Hawaii Warriors Football

Let's give credit where credit is due. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had, before their Hawaii Bowl match with the Warriors, a nasty nine-game losing streak in bowl games dating back to the mid 1990's. Sooner or later, it was bound to end.

But for Greg McMackin's club, to be the team that ends the bowl victory famine for the Fighting Irish-and to be humiliated 49-21-has to bring up the question: Why did Hawaii even bother to show up?

At times, it can be a rhetorical question.

That's not to say that Hawaii didn't at least try: They DID score 21 points. And twenty-one points is better than a goose egg.

But I have been following the Warriors for a decade since their breakthrough season under June Jones in 1999. And to see this team lose in a glorified home game to a Notre Dame side that had the nation against them in recent ESPN SportsNation polls...it sent a clear message to the world: We're not ready.

Hawaii wasn't ready to play against, let alone defeat, the Irish. In fact, their performance for the majority the game was such that the Sisters of Mercy could send them to school. It was the wrong message to send.

There are a number of other things that I can deduct from seeing this.

First: They didn't get over the misery of losing a heart-breaker to Cincinnati. There are times where the desire to win may be lost after a defeat to a team that will play in the Bowl Championship Series. Hawaii was not the same team after the loss to Cincy, and it showed against Notre Dame.

Second: A Jackpot for Jack. Jack Swarbrick, the new athletic director at the university, had the first big decision of his tenure: Keep or fire Charlie Weis.

He chose the latter option, and the ROI could be well on its way with this win.

Third: Greg Alexander is no Colt Brennan.

Heck, even Timmy Chang could have done better than this against the Irish. He had huge shoes to fill with Brennan's graduation, and against ND, they were a size too big for him.

And when you are sacked eight times by a defense that breaks through a porous Hawaii O-line like so much wet paper, those shoes can also get quite heavy.

Fourth: Jimmy Clausen's star is rising. This is a quarterback who has tasted championship success playing for Oaks Christian at the prep level in California. His performance against the Warriors (22-26, 401 yds, 5 TDs) could put him in the running for some hardware next year.

Fifth: Wholesale changes are in order for the Warriors. Some new coaches or schemes to emphasize better pass protection and defensive awareness, for starters, are needed. McMackin may want to consider taking more risks in calling his plays.

Perhaps a newcomer or two with talent like the "Messiah" that was Colt Brennan in the next recruiting class could help as well.

And if June Jones' contract at SMU ends, and the Mustangs don't want him back (whenever that happens)...a return to the high-flying dominance of Warrior football in the post-Fred von Appen era might be in order.

Overall, drastic improvements on both sides of the ball must be the priority at Spring practice at Manoa.

Sixth: Notre Dame football ISN'T dead yet, as most pundits have thought. This team had the whole country against them, and while they still have their naysayers, a number of them have been silenced with a businesslike touch. The Irish effort on the island could translate into a resurgence on the mainland.

The centuries-old adage goes, "There is gold at the end of a rainbow." It's an Irish adage, and as Charlie Weis's men head home with the pot of gold in hand in hand, the fallen Warriors of Hawaii are left to wonder about that rhetorical question and sending the wrong message on Christmas Eve.

The Hawaii Warriors butt heads with the historic Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Honolulu on Christmas Eve in the Hawaii Bowl. Hawaii, which won this bowl in 2003, 2004, and 2006, took a break from this game last year to match up with the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl, but the Warriors were routed in their first and only showing in a BCS bowl game, losing by a score of 41-10.

With a bowl history that goes all the way back to the 1925 Rose Bowl win against the Stanford Cardinal, Notre Dame has a record of 13-15 in bowl games and has not won a bowl since getting a 24-21 win over Texas A&M in the 1994 Cotton Bowl. Since then, the team has lost nine straight bowl appearances, including a 41-14 loss against LSU in the 2007 Sugar Bowl.

As for the all-time record between these two teams, the Irish have been victorious both previous games, but by a total of a mere seven points. The most recent of those games was in 1997, with Notre Dame getting a 23-22 win.

5dimes.com oddsmakers currently have the Notre Dame Fighting Irish posted as two-point betting odds favorites against the Hawaii Warriors, with the game's over/under set at 48 total points.

