On Hawaii punts, Sean Butts' position is gunner. Butts meets opponents at the
point of no returnBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comHis job is to sprint downfield and be the first man to meet the returner, and greet him as forcefully as possible within the rules.
Gunner is one of football's hardest jobs, especially with the "halo" rule that prohibits potential tacklers from getting within two yards of returners until they catch the ball.
"It's hard to get a big hit because you have to judge the ball and the guy so you just try to run as fast as you can and when you get to a certain point, about five yards away, slow down," Butts said. "The rule is always in the back of your mind."
While the halo rule has cut down on the number of crushing tackles Butts can make on punts, it hasn't hurt his effectiveness.
Last Saturday, Butts made it downfield quickly enough to cover Mat McBriar's 61-yard punt and stop San Jose State returner Alex Wallace for a 1-yard loss at his own 9, helping UH to a 34-10 victory.
"He was kind of running backward, making the Willie Mays catch, turned around," Butts said. "I wasn't sure which way he was going to go, I just kind of grabbed his shoulder. His jersey was wet, but I was able to hang on and get him down."
McBriar's hang-time on the long punts helps Butts do his job.
"I like it when Mat kicks deep because the return guys are going backwards. It's a long sprint, but that's what you want," Butts said.
The McBriar-Butts combination has helped UH allow a league-low 110 yards in punt returns. The Warriors' net punting average is 37.2, second in the WAC.
"He helps enormously, a big reason why our net (punting) is so good," McBriar said. "Sean consistently burns his man and gets downfield fast."
Dispelling rumors: You knew this was inevitable for a coach with NFL experience who was college football's coach of the year in 1999 and is now on a five-game winning streak. June Jones' name has come up in speculation about other jobs, pro and college. One rumor has Oakland Raiders' coach John Gruden replacing Bob Davie at Notre Dame, and Jones replacing Gruden. Another has Jones taking his run-and-shoot offense to Cal, where winless Tom Holmoe has resigned.
Jones gave no credence to either scenario when asked yesterday. "I don't want to address that and give it any credibility," he said.
Later, on his Call the Coach Show, Jones expounded.
"Those rumors are always going to exist. I have a job to do here. I'm committed to my players, committed to Hawaii. Opportunities come and you never say never. But I don't have any intentions of leaving. As a professional I obviously have to listen, but at the same time my intentions are to stay here."
Influential fan: Todd Harmonson, who covers college football for the Orange County Register, voted Hawaii 24th in this week's Associated Press poll. It is the first time UH has received poll votes since the 1999 season.
"It was mainly the Fresno State game that really impressed me," Harmonson said. "I really like the way they've been consistent. To be 6-2 in that conference is fairly impressive. Most of the other teams I'd been voting for around the bottom of the top 25 lost, so I was looking for some replacements."
Also, the Warriors got one vote in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll.
Free for students: UH students can get free tickets for Saturday's game in celebration of homecoming. They can pick them up at the Stan Sheriff Center Box Office through 3 p.m. on Friday by presenting a valid student I.D. or registration slip for the current semester.
Short yardage: UH has built a Web site for wide receiver Ashley Lelie, who is among 11 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award. The site is at uhathletics.hawaii.edu/lelieforallamerican.html. ... TheBus plans to double its service between UH and Aloha Stadium for Saturday's game. ... Starting linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa did not practice yesterday, but did run on his strained lower right leg. He said it is getting better, but he still did not know if he can play Saturday.