan during UH’s transition year.
Rivers returned to the team last spring. In
some ways he was just another talented young
pass catcher who had to prove himself. In others, he was a wizened veteran left over from
the Chang years.
Rivers entered the 2006 season 14th in
UH career receiving yards, but had yet to catch
a pass from Brennan. In his first two games,
Rivers had just five catches for 61 yards and
no scores. In the last four, he has 20 receptions
for 288 yards and five TDs.
“They already had their chemistry and I
was coming in new. I think it’s better now. I’ve
got a few games under my belt. It’s all quickly
coming together,” Rivers said.
At 6-feet-2 and 192 pounds, Rivers is the
Warriors’ most physically impressive receiver.
His position coach, Ron Lee, said he is living
up to his potential.
“Jason, right now, is playing the best football of his career,” Lee said. “He’s practicing
at a high level. He’s having fun, and I think his
best football is still ahead of him.”
For the season, Rivers has 40 catches for
563 yards and eight touchdowns. He doesn’t
lead the Warriors in any category, but is right
in the middle of a tightly spaced group of six
who have received for between 476 yards
(Grice-Mullins) and 698 (Bess).
Grice-Mullins said the threat of Rivers
catching a deep ball helps the other receivers.
So does his willingness to share -- the football,
as well as his knowledge.
“He definitely helps stretch the field and
he brings a physical game. He and (slotback)
Ross (Dickerson) will run right through you,”
Grice-Mullins said. “The year with him sitting
out I think really helped him. He’s a totally
different guy now. He’s more of a team guy.
He understands it’s not about how many balls
you catch or yards you get. He’s taken a leadership role.”
Rivers was a big part of UH’s late-season
rallies in 2003 and 2004 that led to winning
records and Hawaii Bowl appearances. He said
this season is more exciting because of the
way the Warriors have played on the road
(they finished 3-2 away from home, and
clinched a winning record and Hawaii Bowl
bid with a 63-10 win at Utah State last Saturday).
“This is better than before because it says
a lot about our team, going on the road and
winning consistently, putting up 60 points,”
Rivers said. “That says a lot about us playing
to our potential.”
CLIPPINGS 38
ILAOA’S DREAM SEASON
BUILT ON PERSEVERANCE
By Stephen Tsai
November 10, 2006
Nate Ilaoa is “a LenDale White with Reggie
Bush skills,” says strength coach Mel deLaura,
who helped the 245-pound Ilaoa get in shape.
While recovering from knee and shoulder
injuries early in his career, University of
Hawai’i senior running back Nate Ilaoa never
dreamed things would turn out this way.
That he would become a triple threat —
as a blocker, runner and receiver — or that he
would be, as quarterback Colt Brennan said,
“the straw that stirs the drink.”
Or that strength coach Mel deLaura
would declare Ilaoa as the “best athlete” in the
Western Athletic Conference, only to be
trumped by defensive secondary coach Rich
Miano’s declaration of “best player.”
Or that opposing defensive coordinators
would have fits trying to solve the riddle of a
5-foot-9, 245-pound player who is deceptively
quick and evidently strong.
Ilaoa never had these sweet dreams
because to dream requires sleep, and there
were precious few REM nights three years
ago.
His series of unfortunate events began in
2002, his second year and first season at UH,
when he suffered a subluxation of his right
shoulder.
“It kept popping out of the joint,” Ilaoa
said. “It kept popping out every game, and I’d
pop it back in, and keep playing. It was really
sore. I couldn’t throw a football. I couldn’t
raise my (right) arm. A lot of things were
tough.”
Even resting had become difficult.
“When you’re sleeping, your arm could
just slip out (of the joint),” he said. “You wake
up and your arm is just stuck. I’m like, ‘All
right, I’ll have to pop it back in.’ “
Ilaoa would sleep on his back, with a pillow under his right shoulder, his right arm
across his chest.
“It was very hard to sleep,” he said.
After undergoing shoulder surgery in the
spring of 2003, he was even more limited.
“That year I was lifting like crazy, up to 370
(pounds) benching,” he said. “After my surgery, I couldn’t even do the bar.”
Then in the 2003 season opener against
Appalachian State, he suffered a torn knee ligament.
It took two full seasons for the knee to
heal. In the meantime, he underwent a second
surgery on his right shoulder.
“So now I’m getting surgery and my
knee’s not even done healing, and that means
you can’t rehab,” he said. “I can’t lift and I
can’t run. I can’t squat (lift) or do the dumb-
bell stuff. I’m just sitting there
with a bad knee
and a bad shoulder, and the doc
is saying, ‘just chill.’ “
Ilaoa, who weighed 180
pounds when he signed as a
slotback in 2001, was up to 240
pounds entering the 2005 training camp.
“He had that midnight
problem,” said his cousin, UH
center Samson Satele. “That’s
Jack-in-the-Box, Zippy’s, whatever’s open at midnight. That’s
how he gained the weight.”
After Ilaoa suffered a
pulled hamstring on the second
day of the 2005 training camp, head coach
June Jones voiced his displeasure to reporters.
Jones said Ilaoa was overweight, and had let
down teammates. Jones said Ilaoa’s poor condition led to the hamstring injury.
“It was a tough situation,” Ilaoa said.
“But I wasn’t going to give up. I had a lot of
support.”
DeLaura knew that Ilaoa’s injuries made
it difficult for him to train. Unwilling to give
up on Ilaoa, deLaura created a special conditioning program.
“He really worked with me,” Ilaoa said.
After a few weeks, Ilaoa, who had moved
from slotback to running back, was the starter.
He finished with 643 rushing yards, an average
of 7.6 yards per carry, and six touchdowns.
During the offseason, Ilaoa committed to
improving his strength and stamina. Accepting
reality, Ilaoa realized he could not lose the 30
pounds to fit the image of the speed back.
Instead, Jones said, Ilaoa “decided to get
into shape at the weight he was at. That’s what
he did.”
Despite gaining about 70 pounds during
his UH career, Ilaoa had never lost his quickness nor elusiveness. DeLaura worked on
Ilaoa’s endurance, mapping out sprint drills.
“Summer time, he ran every day,”
deLaura said.
Ilaoa also spent hours on the Elliptical, a
cross-training machine.
Ilaoa reported to training camp at 254
pounds, but Jones said, “he was in shape.”
The result was a player whom Miano
described as a “hybrid. He has a fast player’s
feet and a big man’s power.”
In football, comparisons are used to rate
players. Scouts have compared Ilaoa to running back LenDale White, a second-round pick
by the Tennessee Titans.
But deLaura said Ilaoa shares the qualities
of Southern California’s starting running backs
last season.
“He’s a LenDale White with Reggie Bush
skills, as far as catching and shakes and
moves,” deLaura said.
“Look at the numbers,” said Miano, who
serves as UH’s liaison to the NFL. “He’s averaging 7.2 yards per carry (this year).”
CLIPPINGS 39
On shovel passes, which
are UH’s equivalent of draws,
Ilaoa’s yards-after-catch average
is better than 15.0 per play. He
averages more than one broken
tackler per rush.
In team testing last spring,
Ilaoa ran 40 yards in 4.65 seconds, performed 121 sit-ups in
two minutes, and bench pressed
225 pounds 30 times.
“He’s one of a kind,” Jones
said. “No question about that.
I’ve had a lot of great big runners — “Ironhead” (Heyward),
Jamal Anderson, Alonzo
Highsmith. They were taller, 6
feet, probably. Nate’s 5-9, maybe 5-10. I’ve
not had a player that heavy run that fast or
make the moves that he makes.”
New Mexico State defensive coordinator
Woody Widenhofer, whose “Steel Curtain”
defense won four Super Bowls with the
Pittsburgh Steelers, marveled at Ilaoa’s skills.
Widenhofer used an offensive lineman to simulate Ilaoa in practice.
Utah State defensive coordinator Mark
Johnson said he used a defensive lineman to
portray Ilaoa.
Louisiana Tech head coach Jack Bicknell
said he didn’t even bother to find a stand-in.
“Who are we going to use?” said
Bicknell, whose defense will face Ilaoa and the
Warriors Saturday at Aloha Stadium. “We
don’t have anyone that big who is that fast.”
USU’s Johnson has described Ilaoa as a
“freak” because of his footwork and “center of
gravity.”
Johnson said Ilaoa is comparable to Chris
Fuamatu-Ma’afala, a Saint Louis School graduate who played for the Steelers, “although I
think Nate might be better. Nate’s tougher.”
Miano said if Ilaoa drops another 10
pounds, to 235 pounds, “he’s a legitimate firstround talent.”
All of which leaves Ilaoa feeling
“blessed.”
“I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by
a lot of great people playing football,” Ilaoa
said. “I’ve had great coaches from Day One. I
know all of the coaches were in my corner.
Some have had different ways of getting (the
message) to me.”
Jones said: “I like all of my guys, but
they can’t be treated the same. ... Nate is a
great kid. He’s got a good heart. The players
love him. He’s a good kid. He needed to get
focused, and he did this year. He has a bright
future.”
UH FOOTBALL: ‘NASTI’
NONETHELESS
By Stephen Tsai
November 12, 2006
No Nate Ilaoa?
No early lead?
No problem for the University of Hawai’i
football team, which cruised to a 61-17 victory
over Louisiana Tech last night at Aloha
Stadium.
Even without their best running back, the
Warriors won their seventh in a row to
improve to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the Western
Athletic Conference.
They racked up more than 49 points for
the fifth Saturday in a row.
“We’re never worried,” center Samson
Satele said. “We’ve got Colt.”
Colt Brennan completed 27 of 40 passes
for 406 yards and four touchdowns. He also
rushed for 60 yards and another score. For the
sixth time this season, he did not play in the
fourth quarter. Instead, he spent the final minutes signing autographs and posing for cellphone pictures.
And picture this: Brennan now has 43
touchdown passes in 10 games; last year, the
Warriors scored 48 touchdowns in 12 games.
Brennan is within reach of David Klingler’s
NCAA single-season record of 54 TD passes,
set in 1990.
