Hawaii Warriors Football

The University of Hawaii football team is set to begin defense of its Western Athletic Conference co-championship today (1:00 p.m. HST) against Louisiana Tech at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, LA.

"This is what you live for," defensive tackle Vaughn Meatoga said on Wednesday before the team departed Honolulu. "You live for when it counts. This is our last year in the WAC and we really want to go out with the trophy like how we came in."

Next season, Hawaii is moving to the Mountain West Conference, making this the last time either team will travel the 4,000 miles between Honolulu and Ruston in a series that dates back to 2001. Hawaii leads the series 7-2, but is only 2-2 in games played at Joe Aillet Stadium.

"I've heard from a lot of people that it's a rough road trip," sophomore slot receiver Billy Ray Stutzmann said. "It's a new place, but it's the same game. We just got to go out there, bring our 'A' game and hopefully we'll bring home the 'W.' "

Last season against Louisiana Tech at Aloha Stadium, a 41-21 Hawaii win, Stutzmann had five catches for 60 yards in his first career start. This season, Stutzmann ranks first on the team in receptions (25) and second in receiving yards (290).

"They got a lot of good athletes," Stutzmann said. "I know their linebackers are returning from last year, they're physical. This was the first game I started last year against LaTech, so I got a lot of experience against them. We're going to study film and we're going to do everything we can to win."

This year Louisiana Tech's offense features Nick Isham, a 17-year-old true-freshman starting quarterback, and Quinton Patton, a 6'2" 195-pound junior college transfer at wide receiver. Also returning is Lennon Creer, a bruising running back who had 57 yards rushing and 39 yards receiving in last year's game against Hawaii. Through four games this season, Creer is averaging 102.8 rushing yards.

On film, "you see that they're really improved," Meatoga said. "The team that showed up last year to the team that's out there right now is two different teams, it's night and day. This team, they execute a lot better and they have a lot of offensive weapons... (Nick Isham) makes good decisions. If you never knew, you wouldn't know that he's a freshman, you wouldn't know he's 17-years old. He's a lot better than he is on paper."

To contain Lennon Creer, "you got to play assignment football," Meatoga said. "You can't really get out your gaps. You can't be doing somebody else's job. You got to do your job. On film we see this guy running over people, making plays left and right... He does whatever it takes to win and those are the most dangerous kind of guys so we really got to be disciplined."

This is the second straight year that Hawaii is 2-2 and Louisiana Tech is 1-3, heading into both teams' conference openers with each other as its opponent. After Hawaii won last year's game, the Warriors went on to finish 10-4 overall and 7-1 in the WAC, for a share of the conference championship.

"Oh yeah, you can totally tell," defensive tackle Kaniela Tuipulotu said when asked if practice this week was more intense heading into WAC play. "The coaches remind us every day that what happened the past four weeks—some good, some bad—was all leading up to our season, our conference play. Right now is when everything counts."

After losing to Hawaii in last season's conference opener, Louisiana Tech went on to finish 5-7 overall and 4-4 in conference play, in head coach Sonny Dykes' first year on the job. This year the Bulldogs have played at Southern Mississippi, losing 19-17, and at Mississippi State, losing 26-20 in overtime. Its lone win came against Central Arkansas at home, in overtime, 48-42.

"They've played some pretty big teams," Tuipulotu said, "and they came up a little short on both of them. But that just shows how much progress they've made from last year to this year. They're probably hitting their stride right now so hopefully we can go in there and interrupt that, be a bump in their road to success."

Honolulu, HI—University of Hawaii freshman slot receiver Scott Harding, an American football pioneer back home in Australia, caught the first few passes of his collegiate career Saturday night in Hawaii's 56-14 win over UC Davis.

"Oh, it was so much fun," the former Australian Football League professional said. "My first catch was a good one, I ran a post route and (quarterback Bryant Moniz) put it on my chest. I think I might have got maybe thirty yards or so."

The 25-year-old from Brisbane, Queensland, is not your typical college freshman. Harding played in 50 games with the Brisbane Lions, and Port Adelaide Power, during a six-year professional career before trying his luck with American football. Because Australian rules is a different version of the sport, the NCAA recognized Harding as an amateur and eligible to play collegiately. With the help of ProKick Australia the ambitious Aussie found his way to America to fulfill his dream of playing in the NFL.

