Illustration by Kip Aoki
Catch the Wave Step down from the rarefied air of the BCS bowl games, and postseason college football is almost as much preseason college football for the next year.
Today’s Hawaii Bowl is a chance
Schedules / Stats
for the Warriors to shine in front
of a national television audience
Warriors expect tough game from Tulane
By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comA good example is the inaugural ConAgra Foods Hawaii Bowl, matching Hawaii (10-3) and Tulane (7-5) today at Aloha Stadium.
The Warriors showcase a strong senior class for a crowd that will probably be in the 25,000 range, as well as an ESPN national TV audience. But UH is also a young team with many key players returning next year, making the reward for a job well done also a springboard for future deeds in 2003; if quarterback Tim Chang is to indeed become a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, the campaign begins today.
Hawaii probably can't get itself back into the Top 25 by beating 12-point-underdog Tulane, especially at home. But 11-3 with 15 returning starters might look good to the preseason voters this summer.
Tulane is in a somewhat similar situation. Many of the Green Wave's best players are underclassmen, including quarterback J.P. Losman, running back Mewelde Moore and cornerback Lynaris Elphiage. They are all juniors.
And the old respect theme is a major one for Tulane, since many point at a team that lost to Army being in a bowl game as one of the things wrong with college football. Tulane -- just four years removed from an undefeated season -- wants to show it deserves its trip to Hawaii.
"From top to bottom our players understand the importance of this football game," coach Chris Scelfo said.
Teams in bowl games generally use a few of the extra practices they are granted to take a closer look at untested players who will be counted on in the next season.
"It's sort of like what we do during a bye week, but then we have to start game-planning," Hawaii coach June Jones said.
He and offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh liked what they saw in sophomore right tackle Ryan Santos, and it's a good thing -- they might need him to make his first collegiate start today.
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Hawaii coach June Jones, left, and Tulane coach Chris Scelfo, who spoke at a press conference yesterday, are taking today's Hawaii Bowl game very seriously.
Hawaii's banged-up offensive line will be without starting center Lui Fuata (torn ACL) and perhaps starting left tackle Wayne Hunter (back spasms). Starting right tackle Uriah Moenoa will move to center or left tackle, propelling Santos into the lineup, next to right guard Vince Manuwai.
"He's been taking a lot of reps. Mentally he's ready for the game. Physically he'll catch up once he's in there, played a couple series," said Manuwai, who was named to several All-America teams. "I'm trying to help him with certain looks on certain plays."
Scelfo said UH's possible offensive line shuffle didn't hamper his preparation.
"They've got guys they can plug into their system. They've recruited to that system," he said. "They're going to run what they do best, what got them here. (From a) preparation standpoint, schematic standpoint, I don't see anything changing."
Scelfo described his defensive schemes as "vanilla."
"They're similar to Rice in that they run the scheme they're supposed to and they don't make many mistakes," Manuwai said. "They run to the ball, real hard-nosed guys. They keep fighting. We've got to have that extra tenth of a second. It's going to be tough."
History is on Hawaii's side, as UH has won both meetings between the schools.
But the last game was almost too long ago for anyone to remember, other than Green Wave strength coach Curtis Tsuruda; he held that position for the Rainbows when UH beat Tulane 56-17 in 1993.
Some believe a similar score is possible today. But Jones isn't counting on it.
"They have great schemes on both sides of the ball. I told our team today, in the week watching them, they have inside of them what it takes to be extraordinary. They seem to be together, they play hard, they don't beat themselves. We're going to have to play our best football to beat this team. It's going to be fun to watch," Jones said. "They match up well with us."
Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa said he is wary of Tulane's offense because of its balance.
"I think (Losman) is very talented. As a defense, it's hard when you go up against a quarterback who can move and throw the ball as well," he said. "I think we have a tough task at hand. We hope we can contain him and start from there. But then they have that good running back."
In addition to rushing for 1,022 yards, Moore is also Tulane's leading receiver with 46 catches for 465 yards.
Tulane's biggest advantage is in the turnover department. The Green Wave recovered 19 opponent fumbles and intercepted 21 passes (Elpheage was second in the nation with eight), while giving the ball up 10 times each on interceptions and fumbles. The Warriors were intercepted 25 times and lost nine fumbles. On defense, they got 18 picks and 14 fumbles.
