Hawaii has good reason to be wary of Utah State
POSTED: Saturday, November 01, 2008
OGDEN, Utah » Utah State's game with Fresno State will be remembered for the 38-second drive that sent the Aggies to perhaps the most frustrating of their seven losses this season.
| Hawaii at Utah State Kickoff: 9 a.m. HST TV: PPV Ch. 255 Radio: 1420-AM The line: Hawaii by 6 ½
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It's the previous 59 minutes and 22 seconds that both Hawaii coach Greg McMackin and Utah State's Brent Guy are focused on this week.
Up to that final drive last week, the Aggies had the Bulldogs on the ropes until Fresno connected on a haymaker in the form of a 58-yard field goal as time expired that decked Utah State's upset hopes.
Guy's hope is his Aggies build on the performance that got them the lead. The close call may also help McMackin hold the Warriors' attention in preparing for a Utah State program that is 6-22 in three-plus years of WAC membership.
“;They faked a field goal, they went onside, they went for it on fourth and 1 in their territory,”; McMackin said. “;They have nothing to lose, so we've got to prepare for everything.”;
Hawaii was on the other end of a dramatic conclusion last week, when Malcolm Lane caught Greg Alexander's 24-yard touchdown pass with 20 seconds left against Nevada. But just as Utah State looks to move on from last week's game, so have the Warriors.
“;That game seems like last month,”; McMackin said earlier this week.
Hawaii has dominated the series since it was revived when Utah State entered the WAC in 2005, scoring at least 50 points in each meeting.
“;We haven't played well against Hawaii since we came into the league,”; Guy said. “;So this is a game where we have to prove we can play with one of the top teams in the conference, which they are.”;
Following is a look at the matchup as Hawaii attempts to get over .500 for the first time this season:
When Hawaii has the ball: Alexander will be the first quarterback in the rotation for the Warriors, who scored a season-high 38 points last week. But Inoke Funaki will also see playing time in a package designed to take advantage of his running ability.
Alexander revived Hawaii's passing game in the second half against Nevada and will again have cornerback-turned-receiver Ryan Mouton available as a weapon. Lane and Mike Washington are coming off solid outings against Nevada.
“;I see the difference in the guys,”; offensive coordinator Ron Lee said of the carryover in this week's practices. “;You see some flashes, but we'll know more (today).”;
Running back Kealoha Pilares is expected to miss his second straight game with a sprained foot, but the Hawaii offensive line will be a bit deeper with the return of senior Keith AhSoon from a knee injury. AhSoon is still working into shape following his recovery and figures to see some time at left guard.
Utah State is giving up 38.3 points per game, ranking the Aggies 114th in the country, and “;we're one tackle away”; from closing out the win against Fresno State last week. Linebacker Jake Hutton is the leader of the Aggies defense with 70 tackles, including 5 1/2 for losses.
When Utah State has the ball: A week after facing dual-threat Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the Warriors face a similar challenge in corralling Utah State's Diondre Borel.
Borel, a sophomore, is Utah State's leading rusher with 424 yards and had touchdowns running and throwing against Fresno State in leading a balanced Aggies attack that generated 399 yards.
But giving Borel a chance to make plays will be among the Aggies' top priorities. Utah State shuffled its offensive line last week, starting a group of four freshmen and a sophomore. The revamped line led the way for a 206-yard rushing performance and didn't give up a sack. But the Aggies lost their top two centers to knee injuries and the starting jobs along the line were opened up this week.
Hawaii's defensive front is working through a few injuries of its own with Keala Watson (hand) and Josh Leonard (ankle) missing practice time this week, though both are expected to play today. Adam Leonard had nine tackles last week while playing with a broken finger.
Desmond Thomas is slated to make his first start of the season at free safety, with Keao Monteilh and Mouton, who has practiced on offense the last two weeks, sharing the nickel back spot.
Special teams: Playing at 4,534 feet above sea level tends to excite kickers, and Dan Kelly and Tim Grasso are eager to test their legs in the relatively thin mountain air.
The duo can play a pivotal role in field position, as Grasso averaged a season-best 45.8 yards per punt last week due in large part to his placement as well as leg strength. Kelly had seven touchbacks in his last visit to Logan, a 63-10 UH win two years ago.
Lane and Aaron Bain were productive in taking over return duties last week. Lane had two kickoff returns of 45 yards or more against Nevada.
Utah State kicker/punter Peter Caldwell, Grasso's high school teammate, is perfect in 44 career PATs. The Aggies scored on a kickoff return in last year's game at Aloha Stadium, but Kevin Robinson is gone and Chris Harris is averaging 20.1 yards per return.
KEY MATCHUP
UH secondary vs. Utah State QB Diondre Borel
A receiver/kick returner as a freshman, Borel has improved his throwing of late to complement his elusiveness out of the pocket.
