Quotes from Friday night

About the opportunity for their D, Wilson Afoa said:
"This is a chance for us to step up to a challenge. It's just a chance for us." (SPI)


About their offense, JJ said:
"I think our scheme is pretty good. A lot of people just don't ... they're not committed to what we do, and we committed to it, believe in it. We route adjust. We have packages where the receivers read coverage as the ball is snapped. It's a lot of reading on the run -- if (a defender) does this, we do that. Subsequently, we have a lot of plays." (SPI)


About how UH's WRs are dangerous after the catch, Tyrone Willingham said:
"What they do after the catch is amazing. All (four receivers) can take it and dash and make a 5-yard pass into a 50-yard pass." (SPI)


About how they are going to have to put pressure on Colt, Afoa said:
"As a D-line, we're going to have to give a fanatical pass rush. It's going to be a challenge for us to get to that quarterback." (SPI)


About how they will need to run the ball and keep UH's offense off the field, offensive coordinator Tim Lappano said:
"We've got to be able to manage the clock, and that means run the football. You're not going to shut them out, but we've got to slow them down, and I don't think anyone has done that -- not that I'm aware of." (SPI)


Praising RB Rankin, JJ said:
"(Rankin) might be the equivalent of (former Cal running back Marshawn Lynch). He looks like that type of player -- very explosive." (SPI)

"Their quarterback and running back might be the best athletes we've played all year." (SPI)


About what their offense needs to do, Lappano said:
"It's really important we stay on the field, convert third downs. We can't drop balls, can't fumble the ball, can't miss throws." (SPI)


About how they are going all out to beat UH, Lappano said:
"They're playing for the BCS game and $11 million. We're going to let it fly." (SPI)


About UW, JJ said:
"Washington has played the most difficult schedule in the country. They had USC down to the wire, beat Cal ... they can play. They beat Boise handily, and we're going to have to be ready to play another high-level game to beat them." (SPI)


About how they have to focus on the UW game, Colt said:
“I know everyone is really excited about the possibilities in front of us, but everyone needs to focus on Washington right now because we've got to win this football game." (AP)


About their trip to play UH, DL Jordan Reffett said:
“This is not a vacation. This is business. (We need to) get the job done and go out as a winner and give the fans something to cheer about, which we haven't done for a while,” (AP)



Sol Elimimian is happy with their success:
“but at the same time we know it could be gone in a second.” (AP)


Sol said that it would be "embarrasing" to lose to UW and added:
“If we lose to Washington, all of it is for nothing.” (AP)


Praising Jake Locker, Adam Leonard said:
“He's just a baller. Everything in the word 'athlete,' that's what he is. He's fast, big, strong. ... He's not an everyday quarterback that runs and gets out of bounds. He runs through tacklers and tries to score on every play.” (AP)


About facing UH, Locker said:
“It's a good opportunity to go in and kind of let it all hang out, give everything we have and see what happens.” (AP)


JJ called RB Rankin:
“scary.” (AP)


About facing UH's offense, Tyrone Wittingham said:
“You kind of feel like you're running up a treadmill all the time against these guys. You're chasing from behind and it takes most teams out of their game.” (AP)


About how he doesn't want Wittingham to be fired, Reffett said:
“Obviously I'm not the president or athletic director, but stability is the best thing this team needs right now." (AP)


About how UW reminds him of how UH was in 2005, his first year with the Warriors, Colt said:
“We had all the talent, but we just didn't put it together yet. But we played with everyone, and I think Washington is going to come out and play with us, especially with the season they've had. We've got to get this victory.” (AP)


Excited to end his college career at Aloha Stadium, former Hawaii state champion Wilson Afoa said:
“I’m definitely excited. Not many college athletes can say that they played their last high school game and their last college game in the same stadium.” (NY)


About the game, Afoa said:
“I believe 100 percent in my teammates. This is pretty much a business trip for us – just another game on our schedule. So we just have to step up to the challenge and play football.” (NT)


About why they are flying into Hawaii late so that they can sight-see on Sunday, Willingham said:
“Hopefully, the way we will do things will allow them to focus on winning the football game first, and then see the beauty of Hawaii." (NT)


About how he wants his teammates to get the feel of Hawaii, Afoa said:
“It’s real laid back. Everybody cares about each other. It’s just that love that you’re not going to feel anywhere else.” (NT)


About the laid-back attitude at Aloha Stadium, Te'o-Neesheim said:
“It was quiet whenever I’ve been there. I’ve been there for three games. One was Cincinnati, (another was) when they beat Michigan State and when they beat Idaho. They weren’t really that packed. They were quiet. It was kind of an island feel, I guess.” (NT)


About how he wasn't a big UH fan growing up, Te'o-Nesheim said:
“I watched UH football when I was there, but I wasn’t a super hard-core UH football fan. They never did this good when I was there.” (NT)


About how he went to UW to have a chance at conference titles and bowl games but they haven't had either during his 5 years there while UH will go to 4 bowl games and just won the WAC title, Afoa said:
“I’m happy for the state of Hawaii, where the program has gone. I respect coach (June) Jones and where he has taken the program to. But I have no regrets picking Washington over Hawaii.” (NT)