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Monday, August 21, 2000
UH offensive The stress test Mike Cavanaugh puts the offensive line through each day would leave psychologists shaking their heads.
linemen try
to survive coach’s
stress test
Hawaii coach Cavanaugh
is looking to see who can
handle the tough stuff,
individually and as a unitBy Paul Arnett
Star-BulletinNot that the University of Hawaii assistant coach cares what a head-shrinker thinks. His job is to mold four newcomers and one returning starter -- who has moved over two spots -- into a cohesive unit ready to face the rigors of Division I football.
It's not for the faint-hearted.
"All I hear is that we're a big question mark," Cavanaugh said during one strenuous workout late last week. "I'm tired of that talk. I know in my heart we can be better than we were last year. All you have to do is prove it."
If only it were that simple.
Cavanaugh can be drill-sergeant-tough when a player fails to move his feet with the right blend of speed and balance, or to get his hands at the proper pad level.
"You're making me sick," Cavanaugh's apt to say, banishing a player to the sidelines for not being fundamentally sound.
Minutes later, Cavanaugh calls out that player to see if he can make him feel better by doing it right this time.
"That's the kind of pop I want to hear," after his forsaken player responds to his challenge. "I want to see the proper set and the proper punch. Maybe we've found somebody who wants to play for our team."
Cavanaugh often calls on special teams coach Dennis McKnight to keep things lively during the offensive-defensive line drills.
If Cavanaugh is feeling particularly irate -- like throwing his cap 10 yards downfield -- McKnight is there to offer a pat on the pads and words of advice to make things better.
Other times, Cavanaugh is feeling good-natured, leaving the volatile McKnight to dish out the dissing. It's a good cop, bad cop, tag-team match meant to tear down mistakes and build up character.
"You can't play for me if you have thin skin," Cavanaugh said. "My guys had better be like an alligator if they're going down in the trenches with me.
"I want it to be stressful because in this offense you've got to have a lot of composure out there on the field because people are going to blitz you and get after you.
"I want to see how you're going to respond to the stress and how you deal with it, individually and as a unit. It comes down to chemistry, communication and technique. If you can't handle what I give you, then you can't play in a game where the stakes are high."
After last Thursday's practice, Cavanaugh had his players meet him at midfield. For 15 minutes, this tight circle of mountain men were like a Pacific hurricane with Cavanaugh at the center, the eye of the storm.
"He just wants to make us better," offensive tackle Chris Pinkney said. "There are some days when I know I'm the one keeping me from getting better.
"Coach Cavanaugh will point that out. But he will also tell you very enthusiastically when you do it right. We like his style. We understand it."
Pinkney is one of the new guys at left tackle. The right tackle is Kynan Forney, the right guard is Vince Manuwai, the center is Brian Smith and the left guard is returning starter Manly Kanoa.
"The second-tier guys are the ones I'm real pleased with," Cavanaugh said of center Sione Tafuna, utility man Lui Fuata, who can play anywhere, Shayne Kajioka at guard, and tackles Ryan Santos and Keola Loo.
Incoming freshman Uriah Moenoa is also opening some eyes. He has good strength and footwork, but needs to drop from 335 to 307 in order to be at his optimum.
"Ryan and Uriah come from running teams, so they have to work on their pass blocking before we can put them in there," Cavanaugh said. "The transition from run blocking to pass blocking is a tough one."
To help with that, Cavanaugh welcomes the blitz period where the defense crowds the line and comes from every direction.
And Hawaii's defensive front seven is a challenging group.
If it's not linebacker Rinda Brooks dancing through the center and guard on a middle blitz, it's defensive ends Joe Correia, Chris Brown or Laanui Correa blowing off the edge.
"We throw the football, so we have to be able to protect the blitz," Cavanaugh said. "Our defensive line gives us a great look."
You won't get any argument from Kanoa, who welcomes that kind of challenge each day in practice. He believes the chemistry and communication will come together, and soon.
"Our defensive front four is fast and they give us the kind of look we're going to see during the season," Kanoa said. "Each day, I can see us getting a little better. It's just going to take time for that to happen. It's stressful, but there's a reason for it. If you can't deal with it out here at practice, then you're not ready to play in a game."
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