Monday, November 30, 2009

JC CB Travaun Nixon commits to the Warriors!

About his commitment to the Warriors, sophomore (at Ventura College) CB Travaun Nixon said:
"I'm going to be a Warrior." (HA)

"Hawai'i's a perfect fit." (HA)


HA Note: "Nixon said he is 6 feet and 190 pounds. www.JCfootball.com lists his 40-yard dash at 4.42 seconds. Last year, as a safety, Nixon made eight interceptions. In 2009, he had six interceptions in seven games. His average of 0.86 picks per game was fourth best in the California Community College Athletic Association, which fields 71 football teams. Nixon recently was named to the Southern California Football Association's all-star first team."


About selecting UH after his recruiting visit over the weekend, Nixon said:
"I like the atmosphere at their games. I like the way they play. And I like the coaches. They're real good, real open-minded." (HA)


About his recruiting host CB Jeramy Bryant, Nixon said:
"He's real cool, very friendly." (HA)


Impressed with the food he had during his recruiting trip, Nixon said:
"I got to eat a lot. There's a lot of good food in Hawai'i. I'm liking it." (HA)


HA Note: "By committing to UH, Nixon is turning down scholarship offers from Arizona and Texas-El Paso. He said he is canceling next week's scheduled trip to UTEP. Nixon said he has earned enough credits to transfer after this semester. He will enroll at UH in January, and participate in the offseason conditioning program and spring training."


HA Note: "Nixon also said he looks forward to playing for Greg McMackin, his second "Coach Mack." Ventura's head coach is Jon Mack."


http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091130/SPORTS0201/911300364&template=UHsports

Quotes about the upcoming Wisconsin game

About turning down Wisconsin's $1 million offer to play at Wisconsin instead of Aloha Stadium this season, JD said:
"I said 'no' to the ($1 million offer) for two reasons. No. 1, I didn't want us to have to play there in December and, No. 2, it would not have been fair to our season-ticket holders. I thought having Navy and Wisconsin back-to-back to finish the (regular) season made a much more attractive package." (HA)

HA Note: "For one, even though the Warriors have opened as 13-point underdogs on the Las Vegas betting lines, they'll have much more of a chance to win than they would have in Madison. For another, if the game draws near 45,000, the Warriors will likely come close to taking in what they would have walked away from Madison with after paying travel expenses."


HA Note: "Since the advent of the 13th game by the NCAA, a number of teams have been reluctant to come to Hawai'i and give up one of two possible open dates. Witness not only Michigan State of the Big Ten buying out a 2007 agreement, but Pac-10 member Washington State paying $350,000 to cancel its 2011 game here. Additionally, as travel costs have risen, several schools have come back to UH demanding new terms or else. Indications are UH sweetened some deals, including the Wisconsin contract."


About how believing in each other has been the key to their comeback after losing 6 straight, Kealoha Pilares said:
"Since (falling to 2-6) we've been taking it one day at a time, one practice at a time, one game at a time. We just believe in each other." (HSB)


About how they need to beat Wisconsin to make the Hawaii Bowl, Mack said:
"Nobody thought, except my team and my coaches, that we were going to have a chance at this and now we do. Now we've got to go to work and give it our best shot." (HSB)


Praising DL coach Dave Aranda for coming up with their game plan, Mack said:
"He's a genius in the defensive game. He had a lot to do with the planning, the adjusting, the calling of this ballgame." (HSB)


About how UH comes on strong late in the game to beat tough visiting teams in December, Rolo said:
"Since I've been involved with Hawaii football, the end of the year, something special happens on this island. Especially when teams come from far away. I don't think they can take it very lightly. I think they understand what this team and field can do, especially come December." (HSB)


http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20091130_wisconsin_in_the_way.html

http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091130/COLUMNISTS06/911300361/1142&template=UHSports

More quotes from the UH - Navy game

Happy with their defense against Navy, Mack said;
"We only had two (defensive) breakdowns." (HSB)


About returning his muffed kickoff 55 yards, Jovonte Taylor said:
"I took my eyes off it for a quick second, that's why I muffed it. But I picked it up, made something out of nothing. I reversed field, and hey, I was out the gate. It was a big play for us, in a critical situation at that." (HSB)


About going for the first down on 4-and-1 late in the game, Mack said:
"I believed in two things. I believed in our offense that they could get that and I believed our defense was playing well against their offense so I thought we could get after them." (HSB)


About how the crowd noise made it hard for their offense to call their signals, Navy QB Ricky Dobbs said:
"It was real tough. Guys couldn't hear me. I was quite surprised." (HSB)


About defending Navy's option offense, Blaze Soares said:
"It's just trust in one another. Certain people had to take the dive, other people had to take the quarterback and the pitch man. We trusted in one another to do that. We were very responsible. It cracked here and there, but overall everybody just did their job." (HSB)


About Mack's decision to go for it when it was 4th-and-1 and trust their defense, Mana Silva said:
"Coach believed in us, and we just followed his mind-set. We never strayed from the game plan. We stuck with it. When we turned the corner on the fourth quarter, we could taste it." (HSB)


http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20091130_warrior_replay.html

http://www.starbulletin.com/columnists/furtherreview/20091130_mcmackins_decision_showed_faith_in_defense.html

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Quotes from the Hawaii vs. Navy game 11/28/09

HA = Honolulu Advertiser
HSB = Honolulu Star-Bulletin
UH = University of Hawaii Athletics website
AP = Associated Press

---------------------- Quotes from the UH coaches -----------------------


About how nobody (except for their players and coaches) believed they had a chance to make the Hawaii Bowl when they were 2-6, UH head coach Greg McMackin (Mack) said:
"In December, we have something to play for. Nobody thought, except for my team and my coaches, that we had a chance at this and now we do." (AP)


Excited about the Wisconsin game, Mack said:
"I'm jacked up already. I'm not even going to be able to sleep tonight." (AP)

"I'm jacked up already, I'm not going to get any sleep tonight." (HSB)


About how they have a chance to get to the Hawaii Bowl, Mack said:
"In December, we have something to play for. Looking at our season, losing Greg Alexander, losing Brashton (Satele), losing Rodney (Bradley), and we have a chance to play for something. These guys have fought their tails off." (HSB)


Proud of his players and coaches, Mack said:
"I'm very proud of our players and coaching staff. It was an exhausting game..a heck of a chess match. I'm proud of our defense, they played with discipline and focus. Blaze (Soares) made some heroic hits. Our kicking team gave us good field position all game. We accomplished our goals." (UH)


About how they played for the people for Hawaii, Mack said:
"Last week in practice we were very focused. I challenged the players to play 60 minutes of focused football and they rose to the occasion. We've got something to play for, and the players know that. We're playing for Hawai'i! These fans live for us, they live through us. Tonight we fought for the people of Hawai'i, for our house. It was great to have the noise back. After the game we waved and shook hands with the fans and they gave me a microphone. It was amazing feeling!" (UH)


About how the fans helped them in this game, Mack said:
"Our fans were great. That 12th Warrior helped us." (HA)


About going for it on 4th and inches with less than 6 minutes left in the game, Mack said:
"I believed in two things. I believed in our offense that they could get that and I believed our defense was playing well against their offense so I thought we could get after them." (HSB)

"It was just 6 inches." (HA)


About how Moniz has done better as he's gotten more reps in the offense, QB coach Nick Rolovich said:
"I think it works both ways. I think the offense is taking to him and I think he's taking to this offense." (HA)


About how Moniz has picked up the offense quicker than he did because Moniz has worked harder than he did when he played for UH, Rolo said:
"He's picked things up a lot quicker than I did, but I don't believe that it's because I'm any dumber than he is or he's smarter than I am, but because he's put the effort in way more than I did. Me, as a player, I didn't (put in the effort), and I was lucky to get my second chance. Mo came in and has put forth his best effort ever since he's got here and that's the reason why he is where he is." (HA)


About how Moniz is the leader of their team, Rolo said:
"Mo leads the team every day. They love him. They love who Bryant Moniz is. I don't think it was something unexpected tonight. They know what they're going to get from him. He fills them up. These guys really love that guy. I think the fans do too. I know I do. He's a hell of a quarterback." (HSB)


About how their clock management at the end of the first half was their best clock management in the two years that Mack has been head coach, Rolo said:
"(The best clock management) in a couple of years, probably. Two years. Getting out of bounds, receivers are alert, linemen are hustling. A lot of good things. We practice that every week. Same rules: first downs, out of bounds, get what you can. The clock, different signals. Very well executed by the guys out there tonight." (HSB)


About how Navy adjusted to the shift formation (their least-used formation) when they stopped their base offense, DL coach Dave Aranda (who made most of the defensive calls) said:
"I could count on one hand how many times we repped it (in practice). They majored in that (formation) in this game." (HA)


--------------------- Quotes from the UH players --------------------------


About how their team is on a roll now, Bryant Moniz said:
"Our team has just gelled so much, and come even closer every week. We're on this streak and this roll and our fans are behind us. It's a great feeling and it's awesome." (AP)


About their struggles on offense to start the game, Moniz said:
"Timing was a little off, so we just had to get in the groove of things." (HSB)


About how he was happy to be playing again after missing the SJSU game due to injury, Moniz said:
"I was just glad to be out there with the guys again. I think the first thing I said was, 'It's good to see you guys,' when I got into the huddle. It was just a great environment overall." (HSB)


About how he is getting comfortable within the offense, Moniz said:
"This offense is a repetition offense. The more reps you get, the more you start to see things and this being my fifth or sixth game, I'm starting to get comfortable in the game situations." (HA)


About how their time consuming drives on offense kept Navy's offense off the field, Moniz said:
"That was kind of our plan, just take their game strategy and flip it on them; try and keep their offense off the field." (HA)


About their defense stopping Navy on their final drive, Moniz said:
"I was yelling so loud I'm surprised I didn't lose my voice. It's something I'll remember forever. The crowd was so loud. I hope to hear that sound next week." (HSB)


About how their crowd was the loudest he had heard before, Moniz said:
"The crowd got so loud. I don't think I've heard it that loud before." (HSB)


About how they proved themselves in this game, Moniz said:
"It was a great game to prove ourselves, that we're legit -- we're the real deal." (HSB)


About how their QBs want to make their reads and throw the ball quickly, Moniz said:
"STK ... shoot to kill. That's kind of our motto between the quarterbacks. That's the main thing: that we won. It doesn't matter what the stats are at all; That 'W' was all we wanted." (HA)

"That's kind of what we wanted to get to, where there's no hesitation in your read and you just trust it. That's kind of where I'm at now and it just feels good, you know, to kind of get us back to that offense of old ... Shoot to kill." (HA)


About the big game that Salas had, Moniz said:
"You never know whose game it's going to be. Anybody can step up. This week it was Kealoha." (HA)


Praising how Salas is playing with bruised ribs, Moniz said:
"He's a trooper. If he's hurting, he won't show it ... he's just a hell of a player." (HA)

