About accepting an invitation to play in the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star football game on February 5, Alex Green said:
"I'm looking forward to it." (HSA)
About leaving his home on Sunday to begin training at the Home Depot Center on Monday, Green said:
"I'll be roommates with Greg Salas." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Salas' agent, Kenny Zuckerman, and Hoffman are friends. They have arranged for Green and Salas to live together in an extended-stay hotel in Manhattan Beach, Calif., while they train."
Looking forward to trying to earn a spot in pro football, Green said:
"I'm ready to get things rolling, and start a new chapter in my life." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101230_Green_invited_to_NFL_combine.html
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Greg Salas chose Kenny Zuckerman for his agent
About selecting Kenny Zuckerman to be his agent, Greg Salas said:
"I'm impressed with the people he represents, and I felt really comfortable with him." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Zuckerman also represents former UH players Davone Bess of the Miami Dolphins, Ryan Mouton of the Tennessee Titans, Isaac Sopoaga of the San Francisco 49ers, Wayne Hunter and Brashton Satele of the New York Jets, and David Veikune of the Denver Broncos."
Praising Greg Salas, Zuckerman said:
"Greg has the 'it' factor. Most Hawaii players don't get on the scene until the postseason. Having the stage at the Senior Bowl is going to be really big." (HSA)
About how Salas will impress NFL scouts, Zuckerman said:
"I like his competitive nature. After he dropped a punt (in the Hawaii Bowl), he tried to put the team on his back. He felt very obligated to pull them back into the game. He's a winner. He's extremely coachable and extremely grounded. I expect big things from the guy at the next level." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101229_Salas_chooses_agent_Zuckerman.html
"I'm impressed with the people he represents, and I felt really comfortable with him." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Zuckerman also represents former UH players Davone Bess of the Miami Dolphins, Ryan Mouton of the Tennessee Titans, Isaac Sopoaga of the San Francisco 49ers, Wayne Hunter and Brashton Satele of the New York Jets, and David Veikune of the Denver Broncos."
Praising Greg Salas, Zuckerman said:
"Greg has the 'it' factor. Most Hawaii players don't get on the scene until the postseason. Having the stage at the Senior Bowl is going to be really big." (HSA)
About how Salas will impress NFL scouts, Zuckerman said:
"I like his competitive nature. After he dropped a punt (in the Hawaii Bowl), he tried to put the team on his back. He felt very obligated to pull them back into the game. He's a winner. He's extremely coachable and extremely grounded. I expect big things from the guy at the next level." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101229_Salas_chooses_agent_Zuckerman.html
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
UH projects travel subsidies between $1.1 million and $1.2 million for the MWC/Big West conferences in 2012
About how the $1.1 million to $1.2 million they project for annual travel subsidies when they join the MWC and Big West in 2012, but it could be made up by reduced travel costs, improved rights fees, and improved ticket sales, JD said:
"It could be a wash." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Terms call for UH to pay a maximum of $150,000-$175,000 for each of the four MWC football opponents who come to Aloha Stadium, depending upon which time zones they come from. Meanwhile, UH will pay approximately $500 per person for Big West teams in men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, women's volleyball, soccer and water polo and other sports to come here."
HSA Note: "Until the WAC expanded to 16 teams, for example, UH paid for 65 roundtrip tickets from the West Coast for conference football opponents and 18 in men's basketball and other sports provided they did not make use of the so-called "Hawaii Exemption," an NCAA policy that permitted an extra contest. The mounting cost of unreimbursed travel to Hawaii was one reason cited for not including UH when the MWC was formed in 1999 by eight renegade members from the old WAC -- Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, Nevada-Las Vegas, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming. In the Big West, opponents received a flat $4,500 per team for women's volleyball, basketball and softball teams. A Big West request for enhanced travel subsidies in 1991 helped put UH on the road to the WAC in women's sports."
HSA Note: "For MWC football teams, the numbers are set to approximate the cost of a charter flight for a travel party of up to 130 people. The roster limit for MWC football travel squads is 64 players, with the remainder made up of coaches, support staff, broadcasters and officials. MWC opponents from the Pacific Time Zone -- Fresno State, Nevada, UNLV and San Diego State -- would have the $150,000 ceiling, while foes from the Mountain or Central time zones would receive up to $175,000, according to an agreement in principle. If UH can demonstrate a cheaper fare, it can negotiate a lower cost. UH has offered opponents in both the MWC and Big West an option to book travel themselves under the agreed-upon ceilings or to have UH book it for them though a designated travel agency, assuming responsibility for the cost."
About how some of their schools will take the option to have UH book their travel through a designated travel agency, with UH taking responsibility for the cost, Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said:
"There are probably a pretty good number that will opt for the Hawaii booking option." (HSA)
HSA Note: "UH paid nearly $100,000 in airfare to bring USC here for the 2010 season and will pay nearly $150,000 to bring Tulane in from New Orleans for a nonconference game in 2011.:
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101228_Travel_tab_may_top_1M.html
"It could be a wash." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Terms call for UH to pay a maximum of $150,000-$175,000 for each of the four MWC football opponents who come to Aloha Stadium, depending upon which time zones they come from. Meanwhile, UH will pay approximately $500 per person for Big West teams in men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, women's volleyball, soccer and water polo and other sports to come here."
HSA Note: "Until the WAC expanded to 16 teams, for example, UH paid for 65 roundtrip tickets from the West Coast for conference football opponents and 18 in men's basketball and other sports provided they did not make use of the so-called "Hawaii Exemption," an NCAA policy that permitted an extra contest. The mounting cost of unreimbursed travel to Hawaii was one reason cited for not including UH when the MWC was formed in 1999 by eight renegade members from the old WAC -- Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, Nevada-Las Vegas, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming. In the Big West, opponents received a flat $4,500 per team for women's volleyball, basketball and softball teams. A Big West request for enhanced travel subsidies in 1991 helped put UH on the road to the WAC in women's sports."
HSA Note: "For MWC football teams, the numbers are set to approximate the cost of a charter flight for a travel party of up to 130 people. The roster limit for MWC football travel squads is 64 players, with the remainder made up of coaches, support staff, broadcasters and officials. MWC opponents from the Pacific Time Zone -- Fresno State, Nevada, UNLV and San Diego State -- would have the $150,000 ceiling, while foes from the Mountain or Central time zones would receive up to $175,000, according to an agreement in principle. If UH can demonstrate a cheaper fare, it can negotiate a lower cost. UH has offered opponents in both the MWC and Big West an option to book travel themselves under the agreed-upon ceilings or to have UH book it for them though a designated travel agency, assuming responsibility for the cost."
About how some of their schools will take the option to have UH book their travel through a designated travel agency, with UH taking responsibility for the cost, Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said:
"There are probably a pretty good number that will opt for the Hawaii booking option." (HSA)
HSA Note: "UH paid nearly $100,000 in airfare to bring USC here for the 2010 season and will pay nearly $150,000 to bring Tulane in from New Orleans for a nonconference game in 2011.:
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101228_Travel_tab_may_top_1M.html
Monday, December 27, 2010
MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson says that football-only UH is a win-win for UH and the MWC
Happy about having UH as a football-only member, Craig Thompson said:
"I think it (Hawaii as a football-only member) is a win-win for everybody. I'm very excited about his model." (HSA)
Asked if he's been to Hawaii, Thompson said:
"Once, when my alma mater (Minnesota) played Hawaii and got beat (17-3 in 1997). I remember ... driving back from the stadium to the hotel everybody was talking about Princess Diana had died." (HSA)
Asked if he was surprised to be approached with a football-only offer from UH, Thompson said:
"I don't know that I was expecting it, but I was not surprised. I thought it made a lot of sense. I had conversations on several occasions with Jim (Donovan, UH athletic director) and Dennis (Farrell, Big West Conference commissioner). And I thought it was a very workable model." (HSA)
Asked if he's surprised with how quickly things came together, Thompson said
"No, I'm not (surprised), not anymore. I think if I've learned one thing -- and I've been in conference offices since 1983 -- is this was the strangest six months in my previous 27 years. Nothing surprises me (now). Geography seems to be somewhat out the window. But geography plays such a huge part of the University of Hawaii just because the islands aren't going to get any closer to the mainland and vice versa." (HSA)
Asked what he considered the MWC footprint, Thompson said:
"I would think Texas is the extreme from the eastern front. I think geography plays more of a role in the MWC than maybe it does in other leagues because there is such a vast difference. There is a long way, in some regards, from here to there." (HSA)
Asked if Houston and UTEP are being looked at or considered for expansion, Thompson said:
"I don't think there is anybody that has been targeted at this juncture, but certainly institutions in Texas are of interest." (HSA)
Asked how the MWC has changed over the past decade, Thompson said:
"I think the biggest change has been in the principals. We've had, I'm guessing, 25 athletic directors, 25 board of directors over the eight or nine schools in that time frame. That's a lot of turnover. That's a lot of change. The philosophies are different.
I'll give you an example: In 2004, eight presidents said willingly and knowingly, leave ESPN because we don't want to play basketball games at 10 at night or 10 o'clock on Sunday morning or, certainly not on Tuesday and Wednesdays. And, now there are some people in the league that said, "you know it might be worth looking at non-Saturdays," which is a big departure. Ninety-five percent of our football games are on Saturday. Ninety-five percent of our football games are televised. But because not everybody who wants to see those games can see those games, the trade-off is playing on a network that is seen by 100 million but playing a football game on a Tuesday night which is just a nonstarter. When it is Oct. 1 and 6 o'clock and the sun goes down it is cold here. People aren't going to go to a football game on a Tuesday night in the Mountain West." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/20101227_Strangest_6_months.html
"I think it (Hawaii as a football-only member) is a win-win for everybody. I'm very excited about his model." (HSA)
Asked if he's been to Hawaii, Thompson said:
"Once, when my alma mater (Minnesota) played Hawaii and got beat (17-3 in 1997). I remember ... driving back from the stadium to the hotel everybody was talking about Princess Diana had died." (HSA)
Asked if he was surprised to be approached with a football-only offer from UH, Thompson said:
"I don't know that I was expecting it, but I was not surprised. I thought it made a lot of sense. I had conversations on several occasions with Jim (Donovan, UH athletic director) and Dennis (Farrell, Big West Conference commissioner). And I thought it was a very workable model." (HSA)
Asked if he's surprised with how quickly things came together, Thompson said
"No, I'm not (surprised), not anymore. I think if I've learned one thing -- and I've been in conference offices since 1983 -- is this was the strangest six months in my previous 27 years. Nothing surprises me (now). Geography seems to be somewhat out the window. But geography plays such a huge part of the University of Hawaii just because the islands aren't going to get any closer to the mainland and vice versa." (HSA)
Asked what he considered the MWC footprint, Thompson said:
"I would think Texas is the extreme from the eastern front. I think geography plays more of a role in the MWC than maybe it does in other leagues because there is such a vast difference. There is a long way, in some regards, from here to there." (HSA)
Asked if Houston and UTEP are being looked at or considered for expansion, Thompson said:
"I don't think there is anybody that has been targeted at this juncture, but certainly institutions in Texas are of interest." (HSA)
Asked how the MWC has changed over the past decade, Thompson said:
"I think the biggest change has been in the principals. We've had, I'm guessing, 25 athletic directors, 25 board of directors over the eight or nine schools in that time frame. That's a lot of turnover. That's a lot of change. The philosophies are different.
I'll give you an example: In 2004, eight presidents said willingly and knowingly, leave ESPN because we don't want to play basketball games at 10 at night or 10 o'clock on Sunday morning or, certainly not on Tuesday and Wednesdays. And, now there are some people in the league that said, "you know it might be worth looking at non-Saturdays," which is a big departure. Ninety-five percent of our football games are on Saturday. Ninety-five percent of our football games are televised. But because not everybody who wants to see those games can see those games, the trade-off is playing on a network that is seen by 100 million but playing a football game on a Tuesday night which is just a nonstarter. When it is Oct. 1 and 6 o'clock and the sun goes down it is cold here. People aren't going to go to a football game on a Tuesday night in the Mountain West." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/20101227_Strangest_6_months.html
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Warrior Quotes from the Star-Advertiser 12/26/10
About how his knee injury changed his plans to prepare for the NFL draft after the season, Kealoha Pilares said:
"Everything changes with this." (HSA)
"If I didn't have this, I'd start training. Now I'll probably have rehab, stuff I wasn't planning on." (HSA)
About how their struggles in the Hawaii Bowl will motivate them to work hard during the offseason, Bryant Moniz said:
"It was frustrating. It's going to make us work harder in the offseason." (HSA)
About how they have a lot of talented players to replace those who have just finished their Warrior careers, Greg Salas said:
"There's a lot of talent." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Salas returned to his home in California yesterday. He said he will choose an agent this week, then begin preparing for the Senior Bowl in January."
About his career at UH, Salas said:
"I had a great time in Hawaii. I want to thank everybody." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101226_pilares_warriors_regroup_for_future.html
"Everything changes with this." (HSA)
"If I didn't have this, I'd start training. Now I'll probably have rehab, stuff I wasn't planning on." (HSA)
About how their struggles in the Hawaii Bowl will motivate them to work hard during the offseason, Bryant Moniz said:
"It was frustrating. It's going to make us work harder in the offseason." (HSA)
About how they have a lot of talented players to replace those who have just finished their Warrior careers, Greg Salas said:
"There's a lot of talent." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Salas returned to his home in California yesterday. He said he will choose an agent this week, then begin preparing for the Senior Bowl in January."
