Thursday, September 3, 1998

[RAINBOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW]
[OFFENSE] [DEFENSE] [HIGH FIVE TO IMPROVING]
[1998 SCHEDULE]

1998 SCHEDULE

1. ARIZONA WILDCATS

WHEN: September 3, 5:05 p.m.
WHERE: Aloha Stadium
WILDCATS LAST YEAR: 7-5, 4-4 Pacific 10
UH ALL-TIME VS. UA: 0-3
KEY RETURNEES: QB Ortege Jenkins, 1,669 passing yards, 19 touchdown passes. RB Kelvin Eafon, 511 yards rushing, 6 touchdowns. WR Dennis Northcutt, 767 yards, 9 touchdowns. CB Chris McAlister, two-time first team All-Pac 10. LB Marcus Bell, leading returning tackler with 80.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Former Hawaii head coach Bob Wagner joined the Arizona staff as linebackers and special teams coach. Other coaches with Hawaii ties are head coach Dick Tomey, defensive coordinator Rich Ellerson, secondary coach Duane Akina and offensive coordinator Dino Babers. Arizona also signed two local high school players during the past recruiting season. They are defensive lineman Ben Alualu and offensive lineman Makoa Freitas.
TEAM STRENGTHS: The Wildcats are always staunch on defense, but this year they have a one-two punch at quarterback that could take them to the Rose Bowl. Tomey already has said he will play Jenkins and Keith Smith at quarterback. McAlister is touted as an All-America cornerback.
COACH DICK TOMEY: "Right now, we're a shadow of what we will be and we have an awful lot to do, but we identified some people who can play. I think having two capable quarterbacks is a positive. Last year, we fought ourselves back to being a team that commanded some respect."

2. UTAH UTES

WHEN: Sept. 19, 3:05 p.m.
WHERE: Rice-Eccles Stadium
UTES LAST YEAR: 6-5, 5-3 WAC Pacific
UH ALL-TIME VS. UTAH: 12-14
KEY RETURNEES: QB Darnell Arceneaux 208 rushing and 616 passing yards, 7 combined touchdowns. WR Daniel Jones 626 yards, 5 touchdowns. LB Phil Glover, 90 tackles last year, including four sacks, NG Pene Talamaivao, 59 tackles, first team All-WAC.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Former University of Hawaii linebacker Peter Salavea joined the team after transferring from Dixie (Utah) Junior College. He will join former Kahuku High standout Kautai Olevao, who has returned from a mission. Lauvale Sape was the only local recruit to sign this past spring. In all, the Utes have 11 players with Hawaii ties. The only two states they have recruited more heavily are Utah (40) and California (24).
TEAM STRENGTHS: The Utes return nine starters on offense and 10 on defense. Defensively, Utah welcomes two All-WAC standouts in Glover and Talamaivao. Between them, they had 149 tackles. Throw in second team All-WAC defensive back Robert Love, who was the team's leading tackler with 92. He also had seven pass breakups and one interception.
COACH RON MCBRIDE: "Our program is in a good state. We expect to be successful every year. I thought after my fourth year here that we had stabilized the program and were at a point where we had a chance to beat anyone we played. I still feel that way."

3. ARKANSAS STATE INDIANS

WHEN: Sept. 26, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Aloha Stadium
INDIANS LAST YEAR: 2-9 Independent
UH ALL-TIME VS. ARKANSAS STATE: First meeting
KEY RETURNEES: QB Cleo Lemon, 1,452 passing yards, 6 touchdown passes. RB Lamont Zachery, 386 yards, 7 touchdowns. WR Lennie Johnson, 46 receptions, 862 yards, 4 touchdowns. LB Koetter Little, 80 tackles, DT Matt Smith, three-year starter who has played in 33 consecutive games.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Tailback Jonathan Adams is Arkansas State's first Parade All-America. The Osceola, Ark., product rushed for 6,714 yards in his four-year high school career. In most recruiting services, he was rated from No. 1 to No. 3 in the nation. Adams rushed for 2,227 yards and 38 touchdowns his senior season. Quarterback Andy Shatley joins the program after playing for four years in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He was originally signed by ASU in 1994.
TEAM STRENGTHS: The Indians are strong on both sides of the football. They return eight starters on offense and eight on defense. The strength last year was the passing game. With the addition of Adams, the Arkansas State offense could pose a double threat. The Indians return three seniors up front on defense with 52 starts among them.
COACH JOE HOLLIS: "We don't undersell what we have, and it's not going to do anything but get better and better because we've got a good product to sell. The commitment to have a competitive Division I program is here. Now, it's up to us to go out and make it happen."