Thanking their fans for their support, Greg Salas said:
"I love making big plays and seeing the fans go crazy. That's why we play, to make people happy. Their out there cheering us on and screaming their heads off. That fourth quarter was crazy! Coming up with big stops on defense and hearing the crowd go nuts. We want to thank them for their support. It was amazing." (UH)


About how they knew they would move the ball against Navy, Salas said:
"Coach Ron (Lee) was telling us it was going to be a catch-and-get-upfield kind of a game because they have big holes in their zones. They were playing old-school zone defense and we knew we could be successful." (HSB)


About the 24-yard TD reception Pilares had in the first quarter, Salas said:
"Mo eye(-faked) the corner." (HA)


About Pilares' big game, Salas said:
"He's such a great athlete and once you get the ball in his hands, he's shown what he can do with it, so getting him involved is something that we need to do and I'm glad we did. "(HA)


About how they knew they could move the ball against Navy, Kealoha Pilares said:
"They play vanilla defense. Just go there and get in the hole. The underneath stuff was open all game." (HSB)


About his 8 catches for 102 yards and 2 TDs, Pilares said:
"It felt awesome. This whole time I've been at wideout, I haven't been myself. I'm really proud of the fact that I just kept my head in it, because it can be easy to get discouraged, but this week coach talked about how good things will happen if I just keep playing and I just really started believing that and I knew that my time would come and I'm glad it came tonight and that I was able to help my team win." (HA)


About how his role at wideout had him primarily serving as a decoy before this game, Pilares said:
"It's hard to play wideout, running streaks all day. The ball hardly comes to you." (HA)


About how the pastor in a chapel service two weeks ago encouraged their players to embrace PUSH (play until something happens), Pilares said:
"It pertained to me. I had to stay focused, keep my mind in the game." (HA)


About how he knew that this would be a big game for Pilares, Jon Medeiros (who was recruited to Navy along with Pilares) said:
"I even told (Pilares) before the game, 'This is going to be your game,' and as soon as he caught that first touchdown pass, I just knew he was going to have a good game." (HA)


Praising Moniz, Medeiros said:
"With Mo back, everything's back to how it was before. He did a great job handling pressure, and kept his composure in there. Kept himself relaxed, kept us relaxed. He made the right decisions, right throws, and I think he did a terrific job." (HSB)


About being stopped on a trap play when they went for it on 4th-and-1 late in the game, Alex Green said:
"I got stuck. They won that battle." (HA)

About yelling for Moniz to throw him the ball in the 3rd quarter when they were on the Navy 14 and he was in the right flat as a safety valve, Alex Green said:
"I said, 'Throw me the ball.' " (HA)

"I ran to the end zone as fast as I could." (HA)

HA Note: "Moniz obliged. Green caught the swing pass at the 16, and powered his way for the only touchdown of the second half."


About throwing the ball to Green on that play, Moniz said:
"We never did that before. I mean, we ran the play before, but it never worked out like that. He's a hot read. If they blitz, I give it to him. They didn't blitz. Usually, he doesn't get the ball. But he was hungry for it. You could see he was ready for it." (HA)


About how they proved their doubters wrong, Blaze Soares said:
"Wow. I'm very excited. A lot of people doubted us but we proved them wrong. This was a top caliber team coming into Hawai'i but we stepped it up and rose to the occasion. I'm very proud of what we've accomplished. We got one more big game coming up, so let's go!" (UH)


About the play of their defense and how they were motivated by Mack's speech, Blaze (who had 12 tackles and the game-ending sack) said:
"Coach Mack gave us a good speech. He told us that this is the type of offense that will run for hundreds of yards. But not tonight. They're a team that will eat up the clock, but not this night. It was a real motivational speech and when we went out on the field we played with that mentality. We started off quick. We thought it would take us two or three series to figure out the pace but the energy and adrenaline and the crowd helped us to play fundamentally sound." (UH)

"Coach Mack gave us a great speech. They have the kind of offense that would rush for 600 yards, but not this night. A team that would eat up the clock, but not this night." (HSB)


About getting the game-ending sack, Blaze said:
"I knew I got the sack and I just blacked out. The game's on the line and you make a big play and the adrenaline's rushing and everything goes silent, but you see everybody just raging." (HSB)

"If I didn't get the sack, I should quit football right now." (HA)


About how they were blitzing on the final play of the game, Blaze said:
"We were going after (Dobbs)." (HA)


Praising their fans, Blaze said:
"Coming into the stadium and hearing that big roar. That's what we live for." (HSB)


About defending Navy's option offense, Blaze said:
"Simple. Certain people take the dive, certain people take the pitch man. We trusted each other to do that. Everyone did the job." (HSB)

"It's just trust in one another. Certain people had to take the dive, other people had to take the quarterback and the pitch man. We trusted in one another to do that. We were very responsible. It cracked here and there, but overall everybody just did their job." (HSB)


Praising their scout team players for preparing them for this game, Blaze said:
"I have to thank our scout players. They simulated their offense just like how we saw it in the game. It was an unbelievable thing. They don't really get credit, but if it wasn't for them making us be responsible for our technique, we wouldn't have gotten this win." (HSB)


About how they still have a chance to make the Hawaii Bowl, Blaze said:
"We are survivors. When you believe in one another, when everybody is on the same page, great things can be done. Everybody thought we were dead. We have one more game to go. It's balls to the walls. Let's go." (HA)

"It feels awesome. We won this as a team. Now we have one more to go." (HA)


About how their fans helped them this game, R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane said:
"That crowd was big and we really, really needed them behind us and they were with us 100 percent." (HA)


About giving up zero points in two straight 3rd quarters, RJ said:
"It feels good, but it's the same thing as every week, we try to complete as many goals as we can. One of the goals was to hold them to 17 points and they were right at that all game. We play for something else, not just the third quarter. For us, this was do or die and we were able to come out with a victory." (HA)


About the 10-yard-sack he got on Navy's 2nd-to-last play of the game, RJ said:
"Usually on third-and-long, he has a five-step drop. I saw his back. I hit him." (HA)


About how they needed to start the game strong on D and how the fans were great in the game, Mana Silva said:
"We had to set the tone initially off the first couple drives. We played very disciplined and it went well. The last drive of the game I couldn't even hear the coach. The fans were great!" (UH)


About how they have a shot to make the Hawaii Bowl, Silva said:
"Still alive, baby. This is 'Survivor,' the Hawai'i edition." (HA)


About their loud 36,834 fans at the game, Tuika Tufaga said:
"It was crazy! I love them. They were into it all game long and at the end, when everyone was standing, it was chicken skin, but it just made us want to fight even harder." (HA)


About stopping Marcus Curry for a 2-yard loss when Navy had a first down at UH's 39-yard-line on the final drive of the game, Jeramy Bryant said:
"It was a perfect call by the coaches. I was at the right place." (HA)


About muffing a kickoff return, then making a career-long 55-yard return to set up their game-tying TD at the end of the first half, Jovonte Taylor said:
"I took my eyes off it for a quick second, that's why I muffed it. But I picked it up, made something out of nothing. I reversed field, and hey, I was out the gate. It was a big play for us, in a critical situation at that." (HSB)


-------------------- Quotes from the Navy coaches ----------------------


About how he and the Navy players were crushed by the loss, Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said:
"We're crushed right now. This is home, and UH is my school, but I'm coaching Navy now, and I've got a group of kids in there that are heartbroken. It was a hard fought game." (UH)

"We're crushed right now. This is home and UH is my school but I coach Navy now. So I got players in there who are heartbroken." (AP)

"This is bitter. I'm happy for Hawaii, but our guys are crushed." (HSB)


About how this was an emotional game for him, Niumatalolo said:
"Very emotional game. To come back here to the stadium, it was different for me. I love these kids that I coach. Our guys on our team, I love them. It's unfortunate we came up short. I give Hawai'i all the credit in the world." (HA)


Giving credit to UH, Niumatalolo said:
"It was a great game, it was a great battle. Most of our games are like this. You've got to give Hawai'i credit. They made enough plays there at the end and were able to pull out a victory. I thought our kids battled; our guys played hard, too, but (Hawai'i) made maybe a few more plays than we did." (UH)

"(Hawai'i) had a nice plan, the kids executed well. I'm not going to make excuses. We've got to give them credit. I wish we could have played better, did better than how we did, but give Hawai'i credit." (UH)

"They just did a good job executing. We got a little frazzled out there. We didn't execute any of our stuff well." (AP)

"Give Hawaii credit. It was a great game, a great battle. Most of our games are like this. Hawaii just made enough plays." (HSB)


Praising UH's fans, Niumatalolo said:
"The crowd definitely played a factor. We got a little frazzled there, didn't execute any of our stuff very well, we didn't get things set." (UH)


About how they did not play well on offense and giving credit to UH's defense, Niumatalolo said:
"Defensively I thought we played well to start the game, but offensively, we didn't show up all night. But again, we didn't play well offensively, but you also give credit to (Hawai'i's) defense."
(UH)


Praising UH's game plan and the loud Hawaii fans, Niumatalolo said:
"Hawaii had a nice plan and executed well. The crowd definitely played a factor. We just got a little frazzled. Offensively, we didn't show up all night." (HSB)


About listening to UH's alma mater after the game, Niumatalolo said:
"Feels weird." (HA)


------------------- Quotes from the Navy players -------------------------

About how they wanted to beat UH for their head coach Niumatalolo and offensive coordinator Jasper (who both played for UH), QB Ricky Dobbs said:
"Nobody was really talking about it, but it was in the back of everybody's mind. It's a sense of pride thing. We wanted to give them bragging rights." (AP)


Asked if the long trip was a factor in the loss, Dobbs refused to make excuses:
"We had to come out and do it no matter if we had to travel 7,000 miles and play the next day it just comes down to execution. There is no excuse." (AP)


About how UH's offense kept them off the field, Dobbs said:
"They did a good job of controlling the ball and keeping it out of our hands. When they got it, they held it for a while, moving it up and down the field, something we should have been doing." (HA)


About how their offense couldn't move the ball on their final drive (5:41 left, 82 yards to go, no timeouts), Dobbs said:
"We couldn't get in the groove (offensively) at the end there. They put us in an uncomfortable position." (HA)


About how the loud UH crowd made things hard on their offense, Dobbs said:
"It was real tough. Guys couldn't hear me. I was quite surprised." (HSB)


Praising UH's defense (Temple ended Navy's 5-game win streak 4 weeks ago), Dobbs said:
"They were maybe like Temple or Delaware. Hawaii's a hard-hitting team. After the pitch, I definitely felt the hits. I know I'll feel it tomorrow." (HSB)


About returning to Hawaii to play, Kapolei graduate Aaron Santiago said:
"It was great seeing all the boys and to get a chance to come out here and play against them once more. Once I stepped out of that tunnel, I had some chills. It brought back memories from playing here in high school." (HA)


About playing in Navy's offense, Santiago said:
"In high school, we kind of ran the same offense, but (at Navy), the speed of the game is quicker and the expectations are different. If your timing is off by one step, you can ruin a whole play." (HSB)


