Quotes about yesterday's live scrimmage

About their 20-play full-contact scrimmage between non-starting players, GM said:
"There was some good hittin' and a lot of fun." (HA)

HA Note: "Jones' usual rule is that his quarterbacks are not allowed to be hit or breathed upon heavily during practices. But with the top three quarterbacks — Colt Brennan, Tyler Graunke and Inoke Funaki — in the safety zone behind the sidelines, the no-contact restriction was lifted."


Freshman QB Shane Austin said about the scrimmage:
"I definitely got welcomed to college football." (HA)

HA Note: "In a cringe-inducing sequence, Austin fielded a high shotgun snap and, before he could set up to pass, was KO'd by the perfect storm of linebackers Po'okela Ahmad and R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane. On the over-load blitz, defensive end Elliott Purcell bracketed an offensive tackle long enough to give Ahmad an unobstructed path to Austin. Kiesel-Kauhane arrived at the same time."


About Austin, Kiesel-Kauhane said:
"I thought he wasn't going to get up." (HA)


About the big hit, Austin said:
"I don't remember the hit. I remember being on the ground. I heard everyone screaming, but I didn't really feel it. I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow." (HA)

HA Note: "Later, Austin released a pass a nano-second before being floored by defensive end Antwan "Tua" Mahaley. Safety Erik Pedersen dropped a sure interception."


About his big hit on Austin, Tua Mahaley said:
"I didn't want to take it too easy. I want to get on the field this year. I had to show coach Jones what I could do. I'm tired of sitting on the bench." (HA)

HA Note: "Indeed, besides serving as entertainment for the fun-run participants invited to practice, the scrimmage was a last-chance audition for fringe players to break into the two-deep rotation.

The Warriors are off today. But starting tomorrow, the practice work will be divided this way: two-thirds of the reps will go to the starters, the remaining third to the second-string players."


About giving players down in the depth chart a chance to earn playing time, JJ said:
"We wanted to give some guys one last shot to prove they can play. We'll look at the tape (of the scrimmage), and maybe a couple of guys will earn their way on to special teams or some position." (HA)

HA Note: "Josh Leonard was a surprising choice to participate in the scrimmage. Starters Michael Lafaele and Fale Laeli and backups Keala Watson and Siave Seti have been told they will rotate at the two defensive tackle positions. But Leonard, who moved from defensive end two weeks ago, was expected to receive significant playing time. Leonard's stock improved dramatically on one play during the scrimmage when he sped past the guard and center to sack Jake Santos."


About how he's adjusting to the DT position, Josh Leonard said:
"I'm learning a lot. To be a good d-tackle, you've got to be physical for the first couple of steps, and then you work your secondary move to come free. I'm getting a lot of good coaching." (HA)

HA Note: "Leonard also is training to be a "coach." His girlfriend, Christa Sariaba, is expecting the couple's first child in September. They started Lamaze classes Wednesday."


About helping his girlfriend through her delivery, Josh Leonard said:
"I'll just try to comfort her, and do whatever I can." (HA)

HA Note: "Running backs Jason Laumoli and Mario Cox also are trying to ascend the depth chart. Laumoli, who is 5 feet 10 and 280 pounds, knocked down linebacker Micah Lau at the end of an 8-yard run. Two plays later, he caught a screen pass and snow-plowed his way for 14 yards. Cox, who is 5-11 and 230 pounds, took a handoff to the right, pirouetted to his left and headed straight for fellow NorCal resident JoPierre Davis."


About his collision with JoPierre Davis, Mario Cox said:
"J.P. talks a lot. He says he has all of these dreams of what he'll do if he gets a shot. I'm like, 'the next time you get a shot, I want to see you hit somebody.' He was like, 'all right.' When I was running, I pointed to him to make sure he knew I was coming. He didn't back down." (HA)


About how Davis used an ankle tackle to bring him down, Cox said:
"He showed a lot of courage. I respect that." (HA)


About how he tried to throw a block on Cox's run, 6' 183-pound Austin said:
"I lost my footing on that one. I wanted to get in there and get a little hit." (HA)


About the speed and hitting during their scrimmage, Austin said:
"This was my first time live in college, and it's a lot faster. I've got to get used to the speed. I never really got hit like that (in high school)." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Austin smiled through the blood, mud and other crud on his face after he got bounced around by second- and third-string UH defenders. He showed grit by coming back from the hard knocks to make a few plays, operating behind a patchwork offensive line of non-starters. And it's obvious he knows the first rule of quarterbacking -- never blame the blocking -- or the lack of it."


About the protection by their backup OL, Austin said:
"We're all new. Once we get some experience we'll be fine." (HSB)


About the hits that Austin took, JJ said:
"I heard he took a couple of shots. His time will come this spring, he'll get a chance to throw a lot of balls. Jake (Santos) looks like he'll stand in there, too." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Santos, a junior-college transfer, looked a little more comfortable in the crumbling pocket. But on many plays there was little the QBs could do but duck and chuck. Freshman linebacker Po'okela Ahmad pounded Austin the hardest on a blitz, and later made a nice play in coverage. The Kapolei grad keeps showing up large in practice. With many of the veteran linebackers gimpy, he could see some significant action in Saturday's opener against Northern Colorado."


Ahmad, who might have been the only player who got to go "live" twice, including last week's scrimmage at Aloha Stadium, said about yesterday's scrimmage:
"Coach wanted to look again and see if we're ready to play the game at this level. I need to stay consistent during practices and remember the coverages. I'm getting back into the groove of football." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Others earned VIP cards to the Katoosh Klub, including freshman safety Le'Marcus Gibson, for getting low enough to give as much as he got from 280-pound running back Jason Laumoli."


About bringing down Laumoli, Gibson said:
"I saw big 45 and knew I had to get the legs." (HSB)

HSB Note: "Junior defensive tackle Josh Leonard can claim the rarity of rarities after bagging Santos -- a real-live sack of a UH quarterback in practice. Freshman Kenny Estes picked off an Austin pass, and linebacker R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane, safety Erik Robinson and corners Ryan Perry and JoPierre Davis turned in noisy hits while the starters hooted from the sidelines."


About the live scrimmage, Ryan Perry said:
"This was for some of us guys who didn't have the opportunity to show what we could do during camp." (HSB)


About how Bess will be their #1 punt returner and Rivers will be their #1 kick returner vs. UNC, JJ said:
"We'll let them do it the first game and see how it goes. We won't do it every game." (HSB)

HSb Note: "Cornerback Ryan Mouton worked with Rivers yesterday as the second deep man on kickoffs."