Quotes from the local papers

About how he missed his first extra point attempt in last year's NMSU game, Dan Kelly said:
"It was wide right." (HA)

Note: Kelly made the rest of his extra points last season (19-19), and has made all 50 extra points this year.


About making 69 straight extra points, Kelly said:
"You do your job and good things come of it. I do my job the best I can, just like anyone else on the team. (Quarterback) Colt (Brennan) didn't set out to break records. He did it just by doing his job. Good things come when you do what you're supposed to do." (HA)


About how they replaced Kurt Milne with Funaki last year, Kelly said:
"Kurt was a great punter and a great player, but something wasn't clicking with us three. We had to find something that was clicking a little better." (HA)

HA Note: "Ingram returned as snapper, but then for a few games, Kelly and Briton Forester rotated as PAT kickers."


About how he tried different kicking motions last year during his struggles, Kelly said:
"It was definitely an experimental year." (HA)

HA Note: "During spring practice in April, Kelly settled on a technique. Instead of a looping motion, he went with a compact swing. With his right knee over the football, he would use a downward motion."


About his new, compact kicking motion, Kelly said:
"You always think you get underneath it more with a low swing. This one you come down at the ball. When you swing down at the ball, it pops up higher. It's completely opposite of what you would think logically in your head." (HA)

HA Note: "During the summer, Kelly attended Hugo Castellanos' free kicking clinics. Castellanos, who is based in San Bernardino, has tutored several Division I-A kickers. Kelly also consulted with Aaron Barret, a former UH kicker who serves as his volunteer kicking coach."


About Castellanos and Barret, Kelly said:
"Those are the guys who helped me the most. I developed a kick that looked like a kicker's." (HA)

HA Note: "During training camp, head coach June Jones named punter Tim Grasso, a first-year Warrior, as the holder. Jones theorized that Ingram, Grasso and Kelly would have more time to practice together because they are not involved in offensive or defensive drills. Grasso and Kelly also are roommates."


About his job as holder for kicks, Grasso said:
"A lot of the credit goes to Jake and Dan. All I have to do is be able to catch the ball and put it on the ground, to be honest here." (HA)


About Grasso, who was an all-state WR in high school in Utah, Ingram said:
"He's a good athlete. He catches it every time." (HA)


About how they went 6-6 on extra points at San Jose, Grasso said:
"The balls were wet every single time. On the sideline, I'm not going to lie, we were dropping the ball because it was so wet. That's why that last PAT was pretty exciting." (HA)


About how they will learn today if he'll be able to play, Mouton said:
"We'll see in the morning." (HA)


JJ said that even if Mouton will be able to play he:
"will be limited." (HA)


About how they have to prepare for NMSU's offense and its surprises, not just assume that it will be like UH's offense, DE Amani Purcell said:
"We've got to be careful. We don't want to think it's just like our offense and then they come out with a surprise." (HSB)


About how NMSU tries to establish the run early, Francis Maka said:
"We do our own thing; they pass a lot but that's not the only thing they do. They like to establish a good run game early on. Either way, we just gotta do what we do." (HSB)


About leading UH in sacks with 5, backup DE David Veikune said:
"I just go out every play and go as hard as I can. I'm lucky to get those sacks. Most of them are coverage sacks." (HSB)


About how Veikune plays hard when he gets to rotate in, GM said:
"David Veikune is one of our best defensive players. If we played him every down, he'd have 10 sacks. But he's a team player and it helps us in the long run. The thing about David, he's a relentless player. When they run screens, when the quarterback throws the ball, he'll get out there and make the tackle. He's a relentless pass rusher. He won't give up. Just keeps going." (HSB)


Expecting their defense to be challenged by facing NMSU's offense, Veikune said:
"It's going to be a tough game. They run that 2-minute O, just going, going, going. Plus, always passing down the field. Probably the most conditioning we'll need in a game. Last year we had a lot of injuries from the game before and I got a lot of playing time. I know this O-line a little bit, and the QB (Chase Holbrook), he's nicked up a bit." (HSB)


Hoping to make a big play like his brother Mel did in last year's game (Mel crushed NMSU's QB, leading to a fumble that Adam Leonard returned for a TD), Amani Purcell said:
"Yesterday I was talking to Mike (defensive tackle Lafaele) and saying I should wear (Mel's) number 98, so when the guy sees me, he'll say, 'Oh, no, he's back again.' I need to get me a (big hit) this week." (HSB)


About how both #2 safeties, Dane Porlas and Desmond Thomas, were out of practice yesterday with injuries, GM said:
"I had to take Dane off the field. He strained his knee in special teams but didn't want to come off. He'll be fine tomorrow. (Thomas) will be ready to go. I'm not worried about it." (HSB)


About how the injuries give their other safeties a shot a reps in practice and playing time, GM said:
"It gives us a chance to look at Erik Robinson, and Spencer Smith has been doing some good things, too. We got some looks at them and let the other guys rest." (HSB)


About how Mouton can play on Saturday if he can practice today, JJ said:
"Even if it's limited, it would be good for him to get the feel of it." (HSB)


About how they have already issued 37,000 tickets to the NMSU game, HF said:
"This weekend is obviously homecoming. We made some 2-for-1s available to alums as an enticement to come out and see their team." (HSB)


About the 47,500 tickets issued for the BSU game, HF said:
"Those sales are going brisk. I think the Boise game has gone sooner because of the opponent and Boise has not lost a conference game since I've been here. Thanksgiving weekend people have family in town." (HSB)


Richard Billingsley of the Billingsley Report told CBS Sportsline on Monday about UH's BCS chances:
"I'm not sure they'll make it up to that No. 12." (HA)


Billingsley apologized to UH and WAC officials for saying about UH's schedule:
"I don't think they deserve to be there (at No 12 at season's end). They absolutely are playing the worst schedule. I have them 119th out of 119." (HA)


Billingsley said that his comments were:
"very unfortunate and inappropriate" (HA)


Billingsley said that he:
"hated for the players, (coach) June Jones, the fans and everybody else [to read them.] (HA)

HA Note: "Billingsley said he heard from "several" UH fans regarding the comments."


About UH's schedule, Billingsley said that
"the fact is right now, in this moment, their schedule does not warrant a Top 12 ranking but that does not mean it is not going to at the end of the season." (HA)


Sounding more positive than his comments from Monday, Billingsley said:
"I think a Top 12 is probably realistic, but being undefeated is the key. They just absolutely have to stay undefeated." (HA)


Billingsley said that whether or not UH finishes in the BCS top 12:
"that is something that is still yet to be determined. That is going to depend upon what kind of season Washington continues to have and what kind of season Boise State continues to have. That's still unknown. By the end of their (UH's) season, their schedule is probably going to look a lot stronger than it does right now." (HA)


Billingsley warned against predictions, saying that:
"there is so much football yet to be played and so many things can happen and we've seen that more dramatically this season probably than any other season I've ever been involved in and I go back about 40 years with college football.

So even trying to make any kind of a projection would be supposition but I think traditionally, we can look at history in the last few years of the BCS and recognize that Utah made it, Boise State made it. They did it on their undefeated schedules (and) tradition says Hawai'i will probably make that 12th place as well." (HA)