“I’ve got to give thanks to Reagan
(Mauia),” Brennan said. “He stepped in and
did an unbelievable job.”
Mauia, a 5-foot-11, 284-pound senior,
played in place of Ilaoa, who was held out
because of a sprained ankle.
Mauia rushed six times for 52 yards,
including a momentum-boosting obstacle run
near the end of the second quarter, scored two
touchdowns and provided knockdown, backfield blocking for Brennan.
“When he blocks, defenses don’t like to
blitz anymore,” Brenann said. “He is so physical. You know on defense how they have a
rover, a guy who goes around? He’s our rover,
man. He knocks blitzers and guys coming up
the field. It just kills defenses.
“I don’t get to hear his blocks,” Brennan
added. “But after I throw the ball, I look
around and see the guys on the ground.”
Most remarkable is Mauia also should
have been on sick leave. He has a torn medial
collateral ligament in his left knee, a torn
meniscus in his right knee, and sprains in both
shoulder joints.
“It’s God,” Mauia said. “He gave me the
strength to keep playing and do what I love to
do. He lets me play for my family, my son
back home (in California), my father. I do it
for everybody. And, of course, I like to help
out Colt.”
Mauia’s loudest cheerleader was Ilaoa.
“I activated the bulldog,”
Ilaoa said. “I gave the bulldog
a chance to strut his stuff.”
Ilaoa’s constant advice
was to protect his knees.
“I told him they were
going for his lumber,” Ilaoa
recalled. “I kept yelling, ‘Pick
up your lumber.’ They were
trying to cut him down. They
still couldn’t bring him down.
His swagger meter is too
loose.”
On the first possession of the second
quarter, Louisiana Tech took a 10-9 lead when
Zac Champion and tight end Dennis Morris
collaborated on a 43-yard scoring play.
Champion faked a handoff to freeze-frame the
defense, then fired a pass to Morris, who was
sprinting down the middle of the field.
“That probably was what got us in gear,
being down 10-9,” Brennan said. “We calmed
down, and took it play by play. Before you
knew it, it turned into the usual thing.”
Then Warriors regained the lead, at 16-10,
when wideout Chad Mock made a leaping grab
of Brennan’s 18-yard pass. The drive was
fueled when Jason Rivers, who finished with
six receptions for 113 yards, caught a 49-yard
pass.
Later, Brennan found Ross Dickerson for
a touchdown at the end of a 13-yard post route.
The turning point came shortly before the
intermission, when the Warriors advanced to
the Louisiana Tech 19.
Brennan scrambled 5 yards, but appeared
to fumble after being hit by linebacker Chris
Pugh. But the whistle had blown before the
fumble, with the officials ruling that slotback
Davone Bess held on the play.
Louisiana Tech coach Jack Bicknell
argued vehemently, charging that the fumble
should stand because holding is not a dead-ball
penalty. The replay official said he could not
review the play because the whistle had blown.
“I’m not supposed to criticize the officials,” Bicknell said. “I thought it was a fumble. But I’d rather not say it that way. It
appeared to me, on the field, to be a fumble.”
On the next play, from the 29, Brennan
and Rivers hooked up for an apparent touchdown pass. But the officials ruled that Rivers
was an ineligible receiver. Rivers was forced
across the left sideline and, instead of re-entering at the point he crossed, he ran a few yards
before running back onto the field.
After a heated debate, this time initiated
by UH coach June Jones, play resumed.
Mauia, on a stretch play to the left, broke
two tackles en route to a 22-yard gain. He ran
out of bounds, at the 7, with three seconds
remaining.
Dan Kelly then converted his second field
goal of the game. He had entered without a
field-goal attempt in the previous four games.
CLIPPINGS 40
“In the second half,” said
Bess, who caught seven passes
for 143 yards and two touchdowns, “we got on a roll, and
started clicking. It was just like
how we practiced. It was a matter of executing. It started with
the o-line blocking, and the
receivers running the right
routes, and Colt doing his
thing.”
The defense, meanwhile,
contained the Bulldogs, who
were held to 165 yards in the
second half. Cornerbacks
Myron Newberry and Gerard Lewis each intercepted a pass, leading to UH touchdowns.
In last season’s meeting, the Bulldogs
rushed for 327 yards in a 46-14 rout in Ruston,
La. Last night, they gained 135 yards, with
only 27 amassed in the final two quarters.
The Warriors said they found motivation
from a message delivered by defensive line
coach Jeff Reinebold.
Reinebold, who used to coach for
Louisiana Tech, met his former recruit,
Bulldog left guard David Accardo, during
warmups. Reinebold relayed the discussion to
his players before the game.
“They were talking a lot of trash about us,
how they were going to kill us, and beat us up
like they did last year,” UH safety Leonard
Peters said “Once you call one of us out,
you’re taking on the family. They called out
(nose tackle) Mike (Lafaele). They were going
to dominate him.”
Lafaele said: “It was the left guard. That
was the guy Reinebold recruited. He was talking smack about me.”
But after the game, Lafaele approached
Accardo.
“He said, ‘It wasn’t me,’ “ Lafaele said.
“He got me hyped before the game. Everybody
was hyped with what that dude said.”
Asked about the story, Reinebold said:
“Was the speech true? Of course, it was true. I
don’t tell stories. He said he was going to kick
(Lafaele’s) butt. Here’s the deal: I love the kid
for being that confident and saying, ‘I’m going
after you guys.’ “
“I’m even more proud of the fact that our
guys, when I told them in the meeting, they
responded,” Reinebold added. “Mel (Purcell,
the left defensive end) took it from there. He
did what great players do. He drew the line in
the sand and said, ‘This isn’t happening.’
(Louisiana Tech) had success with the draw
play early, which singed us a little bit. After
that, you do the math.”
WARRIORS MAKE IT 8
San Jose State sticks around, but Hawaii
turns it on late for its eighth consecutive victory
By Dave Reardon
November 19, 2006
Hawaii didn’t kill the messenger last night.
The Warriors swarmed to the source.
UH receiver Davone Bess met up on Friday with his old buddy from Skyline High
School in Oakland, Calif. Yonus Davis is San
Jose State’s star running back. Bess was more
than happy to let safety Leonard Peters and the
rest of the UH defense know that Davis
planned on shredding them for 200 yards.
“I think he did get 200,” Peters said. “But
it was sideways. But that doesn’t count last I
checked.”
The defense held Davis to 29 yards on 14
carries as UH crushed San Jose State 54-17 for
the Warriors’ eighth win in a row.
The Friday night meeting of Bess -- who
caught two of Colt Brennan’s five touchdown
passes -- was actually an extension of a text
message conversation in the days leading up to
the game, with Bess as the middle man.
“They basically let me know that they
were going to swarm me and be all over me,”
Davis said. “They came out and produced and
played a tough game and were more physical
than us.”
San Jose State managed just 192 yards in
offense, while the Warriors added to their
nation-leading average by piling up 568.
It was the lowest output by an offense
against UH this season.
“There was no magic game plan,” Warriors defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville
said. “There was no cerebral thought from
me.”
UH is 9-2 overall and finished its WAC
season at 7-1, clinching at least sole possession
of second place. If Nevada can beat visiting
Boise State next week, the Warriors get a share
of the conference title.
The largest Aloha Stadium crowd of the
season (29,523) saw the Warriors win their
fourth homecoming game of the year -- Fresno
State’s, New Mexico State’s, their own against
Idaho, and last night’s return of former UH
coach Dick Tomey as the Spartans head man.
But the Spartans hung in longer and stronger
than some of the other teams the Warriors have
dominated this fall.
Compared to the recent early-round
knockouts this was more like a late-round
TKO. UH coach June Jones said his team was
not as sharp as usual.
“It was not our best game,” Jones said.
“We overcame a lot. The positive was there
was a lot of good hitting going on.”
A five-touchdown spurt by the Warriors
after halftime -- enabled by UH’s crushing
defense -- finally locked it up as Hawaii
matched the school record for consecutive victories in one season.
UH led just 27-17 midway through the
third quarter, but three San Jose State
turnovers in the fourth quarter and the Warriors’ offense turned it into a rout.
“It’s not very complex,” Tomey said.
“They were just more physical than we were.”
UH will likely make the Top 25 in the
polls today, and Brennan -- though still a long
shot -- did nothing to hurt his Heisman Trophy
candidacy.
“We can just wait (for the Top 25),” Brennan said. “We don’t need it now. We have
games against two teams (Purdue and Oregon
State) from big-time conferences coming up.
Once we get that job done, it will say enough.”
Brennan passed for 402 yards and the five
TDs, and rushed for another, and was intercepted once. He is six away from tying the single-season record of 54 touchdown passes set
by Houston’s David Klingler in 1990.
Nate Ilaoa joined Bess in scoring two touchdowns for Hawaii, which also leads the nation
in scoring and passing yardage.
Ilaoa rushed for 100 yards on 12 carries
coming off missing last week’s game with a
sprained ankle.
UH scored on its first possession for the
fifth straight game, on Dan Kelly’s 39-yard
field goal.
Hawaii made it 10-0 on the next series
when Brennan passed to Chad Mock for a 36yard touchdown. Mock got behind San Jose
State cornerback Dwight Lowery, who came
into the game with eight interceptions.
The Spartans got on the board midway through
the second quarter thanks to a special-teams
gaffe by the Warriors.
Myron Newberry mishandled Waylon
Prather’s punt deep in UH territory, and the
Spartans’ John Broussard recovered at the UH
5. James T. Collier, running behind 6-4, 335pound blocking back Jibri Sharp, pounded it in
from 1 yard out for the first rushing touchdown against UH at home since the Oct. 7
Nevada game.
Another bad UH return, this one by Ross
Dickerson on the ensuing kickoff, put the ball
on the Hawaii 7.
“We made two bad decisions on special
teams on kicks that we shouldn’t have
touched,” Jones said.
But the Warriors covered the 93 yards in
eight plays, with Brennan scrambling for the
final 8.
CLIPPINGS 41
Jared Strubeck made a 37-yard field goal
for San Jose State with 4 seconds left in the
half.