About how he still cheers for the Warriors, Santiago said:
"Growing up in the islands, you're rooting for Hawaii. I still root for them except when we play them. They know to play very hard and they showed it today." (HSB)


Hoping to get more playing time next year, Santiago (a sophomore) said:
"We've got a lot of talent at A-back. We lose two A-backs next year. I hope I can fill one of their positions." (HSB)


------------------ Other quotes from the game ----------------------

Proud of Niumatalolo (his high school teammate at Radford), Thor Salanoa said:
"I'm so proud of him. Every week we talk to each other. In college (Thor went to Brigham Young), we were always calling up each other, still keeping in touch." (HA)


About returning to Hawaii for this game (he hadn't been to Hawaii since he was 1 year old), Niumatalolo's 16-year-old son Va'a said:
"It was great to come out there and see family and everyone. This is the first time I've seen a game in here. Well, a second time. I saw the Kahuku (vs. Farrington state semifinal) yesterday." (HA)


Impressed with UH's fans, Va'a said:
"It's a lot louder than I thought it would be. Inside the stadium, it was as loud as Notre Dame and Ohio State. It got pretty loud. I was impressed." (HA)


Proud of Niumatalolo, the first college head coach of Samoan ancestry, Mayor Mufi Hannemann said:
"It's very special because his mother and I are cousins. I'm so proud of him. He achieved what so many people just dream about." (HA)


Praising Niumatalolo, Hannemann said:
"He was always a leader. He was always very intelligent; he was very disciplined. It's not surprising that he's doing so well." (HA)

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Pregame quotes for the Hawaii - Navy game 11/28/09

HA Note: "Arrangements were made for the Midshipmen, who play UH today at Aloha Stadium, to tour Pearl Harbor on Thanksgiving. During a ceremony, the future officers, in Navy dress whites, stood at attention as academy officials presented a memorial wreath."


About the ceremony when he took his Navy team to Pearl Harbor on Thanksgiving, Ken Niumatalolo said:
"It just gave me chicken skin. It was probably one of the most emotional things I've ever done in coaching. Sometimes you look at them as guys you recruited to play football. To see them in uniform at attention, while paying their respects, there were a lot of tears. After this, our seniors are going to go out and serve our country." (HA)


HA Note: "Niumatalolo knows the perils of post-academy life. Two players he coached died in combat."


About his players' decision to attend the Naval Academy, Niumatalolo said:
"This is volunteer. We recruit them like anybody else. They don't have to come. It's not like we have the draft. They come on their own accord. For them to come here, to serve our country when we're a nation at war, I have so much respect for these guys." (HA)


HA Note: "During this trip, Niumatalolo has tried to give some free time to his players, who have strict commitments to academics and their companies. He allowed them to spend time at Waikíkí Beach Thursday and yesterday morning."


About visiting Pearl Harbor, LB Ross Pospisil said:
"Oh, my gosh, that's something I'm never going to forget. I know we came here to play football, and we came here to enjoy this trip, and enjoy this great state." (HA)


About how the Pearl Harbor visit reminded him of the "big picture", Pospisil said:
"It's been awesome to play football and go to such a great school, but we're preparing for something greater: the eventuality we'll be out there. And just to think about the people who have gone before us is something that impacts me every day. I need to spend more time thinking and praying about that, about what it's taken for us to be here today." (HA)


HA Note: "Offensive guard Osei Asante said he never envisioned a military career. During the recruiting process, his parents became convinced the Naval Academy offered the best option. He would receive a full ride, a chance to play football, and a guaranteed job after graduation."


About how his parents encouraged him to choose Navy during the recruiting process, Osei Asante said:
"They said, 'This is where you need to go.' " (HA)


About how the demands on their players are worth it, Asante said:
"We're about to be officers. Some of the guys who will be in the Marine Corps will be on the front lines in the desert. That's something we've taken in and accepted. I never thought in all of my
dreams I'd be protecting this country. It's an extreme honor to do that and serve with the fine gentlemen who have come before me and will come after me. It's a true honor." (HA)


About how he was the passing QB during UH's 1992 season (Michael Carter was the running QB) and 89% of the plays he calls are runs, Ivin Jasper said:
"All the places we've been good, we've run the football. The past four years, we've been No. 1 in the nation in rushing." (HA)


HA Note: "The key is Dobbs, who is smart, tough and has an addiction for the end zone (22 touchdowns this season). Earlier in the year, Dobbs suffered a tear behind his right kneecap. The doctors gave him two choices: 1) undergo season-ending surgery; or 2) undergo plasmapheresis, which, according to medical official Avis Yasumura, is a tissue-strengthening procedure in which blood is extracted, treated and then reinserted into the injured area."


About how Dobbs didn't choose either of the medical options the doctors gave him and chose #3 instead, Jasper said:
"Three? They're all looking around at that point. He said, 'I want to put my faith in God.'" (HA)


About how Dobbs helped Navy beat Notre Dame two weeks later and earned a grade of 90, Jasper said:
"He's a great leader. Kids feed off of him. He's not a rah-rah guy, but he plays hard." (HA)


About why they run a 3-4 base defense, defensive coordinator Buddy Green said:
"It fits us because of our size. We're not real big. We don't have the four big linemen to play in the 4-3 scheme." (HA)


About his team-high 83 tackles, Pospisil said:
"Each and every person is essential. It's working as a unit. Each and every link in the cable is essential, from the safeties to the d-linemen. When we're all working and taking on our responsibilities, that's when we're functioning the best, when we're having fun. That's what defense is about: having fun and a lot of emotion." (HA)


About he he's playing better this season than last year, Aaron Kia said:
"Last year, I was playing out of control." (HA)


About how one of his 12 penalties was not his fault, Kia said that:
"the play was done, I was shoving the guy off, and he punched me in the back of the helmet. Then the ref threw the flag. And I'm like, 'Yes.' Then they said the penalty was on 77. I'm like, 'what?' Now everybody was talking. 'There he goes again. He's out of control.' " (HA)


About how Navy will throw the ball deep when the defense focuses too much on the run, Rich Miano said:
"They'll try to catch you sleeping." (HA)


About how they have to remain alert in their man coverage today, Lametrius Davis said:
"You've got to be patient. You have a chance to be lackadaisical because there's so much running. That's when they'll pass." (HA)


About how he will use his wrestling training from Kahuku High to counter Navy's cut blocks, Richard Torres said:
"We call it hand crawls. When they attack the legs, you have to move your hands and legs at the same time to block it out. Hopefully, it comes naturally during the game." (HA)


About how his family supported his decision to go to two punting camps in the US (his Mom will attend her first UH game today!), Alex Dunnachie said:
"They forked over quite a bit of money." (HA)


About his long punts, Dunnachie said:
"It must be leg speed. I don't have the strongest leg," (HA)


About how Dunnachie has a strong leg, special teams coordinator Chris Tormey said:
"He has a very strong leg." (HA)


About his problem at mid-season with 3 punts netting less than 10 yards each, Dunnachie said:
"I was forgetting to watch the ball when I was kicking it. It sounds silly, but during the game, a lot of things are going through your head." (HA)


About Dunnachie's mechanical problem, Tormey said:
"It's like golf. You have to remember to keep your eye on the ball. Really, it's pretty simple, a basic fundamental. He's done a great job the past couple of weeks." (HA)


About how they do not rush their recruits to commit to them, Niumatalolo said:
"We don't force our kids to commit early because we want these guys to truly understand what they're getting into. It's a great opportunity, but it's not something you can force somebody into doing. I have great respect for these guys. They came to the Naval Academy when we're at war and they haven't flinched." (HSB)


About his respect for Navy's players, Greg Salas said:
"They provide a great service to our country, and we have a lot of respect for them. They're a great team, well coached, well disciplined; that's what comes with being in the service. They're
going to force you into mistakes." (HSB)


About returning to Aloha Stadium as a head coach, Niumatalolo said:
"I feel very blessed. I've been in the stadium many times, but never thought I'd come back as a head coach." (HSB)


About their bye week before this game, Niumatalolo said:
"I just hope the rust is gone. You're always concerned when you're off a week, will you come back as sharp. Hopefully our timing will be there." (HSB)


About how UH's passing offense will be a big contract to their run-heavy offense, Ivin Jasper said:
"It might be good for the fans to see the contrast between the old and the new, what it used to be like here and what it is now." (HSB)


Praising Navy QB Dobbs (22 rushing TDs, one short of the NCAA record for TDs by a QB), Mac said:
"They have a lot of great athletes, and that quarterback could play anywhere in the country." (HSB)


About how their problems on offense have come in the red zone, Rolo said:
"We've been pretty effective (moving the ball) all year. It's going to come down to putting points on the board in the red zone." (HSB)


About how they have studied SMU's game against Navy (Navy gave up a season-high 35 points in that game), Rolo said:
"That's a great film for us. (SMU does) a lot of our same stuff, especially with formations." (HSB)


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http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20091128_uh_has_no_margin_for_error_vs_middies.html

Friday, November 27, 2009

Feature story on Coach McMackin in the Annapolis Capital Gazette

CG = (Annapolis) Capital Gazette


About how he loves to be the head coach at UH, Mac said:
"This has proven to be a wonderful opportunity. My family loves it here in Hawaii. I love the university, the people and particularly the players." (CG)


CG Note: "McMackin's coaching odyssey has taken him to 12 different colleges and three professional teams. The Southern Oregon graduate began his career at Aloha High in Beaverton, Ore."


About how he moved from job to job during his career, Mac said:
"I've never been one to go out looking for a job. I just tried to do well at the one I had. Whenever a better opportunity came along, I took it." (CG)


About how he enjoyed his one season as Navy's defensive coordinator, Mac said:
"I absolutely loved it there. The town is beautiful and the academy is an incredible place. Of course, the players were very special people. I still get phone calls and e-mails from some of them." (CG)


About how he had to take the head coaching job at UH when he was offered it, Mac said:
"This just sort of worked out. You don't get an opportunity to run your own program very often so naturally I had to take it." (CG)


About how he believes in the run-and-shoot and Ron Lee's knowledge of the offense, Mac said:
"We all have an association with the run-and-shoot and believe in the offense. Ron Lee knows this offense as well as anybody other than June or Mouse so it made sense to keep it." (CG)


CG Note: "This is actually McMackin's second stint as a head coach as he held that position at Oregon Tech from 1986-89. Ron Lee served as offensive coordinator for McMackin at the NAIA school and employed the run-and-shoot."