Click Here for Notre Dame vs. Hawaii Betting Picks
Visit Touthouse.com for more bowl game predictions

Here are some betting trends to consider for the Hawaii Bowl:

Fighting Irish are 5-1 ATS in their last six games after accumulating less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
Fighting Irish are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games as a favorite of 0.5-3.0.
Fighting Irish are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games after accumulating less than 275 total yards in their previous game.
Warriors are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as an underdog.
Warriors are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a S.U. loss.
Warriors are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games overall.

Click here for current Hawaii Bowl betting odds from Touthouse.com

While Boise just missed getting the outright win in the Poinsettia Bowl, they did do enough to cover and bring my bowl record to 5-1 against the spread.

I realize the next few days get hectic for a lot of you, and before I get started on the game, I just want to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. Personally, we aren't doing anything this year, and I'm pretty relieved to get a chance to relax for a change.

But because of the way some of these matchups are playing out, I'm not so sure how relaxing it's actually going to be.

I'm not alone in my bowl-picking run, as Jordan has now won his last two and has gotten back to 3-3 in the bowl season with a mere 28 games to play. We've had a great season thus far, and I don't see how we don't finish it at least as strong.

Not to jinx our future picks, but we have continued with a trend we had all season long, hitting at a very nice clip in games we've agreed on. While it's early, so far we have agreed on two games, and not so surprisingly, we covered in both.

It's hard to believe that there is such a thing as a college football game that I'm not overly excited about, but if there ever were such a thing, this game is it.

The Sheraton Hawaii Bowl   Aloha Stadium   Honolulu, HI

Hawaii (7-6) Vs. Notre Dame (6-6)

December 24, 2008  8 EST  Line: Notre Dame -2

The Overview:

For a game between two teams with 12 losses between them, there certainly are a lot of storylines. The biggest storyline will be on the Notre Dame side of the field, where the Fighting Irish haven't won a bowl game in nine years.

If that isn't enough, head coach Charlie Weis has been under fire, mainly because his team has underperformed on the field in a year when the expectations were much higher at Notre Dame because of a soft schedule.

Notre Dame had trouble on the road and trouble against teams with winning records, two things they'll face in this matchup. The Irish also finished the season very poorly, losing five of their last seven, including a home loss to lowly Syracuse and a blowout loss at USC in the final two games of the season.

Hawaii was in a BCS bowl game just a year ago, the Sugar Bowl. Gone are last year's star QB Colt Brennan and the man who most felt was responsible for building the Hawaii program, head coach June Jones. The team started slowly this year under new coach Greg McMackin, losing three of its first four games, but rebounded nicely to win six of its last nine.

Hawaii has played seven bowl teams already this season and have been at the very least respectable in the games they lost, though they did beat three bowl teams.

This game has a very big intangible:  It will virtually be a home game for Hawaii while it is a gigantic road trip for ND.

See Mitch's College Bowl pick against the spread

Christmas Eve means Bowl season, and this year this is one game on the docket. Unlike most years, this Christmas Eve game actually showcases an interesting team that will more than likely draw a decent-sized national audience. The 2008 Hawaii Bowl will feature Hawaii vs. Notre Dame. Yes, this is what the Fighting Irish have been relegated to under Charlie Weis.

Last time most of us saw the Warriors of Hawaii, they were being run out of the Superdome by the Georgia Bulldogs in last year's Sugar Bowl. Well, a lot has changed since then. No, the team has not improved—they lost a lot of talent from the 2007 team—but they are playing against teams that are better suited for their level of competition.

Let’s face it—Hawaii had no business playing one of the hottest teams in the country in a major bowl game. While it is possible for a Boise State to beat an Oklahoma in a BCS Bowl game, it is not the norm. Don’t believe me? Just ask Utah in a few weeks when Alabama gets through working them over.

Anyways, back to Hawaii, and their latest Bowl appearance against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. This will be a home game for Hawaii as they will play in Aloha Stadium.

This is also one of the best-kept secrets in football; Hawaii has an obvious home field advantage thanks to the distance teams have to travel to play them. However, they also have some of the fiercest and most loyal fans in the country, and they will let opposing teams know they are not welcome on the island.

