Saturday, November 24, 2001

[ UH WARRIOR FOOTBALL ]

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Air Force game
like old times

Hawaii gets another shot at 1 of
the teams that left the WAC
for the Mountain West

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By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com

The game that was never supposed to happen will be played on a night when it wasn't going to be played.

While we're at it, doesn't it seem strange that a team representing the Air Force prefers to run the ball? And then you've got the pass-happy team called the Warriors going up against a team of future warriors. How about the fact that the team with five wins has better bowl chances than the one with seven?

Attendant irony aside, it's like old times -- sort of -- when Air Force (5-5) takes on Hawaii (7-3) at Aloha Stadium tonight. Kickoff is at 6:05. Air Force needs to win this game and its finale with Utah to be bowl eligible. Even if UH wins tonight and against Brigham Young on Dec. 8, a bowl suitor will be hard to find.

The Falcons and then-Rainbows played each other every season from 1985 through 1997. But this is the first time they meet since the breakup of the Western Athletic Conference, when Air Force left for the newly formed Mountain West.

Hawaii wasn't invited to join.

Falcons vs. Warriors Who: Air Force (5-5, 2-4 Mountain West), Hawaii (7-3, 5-3 Western Athletic) When: 6:05 tonight Where: Aloha Stadium Radio: Live, 1420-AM Oahu; 107.9-FM Maui/Kona, Hilo and Kauai TV: KFVE (Ch. 5), 10 p.m. delayed Parking: Lots open at 2:30 p.m., $3 charge

Tonight, the Warriors get another chance for revenge against one of the breakaway eight. Last year, Nevada-Las Vegas ended UH's season with a 34-32 loss.

Former UH president Kenneth Mortimer at one time vowed Hawaii would never play a Mountain West team. Times have changed; next month UH's new president Evan Dobelle meets with his coaches and possible new conference affiliations will be discussed. If the Warriors can show they belong on the same field with the Falcons and the Cougars, the Mountain West could be a possibility.

Before Air Force went into a tailspin that began with a 63-33 loss to BYU last month, ESPN felt tonight's game might generate enough national interest to televise it. That would have forced moving the game to yesterday -- a change which UH found more palatable than the moving of the Fresno State game to Friday, which turned out to be a national exposure boon for the Warriors since they upset the Bulldogs.

Instead, it's back to the relative anonymity of the late show on Saturday night, just like the Hawaii-Air Force games of past years.

Coach Fisher DeBerry's option attack remains the same in concept as always; Air Force is sixth in the nation in rushing and its live falcon mascot still puts on the team's most impressive aerial display.

But the flyboys built their 11-5-1 record against UH with defense and special teams as much as offense. This season, Air Force has been inconsistent in those areas, and at times, plain bad.

Some of it can be blamed on a tough schedule; the Falcons gave up 44 points in their season opener against Oklahoma. But no one expected New Mexico to put up 52 points in yet another Air Force loss the week after the BYU debacle.

Although they are plus-8 for the year, turnovers hurt the Falcons in their 34-10 loss to UNLV last week. The Rebels turned a pass interception and a fumble recovery into touchdowns during a 58-second span of the third quarter.

Also, a quick glance at the numbers indicates something is wrong with Air Force's defense systems. Going into tonight's game the Falcons have surrendered 431.7 yards and 29.7 points per game. They will try to stop the nation's fifth-most prolific passing attack; UH's run-and-shoot averages 352.8 yards through the air.

To top it off, UH quarterback Nick Rolovich comes off a 500-yard, school-record seven-touchdown performance in which he hit all four wideouts for at least one score.

Hawaii coach June Jones says don't be fooled by stats. Believe what you see.

"Most people don't look at the film. This is probably the best-coached defensive team we've played. They don't make mistakes and their technique at the corners is very good," Jones said. "They'll mix up their coverages. They'll play zone, man, zone blitz. We're going to have to read it every time and execute. I don't think they blitz as much as Boise State (a 28-21 UH loss), but you never know until you get in the game. We didn't think Boise State would either."

DeBerry hinted that the Falcons will bring it.

"Nobody else has done it, but we hope we can get them out of their rhythm and not give up big plays," he said. "If we can do that and execute our offense and win the kick game we have a chance."

Air Force has three defensive starters who might be out with ankle injuries: Safety Jeff Overstreet is doubtful, safety Sam Meinrod is questionable and inside linebacker Andy Rule is probable. Rule is the leading tackler with 74.

The Warriors' defense is also hurt by injuries, as outside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa is out with a stress fracture to his lower right leg and defensive end Travis Laboy has a painful left ankle sprain; Laboy tried to practice again yesterday, but couldn't finish. Also, Tinoisamoa's backup, Keani Alapa, might be out with a bad shoulder.

Robert Grant, who is usually UH's third safety, may be asked to play some linebacker, as he did against Rice's option offense. Freshman Patrick Harley could also see considerable action.

The Warriors allowed 616 yards by Miami (Ohio) in UH's 52-51 victory last week.