Playing for Hawaii, Harding became the first Australian rules football player to try his luck on the "Gridiron," as they call it down under, at a position other than punter. In the team's first three games of the season Harding was active on special teams, returning five punts for 18 yards and three kickoffs for 59 yards. Then in the second quarter against UC Davis this past Saturday, Harding entered an American football game for the first time as a receiver.

His first play, Harding caught a 36-yard strike from Moniz, then, on his second snap, snagged another one for five more yards.

"I never doubted I'd get my first catch," Harding said. "I'm confident in my hands and that's one thing that I've got under my sleeve, is catching ability. So I wasn't really nervous at all, I was excited and ready for the catch and it came to me. All the practice helps and running routes with Bryant Moniz. And it was good to get on the same page with him, especially on that first play."

When Harding's night was over, the 5' 11" 195-pound speedster with excellent hands had caught six passes for 67 yards, and returned two punts for 28 yards.

"Pretty unbelievable," offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich said afterward. "An Australian who didn't know what pass interference was a few months ago had six catches in a Division I football game. I think anytime you hear a story like that, that's a tribute to him and his determination to work and understand the game."

When Hawaii's depth chart was announced in late August, Harding was listed as a third-string slot receiver. Since then, Harding has worked hard learning Hawaii's complicated offensive scheme and refining his skills as an American football player—not an easy task for someone who had never played the game before.

"It did take a while to learn the whole playbook," Harding said. "And more, it's this system of the run-and-shoot offense that we play. So I knew it was going to take time. But I spent the time in fall camp and over the last few weeks just kind of getting all the routes; and more so reading the defense and more of the coverages, getting that down pat. And now I'm confident in all the routes and everything I'm playing. So the coaches have got their confidence in me so hopefully I can contribute every week."

Hawaii head coach Greg McMackin was happy with what he saw from his freshman receiver catching passes for the first time.

"Scott's just starting to learn and he did some really good things," McMackin said. "Matter of fact, Australia ESPN's down doing a story on him and he had a good ballgame. He catches everything and he's learning our offense, so he's really coming along. I'm really excited about him."

Harding, humble and speaking in a mild Australian accent, acknowledged that his story of playing professionally in the Australian Football League and then coming to Hawaii to play for a college team was intriguing.

"ESPN Australia was good enough to come out here and do a story on me," he said. "And it was a great game for them to come to because they caught my first catch, and they're going to do a piece on me and it's great. It's more good for the followers back home, that they still get a connection over here with college football in Hawaii.

"For me personally, I'm really happy with myself and proud that I've come a long way. And I'm just happy to contribute to the team, and the team's happy that I've come so far, and I've learned quickly off everyone. And you're right, I'm a freshman, but at the same time I'm a little bit older, I've come from Australian football and I've got a lot to learn... I feel a part of the team now."

Honolulu, HI—In a season with such lofty expectations, losing to UC Davis would have been cataclysmic for the Hawaii football team.

However, Saturday night, when its only option was to win, Hawaii came out fighting and delivered a resounding performance worthy of its preseason recognition as the favorites in the Western Athletic Conference.

Now, heading into the first game of WAC play this Saturday at Louisiana Tech (1 p.m. HST), the Warriors are just where they want to be—back on track and feeling good about it.

"I feel good for them," offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich said after Hawaii's 56-14 win over UC Davis. "They've had a rough road these last two weeks. They fought til the end in Washington, and then nobody played well in UNLV. And they've had a bad taste in their mouth for a couple weeks...For them to be resilient, come out and not lose focus on the season, they deserve to have this, this kind of win."

It's the kind of win that can cure all ills for a struggling football team. And the Warriors have had their fair share of maladies: from new starting receivers trying to get up to game speed, to an injury-riddled offensive line trying to protect its quarterback, to a defense that gave up too many big plays and had a difficult time recognizing its responsibilities.

You name it, and Hawaii suffered from it at one point or another this young season.

That all changed on Saturday night, and in addition to its new-found fortitude, Hawaii was able to play the majority of its players after building a 49-0 halftime lead. Head coach Greg McMackin estimated that 85 of his 95 players got into the game, the importance of which cannot be understated heading into conference play, when depth is paramount for every winning team.

"It's good to get a win," defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said. "It's good for guys to play, and express themselves, and to play Warrior style. I wish we would have started the second half that way, [but] it was good to see the twos come in, we were able to sub in. The first play [with the subs in] we gave up a big pass, but we made some tackles for losses and got the [interception] to get out of it. And I think with Beau Yap, on his first ever play got a sack fumble...that was good to see. I was fired up for it.