“;He's not just scrambling to run anymore,”; Utah State coach Brent Guy said after Borel completed a season-best five passes of 20 yards or more last week. “;He's starting to make big plays off his scramble game.”;
Hawaii used redshirt receiver Ryan Henry to simulate Borel's speed in getting to the edge on the option in practices this week. While Hawaii's defensive backs will need to help contain the running game when Borel tucks the ball, they'll also have to maintain their coverage downfield or risk having him throw over them.
“;It's a discipline, assignment game,”; Hawaii coach Greg McMackin said. “;We have to play our responsibilities and get better at open-field tackles, because if you don't, you give up a big play.”;
OTHER KEY STATISTICS
| Hawaii | Category | Utah State |
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| 5.9 | Rushing first downs/game | 7.4 |
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| 9.8 | Passing first downs/game | 7.9 |
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| 2.0 | First downs by penalty/game | 1.9 |
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| 7-61 | Interceptions-return yards | 8-79 |
|
| 39.1 | Punting avg. | 41.1 | |
| 69-615 | Penalties-yards | 61-527 |
|
| 17-7 | Fumbles-lost | 16-8 |
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| 29% | Third-down conversion rate | 29% | |
| 50% | Fourth-down conversion rate | 62% |
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
| Rushing |
||||
| A | Yds | Avg | TD |
|
| Diondre Borel, USU | 118 | 424 | 3.6 | 2 |
| Robert Turbin, USU | 70 | 304 | 4.3 | 3 |
| Kealoha Pilares, UH | 45 | 236 | 5.2 | 4 |
| Daniel Libre, UH | 52 | 214 | 4.1 | 1 |
| Passing |
||||||
| A | C | I | Yds | TD |
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| Diondre Borel, USU | 173 | 93 | 6 | 1,125 | 9 |
|
| Sean Setzer, USU | 60 | 34 | 1 | 376 | 2 |
|
| Inoke Funaki, UH | 157 | 89 | 12 | 1,072 | 6 | |
| Tyler Graunke, UH | 58 | 30 | 4 | 388 | 3 |
| Receiving |
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| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
|
| Otis Nelson, USU | 28 | 349 | 12.5 | 4 |
| Stanley Morrison, USU | 18 | 229 | 12.7 | 1 |
| Mike Washington, UH | 37 | 400 | 10.8 | 3 |
| Greg Salas, UH | 27 | 416 | 15.4 | 2 |
| Tackles |
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| S | A | Tot | FL/S |
|
| Jake Hutton, USU | 33 | 37 | 70 | 5.5/0 |
| De'von Hall, USU | 25 | 31 | 56 | 2/1 |
| James Brindley, USU | 31 | 23 | 54 | 3.5/0 |
| Paul Igboeli, USU | 28 | 24 | 52 | 5/0 |
| Solomon Elimimian, UH | 31 | 29 | 60 | 5.5/1.5 |
| David Veikune, UH | 31 | 15 | 46 | 7/2 |
| Jameel Dowling, UH | 26 | 15 | 41 | 2/1 |
| Brashton Satele, UH | 25 | 16 | 41 | 5/1 |
Hawaii
4-4 (3-2 WAC)
| PROBABLE STARTERS |
|||||
| Offense |
|||||
| Z | 89 | Malcolm Lane | 6-1 | 180 | Jr. |
| H | 5 | Mike Washington | 5-9 | 170 | Sr. |
| LT | 77 | Aaron Kia | 6-5 | 290 | Jr. |
| LG | 50 | Laupepa Letuli | 6-4 | 320 | Jr. |
| C | 55 | John Estes | 6-2 | 295 | Jr. |
| RG | 51 | Lafu Tuioti-Mariner | 6-0 | 300 | Sr. |
| RT | 78 | Keoni Steinhoff | 6-3 | 295 | Sr. |
| Y | 2 | Ryan Mouton | 5-10 | 175 | Sr. |
| X | 1 | Greg Salas | 6-2 | 200 | So. |
| QB | 12 | Greg Alexander | 6-3 | 230 | Jr. |
| RB | 26 | Daniel Libre | 5-8 | 185 | Sr. |
| Defense |
|||||
| DE | 94 | David Veikune | 6-3 | 265 | Sr. |
| DT | 93 | Keala Watson | 6-3 | 320 | Sr. |
| DT | 99 | Josh Leonard | 6-3 | 305 | Sr. |
| DE | 58 | John Fonoti | 6-2 | 255 | Jr. |
| STUB | 44 | Adam Leonard | 6-0 | 235 | Sr. |