Hawaii began the season on a downward spiral, beginning just 1-3. There is no doubt the team had to adjust to a new quarterback and new coaches. In addition, there were plenty of programs that were ready to pay them back for the beatdowns they delivered last season. However, since their slow start Hawaii has bounced back and put together a solid season, going 7-6 overall and finishing second in the WAC.

Typically we have gotten used to watching Hawaii toss the ball around and put up close to 50 pass attempts a game. They will still do that on offense, but quarterback Greg Alexander has been limited in his efficiency all season due to a lack of talent at the skill positions around him. To be frankly honest, good defenses can now shut down the once vaunted Hawaii fun and gun offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, Hawaii has some solid players. They tout the WAC co-defensive player of the year in linebacker Solomon Elimimian. In addition, the Rainbow Warriors also have stud defensive end David Veikune, who is great at generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

In the final six games of the regular season Veikune racked up nine sacks and 16 tackles for loss. You can rest assured that the Notre Dame offensive line will have their hands full trying to keep him in check.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been less than impressive this season to say the very least. Never mind the 11-1 prediction from Lou Holtz at the beginning of the season (why does that man have a job?)—the Irish made all the wrong moves in the football season this year, and they earned their 6-6 record and a trip to a pre-Christmas Day bowl game.

There is no doubt that the Notre Dame football program is in turmoil, and in many ways the Hawaii Bowl is a must win situation for head coach Charlie Weis.

Going into the Hawaii Bowl, Notre Dame has had very little to cheer about. The Irish lost four out of their last five, with the only win coming in a nail-biter of a game against Navy. In addition, one-time offensive guru Charlie Weis has watched his pro-style offense come to a grinding halt during the second half of the season.

Quarterback Jimmy Clausen played some terrible football coming down the stretch, throwing eight interceptions to just two touchdowns in the final half of the season. There is no doubt the Irish need something to jump-start their offense going into this bowl game. Perhaps the long trip and the warm weather will reenergize a team that seemed to have lost faith in itself.

On the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame is not that bad. They run a 3-4 scheme that tends to be very aggressive, and they look to make plays. While still being very young on the defensive side of the ball, this is where the Irish have found success all season. Their linebackers and their secondary have developed quickly under new defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta.

There is no doubt they will face an all-new test when they take on Hawaii. Granted, the Hawaii offense does not generate the numbers they were famous for just a year ago, but they still take their shots down the field. You can expect them to test the Notre Dame secondary early in an effort to find in holes in their armor.

The spread has Notre Dame favored by a slim two-point margin, which makes this a Pick’em game for all intents and purposes. However, here are a couple factors to remember when looking at this game.

The Hawaii Bowl will be the only game where one team is without a doubt a road team, and that will be Notre Dame. Playing in Hawaii can be very difficult—not only are the crowds hostile, but you can bet that for the majority of the Notre Dame players, they will be seeing and experiencing things they have only seen in movies or read about in books. Playing in Hawaii gives players absolutely no familiar surroundings to cling to.

In addition, the Fighting Irish are in the midst of a nine-game bowl losing streak. That’s right—the Irish have not played good football in the postseason, and it does not matter who the head coach has been. Granted, many of those losses came as a result of Notre Dame being placed in BCS games that they had no business playing in. The Hawaii Bowl places the Irish in a game that is on their level.

Unfortunately, Hawaii is thinking the same thing when they look across the ball at those golden domes lined up against them. Look for Hawaii to defend their home turf and knock off Notre Dame by covering the two-point spread.

Notre Dame enters the Hawaii Bowl desperate for their first bowl win since New Years Day when I was still seven years old (I am now 22, nearing 23 next month). Since then the Irish have been losers in games of both the close call and blow out variety. What needs to happen to prevent the Irish from finishing with their second straight losing season?

Both offenses bring a very average brand off football to the game. Hawaii and Notre Dame rank 74th and 75th nationally in total offense as they both put up 344.8 yards per contest. Hawaii does however average two or so more points a contest than do the Fighting Irish.

As most remember from Hawaii's Sugar Bowl team a year ago, they like to throw the ball around the field. Although Colt Brennan has moved on to clipboard holding responsibilities with the Washington Redskins, Junior Greg Alexander does the quarterbacking for the Warriors as he completed 131 passes for 1634 yards and twelve scores during the regular season.

