[ UH WARRIOR FOOTBALL ]
Waikiki, half-empty these days, doesn't provide many of the distractions it normally does to visiting athletic teams. Rice sets up on North Shore,
far from minimal city actionBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comStill, the Rice Owls want to be far from what action remains.
They arrived in Honolulu yesterday afternoon and went directly to the Turtle Bay Hilton on the North Shore to get ready for Saturday's game against Hawaii at Aloha Stadium.
"We did the same thing a couple years ago," said coach Ken Hatfield, who also brought teams here as the Air Force coach. "We came in early and got settled and concentrated on football a little bit. That's what we're going to do."
It worked in 1999, when Rice was one of only two Western Athletic Conference teams to beat Hawaii.
That year, the Owls practiced on an abandoned fairway. This time, the hotel staff set up a field near the resort's stables.
"Our practice area is better than what we had on the golf course two years ago," Hatfield said.
Rice practiced yesterday for about 75 minutes.
"We needed to get a good workout in," Hatfield said. "Now, we'll need to stay up late and get adjusted to the time difference."
Last time: The Owls rushed for 315 yards in beating the Warriors 38-13 last fall in Houston. Although Rice's offense is diversified this season, Hawaii coach June Jones expects to see lots of running.
"They've got some other formations, but I think they'll run the wishbone because we didn't stop it last year," Jones said. "Hopefully we'll play their schemes correctly."
Linebacker Dan Dawson intercepted three passes as UH quarterback Tim Chang supplied a school-record five picks. Dawson, the Owls' MVP last year, is back this season. He also returns punts.
Quarterback Corey Evans, who rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns against the Warriors in 2000, is redshirting. His replacement, Kyle Herm, leads Rice in rushing with 173 yards in three games.
Corner out: Rice starting senior cornerback Kenny Smith (knee sprain) did not make the trip. Starting safety Greg Gatlin (hamstring) is here. Both missed last week's Nebraska game. Starting kicker Derek Crabtree's pulled groin muscle prevents him from kicking off and long field goals.
Three other players expected to contribute or compete for starting spots this year -- defensive lineman B.J. Forguson, quarterback Jeremy Hurd and linebacker Jeff Vanover -- are out for the season.
By the numbers: Hawaii remains atop the WAC in passing offense and is third in the nation with 369 yards per game. UH also leads the conference in net punting, as Mat McBriar has kicked for a 41.7 yard average and opponents average negative 0.3 yards a return.
Individually, Ashley Lelie leads the WAC in receptions with eight per game (6th nationally) and receiving yards with 128 (5th).
Chang paces the nation in total offense with 348 yards per game.
Star power: Nevada kicker Damon Fine, who kicked three field goals against Hawaii, was named the WAC's special teams player of the week.
Fresno State quarterback David Carr and safety Bryce McGill, instrumental in FSU's 37-18 win at Tulsa, are the offensive and defensive honorees.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