Ilaoa rushed for all 53 yards of UH’s
drive to start the second half after Rustin Saole
recovered SJSU’s attempted onside kick. Ilaoa
went 4 yards for the score and the Warriors led
27-10.
“(Running) was the game plan,” Brennan
said. “Coach Jones felt like it’d be fun, to mix
it up. Almost every time we ran, we had a
great play.”
Collier scored again from 1 yard out, capping a 10-play, 77-yard drive and putting the
difference back to 10 points.
“They didn’t stay down,” Brennan said.
“Luckily we kept a level head.”
The Warriors regained control with two
consecutive long drives ending in touchdown
passes of 5 and 9 yards from Brennan to Bess.
The second gave Hawaii a 41-17 lead with
12:42 left in the game.
A fumble recovery by Ikaika Alama-Francis and Jake Patek’s first career interception
led to 19-yard TD passes from Brennan to
Ryan Grice-Mullins and Ilaoa.
The recovery by Alama-Francis (on a
fumble caused by Blaze Soares), was the third
turnover in three plays. It came after Rakine
Toomes intercepted Brennan and Solomon
Elimimian recovered another SJSU fumble,
caused by Patek.
“The running back was talking to Davone
and said we were trash,” Peters said.
Linebacker Solomon Elimimian led UH
with 12 tackles, and Alama-Francis turned in
three tackles for loss.
It was the best performance of the season
by the defense, which continues to improve
each week.
“It’s fun to watch them. It’s what they are
and what they’ve become,” Glanville said.
DEFENSE DEMANDS ATTENTION
The offense gets all of the accolades, but the
defense has also stepped up
By Dave Reardon
November 20, 2006
Any coach will tell you. It all starts up front.
And Saturday at Aloha Stadium, a lot of it
stopped there, too.
The Hawaii three-man defensive front
simply dominated San Jose State at the line of
scrimmage (and behind it), stifling any dreams
the Spartans had of keeping up with UH’s
offense.
Hawaii crushed San Jose State 54-17. It
was the Warriors’ eighth consecutive victory,
propelling UH (9-2, 7-1 WAC) to a No. 25
ranking in all three polls and tying the record
for wins in a row in one season set by the 1973
team coached by Dave Holmes.
That UH squad was built on defense, limiting seven of the nine teams it beat to 10 or
fewer points.
San Jose State managed just 192 yards,
the least for a UH opponent since Sept. 24,
2005, when Idaho had 153 and the Warriors
blanked the Vandals 24-0.
Ends Melila Purcell and Ikaika AlamaFrancis and nose tackle Michael Lafaele created opportunities for the back seven when they
weren’t making big plays themselves.
“The defensive line played great,” senior
free safety and tri-captain Leonard Peters said.
“Any time the linebackers fill holes like that
(Solomon Elimimian’s 12 tackles were almost
all at the line of scrimmage), it’s because the
linemen are taking on two guys and keeping
them off them.”
Purcell, in particular, has played incredibly well in recent games. The 6-foot-5, 276pound senior has thrived in the 3-4 alignment
this fall after learning its nuances while dealing with nagging injuries last year.
“We just wanted to come out here and
dominate the line and take the momentum
away and put it on our side.”
Purcell matched his season high with
eight tackles. He was involved in three sacks,
four quarterback hurries and he forced a fumble.
“The last half of the season, (Purcell) has
really taken a step,” defensive line coach Jeff
Reinebold said. “He’s become an outstanding
leader, in practice on the field, in meetings.
And I think he’s starting to play at a level that
we all hoped he would get to. And Ikaika, the
same thing. And Mike Lafaele, you tell me
who’s got a nose tackle who makes more plays
than that guy does.
“They all played really, really well. They
dominated the line of scrimmage,” Reinebold
said. “I’m proud of them, they deserve every
good thing that happens to them.”
The Hawaii offense leads the nation in
scoring and total offense and gets most of the
notice. But the Warriors defense has come on
in recent weeks, and opponents have averaged
just 13.5 points in the last four games.
UH held San Jose State to 92 yards on the
ground. The Spartans entered the game averaging 198.6 rushing yards, second in the WAC
and 10th in the nation. Running back Yonus
Davis averaged 101.3 yards going in. He
walked out of Aloha Stadium with just 29
yards in 14 attempts against the Warriors.
“They played a helluva game,” Davis said
of the Hawaii defense. “They got the job
done.”
The Warriors try to continue their winning
streak Saturday against Purdue (8-4) at Aloha
Stadium.
CLIPPINGS 42
PURCELL AS ‘AMAZING’ AS
HE WAS IN SAMOA
By Stephen Tsai
November 21, 2006
While recruiting in American Samoa nearly
five years ago, University of Hawai’i assistant
coach Rich Miano came across a 17-year-old
Leone High senior who could run 40 yards in
4.6 seconds, dunk a basketball off a 360degree move, and long jump 21 feet.
“He’s an amazing athlete,” Miano said at
the time. “His only fault is he wants to become
a journalist.”
Melila Purcell III, now a 6-foot-5, 278pound UH senior, is making news as one of
the Western Athletic Conference’s best defensive ends.
Yesterday, for the second time this season,
Purcell was named the WAC’s Defensive
Player of the Week.
In Saturday’s 54-17 victory over San Jose
State, Purcell played 44 snaps, amassing eight
tackles, 2.5 sacks, four hurries and a forced
fumble. Of the Spartans’ 22 pass plays, Purcell
was in the quarterback’s grill seven times.
UH uses a scoring system in which a
defender is awarded a “hit” for every tackle or
shot that leads to a tackle. Purcell was credited
with 11 hits against the Spartans.
“In 44 plays, that’s a good number for a
linebacker,” defensive line coach Jeff
Reinebold said. “It’s phenomenal for a defensive lineman, really unheard of for someone
who plays on one side of the field.”
In UH’s 3-4 scheme, Purcell is aligned on
the left side — usually an offense’s strong side
— and faces a minimum double team on every
pass play. The Spartans also had a power package in which they used six offensive linemen
at the same time.
“We don’t want him engaged in a block
too long,” Reinebold said. “We ask him to be a
movement guy, which means to move all over
the field and make plays. That’s not easy when
the other team sends two blockers after you.”
Purcell uses his speed (now 4.7 seconds
over 40 yards) and strength (benches more
than 400 pounds) to break free from blockers.
“What’s fun about watching Mel play is
his total command of his responsibilities,”
defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said. “He
totally knows on every call where he’s supposed to be and what he’s supposed to do. It’s
a great teaching tool for the people who are
playing on the defensive line. You can say,
‘Look at this, look at how he’s doing.’ “
Mel deLaura, who coordinates the conditioning program, said Purcell is working out
with the same ferocity as he did as a secondyear freshman in 2003. Purcell attended classes but did not practice in 2002 because the
NCAA did not accept a high school English
course as a core class.
Purcell weighed about 220 pounds as a
second-year freshman. But the progress he
made in 2003 could not be developed further
because of a series of injuries the next two
years.
This year, despite an arm injury, Purcell
bit his mouthpiece and kept working.
“He decided he was going to make this
his big-time year,” deLaura said. “It started in
January. He worked hard in the weight room
and at running. He took care of business.
Maybe it’s because he’s not as banged up. But
he decided he was not going to be the guy
going through the motions. He came in and
worked his butt off. It’s paid off. He’s always
working out, every day. When I come in, he’s
here. When I leave, he’s here.”
Purcell, who gained 25 pounds during the
offseason, acknowledged he is in better health.
What’s more, he said, “I’m more comfortable with the defensive scheme. My teammates
encourage me to play at a higher level every
week.”
Reinebold said to maximize effectiveness,
the defensive linemen are placed under play
limits. Purcell’s 44 plays against SJSU were
his most in a game this season.
“We always tell our guys, ‘You’re not
going to play as an NFL player after you cash
your first NFL check,’ “ Reinebold said. “That
means they have to play at that NFL level
before the NFL will even consider them.”
Reinebold said Purcell, based on his play
this season, is deserving of a shot in the NFL.
“The NFL draft is a matter of being in the
right place at the right time, and being the
match for the right team,” Reinebold said.
“But when I compare him to guys I’ve
coached or been around, he’s certainly as talented as anyone. Look at the impact he has in
games.”
Reinebold said Purcell’s skills —
strength, quickness, good “motor” — are comparable to former All-Pro L’Roi Glover’s abilities.
“Now that doesn’t mean Mel will be a
Pro Bowl player,” Reinebold said. “That
means he’s playing at an extremely high
level.”
Reinebold also said Purcell has maintained his strong play late in the season.
“That something the pros notice,”
Reinebold said. “When you’re an NFL team
playing a 16-game schedule over 17 weeks,
with all of that travel, you’re looking for players who won’t wear down.”
Purcell also has shown feistiness this season. During a practice, he scuffled with his
CLIPPINGS 43
cousin, center Samson Satele.
“Mel is Mel,” Satele said. “I knew he was
the best, but sometimes he keeps it in. Maybe
it was because he was hurt. But he’s playing at
a high level, like an NFL d-end. When he
brings it out, he’s unstoppable.”
25TH-RANKED UH RALLIES
TO WIN ITS NINTH
STRAIGHT
By Stephen Tsai
November 26, 2006
In a finish that will eventually be retold as a
sweet-dreams bedtime story, the 25th-ranked
University of Hawai’i football team willed a
42-35 victory from Purdue last night at Aloha
Stadium.
Before 44,298 — the largest home crowd
since the 2005 season opener — the Warriors
surged from an eight-point deficit with six
minutes remaining to win their ninth in a row.
Right wideout Ian Sample’s 23-yard,
screen-and-sprint touchdown with 1:27
remaining proved to be the difference.
The Warriors (10-2) sealed the outcome
when Adam Leonard intercepted Curtis Painter
on the Boilermakers’ final please-please-please
possession. It was the first interception by a
UH linebacker this season.
“What an absolutely fabulous victory,”
Mayor Mufi Hannemann gushed in the postgame celebration. “I’m so proud of them.
They’re Hawai’i’s team. They’re Polynesia’s
team.”