He is also a guy who knows how bad turnovers can hurt as he rarely risks throwing a pick, doing so only four times this season.

The favorite targets of Alexander are wideouts Greg Salas (50-755-3tds) and Michael Washington (56-693-5tds). Also seeing multiple passes thrown in their directions will be Malcom Lane and Aaron Bain. What scares me about Hawaii is the offense they run as it matches up against the Fighting Irish defense.

Notre Dame has a defense that is designed to go after the quarterback, Hawaii has an offense who tries to simply pass their way downfield by dinking and dunking, taking whatever the defense is willing to give them. Not only do the Irish need pressure but they need to walk away with a multiple sacks against Hawaii. This offense is designed to beat teams who are able to bring pressure so unless Notre Dame can "Crank it Up" then it could be a long day for the Fighting Irish defense.

I fully expect to see Corwin Brown bring maybe even more pressure if that is even possible against the Warriors. If the Irish can't get pressure then Hawaii will pick apart the Irish secondary all evening and make it a sad Christmas Eve in South Bend.

If the Irish are able to take away the pass they will be in great shape as Hawaii ranks 107th of 119 teams in rushing yards. Not suprisingly, former Warrior coach June Jones and the SMU Mustangs rank dead last in that category. For what its worth Daniel Libre leads the Warriors in rushing with a grand total of 431 yards and six touchdowns. Not overly impressive but then again Notre Dame brings far from a stout rushing game to the contest.

Hawaii brings an average defense into the game from a below average conference. The Warriors allow 27 points a contest and right around 350 yards. Notre Dame will be without all purpose back Armando Allen who is out with a leg injury and Robert Hughes for a half because of the fight he started at USC. What that means is that James Aldridge will get the largest portion of carries for the Irish while freshman Jonas Gray will also likely see carries.

The depth may not be there but the Irish bring a much larger offensive line to the game than the Warriors bring defensive front and we all know what that means: pound the ball. Notre Dame won't be trying to light up the scoreboard, not only because they likely would lose such a battle but also because that does not give them the best chance to win the contest. The Irish will use the run to set up the pass but once again, I am nervous to see what the lack of depth allows ND to do.

Personally the Fighting Irish bring in much more talent than do the Hawaii Warriors but they still must do three things to avoid yet another bowl loss:
1) Not a Joy Trip - I disagree that 6-6 justifies being rewarded but in today's game I understand how it happens. Notre Dame can't take the trip to Hawaii as a reward or just a joy ride, focus is something I am very scared the Irish will not bring to the matchup.

2) Road Game - Yup, playing in a teams home stadium is never a positive but when its in a bowl game it makes it that much more difficult. The good news is that Notre Dame travels well and will likely have a strong showing of support in attendance. The fact it is in Hawaii's home stadium can't possibly favor the Irish though.

3) Dumb Mistakes - Whether it was in the SDSU, UNC, Pitt, or Syracuse games we all know that Notre Dame has had an abundance of dumb mistakes this season. If the Irish don't avoid costly turnovers and penalites it will be ugly, trust me.

For whatever reason this football team has turned out to be a major disappointment and just not be very good. Because of that I am afraid that the bowl losing streak will only continue this Christmas...

Nick (The Downing Domer) says: Hawaii 27 Notre Dame 23
Mark (The Faithful Wonder) says: ND 27 Hawaii 21

The sixth and final installment of our look back at Hawaii's 2008 season recaps the final three contests of the Warriors regular season.

After winning only their second contest on the road, Hawaii closed out the regular season with their remaining games at Aloha Stadium, starting with the Warriors' matchup with Idaho.

For the second straight game Hawaii got production from both sides of the ball to steamroll to its most lopsided win of the year, 49-17, over the Vandals. Greg Alexander completed 14-of-24 passes for 264 yards and a career-high three touchdowns to power the Warrior offense. Malcolm Lane caught four passes for a career-high 144 yards and two touchdowns, while Daniel Libre scored two rushing touchdowns.

The Warrior defense was just as impressive, as they held Idaho to 219 yards, picked off three passes, and recovered one fumble. Hawaii also set a season high in sacks with seven, as they held the Vandals to 49 yards on the ground.

Hawaii made quick use of their offensive possessions, as they had four touchdown drives lasting 30 seconds or less, while another was just 68 seconds long.