"I think that was a big issue last year. Last year we bring in our back-ups and we'd automatically give up 21 points, whoever it was. So it was always kind of a learning experience last year, where this year, I was proud to see guys respond...And to see guys battle, and get off the field."

Linebacker Corey Paredes registered the first big play of the game on the second snap from scrimmage, forcing a fumble that got Aranda's defense off the field for the first time and established Hawaii's physical prowess over the lower-tiered, FCS UC Davis.

"I just seen the guy holding the ball out and [I] just tried to punch it as hard as I could," Paredes said. "Luckily I connected, it was a right hook. I boxed a little when I was young at Kaneohe District Park...Not the best fighter, but I could pack a punch. Turnovers are definitely a game-momentum swinger. When we get turnovers it gives the offense confidence to make plays, go get touchdowns. So, stuff like Beau Yap's forced fumble, and Dee Maggitt's [interception].

"That kind of stuff gives the offense confidence and momentum to score."

In the first three games this season Hawaii had scored 34, 32 and 20 points, in one win and two losses. However, even with decent point production, the offense never clicked on all cylinders like in years past, including last season.

That too changed Saturday night as quarterback Bryant Moniz tied an NCAA record with seven touchdown passes in the first half, earning himself WAC Player of the Week honors for the second time this season.

However, it was Royce Pollard who finally got on track against UC Davis. Coming into the season with high expectations, Pollard had yet to score a touchdown or stretch the field with any big plays. Saturday night he delivered a sublime performance, catching nine passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns.

"It feels real good," Pollard said. "I have high personal expectations and this whole week I tried a lot on working hard. Because there was times when I sat out practice with an injury or something like that. But this week I really wanted to focus on pushing through it, because I know back in my whole entire life I've always been someone to just work hard regardless of injuries.

"So I went back to that and it was a blessing to have that [performance against UC Davis]. And really, it was in my mind, I just wanted to get the 'W' for the schedule. I was going to do whatever it takes to win, and God blessed me and it came my way. So it's just an honor, a privilege."

Louisiana Tech has long been a difficult place to play a road game, and the last time Hawaii visited it left with a 27-6 loss in 2009. This year, La. Tech (1-3) has lost three games by a combined nine points, including Saturday's 26-20 loss at Mississippi State, a tough Southeastern Conference opponent.

Hawaii leads the all-time series 7-2 but is 2-2 in games played at La. Tech.

The win over UC Davis "gives us confidence going into WAC play," Paredes said. "Knowing that we can make the plays if we just focus, get our minds right, and make plays. Definitely it gives us a confidence builder going into La. Tech."

Pollard added: "It does a lot for us mentally, it gives us that example that we needed. It gave us the game that showed us that we're very capable of doing it, and if we execute, play smart, play together and play hard it should happen, the way it did."

Honolulu, HI—The last time Hawaii lost a regular season football game at home it was against perennial national powerhouse Southern California.

Tonight, at Aloha Stadium (6:00 p.m. HST), UC Davis hopes to become the next, though they are no national powerhouse—quite the contrary.

The Aggies, from just outside of Sacramento, Calif., will be the fourth Football Championship Subdivision (Division II) team to play Hawaii in the Greg McMackin era and the 10th dating back to 2001, all of which were Hawaii wins.

Average margin of victory for the Warriors in those games? Thirty-three points.

UC Davis is just what the doctor ordered, you might say.

Coming off an 11-day road trip that saw Hawaii sleepwalk through the first quarter against Washington, and then "slide off the mountain," as McMackin put it, against Nevada-Las Vegas, an FCS opponent at home is just what the Warriors need. And UC Davis head coach Bob Biggs knows it.

"They're obviously a very good football team," Biggs told Aggie Insider this week. "Bryant Moniz, their quarterback, is one of the better quarterbacks in the country. [Hawaii's] very, very prolific in the pass game and they don't seem to play as well off the island, much like a lot of people don't seem to play very well when they go to the island.

"But they just don't seem like they played with the same energy in their last two games, against Washington and against University of Nevada-Las Vegas, as they did in their first game against Colorado when they did play on the island. You know, it takes its toll on a team when you change time zones... They just looked like a different team."

After beating Colorado 34-17 in its season opener on Sept. 3, Hawaii lost to the Huskies 40-32, and the Rebels 40-20. UC Davis, on the other hand, lost its first two games on the road before winning its first game of the season last week at home.

