Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Monday, November 20, 2000
UH confidence Without a win over Louisiana Tech, the University of Hawaii had little chance of putting a dent in Wisconsin.
highest it’s been
all season
Convincing victory over
'Balanced' Badgers visit next
Louisiana Tech has
Warriors pumped up
QBs to meet again in 2003
Warriors Notebook
StatsBy Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinNot that the Warriors will be favored over the Badgers in the most important football game to be played at Aloha Stadium since last year's Oahu Bowl.
But with back-to-back wins and a sudden defensive revival, you get the feeling Hawaii can hang with the Big Ten program this Saturday night.
"Yeah, we're starting to put it together like I knew we could if we just stopped making so many mistakes," UH head coach June Jones said after the Warriors secured the 27-10 victory.
"We needed this win. Now we can get ready for Wisconsin with a little confidence and belief in ourselves. The defense played well and kept setting it up for the offense. It was good to get a win over a talented football team like this one."
Hawaii believed it could beat slightly favored Louisiana Tech from the outset and proved it with back-to-back touchdowns in the opening quarter.
It was the seventh time Hawaii scored first in 10 games and the second time in three weeks the Warriors broke to a 14-0 lead. But unlike at Fresno State. you got the sense last Saturday Hawaii wasn't going to let this one slip away.
Even in the third quarter after true freshmen quarterbacks Tim Chang of Hawaii and Luke McCown of Louisiana Tech traded turnovers like hot shares on the New York Stock Exchange, the defense refused to lose.
Safeties Nate Jackson and Jacob Espiau continued the interception parade, including one in the third quarter by Jackson in the back of the UH end zone that turned the game for good."We played hard and we played aggressive all night, no matter where we were on the football field," said Jackson, who now has four interceptions and 80 tackles for the season, including two quarterback sacks.
"The coaches did a great job scheming them. We got a lot of pressure from the guys up front and that makes a difference when the quarterback is scrambling around. I think he was trying to throw it out of the end zone on my interception. I saw it coming and just kept my eyes on it all the way. No way was I going to drop it."
Espiau may have played his way to a possible All-WAC selection by tying a school record with three interceptions in one game. Six UH players have turned the trick with the most recent being Kenny Harper in the win over Brigham Young in 1990.
"Thanks for telling me that, guys," Espiau said upon learning his name was in the UH record book. "That's really great. It makes me feel good."
It also gives the league's top tackler a lift as he prepares for the Badgers. Unlike Louisiana Tech, Wisconsin isn't going to throw it 47 times. Jackson and Espiau will be playing more like linebackers this week against one of the better running games in the country.
"It's going to be a different kind of game this week," Jones said. "It will take a supreme effort for us to beat Wisconsin. They are good in all phases. They were rated one of the top teams at the beginning of the season and will probably play like that against us."
Wisconsin had the week off to prepare for Hawaii's run-and-shoot. The Badgers finished a somewhat disappointing 4-4 in the Big Ten and are 7-4 for the season. Off-the-field problems early on set a negative tone for a team once considered national championship contenders.
The Badgers are already bowl eligible. But a win on Saturday would be the boost they need entering the postseason. They won't defend their Rose Bowl title, but they still figure to be in a major-paying bowl.
"We're going to have to play even better next week against them," said Chang, who hit 31 of 51 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns. He threw one interception and was not sacked for the sixth time in nine appearances.
"To play against a team like them is a big challenge. You know they have the kind of athletes who are good at every position. But it's the kind of challenge I like."
The last time Wisconsin played the University of Hawaii, it was the final game of a brutal 1996 season, punctuated by the 59-10 drubbing by the Badgers. ‘Balanced’ Badgers
visit nextBy Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinFreshman Ron Dayne ran for an astounding 339 yards and could have set the single-game rushing mark had coach Barry Alvarez not pulled him in the third quarter.
Afterward, UH defensive coordinator Don Lindsey said to first-year head coach Fred vonAppen as they left the field, "I've never been around anything like this in my entire coaching career."
You can bet UH head coach June Jones wants to avoid a similar fate this Saturday night at Aloha Stadium. The Badgers are led by talented tailback Michael Bennett, who has rushed for 1,380 yards and nine touchdowns this season, good enough for fourth nationally.
Sophomore quarterback Brooks Bollinger had a week to rest an ankle he injured in the first quarter of the Indiana game. His playing status is unknown.
Freshman backup Jim Sorgi played three quarters of the Indiana game and started against Purdue a month ago. The freshman has completed 44 of 65 passes for 546 yards and five touchdowns.
"This is going to be a tough team to defend because they are fairly balanced," UH head coach June Jones said. "They like to run behind that big offensive line, but that just sets up the play-action game. This is a very good football team."
Wisconsin wideouts Chris Chambers and Lee Evans are the go-to receivers. They have combined to catch 67 passes for 1,118 yards and five touchdowns.
Defensively, Wisconsin is solid enough. The Badgers yield 353.5 yards and 20 points a game.
