HSB = Honolulu Star-Bulletin
UH = University of Hawaii Athletics website
LT = Louisiana Tech Athletics website
AP = Associated Press
ESPN = ESPN.com
RL = Ruston Leader
ST = Shreveport Times
TNS = The News Star
--------------------- Quotes from the UH coaches -------------------------
About the loss, Mac said:
"We've played three games with great energy, even though we lost one last week. There are no excuses in football and there's no whining in football. We couldn't get it going today. We had to blitz to stop the run; we couldn't play base and stop the run. We had a lot of guys nicked up and had a lot of defensive lineman coming in and out." (UH, LT)
"There are no excuses in football, and there's no whining in football, but I tell you what, we couldn't get it going." (HA)
"We couldn't get our whole team clicking." (HA)
"We've had energy and we've had a great week of practice. We have played three games with great energy. There are no excuses in football and there's no whining in football. We just couldn't get it going." (HSB)
Mac said that they:
"looked like a tired football team." (HSB)
About how their defenders were not tackling how they were taught by the coaches, Mac said:
"Give credit to LA Tech. The problem against the run was the worst exhibition of tackling in football. We were diving and not tackling the way we teach. We're not that kind of football team." (UH, LT, AP, ESPN)
"The worst exhibition of tackling I've coached ... in football. I mean, we were diving; we were not tackling the way we teach." (HA)
"The problem against the run (was) the worst exhibition of tackling I've ever seen since I've coached in football. I mean, we were diving. We were not tackling the way we teach. We looked like a tired football team. We didn't have any energy." (HA)
About how their team didn't have energy in the game and look forward to playing at home against Fresno State, Mac said:
"We didn't have any energy and didn't play our best game. We're really looking forward to going home and playing Fresno State in front of our home crowd. Like I said, you can't make excuses and you can't whine." (UH, LT, AP, ESPN)
About how they couldn't stop Daniel Porter, Mac said:
"He was running all over the place on us; we couldn't stop him. He's quick and we knew he was a good running back. He had a big day. We couldn't stop him in (our) base defense; we couldn't stop him in blitz most of the time. It was pretty frustrating." (HA)
"We couldn't stop him. We couldn't stop him in base, we couldn't stop him in blitz most of the time." (HSB)
Praising the way that Royce Pollard played, Mac said:
"He came in and played well for Jovonte (Taylor) who had an ankle (injury)." (HA)
"He showed us a lot. He made some plays." (HA)
About Greg Alexander's injury, Mac said:
"We don't know the extent of the injury, but it's not good." (HSB)
Upset with the way they played on national TV, Mac said:
"I'm upset because we didn't play better because this was a nationally-televised game. Every sports enthusiast in the country saw us, and I feel bad that people saw us play this way because this isn't us. This isn't Hawaii football." (UH, LT, HSB)
"This was a nationwide game. Every sports enthusiast in the country saw us, and I really feel bad. I feel bad people saw us play this way. This wasn't us. This (wasn't) Hawai'i football." (HA)
"We didn't play Warrior football. That's frustrating." (HA)
About how they need to score TDs in the red zone, QB coach (and play caller) Nick Rolovich said:
"We need to come up with seven points, one way or another. We need touchdowns, not field goals." (HA)
Feeling bad for the injured Alexander, Rolo said:
"For a guy who worked that hard and has given so much to the program and fought through a lot of adversity and to finally start having some success and that happens, it's a tough deal." (HSB)
About how their defense made a lot of mistakes, DL coach Dave Aranda said:
"There were a lot of missed assignments, a lot of missed reads, a lot of mistakes on our part. We, very rarely, had 11 guys on defense playing the defense (we called). We would have eight, nine, seven. A lot of the issues were not guys getting knocked back or pushed-off-the-ball issues. A lot were gap issues." (HA)
About how their defenders did not close the holes quick enough, Aranda said:
"A lot of it was being stuck on blocks." (HA)
-------------------- Quotes from the UH players --------------------------
About how all sprains involve some degree of tearing, Greg Alexander was asked how much tearing he had in his sprained left knee and he said:
"I have no idea right now." (HA)
About how the hit that injured him was clean, Alexander said:
"It was a clean hit. The guy hit me pretty good. ... My foot just got caught on the turf." (HA)
"It was a clean hit. The guy hit me pretty good. I think my foot just got caught in the turf, but other than that it was a clean play." (HSB)
About how his injury occurred, Alexander said:
"I just heard a pop, I don't know what happened. It happened pretty fast, I think it got stuck in the turf a little bit, I'm not really sure." (HSB)
About what he was doing on the play where he was injured, Alexander said:
"I was just trying to get a little extra yards. I probably shouldn't have done that." (HA)