About his career at UH, Salas said:
"I had a great time in Hawaii. I want to thank everybody." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101226_pilares_warriors_regroup_for_future.html
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Quotes from the UH-Tulsa Hawaii Bowl, 12/24/10
AP = Associated Press
UH = University of Hawaii website
TW = Tulsa World
HSA = Honolulu Star-Advertiser
ESPN = ESPN.com
------------------------ Quotes from the UH coaches --------------------------
About how he felt that their special teams did a great job at limiting the damage from Demaris Johnson, Mack said:
"I thought our kickoff team and our punt team did a good job of minimizing his (Demaris Johnson) ability. He's a great player, one of the best in the country, but he made some big plays to hurt us. He's fast, he out-ran some of our guys and out-quicked some of our guys." (UH)
About how they accomplished a lot this season, Mack said:
"We've accomplished a lot of things this year. We've won a championship, we've won 10 games which has happened only 4 or 5 times in the history of the school. We've had some good times playing football, tonight wasn't necessarily one of those. One of our goals was to get 11 wins and remain in the Top 25 but obviously today we're not going to get that. Up until today, everything's been pretty good." (UH)
Giving credit to Tulsa, Mack said:
"I thought their quarterback was outstanding, he threw some great balls. I think they have a good football team." (UH)
"Give credit to Tulsa. They flat did a good job of beating us." (UH)
"You're not going to win a game if you turn the ball over six times. Give credit to Tulsa. They did a good job. They have good players and they have good speed. They ran by us a couple times — more than a couple times." (AP)
About how he felt sorry for their seniors and how their defense played well in the first half, Offensive Coordinator Nick Rolovich (Rolo) said:
"We wanted to start fast and be mistake free and felt if we took care of the football we'd have a very good chance in this game. Defense played great in the first half, it should have been a different game. I feel sorry for the seniors who had to go out like this." (HSA)
About how losing Pilares hurt their offense, Rolo said:
"He gets the majority of the reps, and he and Salas have a good relationship, and he and Moniz have a good relationship." (HSA)
About how they tried to get their defense to not be too aggressive in this game, to avoid how the defense struggled against their biggest competition (USC, BSU, Colorado), Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda said:
"We made a big point not to say it was a big game, looked at it as another game. I think there was some pressing going on that doesn't need to be pressed." (HSA)
About how Tulsa scored in 2 plays in each of their first 3 drives after halftime, Aranda said:
"All those plays, the first three series (of the second half) however many plays they had, I think six, seven, eight were gadget plays. They felt they needed to score quickly, they needed to score now. So they went to their top 100 gadget plays, and they reeled them off. All those things are defendable, but we've got to defend it as a team and, like I said, I take responsibility for. I should have made a bigger point at halftime how we got to this point, by playing team defense, and we should've finished playing that way." (HSA)
About how they only gave up 95 yards to Tulsa's offense in the first half but gave up 436 yards in the second half, Rich Miano said:
"We handled their speed in the first half. In the third quarter, they had three momentum plays when our offense was starting to get back into the groove. We needed to make a stop, and we didn't. That's the frustrating thing." (HSA)
------------------------ Quotes from the UH players ---------------------------
About how Tulsa was successful at getting interceptions, Bryant Moniz said:
"They had good pressure and were jumping all our routes. They jumped a lot of the short stuff, and it gave them a lot of points." (ESPN)
"They got good pressure up front and they studied real hard and knew our route. They jumped all our routes." (HSA)
"Terrible performance in our last game. They had good pressure up front. They studied really hard in those four weeks that they had to prepare. It seemed like they were jumping all of our routes, so in the second half we went a little more deep." (AP)
About how Tulsa alternated between man and 4-deep zone defenses and defended UH's routes, not the receivers, Moniz said:
"They were on all of our routes. They were cutting it. They knew our offense. They made some great plays. They were getting good pressure up front. They were jumping the lanes. I wasn't able to read them." (HSA)
About how this loss will linger during the offseason, Moniz said:
"This will sit in our stomach for a while." (HSA)
About how he suffered a hip pointer on a second-quarter sack and had to be kept out of 2 series and played in discomfort the rest of the game, Moniz said:
"I was trying to stretch on the sidelines, anything to get my hip loose." (HSA)
About his four first-half interceptions, Moniz said:
"Everything bad that could have went on, went on in that first half. It's a tough one to swallow, but I'm just going to go home tomorrow spend some time with my family on Christmas and try to enjoy the holidays a little bit and get back to work." (HSA)
About how he had a pass intercepted and returned for a TD when he was hit while trying to throw it out of bonds, Shane Austin said:
"I was trying to throw it away. I think I had Salas up the seam, but I lost sight of him, and moved on. I tried to throw it out of bounds, but I didn't get enough on it. Their guy was in my face. But I have to do better. This one was on me. That's the way it goes sometimes." (HSA)
About how they made too many mistakes, Greg Salas said:
"We just shot ourselves in the foot. We had way too many turnovers, and it cost us. We turned the ball over in key situations. It just goes to show you that the team with the most yards doesn't always win." (ESPN)
"We had way too many turnovers, and it cost us. We turned the ball over in key situations. It just goes to show you that the team with the most yards doesn't always win." (AP)
About how it is tough to lose their final game of the season, Salas said:
"Losing that last game is tough. We wanted to go out with a win, and be the team to be remembered. We didn't get it." (HSA)
"Right now I just have to get this taste out of my mouth with this loss. But I'm sure I'll look back on it and be happy with what I did here and what I was able to accomplish and all of my teammates and coaches putting me in position to do that." (HSA)
About how Kealoha Pilares suffered an injured left knee on a 0-yard punt return before their first drive on offense and was lost for the game, Salas said:
"We definitely missed Kealoha. He's a big part of our offense. He's an explosive playmaker. He's done it all season. It affected our chemistry." (HSA)
"I felt bad for him that he had to miss his last game here. We were looking forward to this all week. We were roommates the entire season and had real good chemistry on the field and off the field. And I just feel bad for him that he didn't get to finish out his last game." (HSA)
About suffering an injured knee in his final UH game before their offense even took the field, Kealoha Pilares said:
"It just sucks how I ended in my last game. But I just have to stay positive and just have to remember things happen for a reason. I know God has something planned for me. I just have to try to stay positive." (HSA)
About how they missed Pilares and Bradley, Royce Pollard said:
"I felt we were a unit with them. Nothing against the guys stepping in, but it's a rhythm we had. We didn't execute, and we needed to execute more. There were pieces that were missing." (HSA)
About catching 2 passses for 72 yards, including a 54-yard reception to the 1-yard-line to set up a TD, Miah Ostrowski (who replaced the injured Dustin Blount who replaced the injured Pilares) said:
"I was ready, I could have done a few things better on my route running to open somebody up. It's a bowl game and everybody has to step up." (HSA)
About their struggles on defense in the second half, Corey Paredes said:
"It was a weird game. It's hard to explain what happened. We came up short. The defense kicked in the first half, and then was kicked in the second half." (HSA)
About how Tulsa saw how aggressive they were and made adjustments at halftime to take advantage of that, Jeramy Bryant said:
"I guess they saw how aggressive we were on defense, and started doing a lot of play-action. Started opening things up, draw people out of their quarters. Guys sitting on routes, guys coming up ... and dumping off. And that was the story of the second half. Play-action." (HSA)
About how they missed too many assignments on defense in the second half, Aaron Brown said:
"They have a lot of explosive athletes. We contained them the first half, we let them get away from us the second half by missed assignments, and look what happened — they gashed us." (HSA)
About ending his UH career 105-for-105 on PATs and breaking the UH single-season record for PATs with 71 and the total points in a season with 122, Scott Enos said:
"I gotta give a lot of credit to my offense and defense both for giving me the opportunity to do what I did. It was tough losing the last game, but you know what, I'm so proud of these guys, I feel special relationships with all these guys. I'll never forget it. It's great." (HSA)
----------------------- Quotes from the Tulsa coaches -----------------------
Proud of their players, Tulsa head coach Jeff Graham said:
"I am extremely proud of players today, this team did a great job of preparing. They're truly champions on and off the field. It was a spectacular day—the takeaways defensively were unbelievable, and what an exciting football game to watch." (UH)
About how they exploded on offense in the second half, Graham said:
"We came back out and had some unbelievably explosive plays in the second half—it was a tremendous game for us beating a ranked team very soundly and hopefully I believe we should be in the Top 25." (UH)
About getting 10 wins in 3 of their last 4 seasons, Graham said:
"We have 10 wins for three of the last four years and we've been in three bowls in the last four years. I'm very proud of our guys and what we've been able to accomplish this year." (UH)
Feeling that they dominated both sides of the football in this physical game, Graham said:
"It was very physical today and I think that was the key—we impacted their quarterback and got after it on both sides of the ball. I thought we dominated both sides of the football and we had some special players make some brilliant plays." (UH)
"We were very, very physical today, I thought that was the key. I thought we dominated both sides of the football." (ESPN)
About how the Hawaii Bowl is the best bowl game he's been to over his 26 years of coaching, Graham said:
"We are a very close football team and I'm very proud of them and I'm very, very honored to come to Hawai`i. I've been to a lot of Bowl games over 26 years of coaching and this is the finest Bowl I've been to—absolutely spectacular—the events, it's a tremendous place to come and the people were incredible and it's been a great experience for our players and it's a great reward for the finest team I've ever coached." (UH)
Hoping that they end the season in the top 25, Graham said:
"What an exciting football game to watch. We made some unbelievably explosive plays in the second half and we beat a Top 25 team today. And hopefully, we should be the Top 25 in the country." (AP)
HSA Note: "The Golden Hurricane were such underdogs that ESPN analyst Todd McShay picked Hawaii over Tulsa as his most confident bowl pick of the season. Three minutes in, Alex Singleton scored one play after a Bryant Moniz interception, and Tulsa never trailed on its way to demolishing the Warriors, who were a double-digit favorite at game time."
About how UH was heavily favored to win this game, Graham said:
"(There was) a lot of talk going in that we were picked as the lock to get beat (in bowl games), and this football team did a great job of preparing." (HSA)
---------------------- Quotes from the Tulsa players -------------------------
Happy that he has one more season to play with Demaris Johnson, G.J. Kinne (343 yards passing and 3 TD passes in the game) said:
"He's a great player. He breaks records every week, it feels like it. It's a privilege to play with him. We got one more year together." (AP)
About how Johnson set an NCAA record for all-purpose yards with 7,796 in his career (and he has 1 more year to play), Kinne said:
"It seems like he breaks records every week. The exciting thing is I know we've got another year, another summer and another offseason together." (HSA)
About their 3 drives to start the second half that each took 2 plays to get a TD, Kinne said:
"I think our pace started to get to them." (AP)
About how they return 17 starters next year and want to win C-USA, Kinne said:
"I think we can be really good, definitely Top 25. Our goal every year is to win (Conference USA) and that's something we're really going to harp on next year." (HSA)
About his 9-yard TD pass with 76 seconds left in the game which was originally supposed to be a running play, Kinne said:
"Maybe, they shouldn't have booed our highlight film at the banquet." (HSA)
About how their team was fired up when UH booed their highlight film at the Hawaii Bowl banquet, RB Alex Singleton (who scored 2 TDs) said:
"That boosted us up. That fired us up. After that happened, I knew we were going to win." (HSA)
About how they avoided being distracted by being in Hawaii and got the win, Demaris Johnson (who had a career-high 326 all-purpose yards to break the NCAA career record) said:
"Coming on this trip out to Hawaii, we knew in the back of our minds that there were a lot of distractions, but we played good and came out with this win. We have to get on this eight-hour plane ride back home now, so maybe I'll get some sleep on the plane and it'll hit me in the morning." (ESPN)
Looking forward to getting some rest on their 8-hour flight home after the game, Johnson said:
"We came (to Hawaii) and played pretty good and now we've got this 8-hour flight home. I'll be thinking about getting a little sleep in." (HSA)
About how he needed to play well to help their team beat UH, Johnson said:
"I knew I had to step up my game. Hawaii has a great team, and we had to play a great game to win." (HSA)
About how their coaches had worried about how the humidity could affect their team, Johnson said:
"I'm from Louisiana, so I was OK. We have a lot of humidity there. It was hot, but our guys persevered, and came through with the win." (HSA)
Asked if he would enter the NFL draft or return next year, Johnson said:
"I'm going to come back (to Tulsa) next year." (HSA)
About how the critics of their passing defense motivated them (Tulsa came into this game rated #119 out of the 120 D-IA teams for passing defense), LB Curnelius Arnick (2 interceptions in the first half) said:
"For us, it was just motivation. We always hear about our bad our defense is and it just motivates just to come back and play harder," Arnick said. "We were just disguising our coverages, moving around and confusing the quarterback." (ESPN)
"I can't speak for everyone, but me, personally, I was very motivated hearing people talk about our defense. We had a lot of time to prepare and study for this game and it came down to making the plays when they were there." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Arnick, the team's leading tackler, did it again with a team-high 10 tackles and two sacks. But his biggest contribution was the two interceptions that matched his career total."
About scoring a TD on one of his interceptions and returning another interception 52 yards to the UH 3 to set up an easy TD run, Arnick said:
"Our offense carried us a lot this year, scoring a lot of points, so it was a good feeling to be able to help them out." (HSA)
About how he set up the pass that Moniz threw that he returned for a TD, Arnick said:
"I faked like I was coming, and the quarterback threw it straight to me. After that, it was straight to the end zone." (HSA)
About his interception that he returned for a TD when Shane Austin was hit by DE Tyrunn Walker when trying to throw the ball out of bounds, CB John Flanders said:
"We were playing, man, and he just lobbed it up. Big T hit him, and I returned it. I was happy to make a play." (HSA)
About how their seniors are from Graham's first recruiting class and averaged 9 wins during their 4-year careers, with wins in all 3 of their bowl games (63-7, 45-13, 62-35), senior Trae Johnson said:
"We were challenged to leave the program in better shape than we found it," TU senior Trae Johnson said. "We did that." (TW)
-- Notes I had from the game (I flew to Hawaii and went straight to the airport --
My Dad and I saw the coaches before and after the game. Before the game, we were walking on the ramp towards our section when the coaches were walking to the booth. Mouse Davis said to my Dad that he liked the hat he was wearing (Dad had a Christmas-themed hat on). The coaches looked focused and determined, they really had their game faces on.
After the game we were walking down the stairs at the same time as the coaches were walking down from the booth. Mouse, Brian Smith, and Dave Aranda were in front of me and the other coaches were behind me. I said to Coach Aranda that at least UH had a great season...but all he did was grimace and it was clear that he and the rest of the coaches did *not* want to be consoled after that game.
The look on the coaches after the game was completely different than the look they had before the game. You could see that the game meant a lot to them and that they were not happy about how things turned out.
I sat in the yellow section (in J, about the 30-yard line) in the first half and the seats there are in HORRIBLE condition. It really looks bad there!
It was also sad that after 5 drives in the game, there were *no* people in the 8 seats to the left of me and *no* people in the 7 seats to the right of me, with nobody in the 9 seats in front of me. However, every seat was filled by the end of the first quarter. Heck, I came all the way from San Diego and I got to the game on time!
Congratulations to Tulsa for truly earning this win. Their passing defense was *horrible* this year, truly one of the worst in the country. Their coaches and players worked extremely hard over those 15 practices and in countless film sessions to prepare for UH's offense.
You could see how Tulsa was prepared for the game in countless plays...
* The first time Salas got a WR screen pass, the Tulsa safety was running towards Salas BEFORE THE BALL WAS SNAPPED. They knew by formation and some other tipoff thing that Salas was going to get that pass and they stopped him from getting a big gain. WAC teams were devastated by that play all season, but Tulsa was ready.
* The pass that Moniz threw where a Tulsa player was standing right where the pass was going to be throws *before* Moniz even through the ball.
* The running plays to Green were not getting the same lanes as Green had in some WAC games, no matter how much Tulsa focused on stopped UH's passing attack.
I thought in the first half that it was clear that UH had athletes that Tulsa couldn't stop, like Salas, and the turnovers were the only thing that stopped UH. However, in the second half Tulsa came up with stops that were the difference.
I'm going to look at this game as one that Tulsa won, a win they earned that wasn't just given to them by UH. To read some of the comments here, it seems like some people think that Tulsa wasn't any good and UH should have easily beaten them...that sounds like the type of disrespect that UH fans are always complaining about being directed towards UH.