4. SMU MUSTANGS

WHEN: Oct. 3, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Aloha Stadium
MUSTANGS LAST YEAR: 6-5, 5-3 WAC Mountain
UH ALL-TIME VS. SMU: First meeting
KEY RETURNEES: RB Kelsey Adams, 660 yards, 9 touchdowns. QB Chris Sanders, 678 passing yards, 6 touchdowns. WR Tony Newsome, 212 yards, 1 touchdown. CB Jacoby Rhinehart, second-team All-WAC, 4 interceptions and 9 passes broken up. PK Roy Rios, 12 of 15 field goals, second team All-WAC.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Freshman middle linebacker David Ellen helped lead Flower Mound Marcus High School to the Texas 5A championship in 1997. He was among the state's top 100 prep recruits. His senior year, Ellen had 150 tackles and six sacks. He will be joined by linebacker Marcus Mosley of Dallas South Oak Cliff. He was rated the ninth best linebacker nationally by Super Prep magazine and was an All-America honorable mention by USA Today. Last year, he finished with 96 tackles and 10 sacks.
TEAM STRENGTHS: The Mustangs return eight starters from an offense that helped SMU finish with a winning season for the first time since 1986. Replacing the school's career total offense leader Ramon Flanigan will be difficult. First team All-WAC defensive end Luke Johnson should help the Mustangs hold the line while waiting for the offense to reload. Johnson had 87 tackles and 10 sacks for a rapidly improving defense.
COACH MIKE CAVAN: "Last year, I think our team started to understand what it takes to win. The work ethic, the consistency, the discipline -- all the things our coaching staff believes in -- started paying off for us. Hopefully, we'll keep building and progressing into a championship program."

5. SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS

WHEN: October 9, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Qualcomm Stadium
AZTECS LAST YEAR: 5-7, 4-4 WAC Pacific
UH ALL-TIME VS. SAN DIEGO STATE: 7-14-2
KEY RETURNEES: RB Jonas Lewis, 1,021 yards, 6 touchdowns. QB Spencer Brinton, 804 yards, 4 touchdowns. WR Jesus Reyes, 462 yards, 2 touchdowns. DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, All-America candidate, first-team All-WAC last year, led league in sacks with 12. SS Rico Curtis, second team All-WAC, led defensive backs in tackles with 112.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Defensive end Josh Allen is a freshman from Escondido, Calif. He was the San Diego Union's defensive player of the year in 1997. As a senior, he recorded 82 tackles and seven sacks. Wide receiver Daniel Gourdine could become another big-play man. Last year, he caught 65 passes for 1,304 yards and 18 touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Lon Sheriff tossed 29 touchdown passes his senior season at West Hill High School in Santee, Calif. In 10 games, he threw for an eye-opening 2,595 yards.
TEAM STRENGTHS: The Aztecs usually have one of the more explosive offenses around, but this year, it might be defense that keeps them in the WAC chase. Gbaja-Biamila finished with 82 tackles last year. He is joined by Curtis and senior linebacker Joe Jackson. This defensive unit could make a difference in the race for the Pacific Division title.
COACH TED TOLLNER: "We always self-critique what we're doing and how we're doing it. But as far as basic design, we believe we're sound. We'll have no dramatic changes in philosophy. You always adjust to some degree based on the strengths of your personnel."

6. BYU COUGARS

WHEN: October 17, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Aloha Stadium
COUGARS LAST YEAR: 6-5, 4-4 WAC Pacific
UH ALL-TIME VS. BYU: 7-17
KEY RETURNEES: RB Ronney Jenkins, redshirted last year but had 733 yards, 11 touchdowns in 1996. QB Kevin Feterik, 1,767 yards, 11 touchdowns. WR Aaron Roderick, 250 yards, 4 touchdowns. DE Byron Frisch, second team All-WAC, had 9 sacks. LB Brad Martin, set team record with 7 fumble recoveries.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: The Cougars signed freshman quarterback Kevin Gilbride out of Jacksonville, Fla. He was rated the 13th best quarterback in the country by Blue Chip magazine. Defensive back Jernaro Gilford out of Hawthorne, Calif., returned an interception 101 yards for Westchester High School. He set the city record in the 800 meters in track.
TEAM STRENGTHS: BYU has always been known for its big-play offense, but that has been lacking in recent years. Look for Feterik to try to revive some of the firepower. He will certainly get some help from Jenkins, who was the Pacific Division's freshman of the year in 1996.
COACH LAVELL EDWARDS: "I think we have a chance to be a much more competitive team this season. Our offense should be stronger with the return of Ronney (Jenkins) and Kevin (Feterik), who was hurt late last year. I like our defense. We have a good corp of linemen and linebackers, who should keep us in a lot of games."