"Obviously, we've got some things to work on," UH defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said. "But to be honest we didn't have a lot of busts. This kid (RedHawks quarterback Ben Roethlisberger) made plays. He scrambled, got the extra time, broke tackles. We didn't make a lot of mistakes other than maybe coming off coverage when he scrambled."

The challenge is different this week. Hawaii's defenders must focus totally on their individual assignments. Like Air Force quarterbacks before him, senior Keith Boyea (5 feet 10, 190 pounds) is tough, smart, and a master of deception. He has rushed for a team-high 974 yards and 15 TDs and passed for 1,208 more.

"This kid can run and throw it and he can take a hit," Lempa said. "He gets whacked every play, every game."

Halfback Leotis Palmer (414 yards, 2 TDs) and fullback James Burns (306 yards, 3 TDs) are most likely to get the ball when Boyea gives it up -- which isn't that often: Boyea, with 193 carries, has more than twice as many totes as any teammate.

When he throws, Boyea's favorite target is 6-5 Ryan Fleming, who has 28 catches for 416 yards.

"The first thing we want to do is stop the run," Hawaii defensive tackle Mike Iosua said. "Especially against teams like the military academies you've got to stay on top of things because they're always ready."

That includes special teams; although Hawaii could have an edge with weapons like punter Mat McBriar and kick blocker/gunner Sean Butts, the kicking game is still a point of pride for the Falcons.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

AIR FORCE

Offense
WR	5	Ryan Fleming (6-5, 215, SR)
LT	78	Ben Miller (6-4, 270, SR)
LG	62	Brian Strock (6-3, 280, SR)
C	64	Paul Cancino (6-1, 270, SR)
RG	63	Brett Huyser (6-4, 295, SO)
RT	79	Joe Pugh (6-3, 265, SR)
TE	85	Kevin Runyon (6-4, 250, SR)
QB	18	Keith Boyea (5-10, 190, SR)
FB	32	James Burns (5-11, 215, SR)
LHB	9	Leotis Palmer (5-8, 175, JR)
RHB	26	Don Clark (6-0, 195, JR)
Defense
OLB	42	Monty Coleman (6-2, 225, SO)
LT	88	Dan Probert (6-4, 270, SR)
NG	92	Zack Johnson (6-3, 265, SR)
RT	99	Justin Pendry (6-6, 280, SR)
OLB	59	Matt McCraney (6-2, 230, JR)
ILB	49	Andy Rule (6-2, 230, SR)
ILB	41	Anthony Schlegel (6-2, 220, FR)
SC	1	Paul Mayo (5-10, 180, JR)
WC	8	Wes Crawley (6-0, 190, JR)
SS	36	Sam Meinrod (6-1, 210, JR)
FS	29	Larry Duncan (5-10, 205, SO)
P	16	John Welsh (6-3, 195, JR)
PK	82	Brooks Walters (6-0, 190, SR)
Hold	12	John Cortney (5-11, 185, SR)
PR	9	Leotis Palmer (5-8, 175, JR)
	6	Brian LaBasco (5-9, 175, JR)
KR	9	Leotis Palmer (5-8, 175, JR)
	25	Anthony Butler (5-9, 180, FR)
Snap	74	Howard Turner (6-4, 250, SO)

HAWAII

Offense
WR	18	Justin Colbert (5-7, 160, JR)
WR	85	Channon Harris (5-8, 151, SR)
LT	53	Lui Fuata (6-2, 313, JR)
LG	76	Manly Kanoa (6-4, 320, SR)
C	66	Brian Smith (6-2, 284, SR)
RG	65	Vince Manuwai (6-2, 285, JR)
RT	69	Uriah Moenoa (6-4, 331, FR)
WR	2	Craig Stutzmann (5-11, 194, SR)
WR	8	Ashley Lelie (6-3, 187, JR)
QB	12	Nick Rolovich (6-2, 200, SR)
RB	1	Mike Bass (5-6, 158, FR) or
	24	Thero Mitchell (5-10, 215, JR)
Defense
LE	58	La'anui Correa (6-4, 267, JR)
LT	70	Mike Iosua (6-3, 270, SR)
RT	92	Lance Samuseva (5-11, 285, SO)
RE	6	Joe Correia (6-3, 240, SR)
LB	44	MattWright (6-1, 222, JR)
LB	54	Chris Brown (6-2, 258, JR)
LB	46	KeaniAlapa (6-0, 222, SO) or
	2	Robert Grant (6-1, 191, SR)
CB	33	Hyrum Peters (5-8, 190, SO) or
	37	Abraham Elimimian (5-10, 180, FR)
CB	17	Kelvin Millhouse (6-1, 198, SO)
S	3	Jacob Espiau (5-10, 196, SR)
S	13	Nate Jackson (5-10, 163, SR)
P	49	Mat McBriar (6-1, 202, JR)
PK	47	Justin Ayat (5-11, 203, FR)
Hold	22	Jared Flint (6-5, 210, SR)
PR	82	Chad Owens (5-8, 175, FR)
KR	82	Chad Owens (5-8, 175, FR)
Snap	66	Brian Smith (6-2, 284, SR)

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UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii