Sidelines
UH defense starting
to hit its strideALL that was missing was the theme to "Welcome Back Kotter" in the background.
Didn't this feel familiar? Wasn't this finally the team that you'd been dreaming about since last December?
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
"Last year," defensive tackle Lance Samuseva said, "was just the start of what our defense was about."
"We want to be where we were last year down the stretch," slotback Chad Owens said, "like, right now."
They're not there yet. But last night, 42-10, looked like something we had seen before. La'anui Correa's interception was downright eerie.
This defense is killing people. Ten points? It was like a hammer, and the playmakers are playing. Pisa Tinoisamoa, getting cut blocked by a back, getting up, still getting in on a sack. Hyrum Peters, exploding to the ball. Travis LaBoy, at last, playing like Travis LaBoy.
They move quickly, this bunch, they strike before you know what hit you. They dumped ice on Vantz Singletary, the defensive line coach. Kevin Lempa, the defensive coordinator, got it, too.
"Tonight we just dominated up front, linebackers filled," Samuseva said. "Everybody did a great job."
The offense's execution wasn't as complete, but it might be getting there.
"What was the halftime score?" Owens asked. "Fourteen-3? Fourteen-3, we should have been up 40-something-3."
Of course they weren't. But something happened in the third quarter that changed everything. Timmy Chang ran. Ran for 19 yards. There was an explosion in the end zone, two Southern Methodist players blowing each other up, and Chang was at the bottom of it all. The Mustangs' Kevin Garrett lay on the turf in a heap. Chang had scored. Hawaii went nuts.
They lifted him up. Thero Mitchell much shorter, and Chang much taller, and he was only a few inches off the ground when Mitchell carried him in delirious joy. From a distance, it looked like Chang was doing the Dracula, magically floating away.
Everything was different after that.
"Maybe I did inspire them, a little bit," Chang said.
Said Owens: "That's what we had in (Nick) Rolovich last year."
On the sideline, Owens and Nate Ilaoa mobbed Chang, getting crazy, sharing a did you just see that?! moment. June Jones conferred with his quarterback for several minutes.
The receivers were Chang's best friend the rest of the night, and he responded in kind. And we haven't seen the run-and-shoot like this since last season.
How much does opponent's level of play factor into this? Let's be honest. A lot. These were not the 1964 Packers. (These were not the 2001 Miami [Ohio] Redhawks.) These guys were better than UTEP, whatever that means. But if Hawaii plays this good at BYU -- and UH did not play bad there at all -- Hawaii wins that game.
Hawaii won this one. Hawaii looks like it could win a few more.
"We want to start rolling," Owens said. "Because we've got big games coming up. Boise, Fresno, Rice. It doesn't get any easier."
It doesn't, but this is what we've been waiting to see.
Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com