Hawaii won't alter its wide-open style on both sides of the ball. If turnovers decide this game, the numbers indicate Tulane can win. But Scelfo admits Hawaii's run-and-shoot offense -- which leads the nation in passing yardage -- is like nothing his team has seen before.
"Trust me, that's why my eyes are crossed right now," he said. "June's run that system a long time and knows it inside and out. It comes down to players making plays. They can operate as well as anyone we've played all year."
The Green Wave practices have been sharp. The Warriors have been relatively loose, but then that's how they always are. The intense Scelfo knows better than to be fooled by UH's laid-back pregame demeanor.
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Said Jones of Tulane: "They have inside of them what it takes to be extraordinary." Said Scelfo: "From top to bottom our players understand the importance of this football game."
"Tomorrow is going to be a tremendous challenge for us. We're playing a team in its home stadium that is very well coached. They've played extremely well all year," he said. "Our team is excited about the game. The key to this game is to play within ourselves, play Tulane football and not try to be something we are not. The distractions that this island presents, they've handled it well. I offer an invitation to June that we'll return the favor if they come for a week during Mardi gras, we'll play them in the dome and let him deal with those distractions that I've been dealing with."
Other teams might fall victim to some of the more exotic allures common to Kalakaua Avenue and Bourbon Street. But these two are here partly thanks to their high maturity levels.
Besides, as Moore noted, the fans at Aloha Stadium are developing as wild a reputation as any denizens of Waikiki or the French Quarter.
"We heard it's kind of like World Cup. It's going to be something different," Moore said. "We're going to try to make it as exciting a game as possible. We're going to try to entertain our viewers."
Manuwai and Tinoisamoa said they expect a close game.
"(The point spread is) just numbers and they don't mean anything if they're not on the scoreboard," Manuwai said. "That's just for the people who gamble or whatever."
Said Tinoisamoa: "I think it's going to be a very tough game. They're a disciplined team and anytime you get two disciplined teams it comes down to those few plays. We have to make those plays. If we don't we won't win. We're looking to stay focused and bring our best game. But we don't see ourselves as favorites. It seems like a fair match and we're just looking forward to playing. It seems like it's been a long week."
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Schedules
TULANE (7-5, 4-4 C-USA)