"UC Davis is a very fundamental, well-coached, well-disciplined football team," McMackin said at his weekly press conference. "And they're the type of team that wants to knock off the bigger teams. They beat Stanford three years ago (and) they beat San Jose State last year. Two years ago they played Boise (State) the best anybody has played them... And all of these are at the other team's home"

It actually was six years ago when the Aggies beat Stanford 20-17, but the point is not lost in McMackin's mistake. UC Davis has beaten big-time college football programs in the past and is certainly apt to do so again. Plus they're coming to Hawaii after already playing a game at Arizona State this season.

These big stages are becoming old hat for the Aggies.

"So we're gonna have our hands full," McMackin said. "I know they're from another division but that doesn't matter, because these guys will be sky high. They get a chance to play in front of a good crowd, and play a Division I football team, and they're gonna be jacked up.

"Now is when we need everybody to help us. People can either jump off the boat because really, we were 1-2 last year, and people thought we were going to be fifth to eighth. I really believe in these players, and I believe in these coaches. Other people and their opinions hold no power over the destiny of what we're going to do."

Biggs, who actually lived in Hawaii in the '70s, knows the Warriors will be coming after his team with aplomb.

"They're obviously hurting a little bit right now, and they got a bitter taste in their mouth I'm sure from these last two losses," Biggs said. "Particularly Las Vegas, who's been really hammered the last couple weeks by other (good) teams. So I'm sure they're anxious to get Davis at their place, and so we know we got a great challenge ahead of us."

Honolulu, HI—For a Hawaii football team much in need of a breakout performance against UC Davis this Saturday at Aloha Stadium (6:00 p.m. HST), it needs to look no further than its own Justin Clapp for inspiration and know-how.

Against Nevada-Las Vegas this past Saturday, Clapp's performance at slot receiver was the lone bright spot in what Warriors head coach Greg McMackin called the "most disappointing loss" in his four seasons at Hawaii.

Yes, linebacker Aaron Brown had a great game on the defensive side of the ball, but so much could be expected from the standout senior who established himself as one of the best players in the Western Athletic Conference last season—something Clapp cannot lay claim to.

A quick look into Hawaii's media guide confirms as much.

In the wide receiver section of the "2011 Season Outlook," Clapp's name isn't even mentioned, and no less than eight other receivers are in the half-page writeup. Dig a little deeper into the guide and you'll realize the only thing realistically expected out of the sophomore in 2011 is another selection to the all-WAC Academic Team.

But therein lies the secret to Clapp's success. For it's his wizardry of Hawaii's sophisticated run-and-shoot offense that earned him the start at Nevada-Las Vegas to begin with. Substituted into the starting lineup for the injured Miah Ostrowski who hurt his foot the previous week at Washington.

"Justin Clapp did an outstanding job," McMackin said after Tuesday's practice. "The two things he really does well is he catches the football, and the other thing is he knows the offense as well as anybody so he's gonna be open. He made two great touchdown catches and he did an outstanding job, I'm really proud of him."

Senior strong safety Richard Torres also noticed the job well done by the 6'2" 195-pound receiver from De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., whose father, Carl Clapp, is an associate athletic director at Hawaii.

"It's always good to see a person who works hard succeed," Torres said. "Justin had his opportunity and he made the most of it. It was great to see his hard work paying off, and Justin Clapp works hard off the field (and) on the field. So it's just good to see a guy like him making plays and helping the team out."

To the tune of 83 yards, two touchdowns and nine catches, Clapp helped the team. But his first career start ended up being a 40-20 loss, which removed some of the starch from his stellar performance and dropped the Warriors to 1-2.

"I just had to fill in for Miah," a subdued Clapp said. "Miah would have done the same thing, I'm sure. Maybe he would have got three (touchdown receptions), you never know. But I just tried to do my best, I focused on my plays, executed the offense about as well as I could, and it happened to turn out in my favor."

When asked if his two touchdown catches felt like a reward for all the hard work he's put in, Clapp's answer opened a window into the workmanlike mind that's helped him to master the offense.

"Well hard work never stops," he said. "I mean that's just begun. That's just the first stepping stone in my career. I still got a lot more time here so I'm looking to build on that and hopefully have a good future. Hopefully this team, we end up having a good career run for my time here. Hopefully everything goes well."

With the Nevada-Las Vegas game in his back pocket, not a whole lot feels different to Clapp.

