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Sidelines
Kalani Simpson
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For Dick, it was: See June run
THE hallmark of the run-and-shoot is supposed to be its unpredictability -- the players themselves don't even know where they're going until the coverage unfolds. That's probably why June Jones loves it so. He's a guy who likes to zig when everybody zags, just because.
And yet I have people who tell me they can call the next play in Hawaii's offense before the ball is even snapped.
And they're not even talking about fake punts.
So you think Dick Tomey wouldn't pick up on these things, too? If Sonny from Kapolei has your tendencies cold ...
(We've all heard about how great San Jose State's video system is.)
But the week after not calling a run into the fourth quarter, Hawaii came out keeping it on the ground against San Jose State. The pay-per-view play-callers were stunned. So were the Spartans. Apparently, Tomey, too.
There Hawaii was, last Saturday in UH's latest must-win, handing it off.
Wait. What?
"There was a reason why I didn't run against New Mexico State, because I wanted Colt (Brennan) to grow up. And I knew at that time that it was going to have an effect on the other team's game plan against us and it did," Jones said.
Sure. That happens all the time. Coaches will give you a look just so you have to spend time practicing for it. But with Jones, you think it's just him living a dream.
This was one of those I-know-that-you-know-that-you-know-that-I-know-that-I-know-that-you-know situations.
San Jose State opened the game with a three-man defensive line. Of course. Everybody knows what Jones' guys do.
But then they didn't.
And Hawaii went on to win by a touchdown in a shootout UH simply couldn't afford to lose.
Being just a little bit off-balance -- like actually having to wonder whether a run could be coming next -- might be the difference in a game like that.
Hawaii defenders certainly know the feeling.
This is what every offense wants.
But Jones?
"I had done it on Wednesday," he said of setting the script. "Because I already knew I was going to run five or six of the first seven, eight plays we were out there."
Right.
Who is this really?
"A couple situations -- I had us self-scout ourselves," Jones said. "We were 100 percent pass in those situations."
See? You knew it!
"I knew we were going to run it in those situations," Jones said. "And it worked. It was by design."
We should have seen it coming.