Aug. 31 Southern W, 37-19 Sept. 7 at Houston W, 34-13 Sept. 14 at East Carolina L, 20-24 Sept. 21 at Memphis L, 10-38 Sept. 28 Texas L, 0-49 Oct. 5 at Louisiana-Monroe W, 52-9 Oct. 12 Cincinnati W, 35-17 Oct. 19 Alabama-Birmingham W, 35-14 Oct. 26 Navy W, 51-30 Nov. 9 Texas Christian L, 10-17 Nov. 16 Army L, 10-14 Nov. 23 Southern Miss W, 31-10 Today Hawaii (Hawaii Bowl)
HAWAII (10-3, 7-1 WAC)
Aug. 31 Eastern Illinois W, 61-36 Sept. 6 at Brigham Young L, 32-35 Sept. 21 at Texas-El Paso W, 31-6 Sept. 28 Southern Methodist W, 42-10 Oct. 5 at Boise State L, 31-58 Oct. 12 Nevada W, 59-34 Oct. 19 Tulsa W, 37-14 Oct. 25 at Fresno State W, 31-21 Nov. 2 San Jose State W, 40-31 Nov. 16 at Rice W, 33-28 Nov. 23 Cincinnati W, 20-19 Nov. 30 Alabama L, 16-21 Dec. 7 San Diego State W, 41-40 Today Tulane (Hawaii Bowl)
Team statistics
Tulane Hawaii 27.1 Points 36.5 21.2 Points Allowed 27.2 307.0 Total Offense 500.8 106.5 Rushing yards 112.8 200.5 Passing yards 387.9 367.2 Yards allowed 395.8 +1.67 Turnovers -0.15
Depth charts
TULANE
OFFENSE WR 80 Chris Bush 6-1 195 So. 25 James Dunn 5-8 172 Jr. WR 8 Nick Narcisse 6-0 180 Jr. 1 Tristan Smith 6-0 180 So. LT 68 Chris McGee 6-4 265 Fr. 64 Derek Rogers 6-5 315 Fr. LG 72 Matt Traina 6-3 267 Fr. 55 Joe Traina 6-3 269 Fr. C 62 Brendon Drysdale 6-1 308 Jr. 55 Joe Traina 6-3 269 Fr. RG 60 Seth Zaunbrecher 6-4 290 Sr. 66 Donald Madlock 6-4 300 Fr. RT 76 Jimmy Kosienski 6-7 280 So. 79 Robert Hand 6-6 250 Fr. TE 88 Bobby Hoover 6-4 252 So. 87 Jerome Landry 6-4 240 Fr. WR 25 James Dunn 5-8 172 Jr. 83 Carl Davis 5-11 172 So. WR 9 Roydell Williams 6-2 183 Jr. 19 Cletus McGee 6-1 192 Fr. QB 7 J.P. Losman 6-3 215 Jr. 11 Derrick Joseph 5-11 187 Sr. RB 26 Mewelde Moore 6-1 203 Jr. 16 Chino Fontenette 5-10 202 Jr. FB 38 Kris Coleman 6-0 243 Jr. 48 Tye Graham 6-2 245 Fr. DEFENSE DE 91 Kenan Blackmon 6-5 262 Sr. 95 Michael Roberts 6-3 245 Fr. DT 98 Brandon Rottmayer 6-5 257 So. 54 Marlon Tickles 6-1 290 Sr. DT 89 Roxie Shelvin 6-2 285 Sr. 81 Terrence Tarver 6-1 270 Jr. DE 94 Chris Washington 6-2 225 Sr. 85 Floyd Dorsey 6-0 258 Sr. 97 Jay Ashton 6-3 254 Fr. LB 18 Terry Fontenot 5-11 212 Sr. 41 Wesley Heath 6-0 222 Jr. LB 29 Nick Simpson 6-3 215 Sr. 32 Brandt Quick 6-1 235 Jr. 46 Blake Baker 5-10 220 So. LB 36 Anthony Cannon 6-0 210 Fr. 37 Gerald Brobbey 5-9 185 So. CB 13 Lynaris Elpheage 5-9 170 Jr. 20 Bruce Youmans 5-10 179 Fr. SS 23 Trawick Boger 6-1 203 So. 14 Adrian Mitchell 5-10 185 Sr. FS 27 Joey Dawson 6-2 189 So. 4 Quentin Brown 5-9 175 Sr. CB 3 Jeff Sanchez 5-10 175 Sr. 15 Sean Lucas 5-11 175 Fr. SPECIALISTS PK 47 Seth Marler 6-0 195 Sr. P 47 Seth Marler 6-0 195 Sr. H 16 Chino Fontenette 5-10 200 Jr. LS 65 Lane Macaluso 6-2 240 So. 54 Marlon Tickles 6-1 290 Sr. PR 13 Lynaris Elpheage 5-9 170 Jr. 25 James Dunn 5-8 172 Jr. KR 13 Lynaris Elpheage 5-9 170 Jr. 21 Brant Hocke 5-8 189 Sr.