"I feel pretty much the same coming out to practice," he said. "I just focus on what I can do, I try not to focus on things I can't control like Miah's injury and everything. I hope he gets well (and) I hope he's back for this game. But all I can control is just making the most of my reps, practicing as hard as I can, (and) trying to help the team out as best as I can."

Against UC Davis (1-2), there's a good chance that Clapp will be in the starting lineup trying to help the team out "as best as he can" since Ostrowski's foot injury kept him from practicing this week.

And if Hawaii's other players find themselves in need of a guide to follow during the game, or are searching for a little inspiration, all they'll need to do is focus in on No. 13 in the black jersey.

He might be in the end zone with the football.

"We always tell everybody just keep working hard," McMackin said. "Find a role on our football team; whatever phase it is. But when you get your opportunity, step up (and) make plays. And that's just what Justin Clapp did. He's an excellent example of a guy that finally got his chance and he did a great job."

While it may be a stretch to suggest that scoring less than 50 points tonight in "Sin City" would be a sin for the Hawaii football team, doing so could lead to a few players and coaches asking for forgiveness come Monday's film session.

In its last three games, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas has given up over 50 points to all of its opponents and that includes a 59-21 shellacking at Hawaii last December; an apropos exclamation point to the Rebels' dismal 2010 season in which they finished just 2-11.

That game at Aloha Stadium witnessed Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz throwing for 380 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for two scores. And by all accounts, the senior Heisman hopeful is even better in 2011.

The same cannot be said for UNLV.

The 0-2 Rebels surrendered 258 yards passing, and 241 rushing in its season-opening 51-17 loss at Wisconsin.

Though they only had the ball for 25 minutes and 40 seconds, the Badgers encountered no problems chewing up the UNLV defense. After the game, Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson marveled:

"I don't think I got touched at all today, which is pretty unbelievable."

Then last week at Washington State, the Rebels didn't do much better. Their 59-7 loss to the Cougars was the fourth worst in school history, and save a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, it would have been worse.

Not exactly three of the most confidence-building games for UNLV heading into their home opener at Sam Boyd Stadium, where half of the crowd is expected to be cheering for Hawaii.

Not to mention, that just five miles away on the Las Vegas Strip, casino bookmakers are calling the Rebels 17 1/2-point underdogs. So much for "home-field" advantage.

One person not putting too much credence into the aforementioned testimony is Hawaii coach Greg McMackin.

If anything, McMackin supports the notion that UNLV is in a position to upset the Warriors, due in no small part to their coach, Bobby Hauck.

"Bobby Hauck is an excellent coach," McMackin said earlier this week. "They're gonna come out to play. He's gonna put them in the same situation that Washington was in playing us; in that they were embarrassed by their first effort so they had coaches, and press, and everybody on them all week."

Last week Hawaii lost a not-so-closely-contested battle with the Washington Huskies. The week prior, Washington won by the skin of their teeth over Eastern Washington and embarrassed by their performance, vowed they would come out firing on Hawaii

"Obviously, (Washington) came out really strong and did some things," McMackin said. "I think we did too. It wasn't that we didn't come out strong, we came out with good energy. But we have to really come out with good energy again this week, because these guys are going to come out with big-time energy.

"We've got to come to play and get after them right from the start."

After a slow start last week—Hawaii fell behind the Huskies 21-0 in the first quarter and lost 40-32—McMackin knows the importance of coming out fast against UNLV.

If they can, Hawaii will have a good chance of duplicating the 50-point outbursts that the Rebels are becoming accustomed to surrendering.

Two weeks into the season UNLV's defense ranks 118 out of 120 schools, giving up 555 yards per game. For Moniz and the high-powered Hawaii offense, that spells points.

Fifty or more would go a long way in improving the Warriors record to 2-1 on the season and let's not forget, a much more pleasant film session on Monday.

If history tells us anything, UNLV should be happy to oblige.

It's never easy to assess a valiant effort that falls short of its intended goal, and Hawaii's performance in a 40-32 loss to the Washington Huskies this past Saturday is no different.

In coming back from a 21-point first quarter deficit, there are some people who will look at the resilience the team showed in making the game competitive and others still will remember a number of costly mistakes that prevented them from winning.

"There's no reason for them to hang their head over a loss like this," Greg McMackin told hawaiinewsnow.com. "We were down 21-0 in the first quarter and they fought themselves all the way back to have a couple of chances to win the ballgame. All the way up to that onside kick which missed by inches.