Next up for the Warriors was an out of conference contest with Washington State. Hawaii got off to a quick start and despite missing numerous opportunities won comfortably against the Cougars, 24-10.

Hawaii was in complete control of the game early, though the Cougars hung around through the final quarter. The Warriors never trailed but needed a late third quarter touchdown to help seal the win.

Once again, Greg Alexander led the Hawaii attack as he threw for a career-best 315 yards on 19-of-34 passing. Wide receiver Greg Salas led a potent Hawaii receiving corps with a career-high 131 receiving yards on seven receptions. Aaron Bain (71) and Michael Washington (81) also combined for 152 yards receiving.

Meanwhile, the Warrior defense held Washington State to just 10 points and 196 yards of offense, both season lows for a Hawaii opponent. The defense recorded five sacks and recovered two fumbles.

Big East Champ Cincinnati rounded out the regular season finale for the Warriors, who blew a 14-point lead with 12:36 remaining in the game and lost 29-24.

Hawaii trailed 10-0 for much of the first half before rallying with 24 straight points of their own, which spanned three quarters, before the Bearcats' rally. Warrior QB Greg Alexander completed 28-of-42 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw one interception that ignited the Cincinnati squad.

The Warriors were not very disciplined against the Bearcats, being penalized 11 times for 109 yards, and gave up five sacks.

Senior Day was a downer, but a home bowl game against the Fighting Irish was looming as they try and finish off the 2008 campaign with another winning record.

For more in-depth reports on Notre Dame Football and Fighting Irish Athletics, log on to Irish Band of Brothers:

http://www.irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com

The fourth part of our look back at Hawaii's 2008 football season takes us to the Warriors' contests with Boise State and Nevada.

After winning two straight over rival WAC foes, Hawaii traveled to Boise and faced the 15th-ranked Broncos. The Warriors held Boise State to its lowest first-half point total of the season and trailed just 10-7 at the break. But once again, turnovers would prove to be very costly to Hawaii.

The Warriors turned the ball over four times in the second half, including its first two possessions after the break, to allow the Broncos to pull away and secure their 27-7 victory. In all, Hawaii's Inoke Funaki threw five interceptions, with Boise State sophomore defensive back Brandyn Thompson recording three of the picks.

The Warriors came out strong on both sides of the ball to begin the game. The Warrior defense forced Boise State to punt after four offensive plays. The Hawaii offense took over on its own 14-yard line and proceeded on a 15-play drive that took nearly half the quarter. The Warriors, however, saw the drive stall deep in Bronco territory when they were stuffed on a 4th-and-1.

Hawaii once again was held under 300 yards of total offense (288) and gave up seven sacks to the Broncos.

Getting back to the island was all the Warriors needed, as Greg Alexander connected with Malcolm Lane for a 24-yard touchdown with 20 seconds remaining to lift Hawaii to a 38-31 victory over Nevada.

Alexander took the reins of the Warrior offense after Funaki went down in the first half, and he didn't disappoint. The junior quarterback finished 17-of-22 for 205 yards and two touchdowns in one half’s work.

Hawaii won despite being outgained 481-331. Hawaii had just 42 yards of offense in the first half, but the Warrior defense and special teams helped the team stake a 14-10 lead at the half.

The Warriors pulled off the win after a fourth-quarter rally by the Wolf Pack. Nevada erased a 14-point deficit and tied the game with 1:31 left before Alexander's last second heroics.

Hawaii has now evened their record to 4-4 with two road contests looming at WAC doormats Utah State and New Mexico State. Will the Warriors struggle once again on the road, or will they come out prevailing? Come back tomorrow to find out!

For the latest information on Notre Dame Football and Fighting Irish Athletics, log on to Irish Band of Brothers:

http://www.irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com

The continuation of our six part series of the 2008 Hawaii Warrior Football season takes us to games five and six. After dropping two straight to Oregon State and lowly San Jose State at home, Hawaii started to gain some momentum beginning at Fresno State.

The Warriors pulled off the improbable with a 32-29 overtime win over No. 22 Fresno State, which saw Hawaii surrender a 17-point second-half lead and survive a last-minute field goal attempt by the Bulldogs to win the game in regulation.