HAWAII
OFFENSE WR 18 Justin Colbert 5-8 170 Sr. 87 Kanale George 6-2 193 So. WR 84 Britton Komine 5-9 184 So. 2 Chad Owens 5-9 177 So. LT 70 Wayne Hunter 6-6 299 Jr. 69 Uriah Moenoa 6-3 327 So. 66 Brandon Eaton 6-3 301 Fr. LG 77 Shayne Kajioka 6-3 308 Jr. 75 Chad Kahale 6-1 337 So. C 59 Derek Faavi 6-0 266 Fr. 69 Uriah Moenoa 6-3 327 So. 55 Alapai Andrews 6-0 298 Sr. RG 65 Vince Manuwai 6-2 309 Sr. 67 Phil Kauffman 6-1 283 So. RT 69 Uriah Moenoa 6-3 327 So. 71 Ryan Santos 6-5 320 So. WR 4 Nate Ilaoa 5-9 204 Fr. 21 Clifton Herbert 5-8 157 Jr. WR 19 Jeremiah Cockheran 6-0 193 Jr. 88 Neal Gossett 5-10 177 Sr. QB 14 Tim Chang 6-2 191 So. 7 Shawn Withy-Allen 6-4 219 Sr. RB 24 Thero Mitchell 5-10 210 Sr. 20 John West 5-10 180 Jr. DEFENSE LE 58 La'anui Correa 6-5 264 Sr. 11 Kevin Jackson 6-5 229 Jr. LT 97 Isaac Sopoaga 6-3 315 Jr. 79 Keali'i Aguiar 6-0 310 Jr. RT 92 Lance Samuseva 5-11 290 Jr. 94 Abu Ma'afala 6-2 268 Fr. RE 93 Houston Ala 6-1 250 Jr. 1 Travis LaBoy 6-4 249 Jr. LB 44 Matt Wright 6-1 225 Sr. 46 Keani Alapa 6-0 221 Jr. LB 54 Chris Brown 6-1 255 Sr. 56 Chad Kalilimoku 5-11 243 Jr. LB 10 Pisa Tinoisamoa 6-0 218 Sr. 29 Kilinahe Noa 6-0 213 So. CB 37 Abraham Elimimian 5-10 173 So. 25 Josiah Cravalho 5-10 188 So. FS 42 Leonard Peters 6-1 174 Jr. 23 Sean Butts 6-3 202 Sr. SS 17 David Gilmore 6-0 197 Jr. 5 Chad Kapanui 6-1 174 Jr. CB 3 Kelvin Millhouse 6-1 205 Jr. 27 Gary Wright 5-10 201 Jr. SPECIALISTS P 49 Mat McBriar 6-0 221 Sr. 36 Kurt Milne 5-11 199 Fr. K 47 Justin Ayat 5-11 205 So. 48 Nolan Miranda 5-8 162 Fr. LS 45 Tanuvasa Moe 5-11 218 Fr. 65 Vince Manuwai 6-2 309 Sr. PR 2 Chad Owens 5-9 177 So. 21 Clifton Herbert 5-8 157 Jr. KR 2 Chad Owens 5-9 177 So. 6 Michael Brewster 5-6 176 So. H 7 Shawn Withy-Allen 6-4 219 Sr. 49 Mat McBriar 6-0 221 Sr.
Individual leaders
TULANE
Passing A C I Yards TD J.P. Losman 362 210 10 2,228 19 Derrick Joseph 34 15 0 178 1 Rushing A Yards Avg TD Mewelde Moore 258 1,022 4.0 5 Jovon Jackson 38 168 4.4 1 Kris Coleman 8 27 3.4 0 Receiving Rec Yards Avg TD Mewelde Moore 46 465 10.1 3 Tristan Smith 42 372 8.9 5 Damarcus Davis 20 235 11.8 2 Scoring TD FG XP Pts Avg Seth Marler 0 18 29 83 6.9 Mewelde Moore 8 0 2 50 4.2 Tristan Smith 5 0 0 30 2.5 Tackles S A Tot FL/S Int Anthony Cannon 65 45 110 6/2 0 Quentin Brown 66 36 102 1/0.5 5 Brandt Quick 48 45 93 6/0 0 Adria Mitchell 39 26 65 1/0 0 Lynaris Elpheage 46 16 62 0/0 8 Punting A Yards Avg Seth Marler 68 2,902 42.7
HAWAII
Passing A C I Yards TD Tim Chang 603 335 22 4,350 25 Shawn Withy-Allen 55 31 2 531 5 Rushing A Yards Avg TD John West 57 442 7.8 5 Thero Mitchell 53 314 5.9 10 Mike Bass 52 311 6.0 1 Receiving Rec Yards Avg TD Justin Colbert 83 1,144 13.8 6 Britton Komine 56 850 15.2 10 Chad Owens 44 538 12.2 2 Scoring TD FG XP Pts Avg Justin Ayat 0 15 51 96 7.4 Britton Komine 10 0 2 62 4.8 Thero Mitchell 10 0 0 60 4.6 Tackles S A Tot FL/S Int Pisa Tinoisamoa 87 34 121 18/6.5 2 Chris Brown 45 35 80 8/1 2 Hyrum Peters 55 22 77 3/1 4 Isaac Sopoaga 39 26 65 5/0 0 David Gilmore 43 22 65 1/0 0 Punting A Yards Avg Mat McBriar 43 1,879 43.7
UH Athletics