UH = University of Hawaii website
TW = Tulsa World
HSA = Honolulu Star-Advertiser
ESPN = ESPN.com
------------------------ Quotes from the UH coaches --------------------------
About how he felt that their special teams did a great job at limiting the damage from Demaris Johnson, Mack said:
"I thought our kickoff team and our punt team did a good job of minimizing his (Demaris Johnson) ability. He's a great player, one of the best in the country, but he made some big plays to hurt us. He's fast, he out-ran some of our guys and out-quicked some of our guys." (UH)
About how they accomplished a lot this season, Mack said:
"We've accomplished a lot of things this year. We've won a championship, we've won 10 games which has happened only 4 or 5 times in the history of the school. We've had some good times playing football, tonight wasn't necessarily one of those. One of our goals was to get 11 wins and remain in the Top 25 but obviously today we're not going to get that. Up until today, everything's been pretty good." (UH)
Giving credit to Tulsa, Mack said:
"I thought their quarterback was outstanding, he threw some great balls. I think they have a good football team." (UH)
"Give credit to Tulsa. They flat did a good job of beating us." (UH)
"You're not going to win a game if you turn the ball over six times. Give credit to Tulsa. They did a good job. They have good players and they have good speed. They ran by us a couple times — more than a couple times." (AP)
About how he felt sorry for their seniors and how their defense played well in the first half, Offensive Coordinator Nick Rolovich (Rolo) said:
"We wanted to start fast and be mistake free and felt if we took care of the football we'd have a very good chance in this game. Defense played great in the first half, it should have been a different game. I feel sorry for the seniors who had to go out like this." (HSA)
About how losing Pilares hurt their offense, Rolo said:
"He gets the majority of the reps, and he and Salas have a good relationship, and he and Moniz have a good relationship." (HSA)
About how they tried to get their defense to not be too aggressive in this game, to avoid how the defense struggled against their biggest competition (USC, BSU, Colorado), Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda said:
"We made a big point not to say it was a big game, looked at it as another game. I think there was some pressing going on that doesn't need to be pressed." (HSA)
About how Tulsa scored in 2 plays in each of their first 3 drives after halftime, Aranda said:
"All those plays, the first three series (of the second half) however many plays they had, I think six, seven, eight were gadget plays. They felt they needed to score quickly, they needed to score now. So they went to their top 100 gadget plays, and they reeled them off. All those things are defendable, but we've got to defend it as a team and, like I said, I take responsibility for. I should have made a bigger point at halftime how we got to this point, by playing team defense, and we should've finished playing that way." (HSA)
About how they only gave up 95 yards to Tulsa's offense in the first half but gave up 436 yards in the second half, Rich Miano said:
"We handled their speed in the first half. In the third quarter, they had three momentum plays when our offense was starting to get back into the groove. We needed to make a stop, and we didn't. That's the frustrating thing." (HSA)
------------------------ Quotes from the UH players ---------------------------
About how Tulsa was successful at getting interceptions, Bryant Moniz said:
"They had good pressure and were jumping all our routes. They jumped a lot of the short stuff, and it gave them a lot of points." (ESPN)
"They got good pressure up front and they studied real hard and knew our route. They jumped all our routes." (HSA)
"Terrible performance in our last game. They had good pressure up front. They studied really hard in those four weeks that they had to prepare. It seemed like they were jumping all of our routes, so in the second half we went a little more deep." (AP)
About how Tulsa alternated between man and 4-deep zone defenses and defended UH's routes, not the receivers, Moniz said:
"They were on all of our routes. They were cutting it. They knew our offense. They made some great plays. They were getting good pressure up front. They were jumping the lanes. I wasn't able to read them." (HSA)
About how this loss will linger during the offseason, Moniz said:
"This will sit in our stomach for a while." (HSA)
About how he suffered a hip pointer on a second-quarter sack and had to be kept out of 2 series and played in discomfort the rest of the game, Moniz said:
"I was trying to stretch on the sidelines, anything to get my hip loose." (HSA)
About his four first-half interceptions, Moniz said:
"Everything bad that could have went on, went on in that first half. It's a tough one to swallow, but I'm just going to go home tomorrow spend some time with my family on Christmas and try to enjoy the holidays a little bit and get back to work." (HSA)
About how he had a pass intercepted and returned for a TD when he was hit while trying to throw it out of bonds, Shane Austin said:
"I was trying to throw it away. I think I had Salas up the seam, but I lost sight of him, and moved on. I tried to throw it out of bounds, but I didn't get enough on it. Their guy was in my face. But I have to do better. This one was on me. That's the way it goes sometimes." (HSA)
About how they made too many mistakes, Greg Salas said:
"We just shot ourselves in the foot. We had way too many turnovers, and it cost us. We turned the ball over in key situations. It just goes to show you that the team with the most yards doesn't always win." (ESPN)
"We had way too many turnovers, and it cost us. We turned the ball over in key situations. It just goes to show you that the team with the most yards doesn't always win." (AP)
About how it is tough to lose their final game of the season, Salas said:
"Losing that last game is tough. We wanted to go out with a win, and be the team to be remembered. We didn't get it." (HSA)
"Right now I just have to get this taste out of my mouth with this loss. But I'm sure I'll look back on it and be happy with what I did here and what I was able to accomplish and all of my teammates and coaches putting me in position to do that." (HSA)
About how Kealoha Pilares suffered an injured left knee on a 0-yard punt return before their first drive on offense and was lost for the game, Salas said:
"We definitely missed Kealoha. He's a big part of our offense. He's an explosive playmaker. He's done it all season. It affected our chemistry." (HSA)
"I felt bad for him that he had to miss his last game here. We were looking forward to this all week. We were roommates the entire season and had real good chemistry on the field and off the field. And I just feel bad for him that he didn't get to finish out his last game." (HSA)
About suffering an injured knee in his final UH game before their offense even took the field, Kealoha Pilares said:
"It just sucks how I ended in my last game. But I just have to stay positive and just have to remember things happen for a reason. I know God has something planned for me. I just have to try to stay positive." (HSA)
About how they missed Pilares and Bradley, Royce Pollard said:
"I felt we were a unit with them. Nothing against the guys stepping in, but it's a rhythm we had. We didn't execute, and we needed to execute more. There were pieces that were missing." (HSA)
About catching 2 passses for 72 yards, including a 54-yard reception to the 1-yard-line to set up a TD, Miah Ostrowski (who replaced the injured Dustin Blount who replaced the injured Pilares) said:
"I was ready, I could have done a few things better on my route running to open somebody up. It's a bowl game and everybody has to step up." (HSA)
About their struggles on defense in the second half, Corey Paredes said:
"It was a weird game. It's hard to explain what happened. We came up short. The defense kicked in the first half, and then was kicked in the second half." (HSA)
About how Tulsa saw how aggressive they were and made adjustments at halftime to take advantage of that, Jeramy Bryant said:
"I guess they saw how aggressive we were on defense, and started doing a lot of play-action. Started opening things up, draw people out of their quarters. Guys sitting on routes, guys coming up ... and dumping off. And that was the story of the second half. Play-action." (HSA)
About how they missed too many assignments on defense in the second half, Aaron Brown said:
"They have a lot of explosive athletes. We contained them the first half, we let them get away from us the second half by missed assignments, and look what happened — they gashed us." (HSA)
About ending his UH career 105-for-105 on PATs and breaking the UH single-season record for PATs with 71 and the total points in a season with 122, Scott Enos said:
"I gotta give a lot of credit to my offense and defense both for giving me the opportunity to do what I did. It was tough losing the last game, but you know what, I'm so proud of these guys, I feel special relationships with all these guys. I'll never forget it. It's great." (HSA)
----------------------- Quotes from the Tulsa coaches -----------------------
Proud of their players, Tulsa head coach Jeff Graham said:
"I am extremely proud of players today, this team did a great job of preparing. They're truly champions on and off the field. It was a spectacular day—the takeaways defensively were unbelievable, and what an exciting football game to watch." (UH)
About how they exploded on offense in the second half, Graham said:
"We came back out and had some unbelievably explosive plays in the second half—it was a tremendous game for us beating a ranked team very soundly and hopefully I believe we should be in the Top 25." (UH)
About getting 10 wins in 3 of their last 4 seasons, Graham said:
"We have 10 wins for three of the last four years and we've been in three bowls in the last four years. I'm very proud of our guys and what we've been able to accomplish this year." (UH)
Feeling that they dominated both sides of the football in this physical game, Graham said:
"It was very physical today and I think that was the key—we impacted their quarterback and got after it on both sides of the ball. I thought we dominated both sides of the football and we had some special players make some brilliant plays." (UH)
"We were very, very physical today, I thought that was the key. I thought we dominated both sides of the football." (ESPN)
About how the Hawaii Bowl is the best bowl game he's been to over his 26 years of coaching, Graham said:
"We are a very close football team and I'm very proud of them and I'm very, very honored to come to Hawai`i. I've been to a lot of Bowl games over 26 years of coaching and this is the finest Bowl I've been to—absolutely spectacular—the events, it's a tremendous place to come and the people were incredible and it's been a great experience for our players and it's a great reward for the finest team I've ever coached." (UH)
Hoping that they end the season in the top 25, Graham said:
"What an exciting football game to watch. We made some unbelievably explosive plays in the second half and we beat a Top 25 team today. And hopefully, we should be the Top 25 in the country." (AP)
HSA Note: "The Golden Hurricane were such underdogs that ESPN analyst Todd McShay picked Hawaii over Tulsa as his most confident bowl pick of the season. Three minutes in, Alex Singleton scored one play after a Bryant Moniz interception, and Tulsa never trailed on its way to demolishing the Warriors, who were a double-digit favorite at game time."
About how UH was heavily favored to win this game, Graham said:
"(There was) a lot of talk going in that we were picked as the lock to get beat (in bowl games), and this football team did a great job of preparing." (HSA)
---------------------- Quotes from the Tulsa players -------------------------
Happy that he has one more season to play with Demaris Johnson, G.J. Kinne (343 yards passing and 3 TD passes in the game) said:
"He's a great player. He breaks records every week, it feels like it. It's a privilege to play with him. We got one more year together." (AP)
About how Johnson set an NCAA record for all-purpose yards with 7,796 in his career (and he has 1 more year to play), Kinne said:
"It seems like he breaks records every week. The exciting thing is I know we've got another year, another summer and another offseason together." (HSA)
About their 3 drives to start the second half that each took 2 plays to get a TD, Kinne said:
"I think our pace started to get to them." (AP)
About how they return 17 starters next year and want to win C-USA, Kinne said:
"I think we can be really good, definitely Top 25. Our goal every year is to win (Conference USA) and that's something we're really going to harp on next year." (HSA)
About his 9-yard TD pass with 76 seconds left in the game which was originally supposed to be a running play, Kinne said:
"Maybe, they shouldn't have booed our highlight film at the banquet." (HSA)
About how their team was fired up when UH booed their highlight film at the Hawaii Bowl banquet, RB Alex Singleton (who scored 2 TDs) said:
"That boosted us up. That fired us up. After that happened, I knew we were going to win." (HSA)
About how they avoided being distracted by being in Hawaii and got the win, Demaris Johnson (who had a career-high 326 all-purpose yards to break the NCAA career record) said:
"Coming on this trip out to Hawaii, we knew in the back of our minds that there were a lot of distractions, but we played good and came out with this win. We have to get on this eight-hour plane ride back home now, so maybe I'll get some sleep on the plane and it'll hit me in the morning." (ESPN)
Looking forward to getting some rest on their 8-hour flight home after the game, Johnson said:
"We came (to Hawaii) and played pretty good and now we've got this 8-hour flight home. I'll be thinking about getting a little sleep in." (HSA)
About how he needed to play well to help their team beat UH, Johnson said:
"I knew I had to step up my game. Hawaii has a great team, and we had to play a great game to win." (HSA)
About how their coaches had worried about how the humidity could affect their team, Johnson said:
"I'm from Louisiana, so I was OK. We have a lot of humidity there. It was hot, but our guys persevered, and came through with the win." (HSA)
Asked if he would enter the NFL draft or return next year, Johnson said:
"I'm going to come back (to Tulsa) next year." (HSA)
About how the critics of their passing defense motivated them (Tulsa came into this game rated #119 out of the 120 D-IA teams for passing defense), LB Curnelius Arnick (2 interceptions in the first half) said:
"For us, it was just motivation. We always hear about our bad our defense is and it just motivates just to come back and play harder," Arnick said. "We were just disguising our coverages, moving around and confusing the quarterback." (ESPN)
"I can't speak for everyone, but me, personally, I was very motivated hearing people talk about our defense. We had a lot of time to prepare and study for this game and it came down to making the plays when they were there." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Arnick, the team's leading tackler, did it again with a team-high 10 tackles and two sacks. But his biggest contribution was the two interceptions that matched his career total."
About scoring a TD on one of his interceptions and returning another interception 52 yards to the UH 3 to set up an easy TD run, Arnick said:
"Our offense carried us a lot this year, scoring a lot of points, so it was a good feeling to be able to help them out." (HSA)
About how he set up the pass that Moniz threw that he returned for a TD, Arnick said:
"I faked like I was coming, and the quarterback threw it straight to me. After that, it was straight to the end zone." (HSA)
About his interception that he returned for a TD when Shane Austin was hit by DE Tyrunn Walker when trying to throw the ball out of bounds, CB John Flanders said:
"We were playing, man, and he just lobbed it up. Big T hit him, and I returned it. I was happy to make a play." (HSA)
About how their seniors are from Graham's first recruiting class and averaged 9 wins during their 4-year careers, with wins in all 3 of their bowl games (63-7, 45-13, 62-35), senior Trae Johnson said:
"We were challenged to leave the program in better shape than we found it," TU senior Trae Johnson said. "We did that." (TW)
-- Notes I had from the game (I flew to Hawaii and went straight to the airport --
My Dad and I saw the coaches before and after the game. Before the game, we were walking on the ramp towards our section when the coaches were walking to the booth. Mouse Davis said to my Dad that he liked the hat he was wearing (Dad had a Christmas-themed hat on). The coaches looked focused and determined, they really had their game faces on.
After the game we were walking down the stairs at the same time as the coaches were walking down from the booth. Mouse, Brian Smith, and Dave Aranda were in front of me and the other coaches were behind me. I said to Coach Aranda that at least UH had a great season...but all he did was grimace and it was clear that he and the rest of the coaches did *not* want to be consoled after that game.
The look on the coaches after the game was completely different than the look they had before the game. You could see that the game meant a lot to them and that they were not happy about how things turned out.
I sat in the yellow section (in J, about the 30-yard line) in the first half and the seats there are in HORRIBLE condition. It really looks bad there!
It was also sad that after 5 drives in the game, there were *no* people in the 8 seats to the left of me and *no* people in the 7 seats to the right of me, with nobody in the 9 seats in front of me. However, every seat was filled by the end of the first quarter. Heck, I came all the way from San Diego and I got to the game on time!
Congratulations to Tulsa for truly earning this win. Their passing defense was *horrible* this year, truly one of the worst in the country. Their coaches and players worked extremely hard over those 15 practices and in countless film sessions to prepare for UH's offense.
You could see how Tulsa was prepared for the game in countless plays...
* The first time Salas got a WR screen pass, the Tulsa safety was running towards Salas BEFORE THE BALL WAS SNAPPED. They knew by formation and some other tipoff thing that Salas was going to get that pass and they stopped him from getting a big gain. WAC teams were devastated by that play all season, but Tulsa was ready.
* The pass that Moniz threw where a Tulsa player was standing right where the pass was going to be throws *before* Moniz even through the ball.
* The running plays to Green were not getting the same lanes as Green had in some WAC games, no matter how much Tulsa focused on stopped UH's passing attack.
I thought in the first half that it was clear that UH had athletes that Tulsa couldn't stop, like Salas, and the turnovers were the only thing that stopped UH. However, in the second half Tulsa came up with stops that were the difference.
I'm going to look at this game as one that Tulsa won, a win they earned that wasn't just given to them by UH. To read some of the comments here, it seems like some people think that Tulsa wasn't any good and UH should have easily beaten them...that sounds like the type of disrespect that UH fans are always complaining about being directed towards UH.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Quotes before the UH-Tulsa Hawaii Bowl game 12/24/10
Note: I am writing this post from California, but I will be arriving in Hawaii right before the game and going straight to Aloha Stadium to get there right in time for kickoff!
