By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
University of Hawaii offensive linemen Sione Tafuna, left,
and Vincent Street chase down a loose ball Saturday.
No ‘Macon’ excuses:
By Dave Reardon
Hawaii offense not
making the grade
Special to the Star-BulletinJohnny Macon is not one to make excuses. Then again, there aren't many that explain Hawaii's inability to score touchdowns against San Diego State Saturday at Aloha Stadium. The Aztecs beat the Rainbows, 10-3, in a study of frustration for both offenses, especially Hawaii's.
"Our job is to get points on the scoreboard and we didn't do it. That's it," Macon, a senior wide receiver, said. "It's just that we played well together at times, but not at the times we really needed to. We let the team down. And we let the defense down. We can't ask them to do any more."
Although Hawaii outgained San Diego State, it couldn't punch the ball in. And although the Aztec defense is improving, they are hardly the 1985 Chicago Bears.
"Our defense hadn't held a team to no touchdowns since 1993," San Diego State coach Ted Tollner said. "When we had to make plays, we made them. That's why we won the game. Period."
Linebacker Scott Johnson and cornerback James Heggins made the biggest plays. Johnson sacked Rainbow quarterback Josh Skinner for a 12-yard loss on fourth-and-goal at the Aztec 3 with 6:10 left in the game. And Heggins picked off a Skinner pass with 1:33 left, halting Hawaii's last-gasp drive at SDSU's 13.
Skinner had no answers or excuses, either.
"Finish -- we just need to finish the drives," he said. "We're not punching it in, but we can't point at any one person. It's the whole offense. It's very frustrating to get so close and not get the ball into the end zone. I felt we earned it.
"All we can do now is regroup as well as we can and get ready for Air Force."
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect for the Rainbows was that this was a San Diego State team that looked like it could be taken. It came into the game with a 2-5 record and inexperience at key positions.
Quarterback Spencer Brinton was starting his first game, and guard Michael Malano was moved to center because of injuries.
Star receiver Az-Zahir Hakim aggravated his tender hamstring and left the field permanently after scoring the only touchdown of the game in the first quarter. The Aztecs got six points, but it was a psychological downer.
"That was very deflating for us. He's our playmaker," Tollner said. "We're not near the offensive team we've been in the past. Part of the reason is we've turned over all the people who touch the ball except Az."
And Nate Tandberg, who is probably pondering a number change from 13, missed three field goal tries.
"When you have great field position and you don't score touchdowns, and then it's magnified when you can't score the three points," Tollner said. "It's very frustrating."
Frustration? There was a lot more of that in the other locker room. Winning ugly is a lot easier to take than losing kind of pretty at home.
"We're much improved from last year," Macon said. "But whether you're knocking at the door or far away it doesn't matter if you've been evicted. It hurts just as much."
Especially when it's your house.
UH Statistics
Individual statistics
Rushing
Car Yards Avg TD Long Charles Tharp 112 503 4.5 2 55 Calvin Mims 36 185 5.1 1 29 Quincy Jacobs 45 120 2.7 2 15 Avion Weaver 10 18 1.8 0 7 Morrie Roe 9 9 1.0 0 6 Anthony Diieso 15 7 0.5 0 5 Jade Charles 2 6 3.0 0 7 Gary Ellison 1 5 5.0 0 5 Johnny Macon 3 5 1.7 0 7 Lonn Kalama 1 -2 -2.0 0 0 Robert Kemfort 2 -3 -1.5 0 4 Josh Skinner 39 -26 -0.7 1 13 Eleu Kane 5 -6 0.8 0 16 Tim Carey 41 -115 -2.8 1 18
Att Comp Yards Int TD Dan Robinson 4 2 30 0 0 Tim Carey 112 68 730 5 2 Josh Skinner 110 62 704 5 1 Charles Tharp 1 0 0 0 0
Rec Yards Avg TD Long Lonn Kalama 26 236 9.1 0 23 Charles Tharp 24 285 11.9 1 29 Johnny Macon 16 202 12.6 0 24 Calvin Mims 14 147 10.5 0 58 Eleu Kane 13 124 9.5 0 17 Gary Ellison 11 136 12.4 2 24 Wesley Morris 10 174 17.4 0 42 John Kirby 8 99 12.4 0 21 Robert Kemfort 2 23 11.5 0 18 Morrie Roe 2 8 4.0 0 12 Quincy Jacobs 2 8 4.0 0 4 Ryan Battin 2 7 3.5 0 8 Jade Charles 1 10 10.0 0 10 Anthony Diieso 1 5 5.0 0 5
