Pregame quotes for the UH-FSU game

About the rivalry between UH and Fresno State, Colt said:
"They're just like us. They've had this game circled on their calendar for a while." (HA)


About the importance of this game, FSU QB Tom Brandstater said:
"It's a big game for us. We've got a shot (at the WAC title)."


About how both teams play hard against each other, JJ said:
"It doesn't take much to get up for Fresno. They get up for us." (HA)

About their 68-37 win last year, JJ said:
"We had some good fortune last time and hopefully we'll have some more this week." (HSB)


About their rivalry with Fresno State, Timo Paepule said:
"That's our rival, man. It's just like how it was at Saint Louis, when Kamehameha was our rival. Here, every game with Fresno has been a battle." (HA)


About how they have watched past UH-Fresno State games this week, Hercules Satele said:
"We've seen the clips of Hawai'i-Fresno when Ashley Lelie made that catch. There were a lot of close games. It's a good game every time we play them. It'll be a big game for us." (HA)


About how their goals have been raised with their undefeated record so far, Solomon Elimimian said:
"We know what we have to do. We have to take care of business. Anytime you're undefeated past the halfway point of the season, your goals are higher. We want it so bad. We also know we have to work so hard for it. It would be a shame not to end up where we want to be at the end of the season." (HA)


Feeling that their final 4 games are their real season, Colt said:
"I honestly feel, my first game is coming up. This is our season." (HA)


Excited to have these four tough games to play, Colt said:
"We have great tests coming up and it's a great opportunity. I see a tone of excitement and realization now is the time to step up and show what we can do. This week Coach came out and hit us with real hard practices. Watching the team respond has been pretty awesome. We've had great tempo, flying around. I know Coach Mack (defensive coordinator Greg McMackin) has been tough on the defense, too." (HSB)


About playing Fresno State, Paepule said:
"What I like is they always give you their best. They like to come after you. This is going to be the best team we've played so far. They'll be ready, and we'll be ready." (HA)


About looking forward to the challenge that Fresno State poses, Dennis McKnight said:
"As a player, I know a lot of times people say, 'Oh, I hope Lawrence Taylor doesn't line up on me.' Hey, you want to see where you are. You want to see where you rate. And right now, Fresno State is going to be a great challenge for us. They've got a great coaching staff, and great players." (HA)


About how Fresno State will be up for this game, Colt said:
"They're playing for a lot right now. They are definitely going to come in here with a chip on their shoulder, looking to knock us off. They're looking for their SportsCenter 10 minutes of fame." (HA)


About how Francis Maka will miss this game due to injury, GM said:
"Some others will have to pull the rope a little bit harder." (HSB)


About how Fresno State has blocked 74 kicks or punts during Pat Hill's 11 seasons there, including blocking UH's Dan Kelly 4 times in the past 2 years, Rich Miano said:
"They've got good athletes, and they put them on special teams. They've always been athletically better than anyone in our conference. They really work hard, and stress fundamentals and special teams and the importance of special teams." (HA)

HA Note: "Against Western Athletic opponents, the Bulldogs' average drive starts at their 42 following a kickoff. When they get the ball on punts, their average first snap is at their 32. Only once in 44 punt returns have the started a drive inside their 10."


About how Fresno State tries to win the field position battle on special teams, Miano said:
"They preach field position. They're trying to put you in a hole." (HA)


About their special teams success, Fresno State special teams coach John Baxter said:
"Everybody has a formula, and special teams is a special part of who we are. It's not a third of the game like people who don't know what they're talking about say. But it's an important 20 percent." (HSB)


Current WAC Player of the Week (for a kickoff return for a TD vs. Utah State) A.J. Jefferson says that UH's kickoff coverage is like Fresno State's:
"Hawaii's kickoff coverage team is very similar to ours. They come down the field very hard. There's no second level, so if you get past the first guys, you have a chance to go all the way." (HSB)


About Fresno State's running game, Michael Lafaele said:
"Now they're not so much downhill. They've added some wrinkles. They're kind of like LaTech the way they run the ball -- draws and stuff. I know they'll come down and try to pound the ball down our throat. But I think if we stop them in the beginning they'll try all kinds of stuff." (HSB)


About how Fresno State's offense uses a variety of personnel groups and formations, GM said:
"They go regular and kings, one tight end, two backs, two tight ends. They do a lot of things, but basically, they still run the ball. They try to keep that physical game going. So you have to control the line." (HSB)


About stopping Fresno State's running game, which averages nearly 200 yards per game, Fale Laeli said:
"You have to be a junkyard dog. You gotta be a dog out there, you gotta be a beast. You have to come off the ball and attack. Don't let them hit you -- hit them first. Let them feel our wrath, what we're made of." (HSB)


About how the coverage determinnes who he throws the ball to, colt said:
"You stick to the read. That's what's great when you have so many talented receivers. You don't have to worry about focusing on one guy. Basically, because they're all so talented, I can go through my reads and whoever's open gets the ball. I'm not really thinking this guy will get the ball more than the other guy. They're all on the same level to me." (HA)

HA Note: "In the past two games, Grice-Mullins has surpassed Rivers and Bess as the go-to receiver. During that span, Grice-Mullins caught 27 of the 37 passes thrown his way. His two-game YAC was 7.52. Conversely, Hawthorne's attempts dropped from an average of 7.3 for the first eight games to 5.0 in the past two."


About how he's improved significantly as a blocker, LWJ said:
"I felt I wasn't aggressive enough in my blocking. Our linebackers come at us at full speed. They usually blow us up. I felt it was time to get more aggressive." (HA)


About how they rotate 4 DEs, 6 DTs, 5 LBs, and 3 CBs, GM said:
"We consider them all to be No. 1 players." (HA)

HA Note: "The rotations keep defenders fresh, and makes it easier to replace an injured player. Thomas, who was considered the third safety, should have little difficulty filling in for free safety Keao Monteilh, who is out for the rest of the regular season because of a fractured shoulder blade."


About how he's been getting tips from fellow Farrington and UH graduates Al Noga and Ta'ase Faumui, John Fonoti said:
"Al Noga gave me some tips on rushing the passer. He told me a lot of things about technique." (HA)


Praising Fonoti, GM said:
"I love Fonoti. He's the kind of football player you love to coach. He's so physically strong in his upper body. He has a great intensity for getting to the ballcarrier or the quarterback." (HA)


About how he's recovered from his injuries, and hopes to kickoff further now (only 5 touchbacks in 68 kickoffs), Dan Kelly said:
"I'm starting to get that pop back." (HA)

HA Note: "Two of the kick-cover players — Maka and linebacker Rustin Saole — are out with injuries. UH has activated Kenny Estes, who was scheduled to redshirt, and added Erik Pedersen to the kickoff team. Pedersen is so aggressive he was asked to lessen the ferocity of his hits during practices."