About facing Navy, his third opponent this season that he coached at (Idaho and SJSU were the others), Mac said:
"I've obviously got great respect for Navy. Having been there, I know how tough those kids are and the passion they have for playing the game. This is definitely a special game for me because of my connection to the Naval Academy." (CG)


http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/nas/2009/11/27-24/Ex-Navy-assistant-settles-in-Hawaii.html

Quotes about the Warriors in the Hawaii papers (Elliott Purcell, Ivin Jasper, Bryant Moniz, Fonoti features)

About how he has suffered through a stinger all season, resulting in sharp jolts to his shoulders and neck, Elliott Purcell said:
"Every time I would get hit, there would be pain in my neck." (HA)


HA Note: "Ice packs and rest were the only treatments to alleviate the condition. Purcell, who was limited in practices, eventually ceded the left end's job to sophomore Liko Satele. But now Purcell is relatively healthy, and his run-stopping ability is needed against Navy's triple-option attack. The Midshipmen are third nationally in rushing (282.55 yards per game), and they run 89 percent of the time."


About how they will rely on Purcell's run-stopping skills against Navy, DL coach Dave Aranda said:
"Elliott has shown himself to be a real effective run defender. The weeks we've asked him to play the run, he's done well for us. I think this will be a big week for him." (HA)


"He plays with low pad level in the run game. I think the best attribute is how he strikes with his hands, and is physical." (HA)


About defending against running plays, Purcell said:
"With run-stopping, there's more contact, there's more hitting. It's more physical. I'm a more physical person. Off the field, I'm calm and relaxed. When I go on the field, I turn the switch on." (HA)


About how he and several other members of his church clean school campuses in Waipahu, Purcell said:
"You feel better when you clean everything up. There's a sense of accomplishment, like, 'I did something good for someone else.' It's humbling." (HA)


About how he likes to clean, Purcell said:
"I like to clean. When I see something dirty, I clean it. ... My son is messy with his toys. I'm always picking up after him." (HA)


About how his row of lockers (with Cory Daniel, Clint Daniel, Miah Ostrowski, Kainoa LaCount, Adrian Thomas, and Austin Hansen) is the cleanest for the Warriors, Purcell said:
"Our aisle is the cleanest. We take pride in that. I challenge any of the other guys to see who has the cleanest aisle." (HA)


About how then-UH head coach Bob Wagner visited his home during the 1989 recruiting period, Ivin Jasper said:
"I still remember the look on his face when he got out of the car. He looked petrified." (HA)


About how he grew up in Watts in an area rules by gangs, Jasper said:
"It was definitely a rough neighborhood, but I was lucky. People told me I was blessed. I had a chance to get out of there, and I made the most out of it." (HA)


Proud of how Jasper has done at Navy, which has qualified for their 6th consecutive bowl, Wagner said:
"I'm proud of him." (HA)


HA Note: "Jasper, who joined former UH offensive coordinator Paul Johnson at Navy in 1995, also had stints at Indiana State and Georgia Southern, before returning to Navy in 2002. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2008, when another former UH quarterback, Ken Niumatalolo was promoted to head coach."


About the support that he got as a kid, Jasper said:
"It was the support from a lot of people in my neighborhood. I was trying to do something positive, so the gangs left me alone. ... They said, 'Hey, do your thing.' ... I had a lot of support from my family, friends, teachers." (HA)


Accepting the pressure that comes with his job, Jasper said:
"We are in a straight-line profession. You win or you get fired. We understand there is no gray line. I like it that way. You have to go out there and produce." (HA)


About how it was important for him to keep Jasper at Navy when he became head coach, Ken Niumatalolo said:
"I think he's the best option quarterback coach in the country. He was my No. 1 recruit." (HSB)


About why he chose to stay at Navy instead of joining Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech, Jasper said:
"Some people assumed it was because I could move up to coordinator. It really wasn't that. I realized this is where I wanted to be, because of the players. Academy life is tough. I see them before practice just trying to get a couple of minutes of sleep, because that's the only time they can. Not that I'm a genius or anything, but I wanted to stay and help them succeed as much as possible because of their commitment and the sacrifices they're making." (HSB)


About how talented Jasper was when he arrived at UH, former teammate John Veneri said:
"He could play any position on the field. He easily threw the ball 75-80 yards, powerful arm. Smart. Read defenses well. You had to under Johnson." (HSB)


About how Jasper benefitted by moving from backup QB (to Michael Carter) to slotback, Ken Niumatalolo said:
"(Playing slot) definitely helped him. Coach Johnson and Coach (Bob) Wagner wanted me to move, too. But I was too stubborn." (HSB)


About coming to Hawaii to play against UH, Jasper said after their practice yesterday at Aloha Stadium:
"It's an eerie feeling. Life's full of surprises." (HSB)


About the final throw that Bryant Moniz made in practice, hitting Pilares in stride deep down the middle for a TD on 4th-and-9 in their 2-minute drill, Rolo said;
"That ball's where it's supposed to be. He made a great throw in a tough situation, no hesitation and showed he's pretty much ready." (HSB)


About how Moniz will start against Navy, Mac said:
"He'll be our starter." (HSB)


HSB Note: "After a somewhat rusty showing in his return, Moniz took on a heavier workload and appeared to throw with greater authority yesterday. Along with the closing touchdown, he went 5-for-5 during a third-down period."


About how he feels more confidence in Moniz after yesterday's practice, Rolo said:
"I feel a lot more confident. Doing what he did today I feel a lot better. That turkey will go down a lot easier." (HSB)

"More velocity and the number of reps may have doubled from yesterday. All good signs." (HSB)


Praising Moniz's play in practice yesterday, Mac said:
"He threw a lot better today than he did yesterday. He was accurate. He's playing through (the injury) and will get better and better." (HSB)


About taking his team to the Arizona Memorial before yesterday's practice, Niumatalolo said:
"I've been planning for this trip in the back of my mind for a long time. I've gone from doing this and doing that, and ultimately we're getting ready for a football game. But I knew the Arizona Memorial was one thing we couldn't cut out because that's who we represent and it's a big part of who these guys are." (HSB)


About being back in Hawaii, Niumatalolo said:
"It's great to be home. I'm excited for our young men to experience Hawaii. I've gotta watch that we don't enjoy it too much because we've still got a game to play on Saturday, but we're excited to be here." (HSB)


About how he has just two regular season games left at UH, Fetaiagogo "John" Fonoti said:
"Time's running out and I still have a lot to do." (HSB)


About how Fonoti returned for the Louisiana Tech game after being injured the week before the season opener and wasn't fully healthy for awhile afterwards, Mac said:
"But now he's full speed and I really expect him in these next games to really jump off the screen." (HSB)


About Fonoti's amazing physical ability, George Lumpkin (who works with the DEs) said:
"He's kind of a physical freak. It's like he never gets tired. He goes to the weight room now, but even when he wasn't he was really strong, probably one of the strongest players on the team. And he runs like a DB." (HSB)


About how Academics forced him to sit out the 2006 season, Fonoti said:
"It was a lesson learned; I made some mistakes when I got here. A couple times I thought I was done playing football. But I just love playing. I love anything to do with sports. I kept pushing to get back to football." (HSB)


About how Fonoti played despite being hampered by his knee injury this season, Lumpkin said:
"He hasn't complained. It's got to be really something serious for him to complain. He's a good guy to coach -- when you tell him something he does it." (HSB)


About wanting to finish his Warrior career properly, Fonoti said:
"I have to take care of football and school and make sure everything works out." (HSB)


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http://blogs.starbulletin.com/uhsportsextra/moniz-solidifies-starting-job/

http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/20091127_Jasper_a_key_ingredient_in_Navys_rushing_success.html

http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/20091127_Fonoti_craves_big_finish.html

Quotes about the Warriors in the Hawaii papers (Moniz says that he will play vs. Navy)

About how he will play in Saturday's game against Navy, Bryant Moniz said:
"Of course." (HA)


About how Moniz will start if he is available to play, Mac said:
"From what I saw, he was throwing pretty good." (HA)


After not practicing with the first team since he was injured on November 14, Moniz said that he:
"was a little rusty." (HA)


About how he had some soreness near his right ribs, Moniz said:
"It's one of those things I have to deal with." (HA)


QB coach Nick Rolovich said that Moniz is "dialed in" mentally, but:
"It depends on what he can take as far as pain. It's going to be sore. It's probably not going to be better for the rest of the season. It's a pain threshold thing for him." (HA)


About Moniz practicing today, Rolo said:
"I think today was just a real test day. The mental part of the game is good, it's just physically having confidence in himself to make the throws on time and with the velocity he needs. ... We'll have a better picture after tomorrow." (HSB)


Praising Shane Austin's play at SJSU, Rolo said:
"Shane did a lot of good things. There were some out routes I thought he could have been more accurate on. I thought he handled things pretty well. If we need him, we can go to him." (HA)


"I thought he learned a lot last week, made some big throws at crucial times. A lot of lessons for him to learn, especially situational decision-making. But I also thought he played as a warrior, he played confident, he played composed for the most part, especially in the crucial times of the game." (HSB)


Asked about his performance against SJSU, Austin said:
"There were negatives and positives. There were some big throws, a lot of third-and-long that we converted. I need to work on being consistent and not forcing things. ... There are some times when everybody is covered. You can't always expect to throw the ball. You can tuck the ball and run, get some yards with my legs." (HA)


HA Note: "Two days before UH's second game, Rausch suffered a fractured right pinkie on his throwing hand. He resumed practicing two weeks later. But a couple of weeks ago, he aggravated the injury. Rolovich said Rausch's right pinkie is completely healed, and that Rausch has enough preparation to play, if summoned. Inoke Funaki, who moved to running back in spring training, was Austin's immediate backup last week. Rolovich said Funaki, who is an elusive runner, served as a change-up to Austin's drop-back style."


About how he's the only DB starter without an interception, Jeramy Bryant said:
"It's coming. I was close on three." (HA)


About how his DB teammates have all got interceptions, Bryant said:
"They've got a thing for the ball. I've got to get up with those guys, find out how they're doing it." (HA)


About how he began wearing a T-shirt he got from former UH CB Ryan Keomaka three weeks ago and UH hasn't lost since, Blaze Soares said:
"I wear it every practice." (HA)


About how the front of his shirt has the Biblical passage, "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me", Blaze said:
"I like the saying. It means a lot to me. It helps me go out there with a positive mindset." (HA)


Thankful that they have a chance to go to a bowl game, offensive coordinator Ron Lee said:
"We can be thankful for a lot, the fact that we're playing for a cause. To me, we are really blessed, after what we've been through, that we're playing not just for pride and everything else, but also we can give the seniors something special." (HSB)


Asked if Moniz will be ready to start at QB against Navy, Ron Lee said:
"That's the decision we'll make as a staff after practice. I was happy to see he threw the ball OK. He needs to get back into the timing. ... He'll be all right once we get another day of practice. Today was just getting back into it. Tomorrow we can give him a little bit more." (HSB)


Rolo said that his coaching and playing career has meant that he hasn't had Thanksgiving off:
"in probably 12 years or so." (HSB)


Thankful for his opportunity to play and coach for UH, Rolo said:
"Having all these teammates, and this opportunity, there's a lot of things to be thankful for if you're a UH football player and coach. It's the greatest job in the world as far as being able to come out and do football every day. These kids understand the opportunity they have to play football and go to college and to be part of this program is something special." (HSB)


Asked how often he'd cut block when he played for UH, former UH OL Kelly McGill said:
"Every play." (HSB)


HSB Note: "McGill and John Veneri played in UH's triple-option offense in the early 1990s and were contributors to the program's WAC championship season in 1992. With Navy coming to town, the return of the option brings back memories for the duo, who stopped by the Warriors' practice yesterday and chatted with UH coaches on their perspectives playing in the system."