"I was just trying to get a little extra yards and probably shouldn't have done that." (HSB)
About how they worked all week on improving their performance in the red zone because they knew they had to get better at finishing drives, Alexander said:
"Offensively we weren't playing very well. We moved it down (field) the first drive and got three out of it. It was something we worked on all week and knew we had to get better and we didn't." (HSB)
About how he got more comfortable the longer he played, Bryant Moniz said:
"I was just thinking to get ready as fast as I can, tried to warm up and throw a few balls on the side. When I came in I missed the first pass, but as I got more reps I got more comfortable." (HSB)
About his fumble right before he scored a TD, Greg Salas said:
"I tried to reach out, tried to make sure I got (the football) over (the goal line), and I kind of hit somebody, and it popped out. I think it came out before (reaching the goal line). It was a fumble." (HA)
About how they did not execute in this game, Salas said:
"Couldn't get into sync. In practice we prepared exactly for what they did and we just didn't execute." (HSB)
About how their offense struggled, Kealoha Pilares said:
"It was hard out there, I guess, not getting the ball off. Now we don't have Greg (Alexander), it's even worse. We have to suck it up and get better. I mean, what else can we do?" (HA)
About how Louisiana Tech did a good job of limiting their yards after the catch, Royce Pollard said:
"They did a good job of closing in on us. They were good at predicting where we would go next." (HA)
About settling down after his false start penalty on their first series, Pollard said:
"Maybe I was a little nervous there at the start hearing the crowd and everything. After that, (I) just told myself to focus more. After that first hit, I was OK." (HA)
HA Note: "Pollard's seven catches for 84 yards were more than his career total entering the game."
HA Note: "To be sure Pollard did his bit. He also returned kickoffs for 146 yards on six attempts, including a 47-yarder."
About needing to work hard to earn his playing time, Pollard said:
"It is a very competitive position, so you have to work hard. It is decided by what you do in practice and Jovonte is a good receiver, so I have to work hard." (HA)
About how he watched his son Royce play from his home in San Diego, Anthony Pollard said:
"He looked good. He played well. I just wished he could have helped Hawai'i to win, too." (HA)
About giving up 7 sacks in this game (they had only 7 sacks total in their first 3 games), left guard Ray Hisatake said:
"You have good games and you have bad games. Unfortunately, this was a bad game. ... We have to do a better job of staying on our blocks longer." (HA)
Embarrassed how they played on national TV, Blaze Soares said:
"It was a big audience tonight. It was very embarrassing to perform like that on national television. This is not Hawaii defense. I don't know what to say about our defense tonight." (UH, LT)
About how only a few of their players showed up to play in this game, Blaze said:
"You can't do all your talking off the field; where it counts is on the field. We didn't show up. A few players did, but other than that, no energy. There's no excuses. We should have performed the way we perform every weekend." (UH, LT)
"To me, you can do all of your talking in the (locker) room, but where it counts is on the field. We didn't show up. Maybe a few players did. Other than that, we had no energy. It wasn't the type of defense we are. I don't know if we were in shock, or jet-lagged, or what it was. There are no excuses. We didn't show up, and that's an embarrassment." (HA)
About how they knew what Louisiana Tech was going to do but still couldn't stop their plays, Blaze said:
"We knew what they were going to do. The coaches gave us the perfect game plan to beat them. Every play we knew. We just couldn't stop them." (HA)
"Our coaches gave us the right schemes; we just didn't show up, we didn't perform. We couldn't stop their basic run plays. We had no energy out there." (HSB)
About how the tsunami in Samoa affected their team, Blaze said:
"It really affected us because we all represent the Pacific. That's a hard event and there's a lot of people affected by it. We tried to go out there and play for them tonight." (LT)
About how they should have been inspired to play for the people of Samoa, Rocky Savaiigaea said;
"What we should have done is come out and play even harder and give the people of Samoa something to smile about. We didn't get it done." (HA)
About how some players have family in Samoa, Rocky said:
"There's tons of us who have family in Samoa. There was more than just the game today. Coach (Greg McMackin) said this is just a game, this is not life. You play football in your lifetime, but there's things out there that's way more important than football." (HSB)
HA Note: "The Warriors were admittedly distracted by news of the tsunami in American Samoa. Defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea said he was told his cousin was killed. Defensive end Fetaiagogo Fonoti, who made his 2009 debut after missing the first three games with an injured left kneecap, had not heard from his mother and brother who were visiting American Samoa."