About how Mack talked about how it is important that they win the Hawaii Bowl, especially since UH has been blown out in their final game the last 3 seasons, Bryant Moniz said:
"Coach said: 'You're only as good as your last game.' Right now, we're pretty good because we beat UNLV in our last game. If we lose this game, that's how we'll be remembered for the offseason, and it's a long offseason. I know we're working hard to make it different this year." (HA)
About how they want to win their final game of the season, Kealoha Pilares said:
"You only remember the last game you play, and this is our last game. We want to finish strong." (HSA)
Praising their equipment coordinator for dealing with their 6 road trips that totaled about 35,000 miles of travel, Mack said:
"They made a mistake on coach of the year. It should go to Al (Ginoza, UH's equipment coordinator). He did a heck of a job with all of the traveling we did." (HSA)
About how they have had more than enough practice time to prepare for the game, despite having practices canceled or disrupted by finals so they did not have a fully attended practice until Sunday's practice in stormy weather, Corey Paredes said:
"This is more than we get for some of our other games." (HSA)
About how they want to win their final game of the season, Paredes said:
"It's a big game. We want to win out. It's such a great season. We don't want it to end with a bad taste in our mouth." (HSA)
About how this game is important for their team, with a chance to end the season ranked in the top 25, Tulsa QB G.J. Kinne said:
"We have a chance to win 10 games. This is a huge game." (HSA)
About how their win at Notre Dame on October 30 was their chief momentum source during their 6-game winning streak, Kinne said:
"Ever since, we've been on a roll. We've been going into games expecting to win. It's going to be a great matchup. We have to go in there and execute our game plan." (HSA)
Graham said that their fast-paced offense helps with recruiting QBs, RBs, and WRs because:
Graham said the offense is attractive to quarterbacks, running backs and receivers because numbers. It's a very attractive system to sell to recruits, to sell season tickets. It's great for the University of Tulsa." (HSA)
About how the Hawaii Bowl has a great matchup, Graham said:
"Two of the most prolific teams in the country going head-to-head. The winner is going to finish in the Top 25 in the country. The winner has a lot to play for." (HSA)
About how the Hawaii Bowl features high-scoring offenses led by head coaches who were defensive coordinators before becoming head coaches, Mack said:
"When you're a defensive coordinator, you get tired of people throwing the ball at you. You want to throw at other people." (HSA)
About how throwing the ball makes the game more appealing to fans, Graham said:
"When you take your son to the front yard, you don't hand him the ball off. You throw it to him, right?" (HSA)
About initially going to UT-Austin to play for the Longhorns, Kinne said:
"It's the biggest name school in the state." (HSA)
About transferring to Tulsa because he didn't want to spend years at Colt McCoy's backup, Kinne said:
"I wanted to go to a place where I could start for three years." (HSA)
About their fast-paced offense, Graham said:
"We don't want to just play fast, we want to play effectively." (HSA)
About how LaCount, Leonard, and Stutzmann will start in the Hawaii Bowl in place of their regular lineup on the left side of their offense, Moniz said:
"They can do the job." (HSA)
About how their scout team ran a play every 14 seconds, Vaughn Meatoga said:
"We're trying to recognize plays as fast as we can." (HSA)
About how Kamalu has gone from a pass-rushing specialist to an all-around DE, Tony Tuioti said:
"The biggest question was: would he be able to play the run? He proved he can, and at a high level." (HSA)
Crediting the DTs for his success (he leads the team with 12.5 tackles for loss), Umu said:
"The D-Tackles make it easy for me. When you have that much talent next to you, it really helps." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101224_All_that_offense_comes_from_coaches_whose_specialty_is_defense.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101224_Last_but_not_least.html
About how Mack talked about how it is important that they win the Hawaii Bowl, especially since UH has been blown out in their final game the last 3 seasons, Bryant Moniz said:
"Coach said: 'You're only as good as your last game.' Right now, we're pretty good because we beat UNLV in our last game. If we lose this game, that's how we'll be remembered for the offseason, and it's a long offseason. I know we're working hard to make it different this year." (HA)
About how they want to win their final game of the season, Kealoha Pilares said:
"You only remember the last game you play, and this is our last game. We want to finish strong." (HSA)
Praising their equipment coordinator for dealing with their 6 road trips that totaled about 35,000 miles of travel, Mack said:
"They made a mistake on coach of the year. It should go to Al (Ginoza, UH's equipment coordinator). He did a heck of a job with all of the traveling we did." (HSA)
About how they have had more than enough practice time to prepare for the game, despite having practices canceled or disrupted by finals so they did not have a fully attended practice until Sunday's practice in stormy weather, Corey Paredes said:
"This is more than we get for some of our other games." (HSA)
About how they want to win their final game of the season, Paredes said:
"It's a big game. We want to win out. It's such a great season. We don't want it to end with a bad taste in our mouth." (HSA)
About how this game is important for their team, with a chance to end the season ranked in the top 25, Tulsa QB G.J. Kinne said:
"We have a chance to win 10 games. This is a huge game." (HSA)
About how their win at Notre Dame on October 30 was their chief momentum source during their 6-game winning streak, Kinne said:
"Ever since, we've been on a roll. We've been going into games expecting to win. It's going to be a great matchup. We have to go in there and execute our game plan." (HSA)
Graham said that their fast-paced offense helps with recruiting QBs, RBs, and WRs because:
Graham said the offense is attractive to quarterbacks, running backs and receivers because numbers. It's a very attractive system to sell to recruits, to sell season tickets. It's great for the University of Tulsa." (HSA)
About how the Hawaii Bowl has a great matchup, Graham said:
"Two of the most prolific teams in the country going head-to-head. The winner is going to finish in the Top 25 in the country. The winner has a lot to play for." (HSA)
About how the Hawaii Bowl features high-scoring offenses led by head coaches who were defensive coordinators before becoming head coaches, Mack said:
"When you're a defensive coordinator, you get tired of people throwing the ball at you. You want to throw at other people." (HSA)
About how throwing the ball makes the game more appealing to fans, Graham said:
"When you take your son to the front yard, you don't hand him the ball off. You throw it to him, right?" (HSA)
About initially going to UT-Austin to play for the Longhorns, Kinne said:
"It's the biggest name school in the state." (HSA)
About transferring to Tulsa because he didn't want to spend years at Colt McCoy's backup, Kinne said:
"I wanted to go to a place where I could start for three years." (HSA)
About their fast-paced offense, Graham said:
"We don't want to just play fast, we want to play effectively." (HSA)
About how LaCount, Leonard, and Stutzmann will start in the Hawaii Bowl in place of their regular lineup on the left side of their offense, Moniz said:
"They can do the job." (HSA)
About how their scout team ran a play every 14 seconds, Vaughn Meatoga said:
"We're trying to recognize plays as fast as we can." (HSA)
About how Kamalu has gone from a pass-rushing specialist to an all-around DE, Tony Tuioti said:
"The biggest question was: would he be able to play the run? He proved he can, and at a high level." (HSA)
Crediting the DTs for his success (he leads the team with 12.5 tackles for loss), Umu said:
"The D-Tackles make it easy for me. When you have that much talent next to you, it really helps." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101224_All_that_offense_comes_from_coaches_whose_specialty_is_defense.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101224_Last_but_not_least.html
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Warrior Quotes from the Star-Advertiser (12/23/10, Kainoa LaCount earned the starting LT spot, Mouse Davis is unsure if he'll coach next season)
Disputing what the UH Media Guide said about him, Kainoa LaCount said:
"I'm 6-7, not 6-6. Don't let the books fool you." (HSA)
About how LaCount earned a starting left tackle spot, Gordy Shaw said:
"He's ready to meet the challenge." (HSA)
HSA Note: "LaCount is part of the shakeup to the left side of the UH offense. Billy Ray Stutzmann will start at left wideout ahead of Rodney Bradley, and Brett Leonard will open at left guard in place of Brysen "Bula" Ginlack."
About how his Mom raised him and his brother Kahai by herself after his parents divorced when he was 2, LaCount said:
"My mom always stuck by me. She gave me good advice, whether I listened to it or not. She's a great woman. And she had to feed us. That was the hardest part." (HSA)
About how Kahai (a former UH player) was a big influence in his life, LaCount said:
"He was a big influence. I don't think I left his side until I was 10. It wasn't, 'Please, leave.' It was kicking me out because, 'You cruise with me too much.' " (HSA)
About how he suffered a broken toe while playing TE as a freshman at Kailua High School, LaCount said:
"That's when I moved to tackle, and I haven't moved since." (HSA)
About how he signed with Oregon State out of high school but ended up going to the College of the Canyons in California since he needed 50 more points on his SAT, where he got to spend time with his father who lived in California, LaCount said:
"I got close to the LaCount side of my family." (HSA)
HSA Note: "He signed with UH in February 2008, but then learned he did not have enough transferable credits to play that year. When he reported in August 2009, he weighed about 360 pounds, and the scholarship offer had lapsed. His mother paid for his tuition and school expenses during his UH career."
About how LaCount needed to lose 50 pounds and then learn the fundamentals needed for the OL, Shaw said:
"We had to peel about 50 pounds off of him. Then we had to get him fundamentally sound. He was used to being big and latching on to guys." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Last year, LaCount was moved to right tackle, where he had difficulty adjusting. This past summer, he was down to 320 pounds, and comfortable playing at either tackle position."
Praising LaCount, Mack said:
"I like his long arms, his attitude. He's really worked himself into shape. He has pro measurables. He works his tail off. He couldn't have gotten himself into that shape if he didn't work hard. I'm really proud of him. He's got everything going for him. I like the heck out of him." (HSA)
About how he plays with fury on the field even though he's easygoing off the field, LaCount laughed and said:
"I think bad thoughts. I guess it's hidden emotions. I let them out. It's fun to go out and hit people legally."
Unsure if he'll coach during the 2011 season, Mouse Davis said:
"We have to play it out and see. I don't have a timetable (for deciding). I'm enjoying myself. We're winning, and winning is important." (HSA)
About how they had their last full workout of the season yesterday and they will have their final walk-through today, Kamalu Umu said:
"It's sad. It didn't really hit me yet. I'm sure it will after the game." (HSA)
About how he's focused on the bowl game and not thinking about how this will end his UH career, Kealoha Pilares said:
"I'm not really into sad thoughts right now. We have a game to play." (HSA)
Todd Graham said that he thinks that UH has more talent than SMU had this season and that defending against UH's offense will:
"be a lot bigger challenge for us." (HSA)
About how UH's offense is even better than when he last faced UH in 2003 and 2004, Graham said:
"You can see the past they've had with the run-and-shoot, they haven't missed a beat. As a matter of fact they've even, I think, taken it to another level. I've prepared against it for a lot of years; doesn't make it any easier. I think it's one of the hardest offenses to defend." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101223_warriors_learn_today_whos_eligible_to_play.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101223_Perseverance_pays_off_as_LaCount_gets_first_start_for_Warriors.html
"I'm 6-7, not 6-6. Don't let the books fool you." (HSA)
About how LaCount earned a starting left tackle spot, Gordy Shaw said:
"He's ready to meet the challenge." (HSA)
HSA Note: "LaCount is part of the shakeup to the left side of the UH offense. Billy Ray Stutzmann will start at left wideout ahead of Rodney Bradley, and Brett Leonard will open at left guard in place of Brysen "Bula" Ginlack."
About how his Mom raised him and his brother Kahai by herself after his parents divorced when he was 2, LaCount said:
"My mom always stuck by me. She gave me good advice, whether I listened to it or not. She's a great woman. And she had to feed us. That was the hardest part." (HSA)
About how Kahai (a former UH player) was a big influence in his life, LaCount said:
"He was a big influence. I don't think I left his side until I was 10. It wasn't, 'Please, leave.' It was kicking me out because, 'You cruise with me too much.' " (HSA)
About how he suffered a broken toe while playing TE as a freshman at Kailua High School, LaCount said:
"That's when I moved to tackle, and I haven't moved since." (HSA)
About how he signed with Oregon State out of high school but ended up going to the College of the Canyons in California since he needed 50 more points on his SAT, where he got to spend time with his father who lived in California, LaCount said:
"I got close to the LaCount side of my family." (HSA)
HSA Note: "He signed with UH in February 2008, but then learned he did not have enough transferable credits to play that year. When he reported in August 2009, he weighed about 360 pounds, and the scholarship offer had lapsed. His mother paid for his tuition and school expenses during his UH career."
About how LaCount needed to lose 50 pounds and then learn the fundamentals needed for the OL, Shaw said:
"We had to peel about 50 pounds off of him. Then we had to get him fundamentally sound. He was used to being big and latching on to guys." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Last year, LaCount was moved to right tackle, where he had difficulty adjusting. This past summer, he was down to 320 pounds, and comfortable playing at either tackle position."
Praising LaCount, Mack said:
"I like his long arms, his attitude. He's really worked himself into shape. He has pro measurables. He works his tail off. He couldn't have gotten himself into that shape if he didn't work hard. I'm really proud of him. He's got everything going for him. I like the heck out of him." (HSA)
About how he plays with fury on the field even though he's easygoing off the field, LaCount laughed and said:
"I think bad thoughts. I guess it's hidden emotions. I let them out. It's fun to go out and hit people legally."
Unsure if he'll coach during the 2011 season, Mouse Davis said:
"We have to play it out and see. I don't have a timetable (for deciding). I'm enjoying myself. We're winning, and winning is important." (HSA)
About how they had their last full workout of the season yesterday and they will have their final walk-through today, Kamalu Umu said:
"It's sad. It didn't really hit me yet. I'm sure it will after the game." (HSA)
About how he's focused on the bowl game and not thinking about how this will end his UH career, Kealoha Pilares said:
"I'm not really into sad thoughts right now. We have a game to play." (HSA)
Todd Graham said that he thinks that UH has more talent than SMU had this season and that defending against UH's offense will:
"be a lot bigger challenge for us." (HSA)
About how UH's offense is even better than when he last faced UH in 2003 and 2004, Graham said:
"You can see the past they've had with the run-and-shoot, they haven't missed a beat. As a matter of fact they've even, I think, taken it to another level. I've prepared against it for a lot of years; doesn't make it any easier. I think it's one of the hardest offenses to defend." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101223_warriors_learn_today_whos_eligible_to_play.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101223_Perseverance_pays_off_as_LaCount_gets_first_start_for_Warriors.html
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Warrior Quotes from the Star-Advertiser (12/22/10)
About how he's going to be aggressive as their punt returner in the Hawaii Bowl, Kealoha Pilares said:
"I'm not fair-catching anything." (HSA)
HSA Note: "The past three games, the Warriors have returned two of 21 punts for zero yards. Greg Salas, UH's leading receiver, was instructed to fair catch every punt. Pilares was used as a punt returner against Idaho. He had two returns for 28 yards. But he suffered a strained hamstring while warming up at halftime. Salas was told he could be the punt returner if he promised not to attempt any returns."
Pilares said that returning punts:
"is another opportunity to make a big play. It's fun. It's an adrenaline rush. ... I know the guys will block for me. I have faith in them." (HSA)
About how he won't worry about injury since this is his final UH game, Pilares said:
"Why not take risks? That's what I'm going to do. We'll see what happens." (HSA)
About designing their rings, Mack said:
"I've been to a lot of bowls,. I know what a real ring looks like." (HSA)
About how the ring helps in recruiting, Mack said:
"It doesn't hurt recruiting when you have a championship ring on." (HSA)
About practicing as a starting offensive tackle over the past 2 weeks, Kainoa LaCount said:
"Just trying to give guys rest." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Brett Leonard and center Matagisila Lefiti have been rotating at left guard, a position usually played by Brysen "Bula" Ginlack."
About how Spencer Smith served as a mentor to freshman John Hardy-Tuilau while sitting out due to his fractured right forearm, Rich Miano said:
"I'll tell Spencer: 'Just watch John.' Spencer has done a good job mentoring John all season long. I know John looks up to his work ethic." (HSA)
About how he was injured in their second game and when he came back 8 weeks later he only lasted one series against Boise State, Smith said:
But Smith injured his forearm in the second game. He didn't play again for another eight weeks, but lasted only one defensive series against Boise State.
"After that, I wasn't sure if I would be OK." (HSA)
About how he has limited himself to only 15 snaps in each of their last 3 games, Smith said:
"John has done such a great job all year. It's been his season. I don't want to take anything away from him. When my times come, I'll try to make the best of it." (HSA)
Appreciating the advice that Smith gives him, Hardy-Tuilau said:
"Spencer helps me a lot in games. He always looks at the plays to help me do better. He's like an extra coach." (HSA)
About how Hardy-Tuilau could play a variety of positions for them in the future, Dave Aranda said:
"He's an athletic player, and a smart player. He's able to decipher things quickly." (HSA)
About how he has focused mostly on power-clean lifts this season, the 5'11", 170-pound Hardy-Tuilau said:
"It's all about being physical in the weight room." (HSA)
About how Hardy-Tuilau's intelligence makes him a great player, Miano said:
"John is tough, fast, quick and athletic. If he had only those things but wasn't smart, he'd be a good player, and we'd be glad to have him. But he is very smart, and that's what makes him a great player. The ability to get to the next level depends on how smart you are, and he's very smart." (HSA)
Spencer Smith said that if the Hawaii Bowl is his last football game:
"my whole experience in Hawaii has been awesome. I'm doing some of the things a lot of people won't ever do in their lifetime. I've been blessed. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe my arm breaking will take me to better things than if it didn't break." (HSA)
About how Damaris Johnson, their leading receiver/returner, is similar to Chad Owens (who had 253 all-purpose yards and 3 TDs to beat Tulsa when Graham was Tulsa's defensive coordinator), Todd Graham said:
"They're real simila. Big-play guys, guys that catch the ball, yards after catch, great quickness and acceleration. ... It's big time to have a guy like that." (HSA)
About Johnson, who was named to a second-team AP All-American this year, Graham said:
"He's been special in so many ways. He is no question our most valuable player." (HSA)
HSA Note: "This season Johnson, Conference USA's special teams player of the year, averages 27.4 yards on kickoff returns, 12.5 on punt returns and is Tulsa's top receiver and second-leading rusher. The junior enters Friday's matchup with Hawaii with 7,470 career yards, rising to fourth on the NCAA all-purpose yardage list and 294 yards away from the record."
