Pregame Quotes for the UH-Boise State game

About how they have to do well in the game to keep the Boise fans from being a factor, Mac said:
"They have great fans, and if we want to keep them out of it, we have to do our job." (HA)

HA Note: "During June Jones' tenure as UH head coach, the Warriors never practiced the day before a game in Bronco Stadium. Instead, the Warriors practiced at high school fields or community centers. For some road games, the Warriors did not practice in the same state. But these are different times under Jones' successor, McMackin. McMackin led the Warriors' walk-through practices at Florida, Oregon State, Fresno State and, at last, at Bronco Stadium."

About having their walk-through at Bronco Stadium, Mac said:
"I wanted them to get used to the place." ( HA)

About the concern that the thin air would dry out hands, making the football slippery, Tim Grasso said:
"(Long-snapper) Jake (Ingram) worries about that. He thinks he'll dry up like a fish without water because he's an island boy. It's not that big of a deal. It doesn't affect me. (The region is) where I've lived. We'll be all right." (HA)

Mac said that the keys to deal with Boise's elevation are:
"hydration and being in condition. This team is in great condition. We've shown that in fourth quarters, and we've shown that in (the humidity in) Florida. Hydration is a big part of that." (HA)

Planning on rotating with the OL and DL, Mac said:
"We have depth." (HA)

HA Note: "The Broncos completed one of the top recruiting classes a month after defeating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Five true freshmen played last season, and six members of that recruiting class are in the No. 1 rotation, including quarterback Kellen Moore. The Broncos have become a widespread attraction. Their roster consists of players from 18 states, as well as three from Canada and one from the Netherlands."

About BSU, Mac said:
"They play together and they make plays and they're well-coached." (HA)

About how the NCAA cleared Rausch yesterday, just a little too late for him to go to Boise, JD said:
"I'm frustrated the way the whole thing happened." (HA)

"I'm glad the right decision was ultimately made, but it's just frustrating because we're here for the student-athletes." (HSB)

HA Note: "During an orientation meeting Aug. 2, Rausch inadvertently input the wrong code on an eligibility form. The mistake was detected the day before the past Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech. UH appealed, arguing that Rausch, who transferred from College of the Desert in May, had met the NCAA eligibility requirements but was being punished for a clerical error."

About how he didn't feel that Rausch should have been penalized, JD said:
"I don't think you (should) penalize a kid for something that is clerical in nature." (HA)

Feeling bad for Rausch, JD said:
"I feel bad for Brent most of all. That was my concern. I think that's what we're all here for, the student-athletes. It's great for Jake to be here, but it shouldn't have tied the coaches' hands to make a decision like that." (HA)

About how the OL likes that they are running the ball more, Brian Smith said:
"I think they like the challenge of running the ball. They like that more responsibility is put on them than had been in the past, where it was just (pass) protection." (HA)

HA Note: "In last week's victory over Louisiana Tech, the Warriors had a season-high 40 rushes (against 26 pass attempts) and, in a run-dominated third quarter, had possession for nearly 13 minutes."

About how the OL are relied on more now than they used to be, Smith said:
"Now, they have more of a personal role in the outcome of the game, which is good." (HA)

John Estes said that their running game:
"keeps the defense more honest. In years past, Colt did such a great job, sometimes we didn't have to block for him. He got the ball out when they blitzed. This year, we keep the ball, and it slows down their (pass) rush." (HA)

About how they need to block their defenders for a long time when Inoke is scrambling, Keoni Steinhoff said:
"It's a challenge when Inoke is back there. Coach always tells us to 'stick to your blocks. Never give up until the whistle blows.'" (HA)

HA Note: "If Funaki is hit, a defender better make sure he is tackled. Funaki's yards-after-hit average is 5.56 yards. Last week, even on a play that ended with a sack, he broke two tackles. Funaki's scrambling also puts pressure on his blockers. Against Louisiana Tech, Funaki escaped a sure tackle and sprinted across the field for a long gain. Estes and Steinhoff held blocks for 11 seconds."

About his OL, Inoke added:
"See what they have to put up with?" (HA)

About how he's caught only 34.8% of the passes when he was the primary target (at least he's getting an average YAC of 10.67 in WAC games), Malcolm Lane said:
"I've been making big plays, but I need to make more consistent plays. I always get one big catch a game. I can't settle for that. I'm not happy with my performance. I need to try to step it up and concentrate. I have to make the best of my opportunities." (HA)

About how the coaches want him to be more consistent, John Fonoti said:
"I have to step up." (HA)

About how former UH DEs Al Noga nad Ta'ase Faumui taught him the push-and-pull move and speed rush, Fonoti said:
"They helped me out a lot." (HA)

About how DE David Veikune has also been helpful to him, Fonoti said:
"Dave Veikune is one of my idols. I like the way he plays, really aggressive. He runs hard. I don't know if he's a machine on batteries." (HA)

About how his job is to block Ian Johnson on their FG attempts, Spencer Smith said:
"He's a good athlete. It's going to be a tough job. ... I've got to be disciplined. I know he's got moves." (HA)

HA Note: "The University of Hawai'i ranked eighth among the nine Western Athletic Conference members in the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate for football players, according to a report this week. UH graduated football players at a rate of 42 percent by the NCAA's formula and 37 percent by the federal formula for those athletes who enrolled from 1998 through 2001 and graduated within six years. The average Graduation Success Rate for Football Bowl Subdivision schools (those formerly known as NCAA Division I-A) was 67 percent."

About their poor graduation rate in football, JD said:
"I don't think the numbers are where they should be and our goal is to get 100 percent graduation. I'm concerned by the six-year average and we will improve. I know we have been steadily working to improve and the preliminary numbers (for the next APR) appear very positive." (HA)

HA Note: "UH head coach Greg McMackin has vowed to improve academic and graduation performance. To address the academic deficiencies he found upon taking the job in January, McMackin this summer hired Tony Tuioti as the Warriors' first director of player personnel. Tuioti's duties include serving as a coordinator for academics and recruiting. In addition, McMackin has raised the standard for walk-ons to be awarded scholarships to a 2.5 grade point average."

About how Mac has emphasized academics to his players, JD said:
"Coach McMackin has shown he is very serious about his players graduating." (HA)

About their interest in the MWC, BSU President Robert Kustra said that:
"we certainly appreciate the role the WAC has played in promoting Boise State [but] the (MWC) has always been a conference that has interested our fans ... " (HA)

About playing in Bronco Stadium, John Estes said:
"It's surprisingly loud, that's what I remember from '06. The stadium's not that big, but it's pretty loud." (HSB)