For another week, the Warriors will retain
their place in three national polls and in school
lore.
“I love this game!” said UH slotback
Ryan Grice-Mullins, who tied the game at 35
with a 5-yard scoring catch and ensuing twopoint conversion.
Quarterback Colt Brennan, who threw for
434 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdowns, said: “We believed. I don’t think the
victory went to the team that wanted it the
most. I think it went to the team that had the
most love for each other. You could see it.
When the chips were down, the team came
right together. That’s what it’s all about. That’s
what this team is all about.”
It appeared the Warriors would cruise
after constructing a 17-0 lead in the first two
quarters. Running back Nate Ilaoa scored two
touchdowns in the first half en route to rushing
for a career-high 159 yards on 12 carries.
But the usually sure-handed Ilaoa fumbled two times in the second half. The
Warriors had three second-half turnovers, all of
which were parlayed into Purdue touchdowns.
“It was my fault,” Ilaoa said. “I’ve got to
do some ball security. But the team had my
back. That’s the big thing about this team.”
Ilaoa’s second fumble gave the
Boilermakers possession at the UH 32.
On the next play, Painter lofted a pass to
6-foot-4 wideout Selwyn
Lymon, who out-leaped 5-9
cornerback Myron
Newberry in the end zone,
giving the Boilermakers a
35-27 lead with 6:50 to play.
“Newberry had it
played perfectly,” UH
defensive coordinator Jerry
Glanville said. “He just
wasn’t tall enough. That’s
not his fault. He did what he
was supposed to do.”
After that, the Warriors
looked at the JumboTron
clock, then at each other.
“I told the guys, ‘We’re
two passes away from winning the game,’ and
we were,” UH coach June Jones said.
Brennan recalled thinking: “When we
were down by eight, we knew we could come
back. We just knew.”
Grice-Mullins said: “We play a different
ball on the island. We’ve got too much heart.”
Brennan was facing a Purdue defense that
switched from a 3-3-5 experimental scheme in
the first half to its usual menacing 4-3 style. In
the 4-3, the two defensive ends use their
strength and quickness to trap Brennan in a
collapsing pocket.
“They changed it up on us at first,”
Brennan said. “But coach (Jones) taught us
well. He taught us what to look for.”
Dodging heavy pressure, Brennan found
slotback Davone Bess for 28 yards and left
wideout Jason Rivers for 22 to ignite the
comeback.
After UH advanced to the 4, Jones called
for an out-and-go to Grice-Mullins.
“All I had to do was beat my guy,” said
Grice-Mullins, who secured Brennan’s pass to
close UH to 35-33. “And I beat my guy.”
On the ensuing conversion play, GriceMullins and Brennan produced a hana hou.
“The line blocked, the other receivers did
what they’re supposed to do, Colt and Reagan
(Mauia) did what they were supposed to do,
and I did what I was supposed to do. We followed the plan.”
But Purdue was not done. On the UH
sideline, the coaches were screaming for
another stop.
That came four plays in the drive, when
Painter overthrew Dorien Bryant on the right
side. Left cornerback Gerard Lewis, who was
in deep coverage, made a diving interception.
“I don’t usually dive,” Lewis said, “but I
knew we needed a stop. It was an adrenaline
decision.”
Defensive backs coach Rich Miano said:
“When Gerard made his interception, it was an
unbelievable play in terms of getting his hands
underneath the ball. It was just a great play.”
CLIPPINGS 44
UH took over at its 46 with
2:27 remaining — more
than enough time, Brennan
insisted.
Brennan threw 13 yards to
Rivers along the left sideline. After an incompletion,
Brennan went back to
Rivers for a 14-yard gain.
On the next play, Brennan
scrambled 4 yards to the 23.
Jones then called for “460”
— an inside screen to
Sample, who was angling
from the right. Sample
caught the pass, kept running diaganolly until he
reached the left side, and cut up to complete
the 23-yard scoring play.
“I knew my line would be blocking, so I
decided to follow my blocks,” Sample said. “I
just read it all the way. Jason (Rivers) made a
block. The o-line made blocks. It was easy for
me.”
Rivers said he was happy not to be typecast only as a receiver.
“You can’t be good in only one aspect of
the game,” Rivers said. “To be a great team,
everybody has to do everything. I didn’t know
Ian was going to come my way. I peeked to the
right, and I saw Ian coming. I said, ‘Man, I’ve
got to (block) somebody.’ Everybody was
doing a job. It would be a shame if I didn’t do
my job.”
After Leonard’s interception, the Warriors
counted down their statement-making victory
over a bowl-bound school from the Big Ten.
“I’m so proud of these kids,” said defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold, who was raised
in Indiana. Two of his children attend Purdue.
“People have no idea about the differences between that place and this place in
terms of facilities, and money, and athletes,
even,” Reinebold added. “But they don’t have
what we have: as great a love for each other.”
After the game, the Mayor agreed it was
fortunate he wasn’t running against Brennan.
“That’s for sure,” Hannemann said. “Or
Nasti (Ilaoa) or anyone else on this team.”
WARRIORS RISE IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
By Stephen Tsai
November 27, 2006
Saturday night’s 42-35 comeback victory over
Purdue helped the University of Hawai’i football team ascend from No. 25 last week to No.
23 in the current USA Today coaches poll and
No. 24 in the Associated Press top-25 rankings.
It also stirred the continuing discussion as
to whether Colt Brennan, who threw three
fourth-quarter touchdown passes to increase
his nation-leading total to 51 this season, will
be named a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Asked if Brennan will be invited to the
Dec. 9 ceremony in New York, UH coach June
Jones answered with this anecdote.
Jones said Purdue coach Joe Tiller has
faced Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn
and studied hours of videotape of Ohio State
quarterback Troy Smith — both regarded as
the leading Heisman contenders.
After the final whistle sounded Saturday
night, Jones and Tiller met at midfield.
“He said to me, ‘That’s the best quarterback I’ve ever seen. Good luck in the bowl,’”
Jones recalled. “That’s the only thing he said
to me coming off the field. That says it all.”
Asked for his personal opinion, Jones said
of Brennan: “He’s the best college player in
America. I’ve said it all along.”
Jones said he saw hints of that in last season’s game against Boise State, when Brennan
was a third-year sophomore and first-year
Warrior.
Six weeks into this season, Jones said,
“that’s when I knew he was the best college
player in America.
“He has not had one bad game this year,”
Jones added. “Not one.”
Asked if Brennan will be regarded as a
first-round pick, Jones said: “Best college
player in America.”
But Jones said he “would anticipate”
Brennan returning for his senior season.
“He said he would come back,” Jones
said. “He’s having a lot of fun here. I’m having a lot of fun. It’s been an unreal year.”
Jones said Brennan’s skill was evident in
the way he adjusted to Purdue’s defensive
scheme. In the second half, the Boilermakers
switched to a four-man front, with the defensive ends stepping into the passing lanes to the
flats.
“They did a great job of getting their
hands up and jumping,” Brennan said. “We get
the ball out very quick (to the flats), and they
did a great job of trying to defend it.”
After three passes were knocked down,
Brennan adjusted by throwing wide of the
defensive ends. On the winning screen pass to
Ian Sample, Brennan said, “I had to doubleclutch it because (defensive end Cliff Avril)
had his hands up.”
Brennan said the knockdowns had little to
do with his motion, which sometimes appears
to be side-armed. He said, in fact, he is throwing with a three-quarter motion favored by
most quarterbacks.
“There would have been way more batted
balls throughout the year if there were any
issues with my throwing (motion),” Brennan
said.
The Warriors, meanwhile, said the victory
over a Big Ten team showed they were worthy
of their national ranking.
“A lot of the people didn’t think we
deserved to be ranked,” linebacker Solomon
Elimimian said. “They thought the teams we
played (in the previous eight weeks) weren’t
good. We had to show the people we could
play with the big boys. We showed our critics
we deserved to be ranked.”
Slotback Davone Bess said the outcome
showed “our true character. People across the
country pretty much doubted us and thought
we were a fluke. We proved the football world
wrong. We’re enjoying this win, but we’re definitely not satisfied.”
Brennan said Saturday’s victory eased the
burden.
“Obviously, there’s a great weight lifted
off of our shoulders,” Brennan said. “There’s
that stigma that right after you get ranked, you
lose. That weight definitely has been lifted,
and it helped that it was a really tough game.
The mentality is to keep winning and to keep
climbing in the top-25 poll.”
The Warriors set several goals during the
season. One of them was to win the final four
regular-season games. They close the regular
season against Oregon State on Saturday.
“We have one more to go,” Jones said.
“We set goals for the team, all kinds of deals,
and we’re fulfilling them. That’s what makes
you feel good. I’m proud of them.”
Bess said the Oregon State game is
important, and not just because he was supposed to play for the Beavers.
“This is still Oregon State, one of the top
teams,” Bess said. “They beat USC.”
The Warriors are expected to learn within
the week who they will face in the Sheraton
Hawai’i Bowl.
If it were up to the players, Elimimian
said, the choice would be UCLA.
“That’s who I want to play,” said
Elimimian, who was raised in Los Angeles.
“That’s who a lot of the guys want to play. We
hope it’s UCLA. Everybody knows UCLA.
That’s a name with prestige. I’m sure if UCLA
came, it will be a full house.”
CLIPPINGS 45
WARRIORS CREATE ‘SPECIAL’ BLEND
By Stephen Tsai
December 1, 2006
“This senior class has been kind of special,”
Hawai’i football head coach June Jones said.
Standing, from left: Marissa Bonilla, Victor
Fergerstrom, Nate Ilaoa, Michael Malala, Chris
Williams, Melila Purcell III, Lawrence Wilson,
Ikaika Alama-Francis, Samson Satele, Renolds
Fruean. Kneeling, from left: Marques Kaonohi,
Reagan Mauia, Ian Sample, Chad Mock, Kurt
Milne. Sitting, from left: Dane Uperesa, Tala
Esera, Ross Dickerson, Leonard Peters.
To be sure, the University of Hawai’i senior class of 2006 is unique.