"They got a jump on us but our guys didn't quit and fought them til the end, and we had a chance to win at the end."

But the mistakes were always there, the naysayers will respond; from Royce Pollard's first quarter gaffe when he fumbled on Washington's five-yard line, to the second blocked PAT that preceded an onside kick that failed to travel the requisite ten yards.

The team never had a chance to win, they'll scream.

Disappointment from their high expectations will resonate until a date to be determined. Some of them may rue the day if Hawaii heads into the final game of the season against BYU with an 11-1 record, only the Week 2 loss at Washington preventing them from playing for a possible BCS selection.

Others still will say it's because  of the loss to the Huskies and the lessons that were learned from it that led the Warriors to an 11-1 record and such a great season. And the arguments from both sides will be valid.

But no matter which point of view you hold, McMackin's following words are hard to disagree with.

"Right now none of us feel real good, and I know a lot of people back in Hawaii don't feel real good. (But) it can't be because of the effort, because anybody that doesn't respect the effort that this team put on really doesn't know football."

And another thing is certain to everyone involved. UNLV is next on Hawaii's schedule and they don't care about any of this.

The Warriors will need to put their best cleat forward this Saturday (4:00pm HST) at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas if they want to come home with a 2-1 record.

McMackin's positive outlook might help to accomplish that, although some people would prefer that his message were different.

Honolulu, HI—If ever there was a pilgrimage to Mecca for a Hawaii football fan it was the 2008 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. More than 15,000 of Hawaii's hardiest fans flooded Bourbon Street and the Louisiana Superdome for what was supposed to be the greatest party in Hawaii sports history.

The only problem was that Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan served as a piñata for Georgia's unruly defense and the Bulldogs didn't stop hitting him until the football came out. By the time Brennan left the New Year's Day game with a bruised hand in the 4th quarter he had been sacked eight times, threw three interceptions and fumbled twice, once in his own end zone for a Bulldogs touchdown.

To say that Georgia didn't think Hawaii was a threat to run the ball and went after their quarterback with impunity would be an understatement. Heading into the game the Warriors offense ranked fourth in the nation in passing yards and dead last in rushing.

Hawaii head coach Greg McMackin was the defensive coordinator under June Jones then and remembers what happened to Brennan.

"It's just another phase that our offense has grown to," McMackin said at his press conference this week discussing quarterback Bryant Moniz's 121 yards rushing in the season-opener against Colorado. "You remember back to the Georgia game we didn't have anything to go to, and so our quarterback just stood there and got drilled. If we're having some problem (being rushed) off the edge now, we have something to take care of that."

That something is the run in the run-and-shoot offense that Hawaii employs and since their 41-10 loss in the Sugar Bowl it has increased steadily in each of McMackin's three years as head coach; from 683 yards in 2007, to just over 1,300 yards in 2008 and 2009, to nearly 1,500 yards in 2010.

"We could have thrown the ball more (against Colorado) but we were getting it on the ground," McMackin said. "And it is called the run-and-shoot and we proved it last year. We want to throw the ball (to) set up the run, but if we can get it on the run we'll take it on that too. And (Moniz has) the ability and he's faster than he's ever been; so people aren't going to be able to do what they've tried to do to us in the past."

Going into the Colorado game last week many people were excited to see a repeat of Hawaii's explosive air attack from years past. So when Moniz tucked the ball down and started running some people assumed there was a problem with the passing game that amassed 5,520 yards in 2010.

"It's not that everything didn't work in the passing game," McMackin explained. "We had one dropped ball (and) our slots were doing the right thing catching the ball. Everybody was in the right place but we put some (running plays) in. We put a sprint-out in... we had a read-option in... we knew they were going to come after Mo.

"So a lot of his running yardage, or most of his running yardage, was by design."

A design that McMackin and offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich learned from running back Alex Green's performance last year.

"If they're playing man, if they're doubling over people, then his second read is to go," McMackin said. "Because it's just the same situation as with Alex last year. If they're doubling and man-ing they're watching the man, and you just have to make one guy miss, and you can go."

Last season Green became the first Hawaii running back since 1992 to rush for more than 1,000 yards and his 18 touchdowns tied for most in school history, in April's NFL Draft he was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round.

Now the Warriors will call upon Joey Iosefa to start at running back in their four-receiver set. Against Colorado the red-shirt freshman from Pago Pago, American Samoa, was limited to 31 yards on 14 carries but he scored on a 22-yard shovel-pass in which he showed great balance and agility.