About how he got skilled at the cut block when he was a slotback for UH, John Veneri said:
"It's kind of strange because (Navy head coach) Kenny (Niumatalolo) was a coach when I was here and (offensive coordinator) Ivin (Jasper) was my quarterback." (HSB)


Veneri said that the basics of the option haven't changed since Niumatalolo and Jasper played for UH, but:
"at the same time, I know the two of them will have something up their sleeves and they'll change some things." (HSB)


About returning to Hawaii to play at Aloha Stadium, Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said:
"I know it's going to be a very emotional game for me to come home and play against the University of Hawaii at Aloha Stadium." (HSB)


About being the backup QB for much of his UH career, Niumatalolo said:
"I don't like sitting on the bench, so that was hard for me. Nothing against Garrett because obviously he had a great, great career, but playing-wise I didn't like it. It was a long four years for me, but I made many great friends there, so I enjoy that part of it." (HSB)


About the success they have had since he became head coach at Navy, Niumatalolo said:
"A lot of the success we've had is because a lot of coaches stayed at the Naval Academy. There's pretty much a blueprint in place and we try to follow it." (HSB)


HSB Note: "Navy already has five freshmen and sophomores on the team from Hawaii, including Kapolei graduates Cyril Ontai and Aaron Santiago, who look to follow in the footsteps of another Kapolei grad, Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who was the starting quarterback at Navy for much of the past three years."


About using their game in Hawaii to help with their recruiting in Hawaii, Niumatalolo said:
"We're trying to get as good players as we can from all across the country, and having played in Hawaii I know how high school football is here. With Pearl Harbor, Hickam, Schofield Barricks, Kaneohe Marine Base, there's a ton of bases out here, so I think Navy is a good fit for a lot of kids and it's somewhere we'd like to recruit." (HSB)


About how UH has to beat them to have a chance to go to the Hawaii Bowl, Niumatalolo said:
"We have to come prepared because we know they are fighting for a bowl game." (HSB)


About dealing with the distractions in Hawaii while being in Hawaii from Wednesday, Niumatalolo said:
"It's not like we can put bricks over the windows and lock their doors. Hawaii is a beautiful place and we want them to experience that, but at the same token, Hawaii is always tough at home and we have to be completely prepared when we go out there and play." (HSB)


About having practice in a driving rain at Aloha Stadium, Ken Niumatalolo said:
"We had our practice on Tuesday (in Annapolis) and it was storming like this, but it was a little colder." (HSB)


Remembering a lifetime of memories at Aloha Stadium, Niumatalolo said:
"I can remember being above the dugout trying to get Mike Stennis' chin strap, Bernard Quarles. I can remember talking to Archie Griffin when he sat in the dugout when he came for the Hula Bowl. There's so many great memories here. I'm humbled to be a head coach at a great
place and to come back to your home, and play in a stadium with great memories, I know it's going to be a special time for our program and our team." (HSB)


Looking forward to this game since he came to Navy, Kalaheo graduate Bruce Andrews said:
"Every since I came to Navy I knew we were coming here this year. It's a dream to come back to play against UH, it's coming true and it's exciting." (HSB)

http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091126/SPORTS0201/911260352&template=UHsports

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http://blogs.starbulletin.com/uhsportsextra/rainy-homecoming-for-niumatalolo/

http://www.starbulletin.com/specialprojects/20091126_Coming_home.html

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Feature on Ken Niumatalolo bringing his Navy team to Aloha Stadium

CG = (Annapolis) Capital-Gazette


About how the UH game means a lot to him, Ken Niumatalolo said:
"I could stand here and tell you it's just another game, but it's more than just another game. I've tried to hold back the emotions and excitement, but it's going to be hard once I finally walk into that stadium. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of emotion, a few tears." (CG)


CG Note: "Aloha Stadium, the 50,000-seat facility that opened in 1975, serves as a patchwork for Niumatalolo's life. As a youngster, he crossed the overpass from Halawa to sell newspapers at the stadium and try to sneak into games. He remembers watching Hula Bowl and Pro Bowl practices with rapt interest. As a senior at Radford High, Niumatalolo was the starting quarterback for a team that captured the annual Prep Bowl at Aloha Stadium. The left-handed thrower accepted a scholarship to the University of Hawaii and played many more games in the multi-purpose facility that has hosted everything from concerts to car shows to state fairs."


About how Aloha Stadium is important to him, Niumatalolo said:
"That stadium holds a lot of great memories for me. In high school, my team won the state championship there. I played and coach there when I was at Hawaii. As a young boy, I used to sell newspapers there. I remember rooting for the Warriors and hanging out by the locker room
hoping someone would throw you up a wristband." (CG)


CG Note: "Niumatalolo's coaching career began in the press box high atop Aloha Stadium - first as a lowly graduate assistant who carried video equipment and brought box lunches to the coaching staff then later wearing a headset while sitting alongside offensive coordinator Paul Johnson as he called plays. It was Johnson who recognized Niumatalolo's strong understanding of the triple-option spread offense and suggested the 26-year-old Hawaiian pursue coaching after graduation. It was Johnson who brought Niumatalolo to Annapolis after he was hired as offensive coordinator at Navy. It was Johnson who brought Niumatalolo back to the academy as assistant head coach after the former took over as head coach in 2002.

Niumatalolo spent four seasons at Navy during his first stint, replacing Johnson as offensive coordinator after his mentor took the head coaching job at Georgia Southern. That stint ended abruptly after just two seasons when head coach Charlie Weatherbie fired Niumatalolo due to ongoing professional and personality conflicts. Niumatalolo failed to land a high school coaching job and tried his hand at sales before latching on as an assistant at the University of Nevada-Las
Vegas and resurrecting his career in 1999. A decade later, he is only the second Polynesian head coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the first collegiate head coach on any level of Samoan descent."


About the importance of winning their game against UH, Niumatalolo said:
"As excited as I am about this game, I also know how long a flight it is. I don't want to come back a loser. That would really spoil the entire trip." (CG)


CG Note: "Niumatalolo wants the Midshipmen to achieve a balance between sight-seeing and preparing. The Navy traveling party will visit the Arizona Memorial and probably take an island tour aboard an air-conditioned bus."


About how he's been preparing their schedule of events for Hawaii for a long time, Niumatalolo said:
"I've been working on the schedule a long time because I know what a great home-field advantage Hawaii has. You don't want your guys to get distracted, but you also can't pull down the shades and lock the doors and not let them outside. It's paradise and I want the players to be able to enjoy the experience." (CG)


CG Note: "On the field on Saturday, the memories will come pouring back. Niumatalolo played for and worked alongside George Lumpkin, who has been an assistant at Hawaii for 33 years. Niumatalolo has known three other assistants - Hawaii natives Rich Miano along with brothers
Ron and Cal Lee, for years. Tuika Tufaga, a starting defensive tackle for the Warriors, is Niumatalolo's nephew. Simi and Lamala Niumatalolo will be in attendance at Aloha Stadium to see their son coach Navy against his alma mater. Older brother Jim, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Navy now stationed at the Pentagon in D.C., is traveling back for the game. Three sisters who still live in Hawaii are also going to the game along with their children."


Looking forward to seeing his son coach Navy against UH, Simi Niumatalolo (retired after serving 23 years as a Chief Petty Officer in the US Coast Guard) said:
"We're very, very excited and looking forward to seeing Kenneth. This is a day we would never dream of. We're very proud of Kenneth and what he has accomplished." (CG)


About his lifelong friend and former UH teammate, Darren Hernandez (Kapolei High head coach) said:
"Kenny is a favorite son who will have a lot of friends and fans there to support him on Saturday. It's tough because everyone wants Hawaii to win and for Kenny to do well. It's a tough situation." (CG)


Remembering when Niumatalolo left Oahu in 1984 to coach, Hernandez said:
"I chose to stay here and coach at the high school level, but Kenny made the leap of faith to leave the island to try to make it in the coaching profession. For Kenny to come back as the head coach of the Naval Academy, it's just amazing. Everybody in Hawaii is very proud of how far Kenny has come, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer person." (CG)


http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/nas/2009/11/25-11/Proud-coach-heading-for-home.html

Feature stories on Jon Medeiros, other Warrior notes

About the importance of the bus being on time, Jon Medeiros (who lives in Makakilo) said:
"If a bus runs late, I'm going to be late for practice." (HA)


HA Note: "Because it takes three bus routes to travel to the Manoa campus, Medeiros has to awaken at 4:15 every morning. He said it is a 10-minute ride to the bus center in Kapolei. He transfers to a bus that takes 40 minutes to travel to 'Iolani Palace. From there, he transfers to a bus bound for University Avenue.


About how he hasn't been late to a practice or meeting this season,Medeiros said:
"It's about timing." (HA)


About how the scholarship would have covered his dorm fee, Medeiros said:
"I live at home for free." (HA)


About how Medeiros hasn't changed his work ethic since he was awarded a scholarship before the season, Mac said:
"He keeps improving." (HA)


About how he was listed as a co-#1 slotback after Spring Practice, but then Greg Salas was moved from left wideout to slotback and Kealoha Pilares was moved from RB to slotback to fill the starting spots, Medeiros said:
"I had a scholarship, but I didn't have a (starting) job. I wasn't salty about anything. My mentality was to work harder to earn playing time. I figured this was my last season. I wasn't going to give up. I was going to continue to grind on the field and in the weight room. When they call your number, you have to be ready. The only way I could show them I was ready was in practice." (HA)


HA Note: "When left wideout Rodney Bradley suffered a broken fibula and tibia in his left leg, Pilares moved to wideout and Medeiros was promoted to No. 1 right slotback. In five games as a starter, Medeiros has 31 catches for 435 yards and two touchdowns. Of his 40 overall catches, 22 have gone for first downs and 13 were at least 15 yards. In third-and-7-plus situations, he has achieved first downs five of six times."


HA Note: "And he is largely unrecognized on the bus. But, he noted, the Makakilo-to-Kapolei bus driver "always says, 'Good morning,' " Medeiros said. "I say, 'Mahalo,' and, 'May I have bus transfers?' " "


About how the WRs need to bond with their QBs for the offense to run smoothly, Medeiros said:
"A lot of times you have to be quarterback-friendly, which was something Davone (Bess) was really good at. Knowing where he's going to be, knowing where the open areas are, Colt (Brennan) could just throw the ball in one area before he even makes his break and Davone's there. That's something in this system that really needs to be established." (HSB)


About his 10 catches for 149 yards from Shane Austin's passes in the SJSU game, Medeiros said:
"I don't know what it was, but we had something going." (HSB)


HSB Note: "Four of Medeiros' catches came with the Warriors facing long-yardage situations. He made a 21-yard reception after penalties forced UH into a first-and-20 in the first half. He converted another first down on a third-and-19 late in regulation."