The next time quarterbacks Tim Chang of the University of Hawaii and Louisiana Tech's Luke McCown are scheduled to meet is 2003. QBs meet again
in 2003By Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinDespite the Bulldogs joining the Western Athletic Conference next summer, they won't play the Warriors again for two years as part of the intricate scheduling of the new 10-team league.
"That's kind of a shame, really," UH head coach June Jones said after Hawaii secured a 27-10 win. "But that's how it worked out. These two guys are going to be scary good by then."
On this night, Chang got the better of McCown. He threw for 391 yards, two touchdowns and only one interception. The 6-foot-4 young gun from Texas countered with 255 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, including two in the decisive third quarter.
"I didn't know until Wednesday that I would be challenging another true freshman like me," Chang said. "Seeing that guy make big plays like that made me want to just make bigger plays.
"It's going to be a battle for the next three years. He's a great quarterback. I'm going to have my hands full trying to beat him out." McCown, who led with a handshake upon meeting Chang at midfield after the game, spoke highly of the former St. Louis School standout.
He, too, looked forward to meeting Chang again on the field and to compare statistics with him over the next three seasons.
"It was a blast," McCown said of his first encounter with the island boy. "Timmy's an outstanding quarterback. I'm really looking forward to playing him again in about three years."
Unlike Chang, McCown was harassed most of the night. The Warriors came on several hard blitzes, sending linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks alike from anywhere at any time.
The pressure bothered McCown, who not only threw four interceptions, but was sacked four times as well. By contrast, Chang wasn't sacked and only felt nominal pressure for most of the evening.
"I don't think they did anything we didn't expect," McCown said. "I just think they did it really well. Their defense made plays by scheming us up real well.
"I've got to be able to get the ball out quicker than what I did tonight. I've got to make better decisions as far as the interceptions. It's a growing process."
Chang knows all about that. His pick in the third quarter was his 15th of the season. McCown wound up throwing 15 in eight games. But he had 21 touchdown passes to help offset that number. Chang has 14 and will be looking to build on that in his final two starts of 2000.
"I still made some mistakes," Chang said. "But the defense came through for me. James Fenderson responded with some big runs and my receivers went up and made some tough catches. This was a big win for us going into Wisconsin this week."
University of Hawaii junior safety Jacob Espiau today was named the Defensive Player of the Week in the Western Athletic Conference. WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
Espiau earns
WAC honorEspiau tied a school record with three interceptions in the Warriors' 27-19 win over Louisiana Tech Saturday.
Espiau also made six tackles and broke up another pass. He also returned his three interceptions for 27 yards.
TCU's LaDainian Tomlinson earned offensive honors, becoming the WAC's all-time leading rusher with 5,089 yards following his 305-yard effort against UTEP Saturday.
The special teams honor went to Nevada's Ronnie Hardiman.
Tackle's OK but ...
If it's all the same to offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh, Vince Manuwai prefers right guard.It's not as if the sophomore offensive lineman didn't do a good job playing right tackle for the Hawaii against the Bulldogs. He did.
But while filling in for an injured Kynan Forney, Manuwai learned all about quickness off the edge and being on an island of a different and dangerous kind.
"I'll play anywhere," Manuwai said in the jubilant locker room after the 27-10 victory over Louisiana Tech. "It was pretty good, but if it's up to me, I would rather stick with guard.
"You feel kind of alone on an island, you know? You've got to be able to control the rush outside and inside. But there's nobody keeping you in.
"At guard, you've got the center and tackle to keep you in. So the defender can't give you the same kind of moves. At tackle, you're dealing with a lot faster guys. At guard, you get to do a lot of the pulling and that's better for me."
Fenderson excels, too
Warriors running back James Fenderson broke the century mark for the third consecutive weekend as well.His 126 yards on 23 carries included two touchdown runs to give him six for the season. It was the fourth 100-yard game of his career.
Entering this Saturday's game with Wisconsin, Fenderson has 570 yards on only 95 carries.
"He's really a special guy," said UH head coach June Jones.
Fenderson is as unassuming off the field as he is dangerous on it. Several times, he broke a number of tackles by Louisiana Tech, setting up his two touchdown carries of 2 and 7 yards.
"They held on pretty good," Fenderson said. "Me and (Louisiana Tech rover Bobby Gray) were bumping heads all game. I like contact. And he brought me some. I didn't even know how many yards I had. It's great rushing for 100 yards again, but all I do is try my best and see what happens."
Iosua, Forney expected back
Defensive tackle Mike Iosua sat on the locker room table and told reporters, "I'm definitely playing this week."Iosua missed his fourth consecutive game with an ankle sprain, but is expected back this Saturday.
So is Forney, who said after the game he just couldn't push off on his injured foot.
"Actually, we're about as healthy now as we have been," Jones said. "We've got almost everybody back and nobody was hurt in this game. We're in pretty good shape."
Smith top tackler again
For the second week in a row, outside linebacker Anthony Smith was the leading tackler with eight.He seems to have adjusted to Rinda Brooks joining him on the outside and Pisa Tinoisamoa moving to first string in the middle.
Fellow outside backer Robert Kemfort missed his second consecutive start, but he still saw plenty of playing time. He even recorded his second sack of the season.
