Quotes from the UH-UNLV Game

HA = Honolulu Advertiser
HSB = Honolulu Star-Bulletin
AP = Associated Press
RY = Rebel Yell
OCR = Orange County Register
LVRJ = Las Vegas Review-Journal
UNLV = Official site for UNLV Athletics


Quotes from UH Coaches
About the importance of their road games at La Tech and UNLV, JJ said:
"I really felt these two road (games) were going to be a catalyst for our season." (AP)

"I told you guys that these two road (games) will be the catalyst to our season. Hopefully I'm going to be right about that. We had great practices in Houston (where the Warriors stayed last week after winning 45-44 in overtime at LaTech). We didn't have any jet lag today. It made a big difference." (HSB)


Proud of their players for winning back-to-back road games, JJ said:
"In the first quarter we were feeling our way. Then I'm glad the guys got rolling. It's tough to win on the road. I'm proud of the guys." (HSB)


About using runs and draws to slow down the pass rush, JJ said:
"We know we have to run the ball to control the pass rush. Screens are good for that, too. At one point we had seven straight screens." (HSB)


About Colt, JJ said:
"He threw the ball pretty well. He can run around and scramble." (HSB)

About Colt 2 TDs via QB sneaks at the goal line, JJ said:
"They were situations where they were 4 inches to go," he said. "If it had been a yard I would have probably thrown it." (HSB)

"I felt bad I had to run him on some quarterback sneaks (for touchdowns). But sometimes you've got to take it for the team. He sucked it up and played good." (HA)


About Colt playing with his injury, JJ said:
"I saw him this morning at breakfast and he was walking but he didn't think he could play without deadening it, so he did. He's a tough kid and he wanted to play." (HA)


About Colt's injury status, JJ said:
"He likes to run around and scrambled so much I'm hoping it (the sprained right ankle) isn't going to be a problem. If he was just like me and couldn't run around then it wouldn't be an issue. But because he can run around, it may linger." (HA)


About UNLV's final score, JJ said:
"It is too bad they got that one. Our defense really played well." (HA)


Praising their RBs, RB coach Wes Suan said:
"They were solid. It's good to learn in a win like this." (HSB)


About how they took advantage of UNLV being willing to give up the underneath routes and the openings for the running game, Suan said:
"It's just June observing the whole game plan and attacking the weakness. If they rush four and defend the pass, that helps the running game." (HSB)


About how they adjusted their D after the first drive to account for UNLV's running game, GM said:
"We made some adjustments after feeling them out that first drive. We went to an eight-man front because they wanted to run it more than I thought they would." (HA)

GM said that his D:
"is a really smart group, they can adjust easily. We were a little tight at first — give UNLV credit — but we shut them down after that." (HA)

About how UNLV gave up their running game after UH's offense started scoring, GM said:
"They tightened their splits and started to throw the ball, so then we could go after them." (HA)


Quotes from UH Players

About how he wasn't going to sit out the game despite the ankle injury, Colt said:
"I wanted to make a statement. There was no way I wasn't going to come out and play this game. They'd have to cut my leg off for me not to come out and play. I knew if I shot it up and I came out here hobbling around with one foot and just made plays, it would do a lot for the team. And that's what I tried to do." (AP)

"The truth is, I can't feel most of my leg right now. But I was not going to miss this game. I wanted to make a statement. I had more than 100 friends and family here. They were going to have to cut my leg off for me not to play." (OCR)

"I can't feel my leg right now. I'm sure when I wake up, my ankle will be fat and black and blue. But I wasn't missing this game. No way. I had over 100 family and friends here and I wanted to come out and make a statement." (LVRJ)

OCR Note: "We came to witness Colt Brennan's arm Saturday night. We saw almost as much of his thoroughly uncelebrated feet. One of the most accomplished passers in college football history ran for three touchdowns, which was sort of like attending a Rolling Stones concert and seeing Mick Jagger juggle. Afterward, after Brennan and Hawaii had buried UNLV 49-14, after he had signed autographs, posed for pictures and even obliged a female fan who requested a kiss, Brennan did something else that was surprising. He announced one of his two feet wasn't right."


About his injury, Colt said:
"I got shot up so I couldn't feel it anymore. That wasn't going to stop me." (OCR)

"I came here and screwed around before practice started, jumped and came down wrong on my ankle. I heard a pop and all of a sudden I couldn't practice. The trainers did a great job with me last night and this morning. They shot it up and I wanted to come out here and make a statement." (HSB)

"I was out here (goofing) around before we started practice. I jumped up for a ball and I heard a loud snap and pop. It looked like a golfball in 35 minutes but the trainers did a great job and took me into (the training room) right away." (HA)

OCR Note: "Brennan wasn't at his video game-like best, but he was typically brilliant in terms of efficiency, completing 26 of 32 passes for 298 yards. Not bad, especially for a guy whose right ankle looked like a Clydesdale's, taped and braced and bulky. It happened Friday, Brennan jumping during practice and coming down awkwardly enough that all of Hawaii felt the pain."