About the big plays that Medeiros made in the SJSU game, Greg Salas said:
"Jon was so clutch in that game. I kept coming up to him like, 'That's a big catch, we need that.' He kept coming through for us and it was great to see. Third-and-20 and Jon's coming up with another big catch in double coverage." (HSB)


About how their offense is starting to get into sync, Medeiros said:
"We're starting to get that consistency and we're starting to build that confidence back up and everybody's just believing that we can do it. We've overcome so much adversity and we just have to keep going and rise to the occasion." (HSB)


About how he has just 2 regular season games left in his UH career, Medeiros said:
"I'm just trying to play my hardest, have fun out here on the practice field while I can, because I know once it's gone, I'm going to miss it." (HSB)


About making big plays in the SJSU game after missing games due to injury, Jeramy Bryant said:
"It was a big confidence booster for me personally, just knowing I could still do the things I used to do." (HSB)


HSB Note: "Bryant recovered a fumble on San Jose State's last possession of regulation and broke up a fourth-down pass in overtime to end the game."


About breaking up SJSU's final pass in overtime, Bryant said:
"That was a great call by the coaches and God put me in position. Confidence starts building up and you start wanting them to throw at you because you know you can make those plays." (HSB)


About dealing with the discomfort from his injured foot, Greg Salas said:
"You pop a couple of Advil, get some treatment, make sure it's warm, and you'll feel a lot better." (HA)


"It's kind of in the back of your mind a little bit, but I played through it and felt good during the game. I feel better and better as time goes on." (HSB)


http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091125/SPORTS0201/911250351&template=UHsports

http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20091125_Medeiros_catches_on_at_slot.html

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Feature stories on Navy, UH's next opponent

About meeting with UH offensive coordinator Paul Johnson's office towards the end of his 1989 senior season, Ken Niumatalolo (then a UH backup QB, now Navy head coach) said:
"I had no idea what he wanted to talk about. I was more the disgruntled player thinking I should be getting more time, so I wasn't sure what he wanted to talk about." (HA)


HA Note: "What Johnson, who had noted Niumatalolo's grasp of the offense, suggested was that he consider becoming a graduate assistant on head coach Bob Wagner's staff. The 26-year-old Niumatalolo, who had seen other GA's labor for years without landing a full-time job, was hesitant, especially with a growing family."


Niumatalolo said that he and his wife Barbara came up with a plan that they would give his coaching two years and if there was no job then he would:
"go into the real world and look for a job." (HA)


HA Note: "In the meantime, he vowed to do whatever there was to be done and do it as if it was the most important task on campus. In addition to coaching, he carted around the head coach's exercise bike, brought box lunches to the video crew and dropped off coaches' kids at school. And he got snickered at by friends who questioned where it would ever get him. But his hard-earned dues eventually won him an assistant position at UH followed by stops at Navy and Nevada-Las Vegas. When Johnson left Navy for Georgia Tech two seasons ago, Niumatalolo was the clear pick as his successor. For someone who grew up in Halawa, crossed the overpass to Aloha Stadium to sell newspapers, watch Hula Bowl and Pro Bowl practices, win a Prep Bowl with Radford High and play for UH, Saturday's step onto the sidelines figures to be a chicken-skin moment."


About returning to Aloha Stadium as a head coach, Niumatalolo said:
"I'm sure there's going to be some tears. I know it is going to be pretty emotional." (HA)


About how the athletic director (Bob Wagner, former UH head coach) at Kamehameha-Hawaii suggested that they run the triple-option offense, Mana Silva said:
"I couldn't make the reads. We ended up going to a four-spread conventional offense. (The triple-option) was complicated for me. It lasted a few weeks. Coach Wagner realized he didn't think we could run it, so we stopped running it." (HA)


HA Note: "Paul Johnson, who was Wagner's offensive coordinator for eight years at UH, implemented the triple-option at Navy. His successor, Ken Niumatalolo, is a former UH quarterback and assistant coach."


About how Navy uses cut blocks (which is legal, but controversial), Rich Miano said:
"Cutting is tough. You have to be prepared." (HA)


About being coached to shove away people trying cut blocks, Spencer Smith said:
"We have to watch our legs so they don't get cut-blocked. We have to use our hands really well." (HA)


Getting inspiration from a fellow Big Island resident, Mana Silva said:
"You've got to sprawl like BJ Penn. You've got to go to your knees, get back up, and make a play." (HA)


About how their defensive linemen must be active, since if they stop after a few steps they could be hit by a third-party blocker, DT coach Dave Aranda said:
"Otherwise the guy in front of (the defender) is not blocking, the guy to the left or to the right is blocking." (HA)


About how they have to be disciplined like Navy is, Mac said:
"We've got to be very disciplined, because they're very disciplined. That's the focus." (HA)


About how their coaches and players are watching a lot of video on Navy this week, Miano said:
"This is one of those weeks where you don't get any sleep. What (the Midshipmen) do, they do so well. They also can throw the ball. They give you nightmares. Nobody in the country wants to play these guys. They do a great job." (HA)


About facing Navy, Jeramy Bryant said:
"We have a great deal of respect for what they do for our country, and what they do by sacrificing their lives. But when we get on the field, we're playing the game of football." (HA)


Planning their team's first meal in Hawaii, Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said:
"Our first team meal will be an L&L (Drive-In) katsu, teri beef combo (take out). We'll have a mixed barbecue plate one night." (HA)


About playing Hawaiian music during their practices last week, Niumatalolo said:
"I want them to get in the mood." (HA)


HA Note: "A call to the football office in Annapolis, Md., is greeted with, "Aloha! Navy football." Navy arrives tomorrow night and Niumatalolo said he wants the Midshipmen to have a "Hawai'i
experience" within limits."


About planning this trip for his players, Niumatalolo said:
"I've been planning for this game for a while now and I want to make sure our guys (experience Hawai'i. It is not like you can paint the windows black at the hotel, lock the doors and not let them out. It is paradise, so I want them to be able to enjoy things. But, I want to make sure that we're getting ready for a football game, too." (HA)


About getting his players ready for the game, Niumatalolo said:
"we'll have some local food and visit the Arizona Memorial but, other than that, we'll work out the same as we would (at other places) and get ready for the game Saturday. I want to keep the guys off their feet and out of the sun as much as possible. I know a lot of teams come over here, get distracted, lose and get on the plane and go home. I want to make sure we're ready for a football game.

I don't think a lot of our guys realize how far the trip is and what kind of a game it is going to be. They (the Warriors) are a good team playing for a bowl berth. Obviously, Coach Mac has done a nice job of keeping those guys fighting back the last couple of games. I was there (at UH) for many years and I know what a great home-field advantage it is. Guys get distracted. We'd better be ready to go 'cause we're playing a highly motivated football team." (HA)


About how it is hard to prepare to face Navy's offense, Mac said:
"It's the execution of the option. You might have people in the right place, but these guys really execute their technique. The academies are very disciplined, they're full-speed players. I coached at the Naval Academy; I know what kind of players we're playing (against). So we're in for a big challenge." (HSB)


About the extra video their team has to watch this week to prepare for Navy's offense, Spencer Smith said:
"We have to watch a lot of extra film on our own, because it's not a conventional WAC offense. The focus has to be there from everyone. Everyone's got to read their keys and we can get beat mentally. If we get beat mentally, we stand no chance." (HSB)


About his former teammate Jonathan Dwyer is the starting FB for Georgia Tech, under former Navy head coach Paul Johnson, Smith said:
"He's my best friend back home. I watch him whenever I can and he tells me about their practices are and how intense they are. I'm sure that's exactly how Navy practices." (HSB)


About being the scout team QB for this week, David Graves said:
"I ran a lot of option through high school, so I'm going to try to give the defense the best look I can. It's just quickness and precision. The best (option) offenses, the quarterbacks run it clean."
(HSB)


About how it will take them a quarter to get used to the speed of Navy's offense, Mac said:
"I really believe if you can get through the first quarter you're going to be OK. Because it's the first time you see the speed and the techniques that are involved in the option. You have to get them ready enough, but it's going to be way faster and we can't cut (block) our guys in practice. We work on the technique, but it's slow speed, and it's going to be full speed when we play Navy." (HSB)


Planning to play in the Navy game, Bryant Moniz said:
"It's a gotta-play situation." (HSB)


About how Moniz will start if he is healthy, Mac said:
"If Bryant is well, which we think he's going to be, then he'll be our starter. Because I've always believed you don't replace a starter because of an injury. You've picked him as the starter, so he gets his position back when he's ready to go." (HSB)

http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091124/COLUMNISTS06/911240360/1142&template=UHSports

http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091124/SPORTS0201/911240362&template=UHsports

http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091124/SPORTS0201/911240353&template=UHsports

http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20091124_Navy_brings_all_kinds_of_trouble.html

Quotes from Coach McMackin's Weekly Press Conference 11/23/09

About UH's overtime win over SJSU, Mac said:
"It was a tough, hard fought ball game. I knew coach Tomey would have his team ready to play. He's a great coach and for him, I know playing Hawai'i means a lot to him. His team did a good job of representing their coach and university. I thought it was really great for us, for our program to win a close game in a tight situation. Our team stuck together and I'm really proud of the coaches and the players and the crowd that was there. I thought the crowd was a twelfth Warrior. I was really impressed with all of those people." (UH)


About Shane Austin's performance at SJSU, Mac said:
"I'm really happy with Shane. He came in a tough situation because it was a must-win game on the road. He played very well—threw for 300 yards, didn't throw a pick. He has some things that he needs to do a little better, but the guys backed him up and he made the plays he had to make." (UH)


About UH's kicking game, Mac said:
"I'm completely confident in our field goal kicker at a certain distance. We weren't at that distance, but if we were we would have kicked it. He's been kicking pretty well for us and has good stats from a certain yard line. Past that, he doesn't have good stats. So you don't want to put pressure on a guy like that. I felt like our defense was playing good so we went for the fourth downs. It's completely on where we believe he can be successful." (UH)


About the status of injured QB Bryant Moniz, Mac said:
"Bryant was close to playing this week. He took warm-ups and dressed down for the game, and there was even talk that if we had any problems he could play but we didn't want to take any chances on that and Shane was doing a good job. If Bryant is well, which we think he will be come next week, then he will be our starter because I've always believed that you don't replace a starter because of an injury. You've already picked him as the starter and so he gets his position back when he's ready to go." (UH)


About Navy's running game, Mac said:
"We go into any ball game and our goal is to control the running game. Navy is a running team, one of the top (teams) in the nation at running the football. They complicate things for you because they run the option and the option brings all kinds of other things into effect as far as cut blocking and different techniques that you don't see during the year. So we got some work to do. We have to get the guys ready enough that it's going to be way faster and work on the technique at full speed.