It features three sixth-year players (running back Nate Ilaoa, wideout Ian Sample and
free safety Leonard Peters).
One defensive end, Melila Purcell III, is
from American Samoa. The other, IkaikaAlama Francis, moved from the UH basketball
team, where he was a 190-pound forward.
Sample, wideout Chad Mock, linebacker
Chris Williams and safety Mike Malala are not
on scholarship.
Alama-Francis, running back Reagan
Mauia, defensive lineman Renolds Fruean,
linebacker Bully Fergerstrom and punter Kurt
Milne started their UH careers as walk-on
players.
Fruean takes the bus every morning from
the Leeward Coast. Peters and tackles Tala
Esera and Dane Uperesa drive in from the
North Shore.
And all of them could exit with the winningest season in the program’s history.
“This senior class has been kind of special,” head coach June Jones said. “They’ve
taken real leadership off the field and on the
field.”
The most special might be team manager
Marissa Bonilla, who is completing her fifth
season.
“She’s been great,” Jones said. “She has
been very reliable and accountable. She does
what she’s supposed to do. She’s going to be a
great teacher one day in the school system.
And she’s a good snapper.”
Indeed, as one of her many roles, Bonilla
snaps the football to the quarterbacks during
three of the passing drills.
“She has probably hundreds of snaps a
day,” quarterback Colt Brennan said. “She’s
unbelievable with the football. She can throw
the ball like 30 yards, tight spirals. She’s got
great hands. The receivers throw the balls in,
and she catches them with one hand, then turns
around and snaps it to us. I’m impressed with
how well she does her job.”
She also helps set up the equipment,
times the drills and, on game days, braids the
players’ hair.
Bonilla lettered in volleyball, basketball
and softball at Kaua’i High. She learned of the
manager’s job through former athletic director
Hugh Yoshida.
“I told my mom that’s the only reason
that I would stay in Hawai’i, if I could work in
sports,” Bonilla recalled.
Bonilla, who will graduate when she
completes her student teaching, said she treasures her time with the program.
“I’m going to miss all of the coaches,”
she said. “They’re like second fathers to me.
They’ve been nothing but nice to me for five
years.”
IKAIKA ALAMA-FRANCIS
Position: Defensive right end.
Hometown: Kane’ohe.
High school: Kalaheo.
Graduation day: May 2007 (sociology).
Fun fact: He knows every single line from the
movie, “Predator.”
Best UH football memory: “The friendships
I’ve made. I can’t say enough about the people
I’m around every day. I’ll remember some of
the games, but I’ll remember all of the friendships. They’re such loving people. I’m blessed
to be in a place like this.”
ROSS DICKERSON
Position: Slotback.
Hometown: Waipahu.
High school: Saint Louis.
Graduation day: Dec. 17 (political science).
Fun fact: He aspires to run for public office.
Best UH football memory: “This past game. It
was the greatest game of my life, the way we
came back and fought for each other. That’s
what a team is all about.”
TALA ESERA
Position: Left tackle.
Hometown: Hau’ula.
High school: Kahuku.
Graduation day: Dec. 17 (sociology).
Fun fact: “I can juggle three balls. And I can
do a head stand.”
Best UH football memory: “The best is yet to
come.”
CLIPPINGS 46
VICTOR “BULLY” FERGERSTROM
Position: Linebacker.
Hometown: Kamuela.
High school: Hawai’i Prep.
Fun fact: “When I was a little kid, I had so
much fat on my arms, it looked like I had muscles. That’s how I got the nickname Bully.”
Best UH football memory: “Probably the first
game I played in the stadium. It started to rain.
It was like home.”
RENOLDS FRUEAN
Position: Defensive lineman.
Hometown: Kapolei.
Schools: Waipahu High, Washington State.
Fun fact: Earned the nickname “GEICO” after
defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said his
long hair made him look like a caveman.
Best UH football memory: “The road trips and
the games.”
MARQUES KAONOHI
Position: Center.
Hometown: Waimanalo.
High school: Kailua.
Graduation day: May 2007 (communications).
Fun fact: He is a big-wave surfer.
Best UH football memory: “Being in camp
with the boys.”
NATE ILAOA
Position: Running back.
Hometown: Stafford, Va.
High school: North Stafford.
Graduation day: May 2007 (history).
Fun fact: As a military dependent, he once
attended five elementary schools in one year.
Best UH football memory: “Just everything
about football. Everything’s been good.”
KAHAI LACOUNT
Position: Nose tackle.
Hometown: Kailua.
Graduation day: May 2007.
Fun fact: He trains pitbulls.
Best UH football memory: “There are a lot of
good memories. But (the best are) hanging out
with all of my friends, and laughing at all of
the stupid things everybody does.”
MICHAEL MALALA
Position: Strong safety.
Hometown: Honolulu.
Previous school: UH-Hilo.
Graduation day: May 2007 (psychology).
Fun fact: “I was raised in Washington.”
Best UH football memory: “Cruising with the
guys.”
REAGAN MAUIA
Position: Running back.
Hometown: Stockton, Calif.
Junior college: San Joaquin Delta.
Graduation day: December 2007 (family
resources).
Fun fact: He trains for ultimate fighting.
Best UH football memory: “When I got my
scholarship (in January). I was happy. My son
was out here at the time. I was real happy I
could get a scholarship for him.”
KURT MILNE
Position: Punter.
Hometown: Roswell, Ga.
High school: Centennial.
Graduation day: May 2007 (economy).
Fun fact: His great-grandfather, A.A. Milne,
wrote “Winnie-the-Pooh” and “The House at
Pooh Corner.”
Best UH football memory: “The Alabama
game (in 2002) was my first big win since I’ve
been here. It was against a big-conference
team. That was the best memory. That game,
the Purdue game, the Houston game. They’re
all up there.”
CHAD MOCK
Position: Wideout.
Hometown: Honolulu.
Schools: McKinley High, Avila College.
Fun fact: He collects football cards.
Best UH football memory: “This season. This
whole season.”
KENNY PATTON
Position: Cornerback.
Hometown: Honolulu.
High schools: Punahou/St. Francis (Altadena,
Calif.).
Graduation day: Dec. 17 (English).
Fun fact: Patton and former UH volleyball
player Victoria Prince are proud parents of
Champ, a chihuahua.
Best UH football memory: “Playing wise, it
was the Nevada game, because that was a great
win. Watching wise, it was definitely the
Purdue game. It was unbelievable. I would
have given anything to get even one snap in
that game. It was crazy. It was a great game.”
LEONARD PETERS
Position: Free safety.
Hometown: La’ie.
High school: Kahuku.
Fun fact: “I don’t like A.C. It bothers my
nose.”
Best UH football memory: “Playing with all of
my friends.”
MELILA PURCELL
Position: Defensive left end.
Hometown: Pago Pago, American Samoa.
High school: Leone.
Fun fact: He can dunk a basketball off a 360degree move.
Best UH football memory: “Hanging out with
the guys.”
IAN SAMPLE
Position: Right wideout.
Hometown: Washington Township, N.J.
Previous college: Bergen.
Graduation day: Dec. 17 (English).
Fun fact: He has nearly finished writing a
book.
Best UH football memory: “This whole season. The camaraderie, and the heart we have.
I’ve never felt more like a team. In high
school, I felt like a team. In college, it felt
more like a business. But this year, just being
healthy and playing with these guys, it’s a
great thing.”
SAMSON SATELE
Position: Center.
Hometown: Kane’ohe.
Fun fact: He has not cut his hair since his
freshman year.
Best UH football memory: “Meeting all of the
guys.”
DANE UPERESA
Position: Right tackle.
Hometown: Hau’ula.
High school: Punahou.
Graduation day: Dec. 17 (communications).
Fun fact: He loves to sing.
Best UH football memory: “It would have to
be this season, probably the last game against
Purdue. Just the way we were down. Past
teams might be out of it. But this team came
together on offense. We weren’t even worried.
We said, ‘We’re going to score, convert the
two-point conversion, and the defense will get
us back the ball, and we’ll score again.’ The
fact we can do that, like the great teams in the
country. It’s just a great feeling for me, especially in my senior year, to be part of a special
group like this.”
CHRIS WILLIAMS
Position: Linebacker.
Hometown: Honolulu.
Schools: McKinley High, Fresno City College.
Graduation day: May (psychology).
Fun fact: “I can sing.”
Best UH football memory: “It has yet to come.
After we win our next two games, then the
whole season will be a great memory.”
CLIPPINGS 47
LAWRENCE WILSON
Position: Nose tackle.
Hometown: Honolulu.
Schools: Farrington High, Dixie State College.
Fun fact: He eats Zippy’s teri-chicken mixed
plate after every home game.
Best UH football memory: “Being on this
team. Everybody is like family.”
WARRIORS DROP OUT
VERSATILE DICKERSON
NAMED WARRIOR MVP
By Stephen Tsai
December 4, 2006
University of Hawai’i football player Ross
Dickerson, a political science major who
aspires to a career in politics, was voted the
winner of the Alec Waterhouse Most Valuable
Player Award last night at the team banquet.
The MVP was the most prestigious of the
awards presented during the annual ceremony
at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Dickerson, a fifth-year senior from Saint
Louis School, has played right wideout, right
slotback, kick returner and, in Saturday night’s
game, running back.
He caught 54 passes for 726 yards and a
touchdown, and averaged 26.2 yards per kickoff return.
Dickerson opened the season as the starting right wideout, then moved to right slotback
as the injury replacement for Ryan GriceMullins.
When Grice-Mullins returned, Dickerson
volunteered to cede the starting job.
Dickerson started at running back against
Oregon State despite practicing only four days
at that position.
He was such a feared kick returner OSU
pooched its final three kickoffs.
Left tackle Tala Esera, who was Colt
Brennan’s back-side blocker, won the Ben Yee
Most Inspirational Award. Esera also called the
chants during the Warriors’ performances of
the haka.
The Most Outstanding Warrior awards
went to Brennan, who leads the nation with 53
touchdown passes, and running back Nate
Ilaoa for offense; defensive ends Ikaika
Alama-Francis and Melila Purcell III for
defense; and Timo Paepule for special teams.