About suffering his injury while playing catch with C.J. Hawthorne, Colt said:
"I was having fun. When I jumped up to try and catch a football, my ankle gave out, and I heard a loud pop. Within a couple of minutes, it just swelled up." (HA)

"I knew right away something wasn't right. (The trainers) attacked (the injury) all night and all morning and all afternoon. They did a great job to make sure I could play." (HA)

HA Note: "Colt said that after all the therapy there was a "sharp pain" in his ankle yesterday morning (the morning before the game).

OCR Note: "Some people question his bloated statistics, based on Hawaii's no-run, all-shoot offense. But no one should question his toughness after this game, when he drove off a bum ankle for three short scoring runs."


About his injured ankle, Colt said:
"I'll be rehabbing this bad boy this week." (HSB)

"I was pushing it. And the truth is I can't feel my leg.Tomorrow, my ankle is fat, black and blue then, then the next couple of days will be rough days. I knew if I shot it up and hobbled around on one foot and made plays then it would do a lot for the team and the crowd. And, that's what I wanted to do." (HA)

HA Note: "Brennan received a shot of cortisone to numb the pain. His right ankle was heavily taped. A second layer of tape was wrapped around his sock."


When they took the tape off his ankle, Colt said:
"Aaaaaurgh!" (HA)

HA Note: "Quarterback Colt Brennan let out a wake-the-comatose scream as the adhesive athletic tape was ripped from the skin of his black-and-purple sprained right ankle following Hawai'i's 49-14 football rout of Nevada-Las Vegas last night at Sam Boyd Stadium."


About how his ankle injury is worse now because he played on it, Colt pointed to the deep bruise coursing from his ankle to the right side of his right foot and said:
"Look at how bad that looks. There's no doubt I probably injured it more because I did play on it. But there's no way I wasn't going to play." (HA)


About how Graunke might have played most of the game, Colt said:
"I was questionable. We thought Tyler was going to play most of the game. I didn't know how much I was going to play." (HA)


About how he loved all the UH fans at their road game, Colt said:
"I loved playing in this atmosphere. I loved that there was so much (Hawaii) green in the place." (OCR)


About the estimated nearly 20,000 UH fans at the game, Colt said:
"They turned it into a home game." (HSB)

"When I saw the atmosphere, there was just no way I wasn't going to play. I was going to be the best one-footed player." (HA)


About what he told his teammates in the locker room before the game, Colt said:
"I've never been an arrogant guy. I've been confident, but never arrogant. But I told everyone I would have the best game of my life on one foot. I was so excited to come out here and make a statement." (HA)

"I told everyone I wanted to have my best career game. Statistically it wasn't but emotionally it was." (HA)


In part of his awesome article on Colt, Jeff Miller of the OCR wrote:
"He doesn't make it look easy; he makes it look predetermined, as if Hawaii reaching the end zone is as inevitable as the game clock reaching 00:00. He throws darts more than he throws passes and is as precise as a decimal point. He missed on his first attempt, then completed 13 in a row, hitting fingertips and chests and coolly filleting the Rebels, practically separating them from their tattoos. During his best stretch, he went 26 minutes, 34 seconds between incompletions.

Much of Hawaii's offense is moderate-risk, high-reward. It's less joy stick, more point-and-click, Brennan making quick decisions followed by quicker flicks of his wrist. On many of his attempts, the ball is in the air for only a blink or less. Still, his ability to find the friendly jerseys is uncanny. In the Warriors' first three games, Brennan has thrown 133 passes, 132 of which have not been intercepted."


Asked to explain his success, Colt chose to credit his teammates instead of campaign for the Heisman:
"Look around me. I have one of the best offensive lines in the country. Our receivers are among the best in the country. I get a lot of the accolades, but look around me." (OCR)

"One thing I've got to say, walking into this game, I knew I would be limited. My team — my o-line and receivers — filled in with so much love and pride. This is no dis. I know there are some very talented receivers out there across the country. But there's no doubt the best receiving corps in the country is at the University of Hawai'i. Everyone says: 'How do you make it look so easy?' Well, geez, it's easy when you have my receivers. The reason is the way they work together and the way they play together." (HA)


About how several OL came to check on him when his ankle was being treated, Colt said:
"As you can see, they give the love. I love these guys more than anything, man. And our defense, you can't ask for a better performance. It's great being on this team." (HA)


About how they prepared for a tough game vs. UNLV, Colt said:
“We knew it was going to be a game. We thought it was going to be a four-quarter battle. That is what we expected." (RY)

"We had a week to prepare and all we did was sit in a hotel room (in Houston) and game-plan for UNLV. There was nothing else for us to do, so we knew we would be ready and we knew we had the advantage. We expected a four-quarter battle. We got down 14-0 last week (against Louisiana Tech) and we didn't panic. We had a good game plan and we just stayed with it." (LVRJ)

"We spent the whole week holed up in a hotel room with nothing to do but prepare." (HSB)


About going down 7-0, Colt said:
"We knew they (the defense) would come back. We were smiling (on the sidelines). We wish the cameras had caught our faces. We even turned back to the fans when they were all fired up, talking trash, and told them: 'The bad news for you is there are four quarters left to go in the game.' " (HA)