I would rather play an option running team at the beginning of the year because it forces you to teach discipline. You have to take the dive away. Rickey Dobbs, their quarterback is their best play-maker. We have to take him away and then get everyone running on the pitch. Guys have specific responsibilities and what I've learned through the years is that you can't get too tricky mixing things up." (UH)

http://hawaiiathletics.com/news/2009/11/23/FB_1123090805.aspx?path=football

Monday, November 23, 2009

Quotes about the Warriors in the Hawaii papers

About how they still have a chance at a bowl game, Mac said:
"We're still alive, baby! We're still kicking." (HA)


Proud of his players for playing hurt, Mac said:
"I'm proud of these guys for standing up. We have a lot of guys who are playing hurt, like (slotback) Greg Salas. He was about 80 percent (against San Jose State). He wanted to help the team. (Defensive tackle) Tuika (Tufaga) made, really, the game-saving play when he stripped the ball (from running back Lamon Muldrow in the fourth quarter). He's playing hurt. It's that time of year. Almost all football players are playing hurt. I don't give them any sympathy because I hurt every day. I'm just kidding about that." (HA)


About how the coaching staff believed in Shane Austin when Bryant Moniz could not play, Mac said:
"When the doctors told me Moniz wasn't going to play, we went right on to Shane, and believed in him. He was our guy. He threw for about 290 yards, and he didn't have any turnovers. It's the whole thing about football. The next guy has to step up." (HA)


Mac said that if Moniz is healthy he will start, but if not:
"we have confidence in Shane." (HA)


About how he made several leaping catches during the SJSU game, Jon Medeiros said:
"When the ball is in the air, hops come out of nowhere. My vert is not high at all. But when it's time to make the catch, make the big play, you have to put everything on the line, and get up for the ball." (HA)


About how they went for it on 4th down during two first half drives because they felt they were out of Scott Enos' FG range, Mac said:
"I didn't want to put him in a bad position. I believe in him at a certain distance." (HA)


About how he should have made his 31-yard-attempt in the SJSU game even though it was on the right hash (he is right footed), Enos said:
"I guess I hit it wrong." (HA)


About suggesting that they show the final 6 minutes of the 2007 SJSU game to their team last week, Rich Miano said:
" 'Chariots of Fire,' bro. You always look for something to motivate the guys." (HA)


About how video coordinator Chris Williams spliced video from the ESPN telecast of the 2007 game, Miano said:
"Unfortunately, we didn't have a good sound system. We should have gone to a movie theater and played it on surround sound." (HA)


About the challenge that Navy poses their team, Mac said:
"Now we have a big challenge with Navy. They're a well-coached, excellent football team. We're anxious to come home. Any time you can win on the road it's great." (HSB)


About how their team is coming together, Tuiaka Tufaga said:
"We're growing tighter as a unit, everyone's trusting each other, that's the way it's supposed to be." (HSB)


About causing the fumble by SJSU that ended their drive with just 47 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Tufaga said:
"We got off the ball, I saw the running back coming down my gap and I did my job. I was just trying to slam him to the ground and it was a plus that the ball came out." (HSB)


About why they didn't play Moniz in the SJSU game, Mac said:
"We tried to see if Mo could come back (for the San Jose State game). He could throw a little bit, but he couldn't throw deep, so we didn't want to take a chance." (HSB)


About the tough game that SJSU gave them, Mac said:
"(The Warriors) knew their record wasn't going to be indicative of how they played because it's San Jose State and our games are always competitive and it's because of Dick Tomey." (HSB)


About choosing to keep the FG that tied the game at 10 with 8:40 left in the 4th quarter instead of accepting the running into the kicker penalty that would have given them 4th-and-1 at the 11 yard line, SJSU head coach Dick Tomey said:
"It was a low-scoring, defensive game, and at the time we decided it was best to get the tie. Obviously you can always second-guess things, but I feel good about that decision." (HSB)


About the game-winning TD he scored in overtime, Leon Wright-Jackson said:
"The way the defense was lined up, I could foresee it was going to be a good play. I concentrated on catching the pitch from Shane, the blocks were there, Kealoha ran off his guy, and I just ran as fast as I could to the end zone." (HSB)


http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091123/SPORTS0201/911230355&template=UHsports

http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20091123_crucial_homestand.html

http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20091123_warrior_replay.html

Ryan Grice-Mullen set the CFL playoff record for a punt return and earned his spot in the CFL for next year

VS = Vancouver Sun

VS Note: "For a brief moment Sunday, Ryan Grice-Mullen became the player Wally Buono has always envisioned. In his mind's eye, the B.C. Lions head coach and general manager pictured Grice-Mullen slicing through wedges, spinning away from defenders, whipping upfield as if controlled by the coach's joystick. It has been weeks and months in the waiting, and Grice-Mullen finally came through with an end-to-end, 106- yard punt return for a touchdown in Sunday's East Division final against the Montreal Alouettes. Grice-Mullen's sortie bettered by three yards the previous CFL record playoff held by Edmonton's Henry (Gizmo) Williams, who did it in a 1992 playoff game against Saskatchewan."


About returning the punt for a TD, RGM said:
"I've been close to breaking one for some time. I probably should have had six already. I was always one move, some little something away. It was good to get that at the time because it really sparked us. It got us within two scores. It was a real big boost." (VS)


VS Note: "Grice-Mullen, much like his team, has been in and out this season. As both a returner and wide receiver, he experienced handling problems early on and was parked for two games so that his confidence wouldn't be totally shattered. He isn't completely there yet. Although he caught three passes for 45 passes against the Alouettes, he dropped another. Still, his place in the Lions universe looks to be assured as a returner. In the Lions' final two games of the regular season, Grice-Mullen had back-to-back 73-yard kickoff returns."


About how RGM's confidence grew as the season went on, fellow returner Ian Smart said:
"It's all about having confidence and feeling comfortable. As the year went on, Ryan got more and more comfortable back there." (VS)


VS Note: "Unlike the 23-year-old Grice-Mullen, a number of veteran Lions can't be feeling too comfortable about their futures in B.C. Smart, cornerback LaVar Glover, safety Barron Miles and quarterbacks Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson perhaps are wondering if they've played their final games as Lions."


About how their vets are worried about their job security, Smart said:
"I don't know, can't tell you that. A lot of us don't know what's going to happen. You just go home and pray to God." (VS)


http://www.kelowna.com/2009/11/23/grice-mullen-offered-lions-glimpse-of-his-ability/

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Quotes from the Hawaii vs. San Jose State game 11/21/09

HA = Honolulu Advertiser
HSB = Honolulu Star-Bulletin
SJSU = San Jose State Athletics website


--------------------- Quotes from the UH coaches -------------------------

Proud of his players and giving credit to Coach Tomey for getting his players ready for the game, Mac said:
"I'm really proud of the way our guys competed in this game. As you could, see it went right down to the last play which is the kind of game we can expect with this team. I want to give coach Tomey a lot of credit for having his team ready to play. The guys on his team always play hard for him, and he's one of the best coaches in the country, and a great person." (SJSU)

"I am so proud of these guys,." (HA)


Asked if he's concerned with their problems on offense, Mac said:
"We obviously went with a new quarterback, and we tried to do our best to take the pressure off of his shoulders. Shane did some good things out there and we were able to get him settled by using the run. We could have made a few more plays in the first half, but we were able to make enough adjustments to get the win." (SJSU)


Praising Shane Austin's play in the game, Mac said:
"He (Austin) did a great job stepping in and stepping up. I'm very proud of him." (HA)


About how Bryant Moniz will not lose his starting QB job because of his injury, Mac said:
"He (Moniz) is not gonna lose his position because of an injury. That's sort of a rule I've had." (HA)

"If Mo's ready, he'll play. He's not going to lose his position because of an injury." (HSB)


Praising their defense for giving up just 1 TD, Mac said:
"I'm really proud of the defense we have. That's only one touchdown given up in the last two games, and it shows that our guys are really starting to get tough together. We're getting better and better, and they played hard until the very last whistle." (SJSU)


Asked how their sideline felt during SJSU's drive after they missed the FG late in the fourth quarter, Mac said:
"The strip was a huge play that stopped their drive for the game winning field goal. It reminded me of a game a few years ago against San Jose State, but it just proves that this is a game of inches and turnovers." (SJSU)


Praising how they played in overtime, Mac said:
"I was really happy with the offense in overtime. Then the defense held them to a couple of big plays on third and fourth down to secure our win. This win keeps us alive and anytime you get a win on the road it's a great thing." (SJSU)


About how he showed the end of the SJSU game in 2007 to his team when they were preparing for this game, Mac said:
"Maybe I got them thinking about it too much 'cause it came down to the end like that one." (HA)


About how Rich Miano suggested to him the showing of their 2007 win at SJSU, Mac said:
"(Associate coach) Rich Miano reminded me that it would be a good idea to show the last 6 minutes of the ballgame (in 2007), and it's unbelievable it comes right down to the last play." (HSB)


About Greg Salas playing with his sprained right foot, Mac said:
"Salas really sucked it up with his foot and came out and he balled out, he played hard." (HSB)


About their third straight win, Mac said:
"We've got a little streak going and it keeps us alive. We're in a single-elimination tournament and it keeps us alive." (HSB)


Praising Shane Austin's play in the game, offensive coordinator Ron Lee said:
"Shane did a great job coming through for us. He missed some things but he'll get better at those. He's learning." (HA)


Praising Shane Austin's play in his first start, QB coach Nick Rolovich said:
"The main thing you take from that is he never gave up, he never flinched. That's a tribute to his character. Now he's going to learn a lot from this game with the mistakes he had, but he also had some big-time throws." (HSB)


About how they called a speed option to the left for their game-winning TD in overtime (at the urging of OL coach Gordy Shaw), RB coach Brian Smith said:
"It was something that worked last year and the year before against them." (HA)


Praising Aaron Kia for his block on their game-winning TD run, Gordy Shaw said:
"He has to get the block for Leon to walk in like that. He had two false starts. He gave up a sack. There's a lot of responsibility that goes with that position. But he never gave up, and he made the big block." (HA)


---------------------- Quotes from the UH players --------------------------

About how the team believed they would score at the end of the game, Shane Austin said:
"You could see it in everybody's eyes that we were going to go down and score. There was no denying us." (HA)


About being the starter at QB, Austin said:
"It was a little different coming into a game knowing I would be the starter." (HA)


About how he wasn't announced as their starter until Friday, Austin said:
"I knew I had to prepare myself to be ready to start. It was just a feeling I had." (HA)

"The way I took it the whole week was just, 'get your mind ready to be starting.' They told me last night I was going to be the guy, but I was ready the whole week." (HSB)


About how they watched the final 6 minutes of their 2007 game at SJSU (UH came back from 14 points down to win in OT) instead of going out to a movie Friday night, Austin said:
"It pumped us up." (HA)

"(McMackin) showed us the very end (of the 2007 game) to show us to never stop believing and it ended up being a very similar story. That helped just to remind us you never what's going to happen and you have to stick in there and find a way to come out with a W." (HSB)


