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