Hawaii was out gained by Fresno State, 522-342 in total yards, but won the turnover battle. A week after turning the ball over six times and losing on a last-minute field goal to San Jose State, Hawaii turned the tables at Fresno. The Warriors took advantage of six Bulldog turnovers to lead for nearly the entire game. They intercepted three Bulldog passes, including two picks by Keao Monteilh, and recovered three fumbles. UH turned four of those turnovers into 20 points.

The Warriors rushed for a season-high 172 yards, led by quarterback Inoke Funaki's 79 yards. He also threw for 170 yards and two scores.

What was even more impressive was this was the first-ever Hawaii road win over a ranked opponent. Fresno State was No. 22 coming into this matchup.

Game six saw the Warriors return back to Aloha Stadium for Homecoming against WAC foe Louisiana Tech. Once again, Hawaii got off to a fast start and created opportunistic turnovers to beat the Bulldogs 24-14.

The Warriors produced four turnovers—two fumbles and two interceptions—sealing its second straight WAC win. Funaki moved the Hawaii offense by passing for two touchdowns and rushing for another. The junior completed 16-of-27 passes and finished with a career-high 224 yards.

The Warriors out gained the Bulldogs 402-358 in yards and allowed just 52 yards of total offense by Louisiana Tech in the second half, until the final drive with the game already decided.

As you can see, Hawaii is starting to gel as a team and protect the football, while creating turnovers. Plus, they are gaining needed leadership on offense from Fuanki.

Tomorrow, we'll dive into the second half of the season with recaps of the Boise State and Nevada games.

For more in depth information on Notre Dame's matchup with Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, log onto Irish Band of Brothers: http://www.irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com

This is the second part of our in depth look at the Hawaii Warriors 2008 campaign. The last time we left off, the Warriors were standing at 1-1 with their home opening win over FCS foe Weber State. But unfortunately for Hawaii, things would get worse before they got any better.

Game three included a trip out to Corvallis, against a good Oregon State team which beat up on the Warriors 45-7. In this contest, Hawaii had less total yards than any game in the last ten years (211 yards).

Tyler Graunke got the start, which made him the third quarterback to play for the Warriors this season. The Beavers racked up a lot of rushing yards against Hawaii which was not atypical because Oregon State pounded the ball on almost everyone they faced this season.

So this was not the same Hawaii club we saw the previous year under June Jones and Colt Brennan as they were struggling early and dropped to 1-2 on the year.

The next week the Warriors faced WAC foe San Jose State. This was a real big surprise, because Hawaii generally plays great at Aloha Stadium and the Spartans are not that great, but lost to San Jose St. 20-17. And this showed they were a struggling football team. Losing to San Jose St. was, I'm sure; something Greg McMackin had not planned on at the beginning of the year.

Hawaii had six turnovers against the Spartans. They did a decent job defensively in holding San Jose St., but four interceptions and two fumbles was just too much to overcome. This was the Warriors second, six turnover performance of the season (Florida). That obviously was an early season problem the Warriors had to correct to right their ship.

One of the reasons why Hawaii turned it around was the play of quarterback Alexander. I'm not sure why it took so long for the Warriors to settle on him to be their quarterback. He started the first game, and then didn't get the not till the end of the year.

These were two very interesting games but this team does not look anything like games three and four. They made those changes at QB with Alexander as they finished up 7-6. The Warriors played very competitively against Cincinnati, which shows that they're a quality team that can play with anybody.

For the Fighting Irish, it's going to be very tough to win because the Warriors play extremely tough at Aloha Stadium and will be traveling quite a ways for the Christmas Eve showdown. It doesn't mean here's no reason why the Irish can't play the way they're capable of, unlike the second half of the season.

Last week, Tom Lemming said Notre Dame is definitely more talented than Hawaii, but then again, the Irish are more talented than 11 of the other teams they faced this season. At some point the talent will have to show up on the field. A good start would be 12/24/08!

Tomorrow will look back at Hawaii's contest with Fresno State and Louisiana Tech.

For more in depth information on Fighting Irish Football and Notre Dame Athletics, Log onto Irish Band of Brothers: http://www.irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com

One of the forgotten parts about College Football Recruiting is the Mid-Year Signing Period for transfers.  Usually from the Junior College ranks and occassionally high school student-athletes that receive their H.S. Diploma in the Winter.