About how his family lives on higher ground and he was able to contact his parents, Sila Lefiti said:
"Both of them are fine, they're taking care of family members that are hurt." (HSB)
About how Daniel Porter was hard to tackle, Corey Paredes said:
"He has a low center of gravity. You have to wrap up and grab him. He's easily hidden behind the linemen, and when you finally grab a hold of him, he's short and powerful. You have to make sure you grab his jersey, or he'll keep going." (HA)
--------------- Quotes from the Louisiana Tech coaches --------------
Praising their fans, Louisiana Tech head coach Derek Dooley said:
"I'd first like to thank the fans. It was awesome to walk out there and see red. We challenged them, and they stepped up. It was a great university win." (UH, LT)
About keeping UH from scoring a TD, Dooley said:
"We had a phenomenal defense. It's been 62 games since Hawaii didn't score a touchdown." (UH, LT)
About the importance of being up 3 TDs, Dooley said:
"Three scores is always key. When you get up more than two touchdowns, you got the game in good hands. We got a big break at the end (when they fumbled on the goal line)." (UH, LT)
Praising their defensive coordinator for their game plan, Dooley said:
"The sacks are just devastating. We had seven, and Coach Spangler (defensive coordinator) had a great game plan. He was changing coverage, changing people. Everybody played with heart. I saw a whole team that just enjoyed the competition." (UH, LT, AP, ESPN, TNS)
"It was a phenomenal game plan by Coach (Tommy) Spangler. To stop a great Hawaii offense and hold them without a touchdown is unbelievable." (RL)
Proud of his team, Dooley said:
"You've got to keep doing it. It's just one game. You've got to have a good game day experience and keep investing in the program. This was a big game. I'm proud of the team." (UH)
"It was as a good a team victory as I've been apart of -- against a good football team -- starting with a phenomenal defense." (TNS)
"Our goal was to have four quarters of effort and that's what we did tonight. We didn't have a bad quarter. I was really proud of our team stepping up. This a good win, but it's still only one win. It is another step for us, but it doesn't put us anywhere. We've got to take each game as they come and be ready to give this same type of effort the next time." (RL)
"It was as good a team victory as I've been a part of." (ST)
"I'm proud they stepped up on national TV after we challenged the fans. We held up our end. This was a good university win. It was a good next step, but there is more to come." (ST)
About their success on offense, Dooley said:
"Hawaii had not played a team that ran the ball well." (LT)
Asked about RB Daniel Porter, Dooley praised Porter and their 2 freshmen RBs:
"He looked like himself tonight." (HA)
"To be able to rush for 366 yards against anybody is one great feat. Porter looked like himself tonight. We've got two good freshman runners (in Duplessis and DJ Morrow). You know I like to run the football. We had good command of the game, and I didn't want to lose that rhythm." (LT, HSB)
Praising their freshmen RBs, Dooley said:
"We've got two good freshmen runners (in Tyrone Duplessis and DJ Morrow). You know I like to run that ball. We really struggled protecting (the quarterback) at times. We had good command of the game, and I didn't want to lose that rhythm." (LT)