TD 1xp 2xp FG Pts Eric Hannum 0 10 0 8 34 Charles Tharp 3 0 0 0 18 Gary Ellison 2 0 0 0 12 Quincy Jacobs 2 0 0 0 12 Sam Collins 1 0 0 0 6 Calvin Mims 1 0 0 0 6 Josh Skinner 1 0 0 0 6 Chris Shinnick 1 0 0 0 6 Tim Carey 1 0 0 0 6
No. Yards Avg Blk Long Chad Shrout 50 2,352 47.0 1 71 Tim Carey 4 123 30.8 0 37 Josh Skinner 1 29 29.0 0 29 Team 1 0 0.0 0 0
No. Yards Avg TD Long Eddie Klaneski 21 136 6.5 0 32
No. Yards Avg TD Long Eleu Kane 7 195 27.9 0 46 Charles Tharp 8 192 24.0 0 35 Quincy Jacobs 1 19 19.0 0 19 Robert Kemfort 6 106 17.7 0 23 Team 1 5 5.0 0 5
No. Yards Avg TD Long Eddie Klaneski 2 0 0.0 0 0 Joaquin Avila 1 8 8.0 0 8 Ron Wood 1 8 8.0 0 8 Brian Chapman 1 4 4.0 0 4 Al Hunter 1 1 1.0 0 1 D Williams 1 0 0.0 0 0 Chris Shinnick 1 0 0.0 0 0
No. Yards Avg TD Eddie Klaneski 1 78 78.0 0 Sam Collins 1 32 32.0 1 Chris Shinnick 1 2 2.0 1Team statistics
UH OPP First downs 124 143 Rush 45 67 Pass 69 64 Penalty 10 12 Rushing Attempts 321 305 Net yards 706 1,073 Yards per game 88.3 134.1 Passing Comp-att-inter 132-227-10 125-249-8 Net yards 1,464 1,497 Yards per game 183.0 187.1 Total offense Plays-yards 548-2,170 554-2,570 Yards per game 271.3 321.3 Points scored-average 106-13.3 190-23.8 Punts Number 57 46 Yards 2,519 1,932 Average 44.2 42.0 Fumbles Number-lost 17-8 21-10 Penalties Number-yards 53-451 50-403 Sacks made Number-yards lost 24-142 35-236 Conversions Third down 33-127 45-111 Conversion percentage .260 .405 Fourth down 9-15 5-13 Conversion percentage .600 .385 Time of possession Average per game 31:09 28:51WAC Standings
Pacific Division
WAC Overall Team W L Pct. PF PA W L Pct. PF PA Colorado State 4 1 .800 176 59 7 2 .778 277 127 Fresno State 3 1 .750 109 86 4 4 .500 219 208 Air Force 4 2 .667 153 99 7 2 .778 194 119 Wyoming 2 2 .500 85 52 5 4 .556 232 149 San Jose St 2 2 .500 65 114 2 5 .286 99 224 Nevada-LV 2 3 .400 115 125 3 5 .375 191 197 San Diego St 2 2 .500 69 80 3 5 .375 155 214 Hawaii 1 5 .167 55 166 3 5 .375 106 190Mountain Division
WAC Overall Team W L Pct. PF PA W L Pct. PF PA Brigham Young 3 1 .750 81 56 5 2 .714 156 143 Rice 3 1 .750 116 102 5 2 .714 217 198 New Mexico 3 2 .750 129 106 6 2 .750 248 162 Utah 3 2 .600 135 78 4 4 .500 189 151 Southern Meth 2 2 .500 73 73 3 4 .429 135 151 Tulsa 1 3 .250 83 141 1 6 .143 144 271 Texas-El Paso 1 3 .250 63 122 2 5 .286 97 232 Texas Christ 0 4 .000 69 117 0 7 .000 105 205
San Diego State 10, Hawaii 3
Brigham Young 31, Texas Christian 10
Fresno State 46, Nevada-Las Vegas 28
San Jose State 25, Air Force 22
Southern Methodist 22, Wyoming 17
Utah 15, New Mexico 10
Colorado State 44, Tulsa 8
Utah at Tulsa, 10 a.m.
Rice at Southern Methodist, 10 a.m.
San Diego State at Wyoming, 10 a.m.
New Mexico at Texas Christian, 10:05 a.m.
Colorado State at Nevada-Las Vegas, 11 a.m.
Fresno State at San Jose State, 11:30 a.m.
Brigham Young at Texas-El Paso, 3:35 p.m.
Air Force at Hawaii, 7:05 p.m.
Tulsa 0008-- 8
Colorado St. 1410146--44
CSU--Turner 44 pass from Moreno (Hurst kick), 13:22.
CSU--McDougal 4 run (Hurst kick), 6:15.
CSU--Hall 48 pass from Moreno (Hurst kick), 13:42.
CSU--FG Franz 15, 0:00.
CSU--Turner 30 pass from Moreno (Franz kick), 12:33.
CSU--Blake 3 run (Franz kick), 6:51.
CSU--Washington 5 run (kick blocked), 11:43.
Tulsa--Smith 4 pass from Walls (Smith pass from Walls), 4:59.
A--27,542
Rushing--Tulsa: Higgins 28-134, Mosley 3-15, Isham 1-1, Fitzgerald 4-0, Smith 1-0, Wall 3-(-11).
Colorado State: Washington 14-111, Blake 10-77, McDougal 6-55, Singleton 9-26, Moreno 2-(-3), Eslinger 1-(-8).
Passing--Tulsa: Fitzgerald 8-12-2-64, Wall 11-20-0-155. Colorado State: Moreno 17-25-0-323, Eslinger 3-4-0-20, Newton 1-1-0-25.
Receiving--Tulsa: Savage 9-86, Smith 4-67, Brister 2-23, Lippe 2-14, Brown 1-18, Kelley 1-11. Colorado State: Turner 6-140, Hall 3-61, McCoy 3-47, Workman 2-54, Rice 2-28, McDougal 2-12, Washington 2-1, Ueland 1-25.
Sports Notebook
UH Football Schedule
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