This particular signing period starts this Wednesday, December 17th and runs through January 15th of 2009.  It gives these guys time to decide where they are going to sign, and they can immediately join a program for Spring Practices, which is always a plus for newcomers to get a early edge on the learning curve.

Last month, Greg Wrubell mentioned in his blog, "Cougar Tracks" that Bronco was going to hit JC's for some defensive help.  I can't find the link at this time, but its apparent Bronco is living up to his words as Junior College recruits have been visiting Cougar Town lately.  Here are the three mid-year players that BYU has offered.

Lee Aguirre, CB, Fullerton College

At around 5-9 or 5-10, Aguirre is a guy that has plain and simple tore it up at Fullerton College.  The only reason more colleges aren't going after him is mainly due to his size.  Aguirre currently holds two offers from both Hawaii and BYU*.  (*=Subscription Required at TotalBlueSports.com --- Highly Recommended!)

Aguirre visited Hawaii the weekend the Warriors played BCS-bound Cincinnati.  I watched that game on my DVR, and I spotted Aguirre in the third quarter on the sidelines with around 9:20 left in the quarter. 

Apparently he enjoyed his trip to Hawaii, mainly due to the weather I would assume.  I can't imagine he was impressed with the facilities.  Remember when former Hawaii QB Colt Brennan said his team didn't even bars of soap during Spring Practice?  Well that's still the same program, and with the nation being in a recession I can't imagine the facilities have been upgraded much since last year. 

Then there's BYU where the facilities are probably the best in the West and some of the best in the nation, and that includes the NFL.  Also, another positive to BYU is he can be a part of a Top-15 program and have the opportunity to play right away if he works hard and learns the defense fast. 

That's why Spring ball is critical for a Cornerback.  Juco's that come in the Fall tend to be late bloomers and don't flourish till late in their Senior seasons. (i.e. Andre Saulsberry, Chris Bolden, just to name a few.)

Hope to see him come to BYU, from what I've read he is a great specialist.  He blocked many kicks his Freshman season at Fullerton.

Here's a good article on him that was posted earlier this month at his school's website.  LINK

Then here's two highlight videos from his Freshman season at Fullerton.  Kind of hard to watch, but in the first one you clearly see his ability for blocking kicks.  In the second vid, I noticed he is a very good open field tackler which would be a welcomed trait to our Secondary, and has a flat-out knack for finding the ball and getting picks, another skill needed in our Secondary.

Atkinson is the cousin to fomer Cougar Linebacker, Bryant Atkinson a.k.a. "The Silencer."  Jordan is projected to play the "Will" Linebacker spot at BYU.  Atkinson attended the Boise State game along with David Nixon and Aaron Gress who we will talk about later in the article.

Here's some video on Atkinson.  He appears to be very fast on the edge and wraps up instantly.  Has great size at 6-3 235.  He just looks like a prototypical big BYU Linebacker.  He had a visit this past week at Colorado State, and the Rams did in fact offer him.  So it comes down to CSU and BYU.  I would sure like to see Steve Fairchild cry again.

A side note about Atkinson he was a Pre-Season 2nd Team JC All-American Selection by Scout.com, so he is no slouch by any means.  LINK

Aaron Gress, LB, College of the Sequoias

Gress is a Non-LDS athlete and has been offered by three schools now.  BYU, Marshall and Nevada.  Gress though has no interest in Nevada, and has stated his decision to which college he will attend will come down to BYU, Marshall and Illinois.  Gress visited the Fightin' Illini on Friday according to Scout.com.  No reports wether or not Illinois has offered.

Gress racked up 135 tackles in his two years at the Sequoias and has three years to play two at whatever college he opts to sign with.

Here is some highlights on YouTube of Gress:



I'm glad to see Bronco is going after some JC's to maybe sure up some holes in the Defense, its needed.  Many coaches around the country are usually very stubborn when it comes to JC players and refuse to sign any. 

Sometimes BYU needs to take some gambles with in recruiting and JC players are probably where its at, but if any of these guys were to commit to BYU I think they could make immediate contributions right away and make waves on the two-deep depth chart. 

Three very talented players.  Bronco and staff have an eye for talent regardless of what people in the media say.