About how they had to be able to run the ball to win, Dooley said:
"For us to be a good football team, we had to get the running game going." (ST)
About how they have to be good every week now, Dooley said:
"Our goal has always been consistency in our performance, and that only comes with time. This was the next step, but you've got to keep playing. You've got to play every week." (LT)
Asked about their goal line stand before halftime, Dooley said:
"We made a great stop there. We didn't have a bad quarter tonight." (LT)
"We made a great stop there. I mean, two red zone stops, and that's a frustrating thing for offenses." (TNS)
TNS Note: "Hawaii had first-and-goal from the Tech two-yard line, and was turned away twice on runs up the middle. It was as if the Bulldogs were saying, "You're Hawaii, remember? You're not running on us. Try something else." On third-and-goal Alexander lobbed the ball to wideout Royce Pollard in the back corner of the end zone, but defensive back Deon Young was there with picture-perfect coverage to prevent a touchdown, and Hawaii settled for a field goal. It was the second time the Tech defense had denied the Warriors in the red zone."
Asked what the win on national TV means to their team, Dooley said:
"You've got to keep doing it. It's just one game. You've got to have a good game day experience and keep investing in the program. This was a big game. I'm proud of the team." (LT)
About how they have to play well next week also, Dooley said:
"You can't get elated and go back and get giddy and then you get embarrassed the next week. It's college football; you have to play every week. We have an extra day to enjoy it and we will." (ST)
About how they wore down UH, Dooley said:
"Eventually we broke their will." (HA)
"Eventually, we broke their will." (ST)
--------------- Quotes from the Louisiana Tech players ---------------
Praising their OL, RB Daniel Porter said:
"It was a great win, a great accomplishment beating Hawaii. The whole o-line did a great job-all credit to the entire team tonight." (UH, LT)
"A lot of big holes. I trusted the line, and the line trusted me to give me the rock." (HA)
About having his OL to dinner last week to bond, Porter said:
"I just ordered pizza and had them over to my house. Just wanted to let them know they did a great job last year, and thought it was right to do. I told them I'd do whatever it took to do it (be successful) again this year." (LT, AP, ESPN)
"I just wanted to let them know they did a great job last year. And, I thought it was right to do. I told them, I'd do whatever it took to do it (be successful) again this year." (HA)
About how his OL responded to his dinner offer, Porter said:
"We didn't have a game (last weekend), so I told them, 'my house, pizza on me,' so they all ran over." (HA)
"It wasn't just the pizza. It was snacks, drinks Hawaiian Punch, Snickers." (HA)
About serving Hawaiian Punch to the OL, Porter said:
"Yes, it was (a sign). I thought I'd have something left over (but) I had nothing. Snacks, candy bars, they wiped me out." (HA)
HA Note: "Porter was the second leading running back in the Western Athletic Conference last season when he ran for 1,164 yards. But so far far this season he had looked like a shadow of his former self, averaging but 3.3 yards per carry and 44.7 yards per game, a factor as the Bulldogs struggled to a 1-2 beginning."