"I think (Iosefa's) got great potential," McMackin said. "He's a big guy, he's got a little wiggle to him, but he's a big physical guy and that's the first college game he's ever played. He's a freshman and I think he's just going to get better and better. He caught the screen, made the big play (and) got into the end zone. That was a big touchdown for us."

Added to the three touchdowns that Moniz rushed for against Colorado, the majority of Hawaii's scoring in their 34-17 win came from unfamiliar sources.

But heading into the second game of 2011 with expectations similar to where they were in 2007, it's an offensive transformation that can only help. Opposing defenses now have one more thing to worry about and fans of Hawaii's run-and-shoot offense have one more thing to get excited for.

The run.

Honolulu, HI—Heading into last week's season opener with Colorado, they were focused on stopping running back Rodney Stewart. Now going into week two at Washington, Hawaii's defense has another equally dangerous running back on their hands, maybe even more so.

"I'm really impressed with their running back," defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said after Tuesday's practice. "I think (Chris Polk) may be the best running back we face all year long."

As a sophomore in 2010 Polk ranked 17th in the nation with 103.2 rushing yards per game. In 2009 he became the first Huskies freshman to ever rush for 1,000 yards. Last week against Eastern Washington he gained 125 yards on 26 carries.

"We expect them to run the same kind of offense as Colorado," linebacker Aaron Brown said. "The same kind of [running] plays, the Power-O, the toss-sweep; so it's going to be a physical game."

Brown, who is from nearby Puyallup, Wash., is expected to start Saturday's game at Husky Stadium (9:30am HST) after being suspended for one week. His presence is a welcome addition to a Warriors defense that limited Colorado to 17 net rushing yards.

"Good. I think we can work back to where we need to be," Aranda said when asked about Brown. "There's been so much movement at the linebacker position that really we're behind schedule. The talent is there but we've got to get on schedule, so that's what we're aiming to do."

Against Colorado middle linebacker Corey Paredes moved to Brown's weak side spot and George Daily-Lyles started in the middle.

"I think we have our swag back," Paredes said on Tuesday. "We definitely had guys show up (against Colorado). George did the job and Art (Laurel the strong side linebacker) played an awesome game with his interception. But you know it feels good to be back out there with AB. He's an awesome player, he's good support on my weak side (and) it just feels good to be back in the middle able to make plays left and right."

Up front Hawaii's defensive line did a great job of shutting down Stewart and Colorado's running game. Defensive end Paipai Falemalu earned WAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his six tackle, two sack performance and Vaughn Meatoga had a field day with 6'8" offensive lineman Ryan Miller.

"It's not just us," Falemalu said on Tuesday. "We pick up blocks sometimes and the linebackers they do their job. They come and fill pretty quickly and the secondary, they all come help us (and) support us on the run. So it wasn't just the D-line it was pretty much the whole defense."

Besides Polk, Aranda said Washington's quarterback Keith Price "is dangerous when he gets outside the pocket," and that receiver Jermaine Kearse "reminds me of Boise State's (Austin) Pettis from a year ago. I think he's a dangerous receiver, great hands, great routes, so there's some challenges there that we have to meet."

In last week's 30-27 win over Eastern Washington, Price was held to just 102 passing yards. But he threw three touchdowns and completed 68 percent of his passes.

"(Price is) a good quarterback and he makes a lot of his plays off of scrambles and stuff," Paredes said. "So we got to cage him in. He's a good runner. He can run the ball and when he gets outside you cannot come off your receivers because he can hit them when you try to pull (off). So the D-lines gonna do a good job of caging him in and we got to (watch) our receivers. It's going to be a good game, they're a good team."

Even though his unit was good, if not great, in holding Colorado to 240 total yards, Aranda said: "We're gonna ask them to get better, so that's going to be the challenge this next week... Husky Stadium is a tough place to play and it's going to be loud and it's going to be a different environment.

"We're going to have to do our jobs, everybody."

Honolulu, HI—It wasn't pretty at times, but when the game was over Hawaii had won 34-17 on the strength of another Bryant Moniz masterpiece and a swarming defense that limited Colorado to just 240 total yards.

Boom. Win number one; 12 to go.

Heading into both team's season opener, Colorado expected the Warrior's offense to come through the air but last night at Aloha Stadium when Moniz couldn't find a passing rhythm and the Buffaloes remained steadfast on shutting it down, the situation created someone that we had never seen before.