About how Tulsa gave him a chance to play early while recruiters from other teams might have been scared off by his 5'8" listed height, Johnson said:
"I knew coming in they would let me do different things with the ball and give me a chance to come in and play early." (HSA)
About how they use Johnson everywhere, Graham said:
"He lines up at quarterback, at running back, at receiver, returns kicks and punts. He does everything except play defense and he could probably do that. We knew he was special. From the time he's walked onto our practice field he's been spectacular." (HSA)
About his punt return for a 59-yard TD against Notre Dame when they were down 27-18 in the 3rd quarter, Johnson said:
"It was a real spark in the game. Just gave guys more confidence. It was just a play that needed to be made and I'm happy I was that person to make that play." (HSA)
Praising his blockers for making his success possible, Johnson said:
"Those guys want me to score touchdowns more than I want to score touchdowns. That helps me a lot that they're going out there excited to block for me. I love that a lot." (HSA)
Considering his height an advantage, Johnson said:
"Since I'm small I can get in and out of places and don't take big hits every time." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101222_Mentor_An_experienced_person_in_a_company_college_or_school_who_trains_and_counsels_new_employees_or_students_See_Smith_Spencer.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101222_This_time_Tulsa_comes_armed_with_its_own_Chad_Owens_weapon.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101222_Pilares_ready_for_risk-taking_returns.html
"I'm not fair-catching anything." (HSA)
HSA Note: "The past three games, the Warriors have returned two of 21 punts for zero yards. Greg Salas, UH's leading receiver, was instructed to fair catch every punt. Pilares was used as a punt returner against Idaho. He had two returns for 28 yards. But he suffered a strained hamstring while warming up at halftime. Salas was told he could be the punt returner if he promised not to attempt any returns."
Pilares said that returning punts:
"is another opportunity to make a big play. It's fun. It's an adrenaline rush. ... I know the guys will block for me. I have faith in them." (HSA)
About how he won't worry about injury since this is his final UH game, Pilares said:
"Why not take risks? That's what I'm going to do. We'll see what happens." (HSA)
About designing their rings, Mack said:
"I've been to a lot of bowls,. I know what a real ring looks like." (HSA)
About how the ring helps in recruiting, Mack said:
"It doesn't hurt recruiting when you have a championship ring on." (HSA)
About practicing as a starting offensive tackle over the past 2 weeks, Kainoa LaCount said:
"Just trying to give guys rest." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Brett Leonard and center Matagisila Lefiti have been rotating at left guard, a position usually played by Brysen "Bula" Ginlack."
About how Spencer Smith served as a mentor to freshman John Hardy-Tuilau while sitting out due to his fractured right forearm, Rich Miano said:
"I'll tell Spencer: 'Just watch John.' Spencer has done a good job mentoring John all season long. I know John looks up to his work ethic." (HSA)
About how he was injured in their second game and when he came back 8 weeks later he only lasted one series against Boise State, Smith said:
But Smith injured his forearm in the second game. He didn't play again for another eight weeks, but lasted only one defensive series against Boise State.
"After that, I wasn't sure if I would be OK." (HSA)
About how he has limited himself to only 15 snaps in each of their last 3 games, Smith said:
"John has done such a great job all year. It's been his season. I don't want to take anything away from him. When my times come, I'll try to make the best of it." (HSA)
Appreciating the advice that Smith gives him, Hardy-Tuilau said:
"Spencer helps me a lot in games. He always looks at the plays to help me do better. He's like an extra coach." (HSA)
About how Hardy-Tuilau could play a variety of positions for them in the future, Dave Aranda said:
"He's an athletic player, and a smart player. He's able to decipher things quickly." (HSA)
About how he has focused mostly on power-clean lifts this season, the 5'11", 170-pound Hardy-Tuilau said:
"It's all about being physical in the weight room." (HSA)
About how Hardy-Tuilau's intelligence makes him a great player, Miano said:
"John is tough, fast, quick and athletic. If he had only those things but wasn't smart, he'd be a good player, and we'd be glad to have him. But he is very smart, and that's what makes him a great player. The ability to get to the next level depends on how smart you are, and he's very smart." (HSA)
Spencer Smith said that if the Hawaii Bowl is his last football game:
"my whole experience in Hawaii has been awesome. I'm doing some of the things a lot of people won't ever do in their lifetime. I've been blessed. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe my arm breaking will take me to better things than if it didn't break." (HSA)
About how Damaris Johnson, their leading receiver/returner, is similar to Chad Owens (who had 253 all-purpose yards and 3 TDs to beat Tulsa when Graham was Tulsa's defensive coordinator), Todd Graham said:
"They're real simila. Big-play guys, guys that catch the ball, yards after catch, great quickness and acceleration. ... It's big time to have a guy like that." (HSA)
About Johnson, who was named to a second-team AP All-American this year, Graham said:
"He's been special in so many ways. He is no question our most valuable player." (HSA)
HSA Note: "This season Johnson, Conference USA's special teams player of the year, averages 27.4 yards on kickoff returns, 12.5 on punt returns and is Tulsa's top receiver and second-leading rusher. The junior enters Friday's matchup with Hawaii with 7,470 career yards, rising to fourth on the NCAA all-purpose yardage list and 294 yards away from the record."
About how Tulsa gave him a chance to play early while recruiters from other teams might have been scared off by his 5'8" listed height, Johnson said:
"I knew coming in they would let me do different things with the ball and give me a chance to come in and play early." (HSA)
About how they use Johnson everywhere, Graham said:
"He lines up at quarterback, at running back, at receiver, returns kicks and punts. He does everything except play defense and he could probably do that. We knew he was special. From the time he's walked onto our practice field he's been spectacular." (HSA)
About his punt return for a 59-yard TD against Notre Dame when they were down 27-18 in the 3rd quarter, Johnson said:
"It was a real spark in the game. Just gave guys more confidence. It was just a play that needed to be made and I'm happy I was that person to make that play." (HSA)
Praising his blockers for making his success possible, Johnson said:
"Those guys want me to score touchdowns more than I want to score touchdowns. That helps me a lot that they're going out there excited to block for me. I love that a lot." (HSA)
Considering his height an advantage, Johnson said:
"Since I'm small I can get in and out of places and don't take big hits every time." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101222_Mentor_An_experienced_person_in_a_company_college_or_school_who_trains_and_counsels_new_employees_or_students_See_Smith_Spencer.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101222_This_time_Tulsa_comes_armed_with_its_own_Chad_Owens_weapon.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101222_Pilares_ready_for_risk-taking_returns.html
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
UH might go to other non-BCS bowls instead of just the Hawaii Bowl
About having UH play in the Hawaii Bowl every time they are not in a BCS bowl like they do as a WAC member, Craig Thompson said:
"I think that's an opportunity, if that's what Hawaii wants, if that's what ESPN Regional wants and if that's what the other remaining members of the (MWC) want, that certainly is one option. But, maybe, one of those three parties would like a different structure. I don't know. I haven't gotten into it." (HSA)
"I have spoken to (UH athletic director) Jim Donovan just very briefly about it. But is that Hawaii's goal as an institution: to stay home and play in that game three out of four years or two out of three years or whatever? Or, would they prefer more of a one out of four?" (HSA)
About how it would be a big expense for the conference to send UH to a different non-BCS game, Thompson said:
"I know finances play a huge role for the conference because if Hawaii travels to the mainland, that's a flight and you're paying (for) a second flight and a charter to pay for a team to go from the mainland over to Hawaii. So, that's two flights instead of one, so to speak. I look forward to sitting around a table with the athletic directors discussing that whole topic." (HSA
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101221_Warriors_might_not_be_locked_into_future_Hawaii_Bowls.html
"I think that's an opportunity, if that's what Hawaii wants, if that's what ESPN Regional wants and if that's what the other remaining members of the (MWC) want, that certainly is one option. But, maybe, one of those three parties would like a different structure. I don't know. I haven't gotten into it." (HSA)
"I have spoken to (UH athletic director) Jim Donovan just very briefly about it. But is that Hawaii's goal as an institution: to stay home and play in that game three out of four years or two out of three years or whatever? Or, would they prefer more of a one out of four?" (HSA)
About how it would be a big expense for the conference to send UH to a different non-BCS game, Thompson said:
"I know finances play a huge role for the conference because if Hawaii travels to the mainland, that's a flight and you're paying (for) a second flight and a charter to pay for a team to go from the mainland over to Hawaii. So, that's two flights instead of one, so to speak. I look forward to sitting around a table with the athletic directors discussing that whole topic." (HSA
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101221_Warriors_might_not_be_locked_into_future_Hawaii_Bowls.html
Feature on Tulsa's "Run and Gun" offense
About how their offense averages a play every 23 seconds, many times using just 14 seconds with their no-huddle offense, Tulsa head coach Todd Graham said:
"We call it the 'Run and Gun,' man. It's put it in the left lane, and put the hammer down." (HSA)
About how their players have to be in great shape to run their offense, Graham said:
"We want to get 85 snaps on offense, and we want the other team to have 65 snaps. To do that, we run a fast-paced, no-huddle (offense). We practice like that, therefore our kids are in better shape. It takes two, three years to get in shape to run this system. It hurts your defense at first. But it starts to pick up as the years go by." (HSA)
Asked why they have such a fast-paced offense, Graham said:
"I'm tryin' to make a livin', man. It sells tickets." (HSA)
About how he based him offense on concepts from Rich Rodriguez's no-back, no-huddle offense, Graham (who was defensive coordinator for East Central when they faced Rodriguez's Glenville State for the 1993 NAIA championship, and who was head coach at West Virginia when Graham was hired to be LB coach) said:
"The origin of the offense comes from Coach Rodriguez." (HSA)
About how he kept notes on the offense that made things hard on him as a defensive coach and installed the offense when he became a head coach, Graham said:
"I spent a lot of time developing this system based on attacking defensive principles. It's been in the making for well over a decade. We basically run everything I hate to defend." (HSA)
About how both high-powered offense should make the Hawaii Bowl fun to watch, Tulsa QB G.J. Kinne said:
"It's an awesome offense. We've got a great system. Hawaii has a great offense, too. It's going to be a fun game to watch." (HSA)
About how they weren't bothered by the rain in Hawaii over the past 2 days, Kinne said:
"When we left Tulsa, it was 30 degrees. We get here, it was in the upper 70s." (HSA)
About how his players preferred to go to the Hawaii Bowl so he faked them out for 30 seconds before telling them the good news, Graham said:
"I was really concerned if we weren't going to go to Hawaii, how was I going to get them ready to go to Fort Worth? Nothing against Fort Worth, but when I heard we were invited to Hawaii, I decided to play a little joke on them. I told them we were going to Fort Worth. They were all like, 'Oh, no.' I let that go on for about 30 seconds. Then I told them we were going to Hawaii, and they all cheered. They were extremely fired up to come to Hawaii."
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101221_Tulsas_offense_built_on_what_coach_couldnt_defend.html
"We call it the 'Run and Gun,' man. It's put it in the left lane, and put the hammer down." (HSA)
About how their players have to be in great shape to run their offense, Graham said:
"We want to get 85 snaps on offense, and we want the other team to have 65 snaps. To do that, we run a fast-paced, no-huddle (offense). We practice like that, therefore our kids are in better shape. It takes two, three years to get in shape to run this system. It hurts your defense at first. But it starts to pick up as the years go by." (HSA)
Asked why they have such a fast-paced offense, Graham said:
"I'm tryin' to make a livin', man. It sells tickets." (HSA)
About how he based him offense on concepts from Rich Rodriguez's no-back, no-huddle offense, Graham (who was defensive coordinator for East Central when they faced Rodriguez's Glenville State for the 1993 NAIA championship, and who was head coach at West Virginia when Graham was hired to be LB coach) said:
"The origin of the offense comes from Coach Rodriguez." (HSA)
About how he kept notes on the offense that made things hard on him as a defensive coach and installed the offense when he became a head coach, Graham said:
"I spent a lot of time developing this system based on attacking defensive principles. It's been in the making for well over a decade. We basically run everything I hate to defend." (HSA)
About how both high-powered offense should make the Hawaii Bowl fun to watch, Tulsa QB G.J. Kinne said:
"It's an awesome offense. We've got a great system. Hawaii has a great offense, too. It's going to be a fun game to watch." (HSA)
About how they weren't bothered by the rain in Hawaii over the past 2 days, Kinne said:
"When we left Tulsa, it was 30 degrees. We get here, it was in the upper 70s." (HSA)
About how his players preferred to go to the Hawaii Bowl so he faked them out for 30 seconds before telling them the good news, Graham said:
"I was really concerned if we weren't going to go to Hawaii, how was I going to get them ready to go to Fort Worth? Nothing against Fort Worth, but when I heard we were invited to Hawaii, I decided to play a little joke on them. I told them we were going to Fort Worth. They were all like, 'Oh, no.' I let that go on for about 30 seconds. Then I told them we were going to Hawaii, and they all cheered. They were extremely fired up to come to Hawaii."
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101221_Tulsas_offense_built_on_what_coach_couldnt_defend.html
Monday, December 20, 2010
OL Thomas Olds and JC LB Brenden Daley commit to the Warriors!
About committing to the Warriors, Thomas Olds said:
"I just love it in Hawaii. The school is nice, and the football team is amazing." (HSA)
About how he will compete at OL for UH, 6'3', 265-pound Olds said:
"Either center or guard." (HSA)
About how his hobbies include surfing, snowboarding and hanging out at the beach, Olds said:
"Hawaii is the perfect place." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Daley is 6 feet 4 and 255 pounds. According to Rivals.com, Daley is capable of bench pressing 435 pounds. He can bench 225 pounds 35 times. In 10 games this past season, he made seven sacks and averaged 15.5 tackles per game. He will have three years to play two UH seasons."
About how they canceled their water park trip after practicing in the rain, Mana Silva said:
"We just had our water park." (HSA)
About practicing in the heavy rain yesterday, Bryant Moniz said:
"This isn't Wahiawa weather, it's Wahiawa Heights weather." (HSA)
"I enjoyed it. I wish we had a muddy field so it would be more fun. Football is about playing in the elements. I think it's one of the few sports you can play in except lightning. And we did that for a little while at Leilehua. We ran a few more plays (in that game), until we realized we had to get out of there." (HSA)
HSA Note: "After practice, Moniz took off his cleats, then turned them over to empty the accumulated water."
About how Greg Salas missed last week's 3 practices to complete a class project, Moniz said:
"The last time I saw Greg was in the study-hall office." (HSA)
About being back at practice, Salas said:
"It was nice to get back out there with the boys. I spent a lot of time in the library. My legs are fine. I was running on my own. I'm going to enjoy these last practices." (HSA)
About how their game plan was completed a week ago and the practices help their players "work on details", Defensive Coordinator Dave Aranda said:
"The guys are locked in. They feel their best efforts are going to be needed on Friday. They didn't mind the weather. They had a good practice." (HSA)
About how they were focused on practice despite the rain, Corey Paredes said:
"Even though it was raining hard, we were focused. ... We really want to win this game." (HSA)
JC LB Brenden Daley committed to the Warriors
VCS = Ventura County Star
About when he will leave Ventura College and join UH, Brenden Daley said:
"I get out here in May. I'm going to be representing for the Mainlanders. ... Oh, man, I'm excited to win over this crowd." (VCS)
VCS Note: "The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Moorpark High product, who had 100 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss and seven sacks for the Pirates as a sophomore, joins Moorpark College's record-breaking receiver Chris Gant, who committed to Hawaii earlier this month."