About how he finally had a good game this season, Porter said:
"I got my mojo back tonight, and we'll go from there-one game at a time. I'm not going to say I was in a slump, but I wasn't getting my yards. God worked it out for me…I got it back. " (UH, LT, AP, ESPN)
"I have my mojo back. I'm not going to say I was in a slump, but I wasn't getting my yards." (HA)
"I hadn't been getting the yards like I needed to, so I knew I had to have a good game. I believe I have my mojo back now, though." (RL)
About how their confidence was boosted by this game, Porter said:
"The win helps a lot with our confidence. We know where we stand and what we're capable of doing." (UH, LT)
About how he now has 2 career TDs, both scored against Hawaii, RB Myke Compton said:
"I guess they just get the best (out of) me." (HA)
Comparing this year's TD with the TD he scored last year, Compton said:
"This time it was all about our offensive line making the holes." (HA)
About his hit on Greg Alexander that took him out of the game, LB Adrien Cole said:
"Basically it was man on man and I tried to put a good lick on him. I wanted to hit him (around) the numbers and keep it all legal. I hope he's OK." (HA)
About his interception, DE Kwame Jordan said:
"It hung up for like 20 seconds. I started to jump for it. My first thought was the endzone, then I felt a lot of people around me. It felt good to catch it. It helped the team out." (LT)
Asked about their defensive strategy against QB Greg Alexander, Jordan said:
"Let's go get him, get after him." (LT)
"Let's go get him, Get after him." (TNS)
About how this win gives them confidence, DL D'Anthony Smith said:
"We always knew we could do it and tonight we just started clicking. Once we started we couldn't be stopped. It's a moral and confidence booster going into Nevada next week. It makes you known in the conference since this was our conference opener. Come tomorrow morning, other teams in the conference will be talking about us." (LT)
About how this win will get other people's attention, D'Anthony Smith said:
"A win like this one and stopping them like we did, it makes everyone in the conference aware of what we did. Come Thursday morning, they'll be taking notice of us." (RL)
About putting pressure on QB Greg Alexander, D'Anthony Smith said:
"I've got to give all the credit to Thomas Spangler (Defensive Coordinator). He put us in position to make plays and we came through. It's a great feeling to pretty much dominate." (LT, HSB)
About stopping UH on 1st and goal at the 2-yard-line before halftime, D'Anthony Smith said:
"Our defense came through. They came out of I-formation which we didn't expect to see. But we were prepared for anything on goal line situations." (LT)
"They came out of I-formation, which we didn't expect to see. But we were prepared for anything on goal-line situations." (HSB)
------------- Other notes from the game ------------------
Note about the goal-line stand right before halftime and how UH might have tipped off the pass to Pollard:
"1st-and-goal at the 2: Handoff to Alex Green, stuffed after a one-yard gain. Hawaii calls timeout with 21 seconds remaining.
2nd-and-goal at the 1: Handoff to fullback Jayson Rego, stuffed for no gain. Hawaii calls timeout with 16 seconds remaining.
During this timeout, nine members of the Hawaii offense remained huddled up on the field, but QB Greg Alexander and WR Royce Pollard came to the sideline to discuss the next play with head coach Greg McMackin and offensive coordinator Ron Lee. This may or may not have had something to do with...
3rd-and-goal at the 1: Alexander attempts a fade pass to Pollard in the right corner of the end zone. Deon Young defends it perfectly, and the pass falls incomplete, forcing an 18-yard field goal.
I'm not sure the Tech defense noticed the sideline discussion, but who knows." (TNS)
Note about Mac's pregame speech:
"In a paint-melting, pregame speech, Hawai'i football coach Greg McMackin swung around a power chain in the locker room, knocking over cups, to emphasize the importance of last night's game.
It was the most energy — and damage — the Warriors caused all night." (HA)
Note about the milestones Louisiana Tech achieved in this game:
"The victory got a big "monkey" off of the back of Dooley and the 'Dogs, too. Tech had lost its past three games to the Warriors, including two since he came on board. It was also the Bulldogs' first win in a WAC opener since 2005." (RL)
"He didn't have a win against the WAC's "Big Three" — Boise State, Nevada or Hawaii — let alone a conference title. In Dooley's eyes, the Bulldogs "hadn't really done anything." Of course, he didn't mean that literally; bowl victories at any level are to be cherished. However, you can argue the landscape of Tech football changed more with Wednesday's beatdown at The Joe."
"Hawaii failed to score a touchdown for the first time in 62 games (2004 vs. Boise State)."
Bad trend for UH's scoring against Louisiana Tech (61 to 45 to 24 to 6):
"In the meeting prior to Dooley's arrival at Tech, the Bulldogs allowed 61 points to the Warriors. Hawaii scored 45 points against Dooley's Dogs in 2007 and 24 last year." (ST)
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