Center Samson Satele, free safety
Leonard Peters and special teams member
Michael Malala each received a Captain’s
Award.
Right tackle Dane Uperesa was named the
Scholar-Athlete winner.
Scout awards went to Will Brogan, Ryan
Perry and Jayson Rego.
As expected following the 35-32 loss to
Oregon State, the Warriors dropped out of the
Associated Press Top 25 and USA Today
coaches poll. They were ranked No. 24 and
No. 23, respectively, last week.
“It’s disappointing,” Brennan said. “You
can’t blame the polls or the people for moving
us back. That was our responsibility to rise
above. ... Because we didn’t get it done
(Saturday) night, on the grand scale, in front of
national TV, you can understand what happened.”
Head coach June Jones said: “You miss a
couple of field goals and drop a pass here or
there, and bust a couple of things, and (allow)
the kickoff return (for a touchdown), that’s 20
something points right there. We didn’t get it
done. We’ll give it another try in the Sheraton
(Hawai’i) Bowl, and hopefully send out our
seniors as winners.”
By winning the Christmas Eve bowl, the
Warriors would tie the school record for most
victories in a season, set by the 11-2 team in
1992.
Asked if the OSU loss would dim
Brennan’s chances as a Heisman Trophy finalist, Jones said: “I have no way of knowing. I
thought he showed enough on TV that everybody saw what we had been saying. He did a
lot of good things. He was under duress a lot
more than he usually was, and he still got it
done.”
Against OSU, Brennan completed 37 of
50 passes for 401 yards and two touchdowns.
He was intercepted twice and sacked a seasonhigh six times.
CLIPPINGS 48
BRENNAN NAMED WAC’S
TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYER
By Stephen Tsai
December 5, 2006
“There’s no quarterback as talented who’s
playing now,” June Jones says of Colt
Brennan, who leads the nation in total offense
and TD passes.
In what continues to be a joyous season,
the Western Athletic Conference named
Hawai’i quarterback Colt Brennan as
Offensive Player of the Year and June Jones as
Coach of the Year.
It is the first time a UH player has been
named the top offensive player in the school’s
27-year WAC membership.
“There’s no quarterback as talented who’s
playing now,” Jones said of Brennan, who
leads the nation in total offense (410.8 yards
per game) and touchdown passes (53).
In turn, Brennan said: “That’s awesome
about coach Jones. He did a great job. I’m so
happy for him.”
Brennan was among a school-record nine
Warriors to earn berths on the All-WAC first
team.
The others were: running back Nate Ilaoa,
left slotback Davone Bess, left tackle Tala
Esera, center Samson Satele, defensive left end
Melila Purcell III, defensive right end Ikaika
Alama-Francis, free safety Leonard Peters and
kick-returner Ross Dickerson.
Named to the second team were: left
wideout Jason Rivers, right tackle Dane
Uperesa, nose tackle Michael Lafaele and
inside linebacker Adam Leonard.
Despite a lumbar strain and hamstring
tightness — “little nicks here and there” —
Brennan is leading the nation’s highest-scoring
offense (47.3 points per game).
“This isn’t about me,” Brennan said. “It’s
about our offense. We wanted to make a statement that we weren’t one of the best offenses
in the nation; we wanted to win the overall
title.”
UH met that goal, leading the nation in
total offense (549.92 yards per game, an average of 73.09 yards more than runner-up
Louisville).
“That’s why this is a good honor for the
receivers, the O-line, and Nate,” Brennan said.
“They deserve as much credit.”
Jones said: “Colt’s been a great competitive player for us this year. He’s a winner.”
Ilaoa is playing with a painful bruised left
heel. The only thing that keeps him balanced is
his sprained right ankle. “I don’t think about
those things,” said Ilaoa, who leads the
Warriors with 1,674 all-purpose yards (893
rushing, 781 receiving) and 18 touchdowns. “I
just want to be out there with the other seniors
helping the team win.”
Bess, who was named to the first team as
a freshman last season, is the Warriors’ leading
receiver with 91 catches for 1,155 yards and
14 touchdowns.
After a mid-season slump, Bess has
caught 29 passes for 457 yards and five touchdowns in the past four games.
“He was pressing a little bit early,” Jones
said. “He and I had a talk, and ever since then,
he’s let it flow. I think he’s the real deal. He’s
been fantastic.”
Bess said: “The hard work paid off. I’m
thankful for my teammates around me, the
blocking, and for Colt getting me the ball.”
Each day, Esera makes the long ride from
the North Shore. A greater journey was going
from an unheralded defensive lineman to one
of the nation’s best backside blockers. “He
really turned it up this year,” Jones said. “He
hustled. He was an inspirational leader.”
Esera, who is married with two children,
credits his family. He said he receives “big
time” support from his parents and in-laws.
“I’m very thankful,” Esera said. “All I have to
do is show up and go to classes.”
Esera and Peters, both Kahuku High graduates, coaxed Jones into allowing the team to
perform the haka. Jones said the haka, which
often brings him to tears, will become a “new
tradition” for the Warriors.
Peters is playing — and performing the
haka — despite a chipped cartilage in his rib
cage and partially torn ligament in his right
knee. “I can’t imagine playing safety with a
broken rib,” Jones said.
“You get used to it,” Peters said. “You try
and focus it somewhere else.”
Jones described Peters as “not just a great
player, but a great person.”
Jones had similar praise for Dickerson,
who accepted a request to move from wideout
to slotback.
Jones said Dickerson never complained
last season, when he played despite a torn ligament in his ankle, and this season, when he
voluntarily ceded a starting job.
“He took a leadership role,” Jones said.
“He’s got heart. And he made a lot of sacrifices.”
So, too, did Satele, who passed up an
opportunity to apply for the NFL draft in April.
Instead, he returned for his senior season,
while moving from left guard to center.
Fresno State’s Kyle Young was regarded
as the WAC’s best center entering this season.
Satele kept Young’s picture in his locker for
“motivation.”
“He had a lot at stake (coming back),”
Jones said. “He had a very good season.
Samson is all I thought he would be, and
CLIPPINGS 49
more.”
Jones said Purcell and Alama-Francis —
both high school basketball standouts — fulfilled projections.
Purcell, who was a 208-pound freshman,
developed into a relentless defender. “I don’t
think there’s anybody playing any better than
him in the last five or six weeks,” Jones said.
Purcell said: “I didn’t work hard for
awards. I worked hard to help my team.”
Alama-Francis joined the Warriors after
playing for the UH basketball team as a freshman. “He just blossomed,” Jones said. “Year
after year, he got better.”
Alama-Francis turned 22 yesterday. “I
couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present,” he said. “I owe a lot to coach Jones. He
gave me a chance and believed in me. There
aren’t enough ways to thank him.”
Jones, meanwhile, said he feels thankful.
“God blessed me in many ways,” he said.
“In one of them, He blessed me with great
people. Some of that comes by divine intervention. How does a Colt Brennan end up
coming here? How does he come, really, to
know how to have a spiritual embracement
here. There’s a reason why that happens.
“Sometimes it’s out of our hands,” Jones
added. “It’s in God’s hands. It’s like me living
through my (car) wreck (in 2001). Why do I
live? Why do I get lucky and live, and why is
someone else not as lucky? It comes to God
just isn’t ready to take me. He has some other
things for me to do. I really do feel that part of
why God didn’t take me was for this season.
Because we’ve had so many kids come to
know the Lord through our football team.”
Jones said the most fulfilling part of the
season is “we learned to love and play for each
other. I always talk about it every year. The
reason we have success is because we’ve had a
nucleus of people always buy into the principles of what it takes to win. This year, I could
tell, we had some real strong leadership. That’s
why we were successful.”
JONES: BRENNAN DESERVES
N.Y. TRIP
The UH coach says he’d be “shocked”
if his QB is not invited to the Heisman
Trophy ceremony
By Dave Reardon
December 5, 2006
Conventional wisdom says Hawaii’s loss to
Oregon State completing the regular season
last week also likely ends junior quarterback
Colt Brennan’s hopes for a seat as a Heisman
Trophy finalist Saturday.
But no one has ever accused Warriors
coach June Jones of believing the pack mentality.
“I think had we won the game he probably would’ve finished one, two or three. I still
think he’s going to get invited. I’d be shocked
if he doesn’t,” Jones said at his weekly news
conference yesterday. “I don’t care what you
say, there’s no quarterback as talented and
playing like he’s playing.”
None has had a better season statistically
this fall. That’s why Brennan leaves this afternoon for Orlando, Fla., to participate in
ESPN’s college football awards show on
Thursday, accompanied by his parents, quarterback coach Dan Morrison, and UH media relations director Lois Manin. He’s up for the
Davey O’Brien Quarterback Award. Ohio
State’s Troy Smith and Notre Dame’s Brady
Quinn are the other finalists. Brennan is also a
finalist for the Walter Camp Award that goes to
the nation’s top player, similar in qualifications
to the Heisman.
Because Smith is probably a runaway
Heisman winner, the Downtown Athletic Club
might choose to bring just two others to the
ceremony, diminishing Brennan’s chances. He
finds out tomorrow, after voting is completed
at noon Hawaii time. (Star-Bulletin sports editor Paul Arnett e-mailed his ballot yesterday. It
will be disclosed Sunday.)
Brennan -- named the Western Athletic
Conference offensive player of the year yesterday -- has read and heard it all about how his
stats (and UH’s 10-3 record) are the product of
feasting on bad WAC defenses and not considered Heisman-worthy by a lot of voters. It irks
him a little, but he shakes it off.
“If you read the press, it seems like that’s
how they feel. Just because we had a lot of
success this year, there’s been a lot of criticism
of how we got that success,” Brennan said. “I
don’t get caught up in it. I’m just going out
there to have fun and enjoy myself. I’m just
going to enjoy the fact that I’m going to meet
some cool guys and be at Disney World for a
couple days and miss a couple days of school
as well.”
