About JJ deciding to not offer him a scholarship during his recruiting visit, Ryan Wolfe said:
"It was one of those things that didn't work out. They had a couple of other guys ahead of me on the list. Those guys decided to commit." (HA)
HA Note: "Wolfe was told he would be put on UH's waiting list. Instead, a few weeks later, he accepted a gray-shirt offer from Nevada-Las Vegas. He joined the Rebels in January 2006. He now is the Rebels' career leader in receptions (223), receiving yards (2,893) and 100-yard games (10). Wolfe entered the season No. 2 in career catches nationally among active players. He also has earned a bachelor's degree, and is pursuing a master's in sports education leadership."
Asked if he would have accepted a UH offer, Wolfe said:
"It never got that far. It was one of those things where they said they'd let me know once they figured out what was going on. After that trip, I decided I wanted to come here." (HA)
HA Note: "UNLV defensive end Malo Taumua also waited for a UH offer that did not arrive. On the final day of a UH recruiting trip, the prospects would meet individually with Jones. After the chat, in Jones' office, a prospect might receive an envelope containing a scholarship offer. Taumua's 'Aiea High teammates — defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea and linebacker R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane — both walked away with envelopes. They now are UH team captains."
About not getting an offer from UH, Malo Taumua said:
"I wanted to leave to get a new experience. I wasn't too disappointed when I didn't get one of those (envelopes)." (HA)
About accepting a scholarship offer from UNLV, Taumua (who has started for 3 years at UNLV) said:
"I feel I made the right choice." (HA)
About his love for Hawaii, Taumua said:
"Hawai'i will always be my home. I love being on the Mainland; it's fun. But there's no place like Hawai'i." (HA)
About their 45-minute practice yesterday at Sam Boyd Stadium, Mac said:
"It was good to get out here, and get a feel for where we're going to play." (HA)
HA Note: "The Warriors also were able to adjust their active roster. Antwan "Tua" Mahaley arrived late Thursday as an injury replacement for defensive end Paipai Falemalu, who has a high sprain of his right ankle. Mahaley, who plays defensive end, is counted on mostly for special teams. At 6 feet 4, he is a skilled kick blocker."
About how Alexander understands that he needs to get rid of the ball quickly, Rolo said:
"The deal is to take what they give us, and quickly throw the ball where it needs to be thrown, and get the ball to the weapons we have as receivers, and just move the chains. (Alexander) understands that." (HA)
About how he has gone from a run-oriented JC team to a pass-oriented UH team, Rodney Bradley said:
"I caught the same number of passes in practices (at Navarro) as I do in our practices. The difference is in the games." (HA)
About how running sprints every day this summer (including for 4 weeks in Texas) have helped his 4th-quarter stamina, Bradley said:
"When you're in shape, you don't realize you're running hard." (HA)
About how the defenses have to go to nickel and dime defenses against their offense, which opens things up for the running game, Alex Green said:
"In some three-man fronts, I want the ball so bad. There are only two guys in the (tackle) box, and if you make a move, it's off to the races. When you get the ball in this offense, you have to make it happen. You never know if it's going to be your last touch." (HA)
About how UH added a new scheme where their DEs act like DTs, Jake Heun asked Elliott Purcell:
"We're still ends, right? OK, it's defensive tackle-esque." (HA)
HA Note: "There also are schemes where linebackers play on the defensive line, corners act like outside linebackers, and safeties become rovers. And then all or some revert back to traditional roles — all without changing the lineup. The chameleon-like options are the benefits of a defense that does not huddle."
About how Jeramy Bryant hits hard despite being 10 pounds lighter than Lametrius Davis, Mac said:
"Jeramy is slight, but he's powerful." (HA)
About how during FG drills this week the players and coaches surrounded him, yelled at him, and then someone threw cold water in his face as he made his approach to kick the ball (he made the FG), Scott Enos said:
"The worst is probably the water because you can feel it. You have to zone it out." (HA)
About how he learned to ignore distractions in high school, when an opponent even used a megaphone as a distraction, Enos said:
"It doesn't matter what anybody does. You have to make the kick. There are no excuses for missing. The other team isn't going to be quiet when you try to kick during the game." (HA)
About the sprained PCL he suffered last week, QB Omar Clayton said:
"When it happened, I didn't think it was anything serious. You've got to be mobile running the spread offense. Any injury can prevent you from doing your job." (HA)
About his 14 receptions over their first 2 games, UNLV WR Wolfe (who has 4.5 speed) said:
"I try to work hard in the offseason to get bigger and stronger so I can give out some rather than take all of the punishmen." (HA)
About how he has 5 stars tattooed on his body, one for each sibling, Starr Fuimaono said:
"There are six kids, but I don't need a star." (HA)
About recovering from a torn labrum in his right shoulder in 2007 and a torn ACL last year, Fuimaono said:
"I'm trying to show my team I've still got it." (HA)
About how he ended up moving from DT to DE, Taumua said:
"I get hyper a lot, and I like to work out. I just started losing weight. My strength coach had a hard time keeping my weight on. It's been good for me." (HA)
HA Note: "Of all the teams on the Warriors' 13-game schedule this year, only with UNLV is there a two-front recruiting tug-a-war with both teams' backyards in play. UNLV has five players from Hawai'i and is interested in gathering more and better ones. UH has two from Nevada, and has its eyes on an additional load of talent. Several players at Palo Verde High School, where the Warriors practiced for four days this week, came by to check out UH, which has confirmed it is talking to 10 players in the area. Meanwhile UNLV assistant Keith Uperesa, a Punahou School graduate, is a regular visitor on the recruiting circuit back home. So, while playing for a victory on the field at Sam Boyd Stadium and enhancing their bowl prospects are the immediate goals in a 5 p.m. (Hawai'i time) game, nobody involved is overlooking the recruiting skirmish that lies behind it. Or, what is up for grabs in the process."
