Sidelines
Jones’ educated HAWAII lined up to punt that first time Saturday at UTEP, and June Jones saw it.
gamble paid off
for Warriors
And he knew it.
And he knew that he had it.
He knew.
That's how these things get started.
IT WAS STARING at him as he walked the sideline. UTEP was giving UH the fake punt. Giving it to them. It was there, there for the taking.
Jones filed the information away. The time had to be right. Everything had to be right. But he knew that he had it now.
Then UH was up 14-3 in th first half, and it might have been a good time to pull the trigger. Hawaii assistant Tyson Helton, who works heavily with the special teams, even approached the head coach. Did he want to go for it?
Jones hesitated. Big call. His call.
"Naw," he said. Hawaii's defense was playing great. "Our defense is playing good enough right here. Let's just punt it."
So Hawaii did, and its defense turned it into a safe choice.
But now he couldn't wait for another chance.
Now the excitement was building.
The Miners stayed with the same punt return. They did it again. They were vulnerable. It would work. It would go. The only problem was that UTEP would adjust its look as UH gained field position.
"They only were going to give us that look in our own end," Jones said. "And they were banking on the fact that you didn't have (guts) enough to call it right there.
"And because when we punted from outside of our own 40, they didn't give us the look. So, I knew it was going to have to be backed up to do it."
It would be dangerous. It could backfire. Hawaii could give up the ball deep in its own territory, could lose momentum, then the game.
But that's why they call it a gamble.
But he'd made up his mind. If UTEP dared him to do it again, he would. If they dared him, he couldn't walk away.
At halftime he told the kids. "We're going to do it somewhere," he said. Somewhere soon. Be ready.
A ripple of excitement went through the room. This was it. It was like being told to check your parachutes.
Then they went back out, and chaos started again and blood pumped. The clock ran, and decisions had to be made in seconds.
UH lined up for its first punt of the second half. It was there. It was perfect for the taking.
And Jones waited. Hawaii punted.
"I should have done it right there," he said.
Ever wonder how players run out late for the extra point? How they line up to return kicks with 10 men?
"As soon as the play was over I was talking to the players about something," Jones said, "and I forgot to tell (the punt team)."
Without specific final approval from the head man, the UH punt team punted.
They had missed their chance yet again.
The next time, Jones remembered. It was all lined up again, a gamble from Hawaii's own 27-yard line. It was open for them. Helton looked to Jones, but he had to have already known the answer.
"Let's do it," Jones said. He looked into the eyes of upback Chad Kapanui. If it's there, take it. Kapanui nodded. He knew what he had to do.
It was perfect. Kapanui took the short snap and lofted the ball softly, barely over the outstretched arms of defenders. It looked like his halfback pass that scored a touchdown last year against Fresno State: a slow-motion, unorthodox, beautiful playground play. He could have been throwing a basketball. He was shot-putting a feather.
Kilinahe Noa adjusted to it, he caught it, he twisted and landed on his feet. He kept his balance. And he ran.
He chugged. And ran. And then David Gilmore launched himself into a block that might have added 20 yards to the total. And 70 yards from scrimmage the play ended on the UTEP 3. It blew everything wide open. One play later, UH scored.
On the sidelines, Jones knew it. It went. It worked. He'd seen it, and he just knew.
Yesterday, he smiled for the TV cameras as he told the story again. His eyes were playful, his voice filled with told-you-so.
"It's kind of like the fake pass last year against Boise State," he said. "It was a bad call. The one for Mike Bass. But when it works, it's a good call.
"And that's what happened with the punt."
UH Athletics
Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com
