UH's defense prepares for the fast-faced Tulsa offense

About how they are preparing for the fast-paced Tulsa offense, Rich Miano said:
"We know one thing; this will be the fastest offense we'll see, and we're preparing for that." (HSA)


HSA Note: "The Golden Hurricane average an offensive play every 23 seconds. In several drives this season, Tulsa has called a play from a no-huddle formation and snapped the ball within 13 seconds."


About the fast pace Tulsa has, Dave Aranda said:
"Tulsa executes at a fast tempo. Good execution, plus the fast tempo, creates problems." (HSA)


About how Tulsa's offense prevents substitutions, which can lead to mistakes by the defense, Aranda said:
"Big plays come when (defensive) guys are worn down or tired. They get confused. ... When guys are gassed, they don't communicate. You get one guy doing this and one guy doing that, and that's when you get into trouble." (HSA)


About how defensive players make mistakes when they are tired, Miano said:
"When you're tired, your mental recognition goes down, and you tend not to see things clearly and not make calls. We've got to communicate with each other, and we've got to get aligned. Being mentally sharp is as important as being in shape physically. This team will test you." (HSA)


About how their top 2 offensive units were matched against their #1 defense during 7-on-7 and team drills, with one unit lining quickly after the other unit just finished a play, Mack said:
"We wanted to go rapid-fire against our No. 1 defense." (HSA)


About how they ran a drill where the scout team offense tried to run 2 plays every minute, with the defensive players having to make quick decisions, Mack said:
"Then (the defensive players) had to figure out which call to make. Tulsa has a fast-paced, no-huddle offense, so we have to have a quick-react, no-huddle defense. The way to do that is to practice fast." (HSA)


About facing the fast-paced Tulsa offense, Mana Silva said:
"We have to be in shape for this game." (HSA)


About how the scout-team offense was shown on Wednesday the list of 30 plays that they would run in Thursday's practice, with every play different, Joey Cadiz (scout RB, TE, and slotback) said:
"We learned a lot real quick." (HSA)


About trying to tire out the first team defense in practice, scout team QB Corey Nielsen said:
"It was about tempo. It was fun getting after them a little bit. It's more of a mental thing than a physical thing." (HSA)


Grateful that they are being prepared in practice to face Tulsa's fast-paced offense, Paipai Falemalu said:
"It was good to get a quicker look because Tulsa runs a no-huddle offense. We're adjusting. The coaches kept on us." (HSA)


About how they will be ready for the game, Kaniela Tuipulotu said:
"We're getting our lungs back. We'll be OK." (HSA)


About how they ran sprints the width of the practice field after their 2-hour practice, Mack said:
"Our guys are in great shape. Tommy (Heffernan, the conditioning coach) has kept them busy. He's making sure they're going to be able to play at a very fast pace." (HSA)


About how their players practiced through their exhaustion, Aranda said:
"The guys were gassed, but they pushed through it. They know what's coming on Christmas Eve. They're getting up for it." (HSA)


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