"Mobile Mo."

On Hawaii's second possession, having completed just one of four pass attempts so far, the quarterback dubbed "Mighty Mo" surveyed the Colorado defense and then tucked the ball down for a 22-yard scamper. Then, after throwing another incomplete pass, did it again. This time Moniz didn't stop until he gained 34 yards and had drawn a 15-yard personal foul. It seemed like the Colorado defensive player who hit him late was trying to deliver a message on behalf of his team, "Stop running on us. This is not what we expected."

Moniz didn't care. Two possessions later with Hawaii leading 3-0 and the ball at his own 43-yard line "Mobile Mo" took the shotgun snap, faked a hand-off to running back Joey Iosefa, and dashed up the middle of the field. Fifty-seven yards later the only thing left to be determined was who would cross the goal line first, Moniz or Hawaii wide receiver Allen Sampson.

There wasn't a Buffalo in sight.

"I guess they weren't" expecting it Moniz said after the game. "It's something that I never really do, I hardly run, especially that much. I was pretty gassed, my legs were very heavy, I ended up getting an IV to kinda get hydrated... In the offseason I wanted to get stronger, put on a little bit of weight and get faster as well. We did a lot of running in the off-season, on my own and with our strength coaches just working and getting better as a team."

With the "newness" of the offense and its "inexperience," as offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich tells it—Moniz and wide receiver Royce Pollard are the unit's only returning starters—Hawaii was prepared to use Moniz more as a running threat than they had in the past if the situation called for it.

"We talked in the off-season about it," Rolovich said after the game. "(And since) he's our leader on offense... we put it on him. (Tonight) he did it with his legs; he's a complete football player... We're on his back on offense, and he's carrying us. And like I say, he doesn't care how we do it he just wants to win. He wants to win for this state, it means something to him being Hawaiian and being proud of it, and bringing some eyes over here to the islands, that's what he's about."

On defense, Hawaii was about stopping the Buffaloes on the ground. At last week's press conference, Colorado coach Jon Embree said that they were going to try to "run the ball down their throat."

Hawaii defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said after the game that his players took Embree's comment personally.

"I think it was pretty widely known that they were going to come and establish the run on us," Aranda said. "And I think our guys got a lot of pride and kind of took that personally, and that's one thing, to have the emotion into it. But another thing, (in order) to stop the run, you have to have all eleven guys do their job. And I felt we were able to get that more often than not tonight."

The Warriors defense held Colorado to just 17 net rushing yards on the night and in the fourth quarter when the Buffaloes had to throw the ball because they were trailing, Aranda's defense pinned back their ears and went after quarterback Tyler Hansen with a fury.

"Up front we (play) two-gap so much," said Aranda, describing a defensive philosophy that requires his linemen to play with more discipline and less aggressiveness. "(That) when we do have an opportunity to rush the passer, they get really fired up for it because they're generally right in front of a guy trying to push that guy's weight, (so) they're pushing 300-pound guys the whole game. So once we get up on (a team late in the game) and they can be on an edge and pass rush, that's what they want to do so they were able to do it."

In the fourth quarter alone, Hawaii sacked Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen five times. (Seven in total.)

Their defensive line "made some plays and they got after me a little bit so give 'em credit," Hansen said after the game. "They played their butts off and their (defensive) ends especially got up the field and created some problems for us... I mean we knew those two guys inside were great players, and are gonna be great players, but they had some fast ends that are gonna cause some problems with all the guys in the WAC. And they got some back-ups that can play, they're going to be a real good defense the rest of the year with those guys."

Offensively and defensively, Hawaii made plays when they needed to.

"We made enough plays to win the game," Rolovich said, "and the defense made plays, and the special teams made plays. You talk about out (all) three teams playing together pretty good today."

But the star had to be Moniz. On the ground, he rushed for 121 yards and three scores, both career bests. And after starting the game 1-7 through the air Moniz finished the game strong, completing 19 of his last 26 attempts for 178 total yards and a touchdown.

"I'd rather throw for the 500 and five touchdowns, no doubt," Moniz said when asked if he preferred to have a big game rushing or passing. "But it's just one of those things you got to make plays, and lucky enough I was able to do it with my feet today and walk away healthy. That's the biggest thing, being able to play every week. So I want to walk out of every week healthy, with a "W," and get ready for the next team."

Does this mean that we will not be seeing any more "Mobile Mo"?

Time will tell, there are 12 more games to find out.