| MLB | 17 | Solomon Elimimian | 6-0 | 225 | Sr. |
| BUCK | 59 | R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane | 5-11 | 225 | Jr. |
| CB | 3 | Jameel Dowling | 6-3 | 200 | Sr. |
| FS | 24 | Desmond Thomas | 6-2 | 170 | Sr. |
| SS | 7 | Erik Robinson | 5-10 | 200 | Sr. |
| CB | 23 | Calvin Roberts | 5-11 | 175 | Sr. |
| Specialists |
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| K | 86 | Dan Kelly | 6-3 | 225 | Sr. |
| P | 49 | Tim Grasso | 5-11 | 210 | Sr. |
| KR | 89 | Malcolm Lane | 6-1 | 180 | Jr. |
| PR | 85 | Aaron Bain | 5-8 | 190 | Sr. |
| LS | 57 | Jake Ingram | 6-4 | 235 | Sr. |
| H | 49 | Tim Grasso | 5-11 | 210 | Sr. |
| SCHEDULE |
|||
| DATE | OPP. | RESULT |
|
| Aug. 30 | at Florida | L, 56-10 |
|
| Sept. 6 | Weber State | W, 36-17 |
|
| Sept. 13 | at Oregon State | L, 45-7 | |
| Sept. 27 | San Jose State | L, 20-17 | |
| Oct. 4 | at Fresno State | W, 32-29 OT |
|
| Oct. 11 | Louisiana Tech | W, 24-14 |
|
| Oct. 17 | at Boise State | L, 27-7 |
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| Oct. 25 | Nevada | W, 38-31 |
|
| Today | at Utah State |
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| Nov. 8 | at New Mexico State |
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| Nov. 22 | Idaho |
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| Nov. 29 | Washington State |
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| Dec. 6 | Cincinnati |
Utah State
1-7 (1-3 WAC)
| PROBABLE STARTERS |
|||||
| Offense |
|||||
| LT | 52 | Spencer Johnson | 6-5 | 292 | So. |
| LG | 69 | Ty Rogers | 6-3 | 300 | So. |
| C | 61 | Brennan McFadden | 6-2 | 305 | Jr. |
| RG | 68 | Philip Gapelu | 6-1 | 309 | Fr. |
| RT | 77 | Derek Hoke | 6-9 | 315 | Sr. |
| TE | 87 | Doug Barbour | 6-4 | 235 | So. |
| WR | 14 | Otis Nelson | 6-4 | 214 | Sr. |
| or | 17 | Xavier Bowman | 6-1 | 203 | Jr. |
| WR | 11 | Stanley Morrison | 5-8 | 156 | Fr. |
| FB | 33 | Ronald Scott | 6-0 | 205 | Fr. |
| TB | 27 | Curtis Marsh | 6-0 | 194 | So. |
| QB | 12 | Diondre Borel | 6-0 | 185 | So. |
| Defense |
|||||
| LE | 46 | Darby Golden | 6-1 | 250 | Jr. |
| LT | 58 | Ben Calderwood | 6-2 | 267 | Sr. |
| RT | 96 | Alan Bishop | 6-5 | 285 | Jr. |
| RE | 54 | Nathan Royster | 6-0 | 256 | So. |
| LB | 40 | Bobby Wagner | 6-3 | 210 | Fr. |
| MLB | 53 | Jake Hutton | 6-0 | 236 | Sr. |
| LB | 31 | Paul Igboeli | 6-0 | 211 | Jr. |
| LC | 2 | Roy Hurst | 5-9 | 193 | Sr. |
| SS | 3 | James Brindley | 5-10 | 195 | Jr. |
| FS | 39 | Caleb Taylor | 6-3 | 193 | Sr. |
| CB | 1 | Kejon Murphy | 5-8 | 160 | Jr. |
| Specialists |
|||||
| KO | 16 | Chris Ulinski | 6-2 | 206 | Jr. |
| PK | 8 | Peter Caldwell | 6-4 | 240 | So. |
| P | 8 | Peter Caldwell | 6-4 | 240 | So. |
| KR | 1 | Kejon Murphy | 5-8 | 160 | Jr. |
| 11 | Stanley Morrison | 5-8 | 156 | Fr. |
|
| PR | 1 | Kejon Murphy | 5-8 | 160 | Jr. |
| H | 17 | Xavier Bowman | 6-1 | 203 | Jr. |
| LS | 89 | Patrick Scales | 6-4 | 235 | So. |
| SCHEDULE |
|||
| DATE | OPP. | RESULT |
|
| Aug. 30 | at UNLV | L, 17-27 |
|
| Sept. 6 | at Oregon | L, 66-24 |
|
| Sept. 13 | Utah | L, 58-10 | |
| Sept. 20 | Idaho | W, 42-17 | |
| Oct. 3 | BYU | L, 34-14 |
|
| Oct. 11 | at San Jose State | L, 30-7 |
|
| Oct. 18 | at Nevada | L, 44-17 |
|
| Oct. 25 | Fresno State | L, 30-28 |
|
| Today | Hawaii |
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| Nov. 8 | at Boise State |
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| Nov. 15 | at Louisiana Tech |
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| Nov. 29 | New Mexico State |