About how his teammate, DE Jon Lattimore, is also considering UH, Daley said:
"Hopefully, Latt will come here, too." (VCS)
About how he can fill the hole that UH has at MLB, Daley said:
"I'm coming into a perfect situation." (VCS)
About how other schools had been recruiting him but he's firm in his commitment to UH, Daley said:
"This is it. I'm happy here. I gave them my word and I'm going to stand by it. I'm ready to rock." (VCS)
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/19/Sb3FCccnotes20CLG-fc/
About when he will leave Ventura College and join UH, Brenden Daley said:
"I get out here in May. I'm going to be representing for the Mainlanders. ... Oh, man, I'm excited to win over this crowd." (VCS)
VCS Note: "The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Moorpark High product, who had 100 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss and seven sacks for the Pirates as a sophomore, joins Moorpark College's record-breaking receiver Chris Gant, who committed to Hawaii earlier this month."
About how his teammate, DE Jon Lattimore, is also considering UH, Daley said:
"Hopefully, Latt will come here, too." (VCS)
About how he can fill the hole that UH has at MLB, Daley said:
"I'm coming into a perfect situation." (VCS)
About how other schools had been recruiting him but he's firm in his commitment to UH, Daley said:
"This is it. I'm happy here. I gave them my word and I'm going to stand by it. I'm ready to rock." (VCS)
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/dec/19/Sb3FCccnotes20CLG-fc/
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Tulsa hopes to not lose money by going to the Hawaii Bowl, are not sending its band or spirit squad
OK = Oklahoman
About how they will basically break even going to the Hawaii Bowl, Tulsa AD Bubba Cunningham said:
"It's gonna be plus or minus $20,000 or $30,000. That's typically how we go into a bowl thinking." (OK)
OK Note: "Forget the $600,000 the Hawaii Bowl reportedly will pay its participating schools. Tulsa will never see that cash. Payouts from each of the six bowls affiliated with Conference USA go directly to the league and are pooled to cover expenses for the league's participating bowl teams. TU's compensation will come in the form of the roughly $580,000 to $600,000 C-USA will pay to fly the team to Oahu and house and feed 220 people for five nights. The air charter alone will cost about $425,000, according to reliable estimates."
Happy that their conference subsidizes their bowl game expenses, Cunningham said:
"It's very expensive to go. But I think our conference policy of putting all revenue in one bucket and taking all the expenses out of that same bucket, and then dividing what's left among the member institutions is really a smart way to do it and allows participating teams to break even and actually make a little money if you can sell tickets." (OK)
OK Note: "But TU must avoid cost overruns. That probably explains why the school isn't sending its roughly 100-member band or spirit squad."
http://newsok.com/hawaii-bowl-not-big-money-maker-for-tu/article/3525059
About how they will basically break even going to the Hawaii Bowl, Tulsa AD Bubba Cunningham said:
"It's gonna be plus or minus $20,000 or $30,000. That's typically how we go into a bowl thinking." (OK)
OK Note: "Forget the $600,000 the Hawaii Bowl reportedly will pay its participating schools. Tulsa will never see that cash. Payouts from each of the six bowls affiliated with Conference USA go directly to the league and are pooled to cover expenses for the league's participating bowl teams. TU's compensation will come in the form of the roughly $580,000 to $600,000 C-USA will pay to fly the team to Oahu and house and feed 220 people for five nights. The air charter alone will cost about $425,000, according to reliable estimates."
Happy that their conference subsidizes their bowl game expenses, Cunningham said:
"It's very expensive to go. But I think our conference policy of putting all revenue in one bucket and taking all the expenses out of that same bucket, and then dividing what's left among the member institutions is really a smart way to do it and allows participating teams to break even and actually make a little money if you can sell tickets." (OK)
OK Note: "But TU must avoid cost overruns. That probably explains why the school isn't sending its roughly 100-member band or spirit squad."
http://newsok.com/hawaii-bowl-not-big-money-maker-for-tu/article/3525059
Feature on the Warriors who participated in UH's graduation ceremonies yesterday
About participating in UH's graduation ceremony, Blaze Soares (the first member of his family to earn a college degreee) said:
"This is a touching moment. I never could see myself graduating and walking the line. This is the best accomplishment in my life. I'm very happy. I'm stoked." (HSA)
Proud of her grandson Blaze, Loretta Szubinski said:
"I'm very proud of him. From starting so low to working his way up, he's really worked hard. He's such a cheerful kid, always happy. He's very respectful to his family." (HSA)
About how he has been working in the music industry (Phat Sounds Productions and D Boy Productions) since he finished playing for UH last year, Blaze said:
"Everything is going good." (HSA)
Abotu how he attended Hawaii Pacific University after graduating from Castle High because he did not earn enough credits in core classes at Castle, Blaze said:
"It was frustrating. I had a lot of other options (out of high school), but Hawaii is where I wanted to play. No other school mattered." (HSA)
About howt he keeps all of his football awards "in a box in my closet", but he will frame his diploma and put it on his wall, Blaze said:
"I'm very proud of this." (HSA)
About going back to school after he was injured last year while trying out with the Seattle Seahawks, Adam Leonard said:
"I was sitting at home (in Seattle) trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I asked Coach Mack about the possibility of coming back to school." (HSA)
About Mack getting him a student manager position that would pay for his tuition and school expenses at UH, Leonard said:
"He wasn't obligated to help me finish up. But he opened it up for me." (HSA)
About how he bought a one-way ticket from Seattle to Honolulu, Leonard said:
"I was determined." (HSA)
About how he completed his bachelor's degree in August but came back in December to participate in UH's graduation ceremony since UH doesn't have a summer graduation ceremony, Leonard said:
"I wanted to come back, get some pictures and make it official." (HSA)
About earning his degree and finishing his UH career with Friday's Hawaii Bowl, Dustin Blount said:
"I'll finally be going out into the world." (HSA)
About how he's recovering from his ACL surgery last month, Ryan Henry said:
"I'm doing better." (HSA)
Australia-raised Adrian Thomas said that he never imagined:
"going to school in the United States. It's been a great experience." (HSA)
About redshirting as a senior in 2009 to focus on school and earning his starting job back this season and going through graduation yesterday, Brysen "Bula" Ginlack said:
"It was hard (not to play in 2009), but it was good in the long run." (HSA)
About earning his speech degree and starting a master's degree next semester, Jett Jasper (who can play 1 more year for UH) said:
"It was a hard road, with a lot of tests, but it was worth it." (HSA)
About being excused from 2 practices to finish school projecgts, Greg Salas said:
"I was in Sinclair Library every day until 2 in the morning. I'm a real procrastinator. I do what it takes to get it done. Getting a degree is a culmination of a great experience here. Now I'm definitely ready for our bowl game." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101219_determined_proud_warriors_receive_diplomas.html
"This is a touching moment. I never could see myself graduating and walking the line. This is the best accomplishment in my life. I'm very happy. I'm stoked." (HSA)
Proud of her grandson Blaze, Loretta Szubinski said:
"I'm very proud of him. From starting so low to working his way up, he's really worked hard. He's such a cheerful kid, always happy. He's very respectful to his family." (HSA)
About how he has been working in the music industry (Phat Sounds Productions and D Boy Productions) since he finished playing for UH last year, Blaze said:
"Everything is going good." (HSA)
Abotu how he attended Hawaii Pacific University after graduating from Castle High because he did not earn enough credits in core classes at Castle, Blaze said:
"It was frustrating. I had a lot of other options (out of high school), but Hawaii is where I wanted to play. No other school mattered." (HSA)
About howt he keeps all of his football awards "in a box in my closet", but he will frame his diploma and put it on his wall, Blaze said:
"I'm very proud of this." (HSA)
About going back to school after he was injured last year while trying out with the Seattle Seahawks, Adam Leonard said:
"I was sitting at home (in Seattle) trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I asked Coach Mack about the possibility of coming back to school." (HSA)
About Mack getting him a student manager position that would pay for his tuition and school expenses at UH, Leonard said:
"He wasn't obligated to help me finish up. But he opened it up for me." (HSA)
About how he bought a one-way ticket from Seattle to Honolulu, Leonard said:
"I was determined." (HSA)
About how he completed his bachelor's degree in August but came back in December to participate in UH's graduation ceremony since UH doesn't have a summer graduation ceremony, Leonard said:
"I wanted to come back, get some pictures and make it official." (HSA)
About earning his degree and finishing his UH career with Friday's Hawaii Bowl, Dustin Blount said:
"I'll finally be going out into the world." (HSA)
About how he's recovering from his ACL surgery last month, Ryan Henry said:
"I'm doing better." (HSA)
Australia-raised Adrian Thomas said that he never imagined:
"going to school in the United States. It's been a great experience." (HSA)
About redshirting as a senior in 2009 to focus on school and earning his starting job back this season and going through graduation yesterday, Brysen "Bula" Ginlack said:
"It was hard (not to play in 2009), but it was good in the long run." (HSA)
About earning his speech degree and starting a master's degree next semester, Jett Jasper (who can play 1 more year for UH) said:
"It was a hard road, with a lot of tests, but it was worth it." (HSA)
About being excused from 2 practices to finish school projecgts, Greg Salas said:
"I was in Sinclair Library every day until 2 in the morning. I'm a real procrastinator. I do what it takes to get it done. Getting a degree is a culmination of a great experience here. Now I'm definitely ready for our bowl game." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101219_determined_proud_warriors_receive_diplomas.html
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Feature on the Warrior DL and how close they are
About how their DL are bonded forever, Kamalu Umu (one of 4 members of the DL whose UH career will end with the Hawaii Bowl) said:
"We're brothers for life." (HSA)
About the 4 members of the DL that will not be able to play with them anymore, junior Vaughn Meatoga said:
"It's really sad.Every day is one day less to play with them on the field." (HSA)
About DT coach Tony Tuioti having his 7th child earlier this season, Elliott Purcell said:
"I want to be like Coach Tony." (HSA)
Liko Satele responded:
"You already are." (HSA)
About how he has 2 sons, Purcell said:
"I'm catching up to him." (HSA)
About how a few of their defensive linemen started to do off-field activities together during the offseason and then that grew to include all of the members of the DL and their girlfriends, Meatoga said:
"Our girlfriends are close. We're all close. We have fun with each other, especially on the field. We're so comfortable we don't really talk to each other on the field. We just look at each other, and we know what we're thinking." (HSA)
About how Kaniela Tuipulu (nicknamed "The Bouncer" because of his aggressiveness) broke his paddle when using a standup surfboard, Satele said:
"It was made of carbon Fiberglas. That's a hard thing to break." (HSA)
About how Haku Correa is the protective member of the DL, Meatoga said:
"We were at Koko Head, and Haku was like: 'Get away from the ledge. Everybody move back. You're too close to the end. You guys are going to get hurt.'" (HSA)
About what happened when a player threw a branch into a 40-foot waterfall during a hike on Kauai, Meatoga laughed and said:
"Haku yelled: 'Vaughn, no!' He started panicking. He thought I fell into the water. He doesn't like us to do anything dangerous." (HSA)
About how Umu is nicknamed the "Hustler" by the way he can con teammates, Tuipulotu said:
"He says, 'I don't know how to play this video game,' and then he kills everybody. He's talented. He can do random stuff like drop-kick a football." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Meatoga said defensive tackle Geordon Hanohano is "Gee-O" because "he hates to be called 'Gee-O.'" "
About 5'10" DT Ikaika Mahoe's nickname of the "Doorstop", Meatoga said:
"Know how small a doorstop is, but it can stop a big door? That's Ikaika." (HSA)
About how Paipai Falemalu is called the "Caveman" because of his raw pass-rushing technique, Meatoga said:
"Sometimes we call him 'Geico' because of their caveman commercial." (HSA)
About how Purcell's short attention span earned the nickname "Day Late, Dollar Short", Tuipulotu said:
"You can be finished telling him something, and he'll say, 'What's up?'" (HSA)
About how he organizes pranks on road trips, Meatoga said:
"We sneak into people's rooms, and scare the crap out of them." (HSA)
About how they take game preparation seriously, Meatoga said:
"We're about business. We want to win, and we want to represent the state." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101218_Brothers_for_life.html
"We're brothers for life." (HSA)
About the 4 members of the DL that will not be able to play with them anymore, junior Vaughn Meatoga said:
"It's really sad.Every day is one day less to play with them on the field." (HSA)
About DT coach Tony Tuioti having his 7th child earlier this season, Elliott Purcell said:
"I want to be like Coach Tony." (HSA)
Liko Satele responded:
"You already are." (HSA)
About how he has 2 sons, Purcell said:
"I'm catching up to him." (HSA)
About how a few of their defensive linemen started to do off-field activities together during the offseason and then that grew to include all of the members of the DL and their girlfriends, Meatoga said:
"Our girlfriends are close. We're all close. We have fun with each other, especially on the field. We're so comfortable we don't really talk to each other on the field. We just look at each other, and we know what we're thinking." (HSA)
About how Kaniela Tuipulu (nicknamed "The Bouncer" because of his aggressiveness) broke his paddle when using a standup surfboard, Satele said:
"It was made of carbon Fiberglas. That's a hard thing to break." (HSA)
About how Haku Correa is the protective member of the DL, Meatoga said:
"We were at Koko Head, and Haku was like: 'Get away from the ledge. Everybody move back. You're too close to the end. You guys are going to get hurt.'" (HSA)
About what happened when a player threw a branch into a 40-foot waterfall during a hike on Kauai, Meatoga laughed and said:
"Haku yelled: 'Vaughn, no!' He started panicking. He thought I fell into the water. He doesn't like us to do anything dangerous." (HSA)
About how Umu is nicknamed the "Hustler" by the way he can con teammates, Tuipulotu said:
"He says, 'I don't know how to play this video game,' and then he kills everybody. He's talented. He can do random stuff like drop-kick a football." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Meatoga said defensive tackle Geordon Hanohano is "Gee-O" because "he hates to be called 'Gee-O.'" "
About 5'10" DT Ikaika Mahoe's nickname of the "Doorstop", Meatoga said:
"Know how small a doorstop is, but it can stop a big door? That's Ikaika." (HSA)
About how Paipai Falemalu is called the "Caveman" because of his raw pass-rushing technique, Meatoga said:
"Sometimes we call him 'Geico' because of their caveman commercial." (HSA)
About how Purcell's short attention span earned the nickname "Day Late, Dollar Short", Tuipulotu said:
"You can be finished telling him something, and he'll say, 'What's up?'" (HSA)
About how he organizes pranks on road trips, Meatoga said:
"We sneak into people's rooms, and scare the crap out of them." (HSA)
About how they take game preparation seriously, Meatoga said:
"We're about business. We want to win, and we want to represent the state." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101218_Brothers_for_life.html
Friday, December 17, 2010
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)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101217_Tulsas_pace_will_tax_Warriors_defense.html
"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)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101217_Tulsas_pace_will_tax_Warriors_defense.html
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Warrior Quotes from the Star-Advertiser 12/16/10 (Players want Mack to get an extension)
About how he feels that Mack deserves a contract extension, Mana Silva said:
"He's doing a great job for our program. Anyone who has done as good a job has earned an extension." (HSA)
Mack said that he would:
"like an extension. We're building this program. These are guys I've brought in here. I want to be able to see the job through." (HSA)
About the program would benefit from him getting an extension, Mack said that an extension is:
"important for recruiting and retaining my staff. (Those are) the two main reasons. The kids want to know you'll be there for the time they'll be there. And (assistant) coaches are on one-year contracts. As long as I'm here, they're here." (HSA)
About how he would like Mack to get an extension, Corey Paredes said:
"Of course. Coach Mack is an awesome coach. He takes care of his players. He treats his players like his own children. ... And he's led us to some victories." (HSA)
Supporting Mack, Luke Ingram said:
"He does take care of his players. If you're a head coach, that's all that counts. You're in it for the players, and not for yourself. He's doing a great job taking care of us. My two years (at UH), he's been here, and he'll be here my last two. And it'll be a good thing for all of the up-and-coming guys out of high school to work with him, too." (HSA)
Comparing their team's resiliency to cockroaches, Bryant Moniz said:
"We're the cockroaches. Everybody thought they killed us last year. They thought we were dead. And then we got up. You know when you think you killed a cockroach, then you come back, and it's gone? That's us. They thought we were dead after last year. We came back. We won 10 games. We're going to a bowl game. They need to get a bigger slipper to kill us." (HSA)
Informed about Moniz's cockroach analogy, Corey Paredes said:
"I like that. That's a good analogy. Cockroaches are resilient. Even though their guts are spilled all over the floor, they're still going." (HSA)
Liking Moniz's cockroach analogy, Alex Green said:
"That's a good one by Mo. Everybody picked us low. We worked hard, and we're in the Top 25. We busted our butts for it." (HSA)
About how he was amazed at the size of cockroaches in Hawaii, Green (who is from Oregon) said:
"I've never seen cockroaches as big as I've seen out here in Hawaii. My first year, I was in training camp, and we were (staying) in the studios. I picked up my phone, and a big cockroach jumped into my bed. And (Hawaii's cockroaches) fly." (HSA)
About how he never saw cockroaches when he grew up in Northern California, Scott Enos said:
"I'd never seen cockroaches until I moved out here. It was a new experience for me. They don't stop. I've tried to kill them, and they keep coming back." (HSA)
About signing and faxing his letter of intent to UH, Cecil Doe said:
"I'm excited about playing for Hawaii." (HSA)
HSA Note: "The Warriors yesterday had their first full practice in nearly two weeks. They play Tulsa in the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. The break "was good for us," said Moniz, whose Warriors ended their regular season Dec. 4. They had conditioning drills last week. Practices scheduled for the past Monday and Tuesday were canceled because many of the players were taking final exams."