Brennan, who is in good academic standing, said he’ll probably have to make up for an
incomplete class since this is crunch time of
the semester. It might be too late to make up
for the incomplete pass on fourth down that
would’ve kept the potential winning drive
alive against the Beavers.
Jones hopes the voters who had Brennan
penciled in are better than that. (And as he
pointed out, most probably weren’t watching
the ESPN telecast by that point since it was
after 3 a.m. on the East Coast.)
If they were watching earlier and are
astute enough to understand why one of his
passes was intercepted, it wasn’t a reason to
drop him from the ballot, Jones said.
“The first interception, the one in the end
zone, after a 99-yard drive, I thought was his
best play of the year,” Jones said. “It’s just
unfortunate (receiver) Davone (Bess) stumbled
coming out of the break. It would’ve hit him
perfectly and only a few guys can make that
throw.
“The ESPN announcers saw the same
thing I did. They said that on ESPN,” Jones
added. “I think it’s all positive. And I’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t get in.”
CLIPPINGS 50
UH QB BRENNAN NOT
HEISMAN FINALIST
By Stephen Tsai
December 7, 2006
After being snubbed as a Heisman Trophy
finalist yesterday, quarterback Colt Brennan
said his only disappointment was missing the
chance to promote the state, the University of
Hawai’i and its football program.
“I was telling (teammates) how much I
was going to give love and praise and just represent Hawai’i the way it should be represented,” Brennan said.
National voting closed yesterday, and the
finalists were invited to New York for the
Heisman show on Saturday, when the winner
will be announced.
“I was going to have fun with it,”
Brennan said. “If I got invited, it wasn’t going
to me going up there as a candidate. It was
going to be me going up there and having fun
and kind of showcasing what this Hawai’i
football team is all about.
“I was born and raised in SoCal,” added
Brennan, a native of Orange County, “but
Hawai’i’s my home away from home. I love
Hawai’i, and I was going to let people know
what a great place it is and how great the people are.”
The finalists are: Ohio State quarterback
Troy Smith, regarded as the overwhelming
favorite to win the Heisman as the nation’s
best college football player; Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn; and Arkansas running
back Darren McFadden.
“I’m disappointed,” UH slotback Davone
Bess said. “Week in and week out, Colt’s been
just as good as anybody else up for the
Heisman. Honestly, it’s all politics. Obviously,
the school and the conference play a factor. I
think he should have been invited.”
Brennan has superior statistics compared
to the two quarterback finalists. Brennan leads
the nation with a pass-efficiency rating of
182.8 (Smith is fourth, 167.9; Quinn is 14th,
151.6), total offense with 410.8 yards per game
(Quinn is eighth, 278.6; Smith is 32nd, 228.3),
53 touchdown passes (Quinn has 35; Smith
30), and 4,990 passing yards (Quinn is eighth,
3,278; Smith is 33th, 2,507).
McFadden is 10th nationally in rushing
with 119.58 yards per game and 14 rushing
touchdowns.
Boise State’s Ian Johnson — who, like
Brennan, plays in the Western Athletic
Conference — is second with 146.64 rushing
yards per game and 24 touchdowns.
“Colt was deserving,” said Dan Morrison,
who coaches the UH quarterbacks. “You
would think he had a nice opportunity to be
there. But that’s OK. He’s a junior. He’s fine.”
Brennan said: “It was one of those things
if I had been invited it would have been a
tremendous experience. Obviously, I would
have been very grateful. Because I didn’t get
invited, I’m not bummed. It’s just the way it
is.”
Brennan expressed surprise that Quinn
received a nod.
Still, Brennan noted, everyone else is a
runner-up to Smith.
“We know who won the Heisman
Trophy,” Brennan said.
Brennan said he would have liked to have
used the ceremony as a platform to promote
the Warriors.
“It’s one of those things where it would
have meant a lot, but not just for me,” Brennan
said. “I really wanted to have some kind of
statement, some kind of effect, that Hawai’i
made a move into the national spotlight, that
Hawai’i was moving up in the college football
world.
“I wanted to be a part of that,” Brennan
added. “That’s what next year and the years to
come are all about. It’s been a great year. Not
getting invited to New York is nothing negative to me or to our team.”
Brennan gets another chance to plug the
UH program tonight. He is in Orlando, Fla.,
for the presentation of the Davey O’Brien
Award as college football’s best quarterback
and Walter Camp Award as college football’s
top player.
“The people out there in college football
have given me that respect and credit, and I’m
very grateful for that,” he said.
Brennan reiterated that he expects to
return for his senior season. As a fourth-year
junior, he is eligible to apply for the National
Football League draft when this season concludes following the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl
on Christmas Eve.
Asked if he will return for his senior season, Brennan said: “That’s my intentions, you
know. I’m very excited to come back and play
next year and be part of the team. I’m still
going to look at all of the options when the
time comes. That’s the smart thing to do — to
step back and look at every option and every
aspect and make the best decision for yourself
and the team.
“I’m going to entertain everything,” he
added. “But I can’t think of anything more fun
than coming back for my senior year and playing for Hawai’i.”
CLIPPINGS 51
BRENNAN, SATELE EARN
ALL-AMERICA HONORS
By Stephen Tsai
December 8, 2006
Brennan met with players and parents from the
Koloa (Kaua’i) Packers and the Manoa
Paniolos at Walt Disney World’s All-Star
Resort in Orlando, Fla., yesterday. The two
teams are participating in the junior peewee
division of the Pop Warner Super Bowl.
Manoa finished third in its division, while
Koloa completes play today in the consolation
round.
Brennan and center Samson Satele yesterday
were named to All-America teams.
Brennan, a fourth-year junior from
Orange County, Calif., was named to the prestigious Walter Camp Football Foundation’s
All-America second team.
Satele, a fifth-year senior from Kailua
High School, was selected to Sports
Illustrated’s All-America second team.
Brennan and slotback Davone Bess were honorable mention.
Brennan is the first UH quarterback to be
recognized on an All-America list since 1978,
when Jeff Duva was named honorable mention
by the Associated Press. Brennan was told of
the honor Wednesday night, but was asked to
keep mum until the official announcement yesterday.
“That’s pretty cool,” Terry Brennan said
of his son’s recognition.
The Walter Camp announcement was the
highlight of a whirlwind day for Colt Brennan,
who was in Orlando, Fla., for the Home Depot
College Football Awards Show. Brennan was
one of three nominees for the Davey O’Brien
Award as the nation’s best college quarterback.
Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, who
also is favored to win the Heisman Trophy
tomorrow, was the winner.
Yesterday morning, Brennan met with
youth teams from Manoa and Kaua’i, said Dan
Morrison, who coaches the UH quarterbacks.
Morrison said Brennan signed autographs
for about an hour.
After that, Brennan and the other invited
players went to Disney World.
In the late afternoon, the players were
guests at a dinner. Brennan’s parents, UH
media relations director Lois Manin and
Morrison dined at a nearby restaurant.
At the awards show, which was televised
live on ESPN, Brennan sat in the fifth row,
behind Rutgers running back Ray Rice.
Brennan wore a black jacket with a blue tie.
“He looked good,” Terry Brennan said of
his son. “We were surprised the Davey
O’Brien Award was announced first. By the
time we got settled in, all of a sudden they
announced, ‘We’ll start with the Davey
O’Brien.’ Yikes. It was like, ‘Give us a punter
or field-goal kicker first.’ But it was fine. And
(the winner) Troy Smith is a great player.”
After the ceremony, Brennan and the
other players were taken to an ESPN-sponsored social event.
“It’s been a great experience for him,”
Terry Brennan said. “He’s had a ball. We wish
he had won because he wanted to talk a little
more about Hawai’i, give Hawai’i a little more
love.”
Morrison said Brennan bonded with several players, including Smith.
“It was truly a great experience, hanging
around some of these great, great players,”
Morrison said of Brennan. “He should feel he
belongs. The experience will make him better
and lift him up. He was pleased people around
the country knew about him. It surprised him,
and made him feel good.”
Morrison said the other players were
aware of Brennan’s accomplishments.
Brennan leads the nation in total offense
(410.8 yards per game), passing yards (4,990),
touchdown passes (53), pass efficiency (182.8
rating) and points responsible for (27.54 per
game).
“The (other) players knew it,” Morrison
said. “They were basically telling him ‘to keep
going.’ They were very respectful of what he
had done.
“Players know and coaches know it’s no
fluke,” Morrison added. “It’s not tied to the
(Warriors’ four-wide offensive) system. He
operates within the system at an extremely
high level. But that’s him. That’s not the system. The system helps him, but you have to be
very special to do what he did.”
Morrison also said the trip should serve as
the launch for Brennan’s 2007 campaign.
“The thing that happened is once you’ve
been here, and kind of laid the ground work, it
helps you for next year,” Morrison said.
“You’re better known to the writers and people
who do the voting. It’s like he belongs. He’s
not an aberration. He’s for real.”
Morrison said several of this year’s winners were nominees last year.
“There is that sense they’ve been there,
they’ve done that, it’s their time,” Morrison
said. “Maybe Colt had to go through that. He
has a great personality, and he’s a great young
man. A lot of the players were respectful of
him. He will elevate and grow through the
experience.”
Brennan already won an endorsement
from Bess. Of all of the quarterbacks in the
country, Bess said, “the only one I want to
CLIPPINGS 52
play for is Colt. I like everything about him —
his leadership, his composure, his talent.”
Bess said Brennan deserved to win the
Davey O’Brien Award, but “I kind of knew
they wouldn’t give it to him because of the
conference and stuff like that. But he definitely
should have won it. Just being a finalist is
good. There are 119 Division I schools. To be
in the top three is big.”
Morrison said: “Colt has done a good job.
I’m happy to be here, but this is all about him.
It’s all about the kids who play between the
lines. Colt’s had a great year. I’m happy for
him. He’s one of the good guys.”
Dennis McKnight, who coaches the offensive line, also was pleased that Satele received
national recognition. But Mc-Knight said
Satele should have been named to Sports
Illustrated’s first team.
“I would say that unless the guy from the
Steelers, (Jeff) Hartings, came back to college
to play or Olin Kreutz played somewhere at a
college, Sam probably got (short-changed),”
McKnight said.