About how Jon Medeiros had 10 catches for 149 yards, Austin said:
"Jon kept getting open and he was making some big-time catches. There were some routes where he hadn't even broken and I just trusted that he was going to be there and he went up for the ball." (HSB)


About how he never really practiced the option play at UH since he had limited practice reps, but ran the play successfully for the game-winning TD, Austin said:
"But I ran the option in high school, so I knew a little about it." (HA)

"I felt very comfortable because we ran it a lot in high school. That was a big play for us in high school, that was probably one of the last times I ran it, but I still had it in the memory bank." (HSB)


About selling the option so that the defense focused on him and left the RB clear to score, Austin said:
"You want to hold the ball until the last second, and then let it go. Usually, you're going to get cleaned up. I got taken out on the play, but it was worth it." (HA)


About how Shane Austin had the defense focus on him when running the game-winning option play, enabling LWJ to score when he got the pitch, Leon Wright-Jackson said:
"Shane really sold it." (HA)


About how he knew that the game-winning option play would work, LWJ said:
"The way the defense was lined up, I could foresee it was going to be a good play. I concentrated on catching the pitch from Shane, the blocks were there, Kealoha ran off his guy, and I just ran as fast as I could to the end zone." (HSB)


About how they came up with 0 points in two straight trips to the red zone in the first half when they had a 7-0 lead, LWJ said:
"The defense was playing their hearts out and we would get down there and we couldn't finish. And they were behind us still. We just had to believe in each other and they picked us up when we were down." (HSB)


Praising Aaron Kia, LWJ said:
"A lot of people don't know how hard it is to be the backside tackle. Kia works hard. He puts in the effort. A lot of people need to get off of him. They don't understand unless they play that position. He did a great job. He sealed that block for me. And that's how we scored." (HA)


About how his block on the game-winning TD run helped make up for his consecutive false-start penalties earlier in the game, Aaron Kia said:
"That was on me. I take the blame." (HA)


About how Shane Austin and he were on the scout team together at UH, waiting for their chance to play, Jon Medeiros said:
"Pretty much the same boat, he's just a little younger. We've been through ups and downs on scout (team) and as backups. It's just hard work and you have to keep pushing. No matter where you are on the depth chart you have to keep pushing." (HSB)


About leading the chant during the timeout before the final play in overtime, Blaze Soares said:
"Everybody was saying, 'Believe.' Everybody believed in each other. We saw it on everybody's face, that determination, that want-to, that gotta have it. That feeling was awesome. I just loved it." (HA)


About Jeramy Bryant breaking up SJSU's final pass in overtime, Blaze said:
"That was an awesome play. We needed that. We believed." (HA)


About making the game-ending pass breakup in OT, Jeramy Bryant said:
"It was time to make a play. The strength of God worked through me and helped me make the play." (HA)

"Here we go. I missed almost four weeks and I was there to make a play. The coaches did a great job of putting us in position and God put me in position and I made the play." (HA)

"I should have made the (interception)." (HA)


About how SJSU tried to throw their final pass to Kevin Jurovich (SJSU's career leader in receptions), Bryant said:
"It was going to (Jurovich). He was getting us. You can't lock down a player who's good all game long. He's going to get his." (HA)


About playing the whole game despite not being able to practice much the past 3 weeks due to his injury, Bryant said:
"I wasn't tired or exhausted. In moments like that, you can't be. I wanted the pick, but it didn't happen that way." (HA)


About how this was his first game back after missing the previous 3 due to injury, Bryant said:
"This was my first game back and I wanted to make some plays. I was away too long." (HA)


About the first of his two interceptions, Lametrius Davis said:
"The quarterback threw hitch because he thought I was in man, but I stayed in cover 2 and had the underneath and I just picked it." (HSB)


About how he got 13 yards after his interception (his third straight game with an interception), Mana Silva said:
"I got some YAC (yards after catch), I was hoping for a touchdown. I'll keep working and hopefully I'll get one." (HSB)


About being inspired by UH's comeback in 2007 at SJSU, Tuiaka Tufaga (who was redshirting at UH in 2007) said:
"I watched that one from home. Before we went out there (in the fourth quarter)." (HA)


A teammate told Tufaga before the 4th quarter began:
"this time it is our turn. Remember how we watched it in '07?" (HA)


About how they should have blown out SJSU, Tufaga said:
"It should have been like 44-0." (HA)


About how their team believed they would win, Tufaga said:
"We dug deep, just like the boys did back then (in '07). We believed." (HA)


About causing the fumble that stopped SJSU's drive with less than a minute to go in the 4th quarter, Tufaga said:
"We got off the ball, I saw the running back (Lamon Muldrow) coming down my gap and I did my job. I was just trying to slam him to the ground and it was a plus that the ball came out." (HSB)


About how their defense was fired up when their offense scored a TD in overtime, Tufaga said:
"(After the offense scored) our confidence level was going up so high because everybody knew our defense was going to come strong at the end." (HSB)


-------------------- Quotes from the SJSU coaches -----------------------

After the loss, Coach Tomey gave this opening statement:
"I'm very disappointed but I'm really proud of our guys. The way they played and fought. We had a game like that with them last year we had a game like that with them two years ago. That was two overtime games in two times here and one game over there that was as close as the two games here. Given what our guys have been through this year I'm really proud that they fought because a lot of teams with less character, if they went through what we went through in the first half, would not have been as resilient. I think that shows tremendous character. I thought Kyle Reed came in and gave us a lift when we needed it. We were just stalled out flat and he gave us a lift. Obviously there were some plays that made a difference that we didn't make and they made but as I have told our team we have two weeks left together and we are going to do everything we can to give them a chance to celebrate before this is over." (SJSU)


About the flow of the game, Tomey said:
"I think that Hawaii is a football program that is the second winningest program in our conference over the last eight to ten years. We were in real danger in the first half of being way behind but our defense wouldn't let that happen. Our offense got a drive and made some plays and then the second half was dead even. I'm real proud of the way the guys fought. It was a tough game between two teams that really wanted to win and we came up short so we give them the credit." (SJSU)


Proud of the way his team played in this game, Tomey said:
"I think this was as good an effort as we've had. I think we played with bad field position because of offensive turnovers early. We showed tremendous resiliency and fighting them off deep in our end. Our offense got the running game going and obviously the unfortunate fumble at the end was tough because we were moving towards field goal range." (SJSU)

"As I told our team, we've got two weeks left together. We're going to do everything we can to give them a chance to celebrate before this is over. I'm just proud of their effort and their resiliency and the way they battled through a tough week." (HA)

"I'm disappointed, but I'm really proud of my guys. Given what our guys have been through this year, I'm really proud that they fought, because a lot of teams with less character ... would not have been as resilient." (HSB)


Proud of their coaches and players, Tomey said:
"I really appreciate our coaching staff and our players because this has been a very difficult week for everybody and I'm very proud of our players and the way they played." (SJSU)

"I really appreciate our coaching staff and our players because this has been a very, very difficult week for everybody. Uncertainty is sometimes the most difficult thing. These guys are just extraordinary people." (HSB)


About how he responded when a player told him that they wanted to win the game for him, Tomey said:
"I said, 'No, you need to win this for all of us together. We need to play our butts off. But you guys have given me everything that anyone could ever want from a team.' And I love them for that." (HA)

"No. You need to win this for all of us. Together." (HSB)


About how they are going to try to win another game this season (they have 2 games left), Tomey said:
"As I told our team, we've got two weeks left together and we're going to do everything we can to give them a chance to celebrate before this is over." (HSB)


About competing against UH, Tomey said:
"I have so many connections there. People probably make too much of that, but it's all true. There's a lot of people on that sideline that are really good friends of mine, have been players and coaches that I've worked with and I love them dearly, as well." (HA)

"I have so many connections there. Probably people make too much of that. ... It's all true." (HSB)

-------------------- Quotes from the SJSU players -------------------------


Asked if he thought he would play that much, QB Kyle Reed said:
"No, not at all. There was no indication I might get a chance. I was the back-up quarterback. He (Jordan La Secla) wasn't playing so well, so they gave me a shot. This is the most I've played since SC (USC on September 5). It definitely took me a minute to get into a groove and feel comfortable out there. It was after the second interception that he said he wanted me to play." (SJSU)


About how Coach Tomey did not change after announcing his retirement, Reed said:
"Coach Tomey is a great person. He still keeps the same energy, day in and day out, no matter what's going on. He came at our daily practices, routines and regimens the same as he would any other day. I don't think anything changed in terms of him, because of what he's doing or the decisions he's made. We respect Coach Tomey as much as we did before." (SJSU)


About how Coach Tomey did not want the players to make this game about him, Reed said:
"We tried to make the game about him, but he directly said this isn't about him, it's about us as a team, about the coaching staff, the seniors going out. He took the energy off of him when we tried to focus it on him. He said it's about what we have to do, our pride, or family we created. He said he wanted us to do it for each other." (SJSU)

"We tried to make it about him at the beginning. But he said this isn't about him. It's about us as a team, about the seniors, about the coaching staff. He wanted us to do it for each other." (HSB)


About their final play in overtime, Reed said:
"We thought the corner would have an inside leverage on Jurovich and we could get a speed out and get a first down. They ended up rolling a man. I feel like my progression should have gone back inside." (SJSU)


About his TD run, Reed said:
"It was a zone-read play. I saw the end get blocked. So, I knew I only had to beat one person to the end zone." (SJSU)


About their running game, Reed said:
"I felt like we had a good night tonight. People executed. The defense also played a big part in us being able to keep having chances to try and make scores." (SJSU)


About how they battled on defense, LB Pompey Festejo said:
"We fought. We fought hard. We played through adversity on defense. We battled. I do believe this was our best effort on defense as a team." (SJSU)


About UH's TD in overtime, Festejo said:
"When they were under center, they ran an inside zone, but they came back with a speed option on the boundary and it seemed to work well. With that play, it was real difficult to get over the top." (SJSU)


About Coach Tomey's retirement, Festejo said:
"It hit everybody differently. Myself, I was speechless. All of the coaches have a specific place in my heart. Our coaches are father figures. We consider them family." (SJSU)


---------------- Other quotes from the game ------------------------


Praising Coach Tomey (who was his coach at UH and who he served as a graduate assistant coach under at UH), UH Athletic Director Jim Donovan said:
"For the state of Hawai'i, he really ushered us into the Division I age. We easily averaged 42, 44 thousand (fans) a game. It was the place to be for everyone on a Saturday night. He really rallied the whole community around UH football. I think ever since he coached at Hawai'i, he very quickly adapted to Hawai'i's culture. He became an adopted son. Everyone knows him, loves him. ... He really put us on the map. He's got to be very proud." (HA)


About Tomey's emotional state after announcing his retirement, his wife Nanci Kincaid said after the game:
"I think he's an emotional man, period. As he said in his press conference, he likes to feel the pain and the joy. So I think he felt the pain. ... I think at this point he feels good about his decision." (HA)