About how they needed the time off from practice, Alex Green said:
"The rest was needed. We played a 13-game season. We needed a little breather." (HSA)
About how their players played through their injuries this season, Paredes said:
"This team has heart. That's why we're winning. Guys were hurt, but they pushed through the pain. That's our identity." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101216_Players_want_more_McMackin.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101216_Moniz_observes_Warriors_resiliency_Were_the_cockroaches.html
"He's doing a great job for our program. Anyone who has done as good a job has earned an extension." (HSA)
Mack said that he would:
"like an extension. We're building this program. These are guys I've brought in here. I want to be able to see the job through." (HSA)
About the program would benefit from him getting an extension, Mack said that an extension is:
"important for recruiting and retaining my staff. (Those are) the two main reasons. The kids want to know you'll be there for the time they'll be there. And (assistant) coaches are on one-year contracts. As long as I'm here, they're here." (HSA)
About how he would like Mack to get an extension, Corey Paredes said:
"Of course. Coach Mack is an awesome coach. He takes care of his players. He treats his players like his own children. ... And he's led us to some victories." (HSA)
Supporting Mack, Luke Ingram said:
"He does take care of his players. If you're a head coach, that's all that counts. You're in it for the players, and not for yourself. He's doing a great job taking care of us. My two years (at UH), he's been here, and he'll be here my last two. And it'll be a good thing for all of the up-and-coming guys out of high school to work with him, too." (HSA)
Comparing their team's resiliency to cockroaches, Bryant Moniz said:
"We're the cockroaches. Everybody thought they killed us last year. They thought we were dead. And then we got up. You know when you think you killed a cockroach, then you come back, and it's gone? That's us. They thought we were dead after last year. We came back. We won 10 games. We're going to a bowl game. They need to get a bigger slipper to kill us." (HSA)
Informed about Moniz's cockroach analogy, Corey Paredes said:
"I like that. That's a good analogy. Cockroaches are resilient. Even though their guts are spilled all over the floor, they're still going." (HSA)
Liking Moniz's cockroach analogy, Alex Green said:
"That's a good one by Mo. Everybody picked us low. We worked hard, and we're in the Top 25. We busted our butts for it." (HSA)
About how he was amazed at the size of cockroaches in Hawaii, Green (who is from Oregon) said:
"I've never seen cockroaches as big as I've seen out here in Hawaii. My first year, I was in training camp, and we were (staying) in the studios. I picked up my phone, and a big cockroach jumped into my bed. And (Hawaii's cockroaches) fly." (HSA)
About how he never saw cockroaches when he grew up in Northern California, Scott Enos said:
"I'd never seen cockroaches until I moved out here. It was a new experience for me. They don't stop. I've tried to kill them, and they keep coming back." (HSA)
About signing and faxing his letter of intent to UH, Cecil Doe said:
"I'm excited about playing for Hawaii." (HSA)
HSA Note: "The Warriors yesterday had their first full practice in nearly two weeks. They play Tulsa in the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. The break "was good for us," said Moniz, whose Warriors ended their regular season Dec. 4. They had conditioning drills last week. Practices scheduled for the past Monday and Tuesday were canceled because many of the players were taking final exams."
About how they needed the time off from practice, Alex Green said:
"The rest was needed. We played a 13-game season. We needed a little breather." (HSA)
About how their players played through their injuries this season, Paredes said:
"This team has heart. That's why we're winning. Guys were hurt, but they pushed through the pain. That's our identity." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101216_Players_want_more_McMackin.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101216_Moniz_observes_Warriors_resiliency_Were_the_cockroaches.html
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Greg Salas was named to the AP All-American Third Team
About how he didn't have time to celebrate when his father called to tell him that he was named to the AP All-America Third team yesterday, Greg Salas said:
"I'm working on a paper." (HSA)
HSA Note: "This is UH's final-exam week, and Salas has been working to complete projects necessary for a bachelor's degree. He will participate in Saturday's graduation ceremony."
Proud that his son is graduating on Saturday, Greg's father Mark Salas said:
"That's what makes me the proudest. He gets to graduate. He was looking forward to that this year." (HSA)
About how Salas has earned his All-America honor and has done everything they ask athletes to do, Rolo said:
"He's worked hard to get the All-America honor. He never got into any trouble. He's graduating. Talk about somebody who has gone through college as a student-athlete the right way. I don't know what else you can ask for." (HSA)
About how Greg played all types of sports growing up but loved football best, Mark Salas said:
"He played baseball, basketball, roller-bladed. It wasn't just football. But football was something he loved the most." (HSA)
About how they realized early on that Greg was a gifted athlete, Mark Salas laughed and said:
"I don't know what side of the family that came from. I think we got somebody else's kid. He's special. He's a kid who always did amazing things." (HSA)
About how Greg is a great competitor, Rolo said:
"The thing that sets him apart is his competitiveness, and his desire to win. He likes to have fun, but once he steps inside the lines, he's very focused on winning and making the play. He yearns to be the guy who makes the play." (HSA)
About how he tried to model his play after Charles Woodson, who he was a fan of after attending the Rose Bowl where Woodson starred on both offense and defense, Salas said:
"I never thought about college when I was first trying out (for Pop Warner)." (HSA)
About how Greg formed close friendships that has stayed strong, Mark Salas said:
"His childhood friends are still his friends. They'll always be his friends." (HSA)
About his high school teammate Joey Lipp that signed with UH when he did in 2006, Salas said:
"I've known him since second or third grade. We had X-Men cards. We played around at recess. We went over to his house to swim. He had a big swimming pool with a diving board." (HSA)
HSA Note: "At UH, they formed a core group of friends -- safety Spencer Smith, slotbacks Kealoha Pilares and Rick Taylor, defensive back Leroy Lutu Jr., and former Warriors Matt Mielke and Travis Smith."
About how he stays loyal to his core group of friends, Salas said:
"I'm a loyal friend -- to the friends back home and the friends I've met out here. If we're not at my apartment, we're at Kealoha's or Spencer's house, watching TV or playing video games or writing papers." (HSA)
About how UH appealed to him on his recruiting trip, Salas said:
"My father wanted me to go away and experience something as different as possible. He told me: 'You're not going to have many opportunities like this for free.' I've had a great time out here. And to get (an All-America honor), to be thought of as one of the best players in the country, I'm humbled and honored. I'm thankful to my teammates, coaches, family and friends. A lot of people have contributed to my success, and helped me become the man I am today." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101215_Greg_Salas_All-American.html
"I'm working on a paper." (HSA)
HSA Note: "This is UH's final-exam week, and Salas has been working to complete projects necessary for a bachelor's degree. He will participate in Saturday's graduation ceremony."
Proud that his son is graduating on Saturday, Greg's father Mark Salas said:
"That's what makes me the proudest. He gets to graduate. He was looking forward to that this year." (HSA)
About how Salas has earned his All-America honor and has done everything they ask athletes to do, Rolo said:
"He's worked hard to get the All-America honor. He never got into any trouble. He's graduating. Talk about somebody who has gone through college as a student-athlete the right way. I don't know what else you can ask for." (HSA)
About how Greg played all types of sports growing up but loved football best, Mark Salas said:
"He played baseball, basketball, roller-bladed. It wasn't just football. But football was something he loved the most." (HSA)
About how they realized early on that Greg was a gifted athlete, Mark Salas laughed and said:
"I don't know what side of the family that came from. I think we got somebody else's kid. He's special. He's a kid who always did amazing things." (HSA)
About how Greg is a great competitor, Rolo said:
"The thing that sets him apart is his competitiveness, and his desire to win. He likes to have fun, but once he steps inside the lines, he's very focused on winning and making the play. He yearns to be the guy who makes the play." (HSA)
About how he tried to model his play after Charles Woodson, who he was a fan of after attending the Rose Bowl where Woodson starred on both offense and defense, Salas said:
"I never thought about college when I was first trying out (for Pop Warner)." (HSA)
About how Greg formed close friendships that has stayed strong, Mark Salas said:
"His childhood friends are still his friends. They'll always be his friends." (HSA)
About his high school teammate Joey Lipp that signed with UH when he did in 2006, Salas said:
"I've known him since second or third grade. We had X-Men cards. We played around at recess. We went over to his house to swim. He had a big swimming pool with a diving board." (HSA)
HSA Note: "At UH, they formed a core group of friends -- safety Spencer Smith, slotbacks Kealoha Pilares and Rick Taylor, defensive back Leroy Lutu Jr., and former Warriors Matt Mielke and Travis Smith."
About how he stays loyal to his core group of friends, Salas said:
"I'm a loyal friend -- to the friends back home and the friends I've met out here. If we're not at my apartment, we're at Kealoha's or Spencer's house, watching TV or playing video games or writing papers." (HSA)
About how UH appealed to him on his recruiting trip, Salas said:
"My father wanted me to go away and experience something as different as possible. He told me: 'You're not going to have many opportunities like this for free.' I've had a great time out here. And to get (an All-America honor), to be thought of as one of the best players in the country, I'm humbled and honored. I'm thankful to my teammates, coaches, family and friends. A lot of people have contributed to my success, and helped me become the man I am today." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101215_Greg_Salas_All-American.html
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
RB Will Gregory commits to the Warriors!
About committing to UH, Will Gregory said:
"I think it's a great school for me. I knew for a long, long time I wanted to go to Hawaii." (HSA)
About his great-uncle George Lumpkin, who has been with UH 37 seasons as a player and coach, Gregory said:
"He's always talking to me about school. He doesn't talk to me about football." (HSA)
About how RB coach Brian Smith recruited him, Gregory said:
"He's a good guy. He came to my house. My family likes him, too." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Gregory said he is 6 feet, about 200 pounds, and is capable of running 40 yards in less than 4.5 seconds. Yesterday, he was named to the California Interscholastic Federation all-star team."
About how Arizona, Cal, and Washington have been trying to recruit him as a DB but he will play RB for UH, Gregory said:
"I like DB, but I love running back." (HSA)
About choosing UH over his offers from BSU, Nevada and San Diego State, Gregory said:
"I like their offense a lot. And I like what they do with their running back." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101214_Running_back_prospect_hopes_to_fill_Greens_1000-yard_shoes.html
"I think it's a great school for me. I knew for a long, long time I wanted to go to Hawaii." (HSA)
About his great-uncle George Lumpkin, who has been with UH 37 seasons as a player and coach, Gregory said:
"He's always talking to me about school. He doesn't talk to me about football." (HSA)
About how RB coach Brian Smith recruited him, Gregory said:
"He's a good guy. He came to my house. My family likes him, too." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Gregory said he is 6 feet, about 200 pounds, and is capable of running 40 yards in less than 4.5 seconds. Yesterday, he was named to the California Interscholastic Federation all-star team."
About how Arizona, Cal, and Washington have been trying to recruit him as a DB but he will play RB for UH, Gregory said:
"I like DB, but I love running back." (HSA)
About choosing UH over his offers from BSU, Nevada and San Diego State, Gregory said:
"I like their offense a lot. And I like what they do with their running back." (HSA)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/sportsnews/20101214_Running_back_prospect_hopes_to_fill_Greens_1000-yard_shoes.html
Saturday, December 11, 2010
UH sealed the deals for the MWC in football and Big West in all other sports!
SDUT = San Diego Union-Tribune
UH = University of Hawaii Athletics web site
About joining the MWC for football and Big West for all other sports, JD said:
"This is what our coaches and what our fans want, and we delivered." (HSA)
About changing conferences for UH, UH President M.R.C. Greenwood said:
"People don't like change, but this is a change for the positive." (HSA)
JD said that the geography of the WAC was moving east:
"and the concern I had was eventually some of those schools would start asking for travel subsidies because of the cost, for them, to travel to Hawaii." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Instead, UH will participate in "cost sharing" — meaning it will pay subsidies — for Mountain West and Big West schools traveling to Hawaii. The payments will involve only airfare, not hotel stays, according to UH officials."
HSA Note: "Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said "there will be costs" UH will pay to visiting Big West teams. "It will happen," he said, although an amount has not been decided. UH will relinquish the television rights to its sports to the Mountain West and Big West. UH currently earns $450,000 annually as its share of a deal between the WAC and sports cable-television network ESPN. In addition, UH earns roughly $2.5 million, mostly from pay-per-view subscriptions, in a deal with Oceanic Time Warner Cable and television station KFVE."
HSA Note: "However, each Mountain West team receives about $1.45 million a year from the national television deal. And with the loss of three key members, UH, if it had chosen to remain in the WAC, would receive a reduced share, probably about $100,000 annually, from the WAC's deal with ESPN."
JD said that when the leadership committee was debating whether or not to lose the WAC:
"we couldn't afford not to do it." (HSA)
About UH leaving the WAC, Karl Benson said:
"This was not unexpected. ... At this point we'll have to move forward." (HSA)
HSA Note: "With teams prepared to switch conferences, Farrell met with the leaders of Big West schools in February and March to "start making contingency plans." In April, Farrell and Donovan were on the same flight. They reminisced about the 12 years UH women's teams spent in the Big West. In June, Boise State announced it would leave the WAC. In August, Fresno State and Nevada did the same. Farrell and Donovan then met to discuss the possibility of UH joining the Big West in sports other than football. In October, Howard Karr, chairman of the UH Board of Regents, and Greenwood formed what would be dubbed the "leadership committee." Rockne Freitas, UH vice president of academic affairs, was summoned to be what Karr called the "traveling liaison." "
About comparing new D-I member Bakersfield with UH, Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said:
"It became obvious Hawaii was the right fit for us." (HSA)
About the 2 rectangular placards in holiday gift wrapping at their news conference, having the logos of the MWC and Big West, JD said:
"It's the best Christmas present I could possibly dream of." (HSA)
About how the Big West is a great baseball conference, UH baseball head coach Mike Trapasso said:
"Not only does the Big West have multiple teams in the regionals every year. But some years multiple teams in the College World Series." (HSA)
About the importance of the reduced travel time for UH athletes, JD said:
"On average, we're looking at one less day traveling for each trip for all sports. That means less missed classes." (HSA)
About how the Big West was attractive to UH, UH President M.R.C. Greenwood said:
"That's one of the things we found especially attractive about the Big West. Our teams playing closer to home and in a conference where the academic standards are pretty high." (HSA)
About inviting UH to the MWC for football, Thompson said:
"The Mountain West Conference is very pleased to gain the University of Hawai'i as a football-only member beginning with the 2012 season. Hawai'i's outstanding football program and television value fit perfectly with the MWC's strategic initiatives for the future direction of the conference. We look forward to adding the Warriors to the MWC family." (UH)
Announcing the UH has been added to the Big West, UC-Irvine Chancellor and Chair of the Big West Board of Directors, Dr. Michael Drake said:
"We are excited and pleased with the addition of Hawai'i to the Big West Conference. In assessing Hawai'i, the Board carefully considered and was impressed by both its legacy of athletic success and its commitment to academic excellence." (UH)
About adding UH to the Big West, Farrell said:
"It is a tremendous day for the Big West Conference. I am personally thrilled because I remember well the participation of the University of Hawai'i's women's sports teams in the past and really look forward to the revival of that competition." (UH)
About UH joining the MWC and Big West, Greenwood said:
"We are delighted that the Mountain West Conference and the Big West Conference have formally invited our teams to be a part of their exciting and innovative conferences. We are so pleased that the discussions we announced were underway last month have now led to this pivotal step today.