Although the Warriors average 45.8 pass
attempts per game, they are yielding an average of 1.77 sacks, or one every 25.9 pass
attempts.
“It’s a shame, really,” Mc-Knight said.
“Most people say, ‘Well, he doesn’t run-block
enough.’ Well, first of all, in the NFL, you get
paid to pass-block. And second, he’s an unbelievable run-blocker.
“I would be hard-pressed to find a better
center in college football,” McKnight added.
“He’s a complete center. Nobody’s quicker.
Nobody’s smarter. Whoever they picked for
the first team, I’m sure, came from a so-called,
big-time conference or top-ranked school.”
Sports Illustrated named Dan Mozes of
West Virginia to the first team. West Virginia is
a member of the Big East Conference, whose
champion is assured a berth in a BCS bowl.
McKnight said his praise of Satele is “just
my opinion. Maybe they’ll say I have overfavoring Sam. I don’t think I am. I’d like people to watch his games all year, like I do, and
tell me he’s not the best center in college football.”
McKnight added: “I wish I had Sam’s
problems, and probably be drafted in the second round. I would be happy. If being on the
second team is his biggest problem, he’s going
to have a hell of a life.”
NOT MUCH DOWN TIME
FOR WARRIORS’ UPERESA
By Dave Reardon
December 12, 2006
The Hawaii football team had last week off,
but Dane Uperesa didn’t stop working.
“Not really,” the senior starting right tackle said, when asked if he got to relax a little.
“I’ve been writing my thesis paper and
it’s about 40 to 50 pages. I had to dedicate a
lot of time to the computer.”
Uperesa is among the Warrior seniors
who graduate Sunday. Yesterday, he learned he
was named to the District VIII All-Academic
team. Uperesa, who has a cumulative GPA of
3.63, is getting a degree in communications.
His thesis deals with the effects of media
exposure on body image for males.
“In the research we came across reverse
anorexia. Some guys work out too much and it
can cause problems,” Uperesa said.
Of course, there are some athletes who
don’t work out enough. Uperesa said the
Warriors didn’t suffer that problem last week,
as players still found their way to the weight
room during the lull before practices for the
Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl against
Arizona State.
“We worked out, but we also all definitely
took some time away from football last week,
and that’s good. Heal the body up. Of course
the winning made the weeks go by faster. We
were so immersed in football for 12 straight
weeks,” Uperesa said. “It’s good to get away
from it, especially around finals week.”
The Warriors (10-3) have one big onfield
exam remaining in the Sun Devils (7-5). A victory in the Hawaii Bowl allows UH to tie the
school record for wins in a season. It could
also propel the Warriors into the final polls
after the Dec. 2 loss to Oregon State to end the
regular season knocked them out of the rankings.
Yesterday, the team went through a light
hour-long workout, and will do the same
tomorrow after taking today off.
Uperesa said he’s fully recovered from a
bent wrist that sidelined him for the last four
plays of the Oregon State loss.
“I put a brace on it and it was sore the
next morning, but I’m ready to go now,” he
said.
The Sun Devils arrive next Monday and
will be staying at the Sheraton Waikiki. The
Warriors move into their Hawaii Bowl rooms
at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider on the same
day.
BRENNAN GETS AP HONOR
By Stephen Tsai
December 13, 2006
Respect often is distributed in increments, and
the University of Hawai’i football team yesterday received a serving when quarterback Colt
Brennan was named to the Associated Press’
All-America third team.
Brennan, a fourth-year junior from the
Orange County, Calif., is the first UH quarterback to be named an AP All-American.
“That’s cool,” Brennan said. “That’s awesome. Considering the year it was in college
football, and the big-name guys out there, for
me to be recognized up there as an AllAmerican, even third team, that’s still a great,
great compliment.”
Indeed. Third-team members are qualified
to carry the “All-America” title.
Jeff Duva was named an AP All-America
honorable mention in 1978.
“This team kind of set out to break barriers, to kind of change the perception of UH
football,” Brennan said.
“Whether it’s winning on the road or
achieving national notoriety, we fought
through a lot this year. I’m glad to see, at the
end of the year, we were able to get the notoriety that we deserved.”
Although Brennan led the nation in five
of the seven significant categories for a quarterback — including touchdown passes (53),
passing efficiency (182.8 rating) and total
offense (4,990 yards) — he predictably lost to
Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and Notre
Dame’s Brady Quinn, respectively, for berths
on the AP’s first two teams.
But Dan Morrison, who coaches the UH
quarterbacks, said Brennan is deserving of top
recognition.
Morrison noted Brennan accomplished
the “unheard of” feat of leading the nation in
yards and accuracy. It was likened to a basketball player leading in 3-point attempts and
field-goal accuracy.
“To throw for just under 5,000 yards and
complete more than 70 percent of your passes,
that’s just unheard of,” Morrison said. “Those
two categories don’t reconcile together. A high
efficiency usually goes to someone who doesn’t throw very much.”
Most telling is Brennan’s impact on the
Warriors. According to an Advertiser analysis,
of the 131 full drives in which Brennan was
the quarterback, the Warriors scored 85 times
(75 touchdowns, 10 field goals), a scoring efficiency of 64.8 percent. During the Warriors’
nine-game winning streak, the scoring efficienCLIPPINGS 53
cy was 75 percent when Brennan was the quarterback.
In comparison, Smith led the Buckeyes to
scores on 57 of 119 drives (47.9 percent) and
Quinn was 61 of 134 (45.5 percent).
Brennan has taken 743 snaps this season.
When he is the quarterback, the Warriors score
once every 8.7 plays.
“I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else in
the country,” UH coach June Jones said.
Brennan acknowledged the Warriors are
doing more with less.
“We only lost three games, but we lost in
dramatic fashion, all in the fourth quarter,”
Brennan said. “It’s OK for Notre Dame to get
blasted by a good football team. It’s OK for
West Virginia to lose to a football team that’s
7-4. It’s OK for a lot of the good teams out
there to lose and still get a lot of respect.
“But for us ... we seem to get a little more
disrespect out of those losses,” Brennan added.
“It’s kind of a bummer. Playing in Hawai’i we
don’t have the money. We don’t have nearly
the tradition that the schools we’re competing
against have. Yet we get held to their standard.
People need to realize what we’ve overcome
this year to compete at that level, and not just
compete, but to win.”
Brennan credits Jones’ four-wide offense,
the players and the coaches.
“It stems from the offensive line and the
way we all work together,” Brennan said.
“We’re doing something no other runand-shoot offense has done in terms of productivity and efficiency. It shouldn’t be discredited. It should be respected.”
OVERACHIEVING LAU
WOWS COACHES
The undersized linebacker starts ahead
of players with more natural talent
By Dave Reardon
December 14, 2006
When Micah Lau walked onto the Hawaii
football team two years ago, he had the same
big dreams every non-scholarship player does.
But Lau, a practical, unassuming sort,
considered them just that. Dreams.
This year they came true.
The undersized overachiever from
Kamehameha earned a scholarship as a scoutteam grinder and special-teams stud in 2005.
This fall he worked his way into the Warriors’
starting lineup as a 5-foot-9, 215-pound outside linebacker six games into the season.
And there he still is heading into the Dec.
24 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, atop the depth chart
above several other players with more natural
talent.
“I always had thoughts (about starting),
but I never thought this would happen,” Lau
said after yesterday afternoon’s practice. “It’s
been a great experience this year, being able to
play a lot. It’s been a pleasure playing with all
these guys, because if it wasn’t for them, I
don’t think I’d be in there.”
Lau’s stats aren’t super impressive; he has
21 tackles, including 1.5 for loss and a fumble
recovery. But his attention to alignment and
assignment prevents big offensive plays and
allows other defenders to make the hits.
Freshman Blaze Soares has been getting
more playing time in recent games, but Lau
remains the starter.
“He plays hard and he’s been accountable,” UH coach June Jones said. “He completes his assignments and he’s given us all he
has. He’s played well.”
Outside linebackers coach George
Lumpkin said Lau’s work in the weight room
allows him to play bigger than he is.
“He’s always been a good player, a smart
player. Tough guy. With his size, sometimes
people think he’s going to be overwhelmed,
but he doesn’t. He does his job and he does it
well,” Lumpkin said. “He’s physical for a
small guy and he’s smart and he does things
right. We thought we’d put him in there and
see what he could do because he was always
doing things right in practice.”
In his first start, on the road at Fresno
State, Lau made a huge play early in UH’s 6837 victory. He stuffed Dwayne Wright, the
Bulldogs’ star running back, for a 9-yard loss
on a screen pass. Although Fresno State scored
on that drive, Lau’s play helped set the tone for
the defense in one of Hawaii’s biggest wins of
its 10-3 regular season.
Lau would like nothing better than to
make another big play and help send his senior
teammates out with a victory in their final
game.
“I wanted to win every game for the seniors. Not just this one or the last one, every
one. Every game we play, just go out hard and
play my heart out because I know they’re playing their hearts out too,” he said.
The Pac-10’s Arizona State (7-5) will be
the Warriors’ third-straight opponent from a
BCS conference.
“It’s always exciting to play a big team,
way more exciting than playing a WAC team,”
Lau said. “It lets us look at ourselves as the
underdog.”
Lau will shoulder at least some of the
responsibility of containing ASU second-team
All-America tight end Zach Miller.
“Technique is probably the thing that
helps me against a 6-7, 6-8 tight end. My
height isn’t going to help me. My weight isn’t
going to help me, so I have to rely on technique,” Lau said. “It’s just another player.”
Short yardage:
Senior cornerback Kenny Patton participated
in conditioning drills yesterday and was scheduled to undergo an X-ray today. Patton broke
his collarbone in the Fresno State game. He
hopes to at least suit up for the Hawaii Bowl.
... Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville was
expected to return today after some time off
following the end of the regular season. ...
Quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison missed
practice yesterday with an aching back. ... The
Warriors practiced on the soccer field because
the regular football practice field is being fertilized.
CLIPPINGS 54

Game14 - Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.qxp

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