About the importance of this game for recruiting, Mac said:
"Everybody wants to be with a winner, so I think it is important to win this game. This (Las Vegas) is the ninth island with 250,000 Polynesians here in this area and it is important that we represent Hawai'i and really give a good effort." (HA)
UNLV coach Mike Sanford said that a win:
"is important to these guys (UNLV's Hawai'i contingent) but it is also important to us." (HA)
"I think it's very important to (the Rebels from Hawaii), but it's also important to us for recruiting. We have five from Hawaii, and we had two from American Samoa. That's significant and we're going to continue to recruit Polynesian players and continue to recruit Hawaii." (HSB)
HA Note: "UNLV projects a crowd of approximately 32,000 for today's game, spokesman Mark Wallington said. UH's last appearance in Sam Boyd Stadium drew 38,125 in 2007, the fourth largest crowd in UNLV history. The Warriors were nationally ranked (22nd) then and the economy was better, officials point out. The Warriors' 2003 visit lured 34,287, the seventh largest crowd for the Rebels."
HA Note: "The Warriors expect to save $30,000 by remaining on the continent between last week's Washington State game and today's meeting with UNLV, athletic director Jim Donovan said. Donovan said it is projected to cost UH $275,000 for the 11-day, two-game trip. Had UH returned home after the game in Seattle and then flown to Las Vegas, Donovan said the price tag would have been approximately $305,000."
About how the team benefitted by staying on the mainland after the Washington State game, JD said:
"It saved us money, but I also believe the team benefitted by getting better acclimated to the (warm) weather in Las Vegas. After practicing (five) days in the heat, there shouldn't be any excuses." (HA)
HA Note: "Donovan said he was also influenced by how well the Warriors played at New Mexico State last year after remaining on the road. UH won, 42-30."
Not thinking about the long time he's been away from Hawaii, Vaughn Meatoga said:
"I'll go home after the game; until then it's just focusing on UNLV. Before that it's just doing your job." (HSB)
Praising how his team has done on the road this week, Mac said:
"They're put in a tough situation, but they have been outstanding." (HSB)
About how the team has been focused this week in Vegas, Meatoga said:
"It's been real business-like. Coach Mack is real intent on making us work. But it's been good, because we've been practicing real fast and high paced, so we've been getting a lot of things done." (HSB)
About how they have been focused, Greg Salas said:
"I think being here keeps us focused. We're all kept real tight together, and we get closer to one another and it makes us play harder for each other." (HSB)
Asked if the team is over their close loss to Oregon State, Ryan Wolfe said:
"We've put it in the past now. We've got enough to worry about with Hawaii coming in this week." (HSB)
About the fights in past UH-UNLV games in Vegas, Paul Hirayama (who is from Hawaii and loves the Warriors and works at the California Hotel and Casino) said:
"How would you like it if a Fresno State guy, all dressed in red, ran around the Aloha Stadium concourse with a Fresno flag? Do you think it might start a fight? A Hawaii fan did that with a Hawaiian flag and wondered why he got hit," Hirayama says. (HSB)
About how UNLV fans envy what Colt Brennan did at UH, Pali Li (who is from Hawaii and lives in Vegas now) said:
"He was such a great player, one like they've never had going all the way back to Randall Cunningham.' (HSB)
HSB Note: "Don't talk that smack around Bobby Franklin. "This is Rebel Country," shouts the casino floor supervisor at the Cal, even as the green-clad denizens of Warrior Nation fill up his blackjack tables."
About how UNLV fans care about UH football now, Riley Wallace said:
"They have a good team this year, so the UNLV fans are out in force, too. People here don't always care about Rebels football. But they do this year, and especially for this game." (HSB)
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