"Anthony has played well the last two games," Jones said. "It looks like we finally found the right combination of guys on defense. They're playing now like we thought they would all season."
By Paul Arnett
Conference standings
Overall Conference W L T PCT. W L T PCT. PF PA Texas-El Paso 8 3 0 .727 7 1 0 .875 283 167 Texas Christian 9 1 0 .900 6 1 0 .857 231 82 San Jose St. 7 4 0 .636 5 2 0 .714 244 203 Fresno St. 6 4 0 .600 5 2 0 .714 198 138 Tulsa 4 7 0 .364 3 4 0 .429 117 162 Southern Methodist 3 8 0 .273 2 5 0 .286 111 186 Hawaii 3 7 0 .300 2 6 0 .250 197 276 Rice 3 8 0 .273 2 6 0 .250 186 215 Nevada 2 9 0 .182 1 6 0 .143 141 279
Last week's results
Hawaii 27, Louisiana Tech 10
Texas Christian 47, Texas-El Paso 14
Tulsa 28, San Jose St. 17
Nevada 34, Rice 28
Fresno St. 14, So. Methodist 7
Coming up Friday
Texas Christian at So. Methodist
Coming up Saturday
Wisconsin at Hawaii
Nevada at Tulsa
Fresno St. at San Jose St.
Season statistics
TEAM
Hawaii Opp FIRST DOWNS 203 211 Rushing 41 107 Passing 145 81 Penalty 17 23 RUSHING YARDAGE 806 1835 Yards gained rushing 991 2097 Yards lost rushing 185 262 Rushing Attempts 210 467 Average Per Rush 3.8 3.9 Average Per Game 80.6 183.5 TD’s Rushing 12 20 PASSING YARDAGE 3161 2002 Att-Comp-Int 503-259-19 285-162-9 Average Per Pass 6.3 7.0 Average Per Catch 12.2 12.4 Average Per Game 316.1 200.2 TDs Passing 20 15 TOTAL OFFENSE 3967 3837 Total Plays 713 752 Average Per Play 5.6 5.1 Average Per Game 396.7 383.7 KICK RETURNS No.-Yards 44-838 38-709 PUNT RETURNS No.-Yards 26-264 20-149 INT RETURNS No.-Yards 9-68 19-419 FUMBLES-LOST 20-10 19-10 PENALTIES-YARDS 104-766 79-628 PUNTS-AVG 55-36.8 48-36.6 TIME OF POSS. 26:30 33:30 3RD DOWN CONV. 53/150 67/160 4TH DOWN CONV. 8/23 6/17
INDIVIDUAL
RUSHING Att. Yds. TD Long Fenderson 95 570 6 38 Weaver 30 116 1 15 Thompson 29 103 0 18 Mitchell 11 79 2 26 Grant 10 23 1 9 Rolovich 8 21 0 18 Tinoisamoa 1 0 0 0 Stutzmann 1 -2 0 0 Team 7 -8 0 0 Harris 1 -11 0 0 Berryman 1 -11 0 0 Liana 1 -26 0 0 Chang 15 -48 2 5 RECEIVING No. Yds. TD Long Lelie 63 933 10 51 Colbert 54 671 2 74 Stutzmann 46 600 5 47 Harris 31 428 3 58 Fenderson 24 135 0 48 Weaver 13 122 0 18 Welch 11 101 0 16 deLaura 7 96 0 26 Thompson 4 36 0 17 Grant 3 17 0 9 Mitchell 2 13 0 7 Sims 1 9 0 9 PASSING Att. Comp. Int. Yds. TD Chang 363 195 15 2327 14 Rolovich 136 63 4 815 6 Gilbride 2 1 0 19 0 Kauka 2 0 0 0 0 PUNTING No. Yds. Avg. Long McBriar 33 1228 37.2 63 Berryman 22 795 36.1 65 TACKLES UT AT TT Espiau 68 42 110 Brooks 72 24 96 Jackson 47 36 83 Kemfort 29 26 55 Tinoisamoa 40 15 55 A.Smith 33 18 51 Armstrong 37 13 50 Peters 28 13 41 Brown 30 10 40 Tucker 31 3 34 Fuga 24 9 33 Correa 18 11 29 Garner 16 12 28 Miller 20 6 26 Sims 19 7 26 Iosua 13 11 24 Liana 11 9 20 Dietschy 14 4 18 Samuseva 10 8 18 Ala 8 5 13 Avila 7 3 10 Butts 4 4 8 Clowers 3 4 7 Alapa 4 2 6 Jackson 3 2 5 Williams 4 0 4 Correia 1 2 3 Fenderson 3 0 3 Gilmore 2 1 3 Riccardi 3 0 3 Berryman 2 0 2 Campbell 2 0 2 deLaura 2 0 2 Grant 2 0 2 Huggins 2 0 2 Mitchell 2 0 2 B.Smith 2 0 2 Ala 0 1 1 Bhonapha 1 0 1 Kauka 0 1 1 Manuwai 1 0 1 A.Thompson 1 0 1 Welch 1 0 1 Wright 1 0 1
2000 UH Football Special
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu