Pregame quotes for the UH-Idaho game

About needing to win 2 out of their last 3 games to make the Hawaii Bowl, Mac said:
"This is it." (HA)

John Estes said that the bye week was helpful, but warned of it being:
"fool's gold. We had a bye before the San Jose State game." (HA)

About the improvement in their offense, Mac said:
"Our offense has a little swagger. They're having fun again." (HA)

About how Alexander has taken a leadership role, Mac said:
"I'm really pleased the way he's taking the reins. He's a leader just by example. He doesn't say a lot. He's got that sly little smile." (HA)

About how Alexander is reading the defense before the snap, where against Florida he would analyze the D after the snap, Mac said:
"Now, he's doing pre-reads."

Alexander said that he is:
"starting to know the defenses more. I know where people are going to be. I'm seeing things backside before they happen." (HA)

About his poor sliding technique at the end of scrambles, Alexander (who played shortstop in baseball) said:
"That was pretty ugly. People gave me some crap about it." (HA)

About using his quickness at DT as a pass rusher, Francis Maka said:
"I'm going against 300-pounders. I have to catch them before they catch me." (HA)

About using Mouton at free safety this week, Rich Miano said:
"He can do it all. His versatility is huge. He understands football concepts. He has a very high football IQ." (HA)

About using Richard Torres and Spencer Smith to field onside kicks, Ikaika Malloe said:
"I depend on those guys, and I trust those guys. They have the right mentality. It doesn't scare them to stay in there and catch the ball." (HA)

About the chance to rain during the game, Mac said:
"Whether it rains or doesn't rain, we're happy to be home." (HSB)

About how they feel after the bye week, Keala Watson said:
"It kind of reminds me of camp. Everybody's fresh and ready to work. Everybody's just eager to get back out there." (HSB)

About how they will not overlook Idaho, Alexander said:
"We're not taking them lightly. We know what's at stake here and we have to go out and handle our business. We don't look back, but you can always learn from your mistakes." (HSB)

HSB Note: "The Warriors will face an Idaho defense that scrapes the bottom of the national rankings, checking in at 117th in both scoring defense (42.2 ppg) and total defense (483 ypg)."

About what they learned against Utah State, Ron Lee said:
"It's not really who we play, it's how we play." (HSB)

About how they benefited from the bye week, Ron Lee said:
"I feel like guys are so much faster, quarterbacks' arms are stronger. Everybody's refreshed. I think the guys are starting to have fun. They're practicing better, they're more focused, the execution is better." (HSB)

About how TE Eddie Williams will miss the game due to a knee injury, where Williams led Idaho in receiving and scored 2 TDs against UH last year, Keao Monteilh said:
"He was a beast. He was fast, he was strong, he was hard to bring down." (HSB)

About Idaho's OL, DL coach Dave Aranda said:
"They have a center and a guard who are two of the best we've seen." (HSB)

About how Kama Bailey is dangerous as a returner, Ikaika Malloe said:
"He does a good job of finding just a small crack and hitting it hard." (HSB)

About how he was an assistant with Idaho in the 1970s, when Idaho won more than they lose and were better than BSU, Mac said:
"It was a good experience, early in my career. We were playing pretty good football. I remember beating Boise State regularly. The dome was relatively new, a neat deal at that time. Idaho's the state school, the traditional school. I was really proud when I got a job there. It was a big step." (HSB)

About the work ethic Idaho's head coach, Ed Troxell, insisted on, Mac said:
"With Ed we would go to work at 5 a.m. and leave at midnight. You'd go by his office on your way out and he'd still be in there puffing on his pipe and you'd feel guilty about going home at midnight. He was one of those grinder guys." (HSB)

About how Idaho belongs in D-IA, Mac said:
"I think they really do. It's a very well-respected school. It reminds me of the University of Oregon, a lot of support and money. I think there's a real commitment to being very competitive." (HSB)