Warrior Quotes 11/4/10 (Warriors focus on Boise State's special teams)

About how Boise State uses a lot of trick plays on special teams, Richard Torres said:
"With Boise State you know there's going to be a fake coming, you can't let your guard down at all. It's going to be a great challenge for us discipline-wise." (HSA)


About how their special teams unit is working overtime this week to prepare for Boise State, John Hardy-Tuilau said:
"We know they're very good on special teams, so Coach Tormey is having us stay disciplined, working hard, getting extra time in. We're just cleaning it up so we can be as sharp as possible." (HSA)


HSA Note: "Boise State bedeviled the Warriors with blocked kicks over the past decade and successfully executed a fake punt in its win over Hawaii last year with punter/kicker Kyle Brotzman completing a pass to tight end Jason Robinson to extend a drive. The Broncos later pulled off the same play at a pivotal moment in their win over TCU in the Fiesta Bowl."


About how it is hard to prepare for Boise State's special teams, Chris Tormey (who noted that Boise State had 10 different formations for their 17 punts this season) said:
"They execute in so many facets of the kicking game. They always have a lot of fakes, a big package of tricks.  A lot of teams don't vary their stuff as much as they do. ... We have to be solid against a fake, but yet we want to put pressure on the punter and have a return scheme. It's tough when they do as much as they do and when they have so many formations." (HSA)


About how they have to be ready for anything and focus on their fundamentals, Torres said:
"What we see on game film most likely we're not going to see when we play them. We have to be ready for anything, and we just have to concentrate on our assignments and go back to the basics." (HSA)


About how they know how dangerous Titus Young is on kickoff returns, Tormey said:
"We all know what his abilities are. If he gets a crease, he's capable of making big plays.  They've always been solid on special teams ever since (former BSU coach) Dirk Koetter was there and they've only gotten better and they have better athletes." (HSA)


About the pouring rain during their 2-hour practice, Torres said:
"Love the ua. It's supposed to bring us good luck." (HSA)


About how he wasn't affected by the rain during practice, Bryant Moniz said:
"Tuahine rain. That's what they call Manoa rain, right? It doesn't make a difference. We played in the rain in Utah State (two weeks ago). It's not a big deal for us. Rain, snow, storm. We'll play in anything except lightning." (HSA)


About how most of his high school games were played in the rain, Moniz said:
"And we didn't have turf then. We had the mud. It was real football, like the kind you see on TV." (HSA)


About how they won't be affected by the weather conditions in Boise, especially since they recently played in Logan, Utah, Mack said:
"The good thing is we prepared for that in Utah. Our guys need to be focused, and weather is one of the factors. This is football. You play in whatever the situation is." (HSA)


Mack added:
"I lived in Oregon. The weather doesn't bother me." (HSA)


About how he missed his second consecutive practice because of a "tweaked" left hamstring but expects to start against Boise State, Kealoha Pilares said:
"I'll be good." (HSA)


About how he suffered his injury while warming up before the start of the second half of the Idaho game (UH was up 31-3 and he was held out of the second half), Pilares said:
"I told the trainers and coaches. There was no need for me to go back in. We knew this game (against Boise State) would be bigger, and we were ahead. They didn't want to push anything." (HSA)


About returning a punt from the 3, Pilares said:
"I didn't feel threatened at all. I caught it on the 3, and must have gone back into the end zone. It's all about trust. You have to trust that your teammates are going to block. I trusted they would cover their man, and they did." (HSA)


HSA Note: "The UH coaches were happy to learn that running back Alex Green's mother would be attending the Boise State game. In the two UH games Phyllis Smith has attended this season, Green has rushed for a combined 279 yards and seven touchdowns. Smith averaged 10.33 yards per carry in those games."


About how his Mom will be at the Boise State game, Alex Green smiled and said:
"She'll be there." (HSA)


About how he's from Portland and is used to running in the rain and having more running plays called when it is raining, Green said:
"Either way, I'll be ready." (HSA)


http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101104_Weather_cooperates_--_bringing_rain.html

http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101104_Truly_special.html