Bess said that several teammates went to Colt and told him:
"We've got your back. We know you're not 100 percent, but we're here to help you get the 'W.' " (HA)


About improvising when Colt was scrambling, Rivers said:
"We're all on the same page. We rallied around Colt." (HA)


About Colt playing injured, LT Keith AhSoon said:
"I wasn't worried. Colt can play with one leg, with no legs, and he'll be good." (HA)


About stopping UNLV's offense after the first drive, Sol Elimimian said:
"They gave us a lot of trouble on the first drive. We had to slow down and calm down and do our responsibilities. They use multiple formations and try to make the defense make mistakes. They spread us out." (HSB)

"Everybody stayed calm and confident." (HA)

HSB Note: "One adjustment UH made was often using a three-man front and five defensive backs to counter UNLV's quickness on offense and penchant for the perimeter. Outside linebacker Adam Leonard was in on 11 tackles and Desmond Thomas, the fifth DB, participated in six stops."


About UNLV's players and the personal foul penalties, Mike Lafaele said:
"Some of them played dirty and didn't respect the game. We felt like some of them didn't show class on the field. They have a lot of young guys." (HSB)

About UNLV scoring on their first drive to go up 7-0, Lafaele said:
"Stuff like that is going to happen. We can't get riled up about one touchdown. Coach (Greg McMackin, the defensive coordinator) told us to relax and not get stressed." (HA)

About the difference between this game and how they reacted to being down at the start of the La Tech game, Lafaele said:
"this time we were confident we could stop 'em. We took some punches in the beginning but we bounced back." (HA)

"This time it was good to look at the scoreboard." (HA)


About blowing out UNLV, C.J. Hawthorne said:
"I think it is important. This is what we're capable of or more every week. It is important to make this kind of a statement." (HSB)


About their new Hawaiian chant/dance, Karl Noa said:
"For us, I think it's a lot more fitting. There's been a lot of controversy with the old one. This gives us an identity for this year. It's special because it's made by guys on the team." (HSB)


Quotes from UNLV coaches and players

Praising Colt, UNLV coach Mike Sanford said:
"I think he's excellent. He's a very efficient quarterback." (AP)

"I think he is excellent. There are some really good players that are up for the Heisman Trophy and I think he is excellent and very productive. He is a very efficient quarterback and I give them credit." (UNLV)


Praising UH, Sanford said:
"That is a good football team and you have to give them credit. They moved the ball well. We forced them to be patient and they were. They have a good quarterback, they pass protect well and they have good receivers." (UNLV, RY)


About their game plan to stop UH's offense, Sanford said:
“I thought we tackled pretty well and kept them from breaking some of the draws, screens and short passes. We kept them controlled early on but as the game went on we let them out of there a little bit too much.” (RY, HSB, UNLV)


About how they have to cut down on their personal foul penalties, Sanford said:
"I don't know how many personal foul penalties we had, but we had way too many. We are a blue-"I thought at times that we moved the ball on offense, but we made the dumb mistakes that hurt us in critical situations. It put us in negative situations as far as long-yardage spots. I don't know how many personal foul penalties we had, but we had way too many. We are a blue-collar football team and we can't have those kinds of mistakes." (UNLV, HSB)


About how they need to bounce back next week, Sanford said:
"The big challenge is who are we. We've got to find out who we are and what we're made of." (LVRJ)

"We have a long season ahead and we have a great opportunity ahead next week against a Mountain West team, Utah coming in here. We didn't play well tonight but we have a great opportunity to make a comeback next week. I know though that our football team can play better than that. We are a young team and deep down right now, who are we? We have to find out who we are and what we are made of. We have to find out about our ability to bounce back from a very difficult and disappointing loss." (UNLV)

LVRJ Note: "A loser of a football program that has grown into a threat to play in a Bowl Championship Series game from a non-BCS conference. A wide-open offense that seemingly moves at will, led by a quarterback who could become the first to go from his position in next April's NFL Draft. Hawaii is what UNLV wants to be when it grows up."


About their fans, Sanford said:
"I want to give tremendous credit to our fans. I thought it was a great crowd, the fans were great and they supported us. Now the comment to them is don't give up on us. We will be back." (UNLV)


Praising Colt, UNLV LB Beau Bell (12 tackles, 1 sack, tons of amazing hits) said:
"We knew how good he was coming into this game, and tonight solidified it. We didn't get it done." (LVRJ)

"We didn't expect him to run so much." (HA)

"We knew how good he was coming in. We didn't expect him to run out of the pocket so much." (HA, UNLV)


About how they didn't execute their game plan, Bell said:
"We had a good plan, but all of our mental mistakes were frustrating tonight." (HSB, UNLV)


Looking forward to their next game, Bell said:
"This game is behind us for this team and we are looking at Utah. We'll get our momentum back by having a great week of practice." (UNLV)


About how he thought they could keep up with UH's offense, UNLV QB Dixon said:
"I thought we had to go score for score with them and try to keep the offense off the field as much as possible. We started out strong the first series, and we kind of petered out after that." (LVRJ)