Secondary has
a long way to go

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

Those wanting to talk with the University of Hawaii defensive backs had to wait until assistant Mickey Pruitt was through dealing with them.

The secondary coach for the Rainbows had them gather around in the back corner of the UH locker room. He didn't yell, scream, rant or rave about their contributions in last night's 27-6 defeat to No. 24-rated Arizona.

But his lecture was still stern enough to get the message through -- things have to improve and in a big hurry.

"I let them know I wasn't happy with some of their mental decisions," Pruitt said. "We played too deep off the corners and our safeties missed some tackles.

"We knew this was going to be a big test for our guys. At times, we did what we were supposed to do. But when we let down, it cost us."

Starting Arizona quarterback Ortege Jenkins didn't take advantage of Hawaii's mental calamities, but backup Keith Smith certainly did.

He came off the bench in the second quarter to complete 17 of 22 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Smith's hitch screens and passes in the flat left the Rainbows chasing receivers Jeremy McDaniel and Dennis Northcutt for most of the night.

Northcutt caught 8 passes for 91 yards and one touchdown. McDaniel pulled down 6 passes for 90 yards and a score as well.

"They played way off of us, so we just ran down a few yards and turned around," Northcutt said. "I dropped a few balls early, but I was happy the team stuck with me and I got my chance."

UH cornerback Donnell Williams did cause a fumble with a big hit on Leon Callen, but he also was faked out of his shoes on the 17-yard touchdown pass from Smith to McDaniel.

"We had some shaky moments in the secondary," UH defensive coordinator Tom Williams said. "But we've got a lot of new guys back there, who just need some more time to grow."

INJURY UPDATE: The Rainbows didn't have any major injuries in last night's loss to the Wildcats.

Several players suffered through some excruciating cramps, including senior linebacker Stephen Gonzales. He spent almost an hour in the training room trying to get up and walk on his own.

Wide receiver and top kickoff return man Eleu Kane didn't play because of a hip pointer he suffered earlier this week in practice. Offensive lineman Andy Phillips also sat this one out after being hospitalized Monday with an irregular heartbeat.

"It looks like we came out of this game in good shape physically," UH head coach Fred vonAppen said. "Some of the guys got cramps, but that's going to happen on a humid night like this."

A BRIGHT SPOT: Senior defensive tackle Ben Bright recorded the only quarterback sack the Rainbows managed against Arizona's stingy offensive line.

He also had two hurries and four tackles. Cornerback Quincy LeJay and senior linebacker Kamuela Cobb-Adams led the Rainbows in tackles with nine apiece.

Of Hawaii's 84 tackles, 19 were made in the secondary. Williams tied inside linebackers Matt Paul and Stephen Gonzales in tackles with six.

"You don't like to see a cornerback making nine tackles," Tom Williams said. "But I was fairly pleased with how we controlled their running game."

Arizona had 133 yards on the ground. Hawaii countered with 93, just three more than last year's average that was good enough for last place in the Western Athletic Conference.

A QUARTER NOTE: None of Hawaii's three quarterbacks had a stellar evening, but Dan Robinson was the most impressive.

Starter Josh Skinner was 0-for-3 in passing and finished with minus-8 yards on two carries. Bronson Liana didn't attempt a pass and gained a mere 2 yards on 2 carries.

Robinson wound up being the total offensive leader. He hit 8 of 17 passes for 83 yards and one score. Robinson also rushed for a positive 10 yards on 10 carries, despite being sacked 4 times.

"It felt good to be involved in a game again," Robinson said. "Last year, I played only one series, so it's been awhile since I saw that much time on the field."