The people of Hawai'i deserve a first-rate athletics program. We have been overjoyed by the positive reaction our wonderful citizens have had to this possibility. Now that the invitations are official, we are even more delighted. We believe joining the Mountain West Conference will bring much joy to our football fans as well as contribute to the successful future that, by working together, we all seek to enhance at the University of Hawai'i." (UH)
About the importance of this day to UH Athletics, JD said:
"This is an historic day in UH Athletics. As much as we have enjoyed our 31-year relationship with the Western Athletic Conference, this hybrid arrangement will allow us to continue traditional rivalries that our fans have grown to enjoy, and keep a footprint in the Western United States, where much of our recruiting base lies." (UH)
About UH joining the MWC and Big West, Howard Karr (Chair of UH's Board of Regents) said:
"We are proud to see the University of Hawai'i advancing in all aspects of campus life, and campus life most definitely includes athletics." (UH)
About how it is great for the football team to go to the MWC,Mack said:
"This is great news for our football program to be able to continue rivalries with Fresno State, Boise State, and Nevada along with the other great programs of the Mountain West Conference. Our fans will enjoy the high level of competition in the league and our players will be able to play on a national scale. This is an exciting day for our football program and we look forward to success in the Mountain West Conference." (UH)
About how being in the Big West will be great for their softball team, UH softball head coach Bob Coolen said:
"Returning to the Big West is great for our program because of the strength and competitiveness of the teams in the conference. It will also be a welcome change because of the easier travel involved with all teams being up and down the California coast. With our current recruiting base primarily in California, it will give our players more opportunities to play in front of family and friends during our conference season. Rejoining the Big West will also allow us to renew our rivalries with Long Beach State, CS Fullerton, and UOP." (UH)
About how their team is excited to rejoin the Big West, women's basketball coach Dana Takahara-Dias said:
"The women's basketball team is very excited to rejoin the Big West Conference. We have had prior success in the Big West, having won back-to-back conference titles in 1992-93 and 1993-94 and look to renew old rivalries. Geographically, it will offer our athletes much easier travel and will be able to spend more time in classes as well." (UH)
Excited for their team and fans for joining the Big West, women's volleyball head coach Dave Shoji said:
"I'm excited for our program and am especially excited for our families and fans who will have the opportunity to come to more of our games on the mainland. We are looking forward to renewing some old rivalries as we have great history with Cal Poly, UOP, and Long Beach State. I think it will be a more competitive conference which will help with our RPI and our national prominence. We recruit heavily in California and this will enhance our chances to get top talent to come to play for the University of Hawai'i. In terms of travel, it means just taking one flight instead of two or three plus a drive to get to our destination—it will be a lot easier on the team." (UH)
About joining the Big West, men's basketball head coach Gib Arnold said:
"We're looking forward to the new challenges that joining the Big West brings. We'll be able to build new rivalries with other West Coast schools and it allows our student-athletes from California a greater opportunity to play in front of family and friends." (UH)
About joining the big West, women's water polo head coach Michel Roy said:
"This an incredible opportunity for our team. We're very familiar with the teams in the Big West and now we'll be able to compete with them in conference. I'm confident we'll continue a high level of competition and I couldn't be more happy in joining the conference." (UH)
Excited to be joining the Big West, baseball head coach Mike Trapasso said:
"This is an exciting move for our baseball program. Two things it provides us is a stronger conference, top to bottom, and the travel will be so much easier for us. We will now be able to recruit in areas where we weren't having much success. Altogether it's a win-win situation for us." (UH)
About how the MWC might expand by 1 or 2 more schools in the near future, San Diego State President Stephen Weber said:
"The really interesting questions are going to be what we start thinking about in January. The first question would be: would we like to add more programs? If so, the question is whether it's one or two (programs in addition to Hawaii). Beyond that, a question is where those programs would be. Do we want to stay in Texas, or do we want to look elsewhere?" (SDUT)
About how he doesn't expect the MWC to make decisions in January, Weber said that if the board is:
"serious about looking at a couple of teams, we'd probably do that through the rest of spring and make a decision in June." (SDUT)
About how the MWC will have to see if other schools will increase their revenue, SDSU AD Jim Sterk said:
"The league is going to analyze the situation and see if there's anything else that makes sense." (SDUT)
SDUT Note: "In Hawaii's case, Weber said Hawaii brings $2.2 million TV revenue that now will be added to the MWC revenue-sharing pot. To offset travel costs, Sterk said Hawaii would pay $150,000 to $175,000 per trip to teams that play there."
About inviting UH to the MWC, MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson said:
"Hawaii's outstanding football program and television value fit perfectly with the MWC's strategic initiatives for the future direction of the conference." (SDUT)
About moving to the MWC, JD said:
"We couldn't afford not to do it." (SDUT)
About how he doesn't expect MWC TV revenue to decrease even after they lose Utah, BYU, and TCU, Weber said:
"Let's be clear: the market in Utah is pretty small; that's not a big marketplace. While there would have been a market in Dallas-Fort Worth (with TCU), it wasn't being accessed (because the league's TV network, The Mtn., lacks cable distribution there)." (SDUT)
Asked if SDSU was committed to staying in the MWC, Weber said:
"No comment." (SDUT)
About how they do not have the chance to go anywhere else they might like to go to (read: Pac-12), Sterk said:
"no offers are on the table." (SDUT)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/furtherreview/20101211_The_conference_dealing_is_done_so_you_can_exhale.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20101211_uh_accepts_pricey_move.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/10/mountain-west-still-may-grow-beyond-hawaii/
http://hawaiiathletics.com/news/2010/12/10/GEN_1210103731.aspx
UH = University of Hawaii Athletics web site
About joining the MWC for football and Big West for all other sports, JD said:
"This is what our coaches and what our fans want, and we delivered." (HSA)
About changing conferences for UH, UH President M.R.C. Greenwood said:
"People don't like change, but this is a change for the positive." (HSA)
JD said that the geography of the WAC was moving east:
"and the concern I had was eventually some of those schools would start asking for travel subsidies because of the cost, for them, to travel to Hawaii." (HSA)
HSA Note: "Instead, UH will participate in "cost sharing" — meaning it will pay subsidies — for Mountain West and Big West schools traveling to Hawaii. The payments will involve only airfare, not hotel stays, according to UH officials."
HSA Note: "Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said "there will be costs" UH will pay to visiting Big West teams. "It will happen," he said, although an amount has not been decided. UH will relinquish the television rights to its sports to the Mountain West and Big West. UH currently earns $450,000 annually as its share of a deal between the WAC and sports cable-television network ESPN. In addition, UH earns roughly $2.5 million, mostly from pay-per-view subscriptions, in a deal with Oceanic Time Warner Cable and television station KFVE."
HSA Note: "However, each Mountain West team receives about $1.45 million a year from the national television deal. And with the loss of three key members, UH, if it had chosen to remain in the WAC, would receive a reduced share, probably about $100,000 annually, from the WAC's deal with ESPN."
JD said that when the leadership committee was debating whether or not to lose the WAC:
"we couldn't afford not to do it." (HSA)
About UH leaving the WAC, Karl Benson said:
"This was not unexpected. ... At this point we'll have to move forward." (HSA)
HSA Note: "With teams prepared to switch conferences, Farrell met with the leaders of Big West schools in February and March to "start making contingency plans." In April, Farrell and Donovan were on the same flight. They reminisced about the 12 years UH women's teams spent in the Big West. In June, Boise State announced it would leave the WAC. In August, Fresno State and Nevada did the same. Farrell and Donovan then met to discuss the possibility of UH joining the Big West in sports other than football. In October, Howard Karr, chairman of the UH Board of Regents, and Greenwood formed what would be dubbed the "leadership committee." Rockne Freitas, UH vice president of academic affairs, was summoned to be what Karr called the "traveling liaison." "
About comparing new D-I member Bakersfield with UH, Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell said:
"It became obvious Hawaii was the right fit for us." (HSA)
About the 2 rectangular placards in holiday gift wrapping at their news conference, having the logos of the MWC and Big West, JD said:
"It's the best Christmas present I could possibly dream of." (HSA)
About how the Big West is a great baseball conference, UH baseball head coach Mike Trapasso said:
"Not only does the Big West have multiple teams in the regionals every year. But some years multiple teams in the College World Series." (HSA)
About the importance of the reduced travel time for UH athletes, JD said:
"On average, we're looking at one less day traveling for each trip for all sports. That means less missed classes." (HSA)
About how the Big West was attractive to UH, UH President M.R.C. Greenwood said:
"That's one of the things we found especially attractive about the Big West. Our teams playing closer to home and in a conference where the academic standards are pretty high." (HSA)
About inviting UH to the MWC for football, Thompson said:
"The Mountain West Conference is very pleased to gain the University of Hawai'i as a football-only member beginning with the 2012 season. Hawai'i's outstanding football program and television value fit perfectly with the MWC's strategic initiatives for the future direction of the conference. We look forward to adding the Warriors to the MWC family." (UH)
Announcing the UH has been added to the Big West, UC-Irvine Chancellor and Chair of the Big West Board of Directors, Dr. Michael Drake said:
"We are excited and pleased with the addition of Hawai'i to the Big West Conference. In assessing Hawai'i, the Board carefully considered and was impressed by both its legacy of athletic success and its commitment to academic excellence." (UH)
About adding UH to the Big West, Farrell said:
"It is a tremendous day for the Big West Conference. I am personally thrilled because I remember well the participation of the University of Hawai'i's women's sports teams in the past and really look forward to the revival of that competition." (UH)
About UH joining the MWC and Big West, Greenwood said:
"We are delighted that the Mountain West Conference and the Big West Conference have formally invited our teams to be a part of their exciting and innovative conferences. We are so pleased that the discussions we announced were underway last month have now led to this pivotal step today.
The people of Hawai'i deserve a first-rate athletics program. We have been overjoyed by the positive reaction our wonderful citizens have had to this possibility. Now that the invitations are official, we are even more delighted. We believe joining the Mountain West Conference will bring much joy to our football fans as well as contribute to the successful future that, by working together, we all seek to enhance at the University of Hawai'i." (UH)
About the importance of this day to UH Athletics, JD said:
"This is an historic day in UH Athletics. As much as we have enjoyed our 31-year relationship with the Western Athletic Conference, this hybrid arrangement will allow us to continue traditional rivalries that our fans have grown to enjoy, and keep a footprint in the Western United States, where much of our recruiting base lies." (UH)
About UH joining the MWC and Big West, Howard Karr (Chair of UH's Board of Regents) said:
"We are proud to see the University of Hawai'i advancing in all aspects of campus life, and campus life most definitely includes athletics." (UH)
About how it is great for the football team to go to the MWC,Mack said:
"This is great news for our football program to be able to continue rivalries with Fresno State, Boise State, and Nevada along with the other great programs of the Mountain West Conference. Our fans will enjoy the high level of competition in the league and our players will be able to play on a national scale. This is an exciting day for our football program and we look forward to success in the Mountain West Conference." (UH)
About how being in the Big West will be great for their softball team, UH softball head coach Bob Coolen said:
"Returning to the Big West is great for our program because of the strength and competitiveness of the teams in the conference. It will also be a welcome change because of the easier travel involved with all teams being up and down the California coast. With our current recruiting base primarily in California, it will give our players more opportunities to play in front of family and friends during our conference season. Rejoining the Big West will also allow us to renew our rivalries with Long Beach State, CS Fullerton, and UOP." (UH)
About how their team is excited to rejoin the Big West, women's basketball coach Dana Takahara-Dias said:
"The women's basketball team is very excited to rejoin the Big West Conference. We have had prior success in the Big West, having won back-to-back conference titles in 1992-93 and 1993-94 and look to renew old rivalries. Geographically, it will offer our athletes much easier travel and will be able to spend more time in classes as well." (UH)
Excited for their team and fans for joining the Big West, women's volleyball head coach Dave Shoji said:
"I'm excited for our program and am especially excited for our families and fans who will have the opportunity to come to more of our games on the mainland. We are looking forward to renewing some old rivalries as we have great history with Cal Poly, UOP, and Long Beach State. I think it will be a more competitive conference which will help with our RPI and our national prominence. We recruit heavily in California and this will enhance our chances to get top talent to come to play for the University of Hawai'i. In terms of travel, it means just taking one flight instead of two or three plus a drive to get to our destination—it will be a lot easier on the team." (UH)
About joining the Big West, men's basketball head coach Gib Arnold said:
"We're looking forward to the new challenges that joining the Big West brings. We'll be able to build new rivalries with other West Coast schools and it allows our student-athletes from California a greater opportunity to play in front of family and friends." (UH)
About joining the big West, women's water polo head coach Michel Roy said:
"This an incredible opportunity for our team. We're very familiar with the teams in the Big West and now we'll be able to compete with them in conference. I'm confident we'll continue a high level of competition and I couldn't be more happy in joining the conference." (UH)
Excited to be joining the Big West, baseball head coach Mike Trapasso said:
"This is an exciting move for our baseball program. Two things it provides us is a stronger conference, top to bottom, and the travel will be so much easier for us. We will now be able to recruit in areas where we weren't having much success. Altogether it's a win-win situation for us." (UH)
About how the MWC might expand by 1 or 2 more schools in the near future, San Diego State President Stephen Weber said:
"The really interesting questions are going to be what we start thinking about in January. The first question would be: would we like to add more programs? If so, the question is whether it's one or two (programs in addition to Hawaii). Beyond that, a question is where those programs would be. Do we want to stay in Texas, or do we want to look elsewhere?" (SDUT)
About how he doesn't expect the MWC to make decisions in January, Weber said that if the board is:
"serious about looking at a couple of teams, we'd probably do that through the rest of spring and make a decision in June." (SDUT)
About how the MWC will have to see if other schools will increase their revenue, SDSU AD Jim Sterk said:
"The league is going to analyze the situation and see if there's anything else that makes sense." (SDUT)
SDUT Note: "In Hawaii's case, Weber said Hawaii brings $2.2 million TV revenue that now will be added to the MWC revenue-sharing pot. To offset travel costs, Sterk said Hawaii would pay $150,000 to $175,000 per trip to teams that play there."
About inviting UH to the MWC, MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson said:
"Hawaii's outstanding football program and television value fit perfectly with the MWC's strategic initiatives for the future direction of the conference." (SDUT)
About moving to the MWC, JD said:
"We couldn't afford not to do it." (SDUT)
About how he doesn't expect MWC TV revenue to decrease even after they lose Utah, BYU, and TCU, Weber said:
"Let's be clear: the market in Utah is pretty small; that's not a big marketplace. While there would have been a market in Dallas-Fort Worth (with TCU), it wasn't being accessed (because the league's TV network, The Mtn., lacks cable distribution there)." (SDUT)
Asked if SDSU was committed to staying in the MWC, Weber said:
"No comment." (SDUT)
About how they do not have the chance to go anywhere else they might like to go to (read: Pac-12), Sterk said:
"no offers are on the table." (SDUT)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/furtherreview/20101211_The_conference_dealing_is_done_so_you_can_exhale.html
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20101211_uh_accepts_pricey_move.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/10/mountain-west-still-may-grow-beyond-hawaii/
http://hawaiiathletics.com/news/2010/12/10/GEN_1210103731.aspx
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