7. NEW MEXICO LOBOS

WHEN: October 24, 6:05 p.m.
WHere: Aloha Stadium
LOBOS LAST YEAR: 9-4, 6-2 WAC Mountain
UH ALL-TIME VS. NEW MEXICO: 14-6
KEY RETURNEES: QB Graham Leigh, 2,318 yards, 24 touchdown passes. RB Lennox Gordan, 494 yards, 4 touchdowns. P Jason Bloom, top punter in school history with 43.5-yard average. FS Brian Urlacher, finished second on team in tackles with 102. OG Chris Wallace, one of the more dominating blockers in league, started 24 games last three years.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Junior college transfer Tony Griffin could be one of the more explosive wide receivers around. He signed with USC out of high school, but attended Los Angeles Valley College the last two seasons. His last two years in high school, he caught 105 passes for 2,104 yards and 37 touchdowns. Defensive lineman Jeff Macrea also transferred from Los Angeles Valley College. In his two seasons, he managed 115 tackles. Quarterback Justin Mobley is a freshman from Antelope Valley (Calif.) High School. He passed for 1,039 yards and 13 touchdowns last fall.
TEAM STRENGTHS: The Lobos return only two starters on defense, so Leigh will have to keep putting points on the board while the defense tries to catch up. Leigh was the Mountain Division offensive player of the year. The All-America candidate finished eighth in the nation in pass efficiency and accounted for 2,846 total yards.
coach rocky long: "If we want to challenge for the Mountain Division title again, then we have to come around quickly on defense. I feel we have a chance to be a true force in the WAC this season."

8. TEXAS-EL PASO MINERS

WHEN: October 31, 11:05 a.m.
WHERE: Sun Bowl
MINERS LAST YEAR: 4-7, 3-5 WAC Mountain
UH ALL-TIME VS. UTEP: 13-11
KEY RETURNEES: RB Elzie Johnson, 526 yards, 2 touchdowns. QB John Rayborn, 640 yards, 4 touchdowns. WR Jimmy Carpenter, 767 yards, 3 touchdowns. DL Jason Smith, second team All-WAC with 66 tackles and 3 sacks. DL Brian Young, third on the team in tackles with 76, three sacks.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Walk-ons have always been a key part of head coach Charlie Bailey's success. This coming season, three walk-ons will be in the starting lineup for the Miners. They are Carpenter, who caught 47 passes last year, David Cotchery and Derek Wright. Wright led the team in sacks and Cotchery is a talented defensive back from El Paso. In all, the Miners will have 15 walk-ons dotting the depth chart.
TEAM STRENGTHS: This could be the best offense Bailey has fielded in his six seasons at UTEP. He has 9 starters back, including all his skill players. Rayborn and Carpenter are a talented tandem. Look for halfback Joseph Polk to do well this year. He and Johnson pack a one-two punch in the offensive backfield.
COACH CHARLIE BAILEY: "We're at a point now where we can compete with almost anybody in the conference. We have a chance to win a few ballgames this year, but we have to get a few breaks and avoid injuries at certain positions because we aren't blessed with a lot of depth."

9. SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS

WHEN: November 7, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Aloha Stadium
SPARTANS LAST YEAR: 4-7, 4-4 WAC Pacific
UH ALL-TIME VS. SAN JOSE STATE: 7-13-1
KEY RETURNEES: QB Brian Vye, 1,019 yards, 5 touchdowns. RB James Hodgins, 237 yards, 1 touchdown. WR Oliver Newell, 942 yards, 11 touchdowns. FS Lyle West, preseason All-America pick, finished in top 10 in the WAC in tackles (128) and interceptions (5). OT David Loverne, started all 11 games last year after moving to left tackle.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Junior college transfer Al Faamausili won the starting nose tackle job during the spring. He was a second team All-America at San Bernadino (Calif.) Valley College last year. Junior college transfers Steve Kapphahn and Edgar Nava should make names for themselves up front defensively. JC transfer Ron Acuna, a linebacker, spent the spring recovering from knee surgery, but don't be surprised to see him in the starting lineup this fall.
TEAM STRENGTHS: There is little doubt the Spartans have the best secondary in the WAC. Lyle West is a preseason All-America at safety and the other three startes aren't bad either. Head coach Davie Baldwin has built a solid defensive unit. The Spartans won four league games last year, and look to improve on that figure if they can get the offense up and running.
coach dave baldwin: "Obviously, I'm pleased with what we have in the secondary, but we have to get stronger up front on defense to match up with some of the more physical teams on our schedule. We're still in a transition mode on offense, but we have a good returning quarterback and some talented receivers, who should make us an even more competitive team."

10. FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

WHEN: November 14, 10 a.m.
WHERE: Bulldog Stadium
BULLDOGS LAST YEAR: 6-6, 5-3 WAC Pacific
UH ALL-TIME VS. FRESNO STATE: 13-16-1
KEY RETURNEES: RB Jaime Kimbrough, 484 yards, 2 touchdowns. QB Billy Volek, 1,853 yards, 17 touchdowns. WR Anthony Tucker, 413 yards, 3 touchdowns. PK Jeff Hanna, second team All-WAC, hit 12 of 18 field goals, including a 51-yarder to beat Air Force. P Jeff Roberts, averaged 43.7 yards a kick in 1997.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Freshman running back Art Gipson was the San Bernardino Sun's player of the year after he rushed for 1,544 yards and 20 touchdowns last year. Freshman quarterback Jeff Grady passed for more than 4,000 yards during his career at Edison High in Huntington Beach, Calif. The Bulldogs are also high on wide receiver Rodney Wright out of Bakersfield (Calif.) High School. His senior year in high school, Wright caught 58 passes for 883 yards and 14 touchdowns.
TEAM STRENGTHS: This could be the year the Bulldogs return to their glory days on offense. Volek and Kimbrough are two solid players, who head coach Pat Hill can build upon. They still don't have a proven receiver and might be a little suspect up front after losing three starting linemen. But watch out for Fresno State. The Bulldogs missed the postseason in 1997 by one game.
coach pat hill: "This team is young, no doubt about it. But the key is our guys are going to have to grow up quickly. We play six of our first nine games on the road, so that will be a true test for these young men. I like the future of this team. but we need to concentrate on the here and now."

11. NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS

WHEN: November 21, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Aloha Stadium
WILDCATS last year: 5-7, 3-5 Big Ten
UH ALL-TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN: First meeting
KEY RETURNEES: WR D'Wayne Bates, 1,196 yards, 12 touchdowns in 1996. The preseason All-America candidate broke his leg in the first game last year and missed most of the season. LB Barry Gardner, freshman walk-on is now an All-America candidate who had 174 tackles last year. RB Brian Marshall, 150 yards rushing, 1 touchdown. PK Brian Gowins, preseason All-America, 20 of 27 field goals last season.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Freshman defensive lineman Craig Albrecht was a Parade All-American at Burroughs High in St. Louis last year. He was first team All-State three consecutive seasons. Freshman quarterback David Farman was a top 100 recruit in Texas last year. The Westwood (Austin, Texas) High product passed for 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. Freshman running back Sam Simmons was the USA Today player of the year in Kansas. He rushed for 1,578 yards and scored 23 touchdowns.
TEAM STRENGTHS: The Wildcats should be strong on defense, and that's good, because most of the talented offensive players have left the playing field. Gardner and Kevin Buck are a pair of talented linebackers. Buck had 50 tackles last year and Garner finished with a team-high 174. Three-year starter Mike Nelson Jr. has started 24 consecutive games. He had 10 pass breakups, 94 tackles and one interception.
COACH GARY BARNETT: "It was a terrible feeling not to be a part of the bowl picture last year. We all talked about how difficult it was not to be playing and, instead, watching the contests from our respective homes. We don't want to have that feeling again."

12. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

WHEN: November 28, 6:05 p.m.
WHERE: Aloha Stadium
MICHIGAN LAST YEAR: 12-0, 8-0 Big Ten
UH ALL-TIME VS. MICHIGAN: 0-1
KEY RETURNEES: RB Anthony Thomas, 559 yards. QB Tom Brady, 103 yards, no touchdowns. WR Tai Streets, 476 yards, 6 touchdowns. LB Sam Sword, preseason All-America candidate, who was leading tackler last two years with 210. SS Marcus Ray, preseason All-America candidate, 71 tackles, 5 interceptions, 4 pass breakups.
INTERESTING ADDITIONS: Evan Campebell is a freshman fullback from Houston, who rushed for 1,885 yards and 21 touchdowns in his high school career. Tailback Walter Cross is a freshman from Maryland, who gained 5,227 yards and 58 touchdowns at Oxon Hill High School. Drew Henson is a freshman quarterback, who threw for 5,662 yards and 52 touchdowns at Brighton High School in Michigan. He is the No. 3-rated quarterback nationally and a Parade All-American.
TEAM STRENGTHS: The Wolverines return nine starters from a defense that finished No. 1 in the nation last year. Granted, Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson is gone, but there are plenty of other players, who can pick up the slack. The defense will need to be solid for a while because the offense will miss proven quarterback Brian Griese. But much like last year, don't expect the Wolverines to give up a lot of points.
COACH LLOYD CARR: "Obviously, we have a big challenge trying to match the success we had a year ago. Winning 12 games and a national championship were great accomplishments for our football team. We have a lot of guys back from that group, but we also lost some key players we will have a hard time replacing."

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