[ UH FOOTBALL ]
Spartans’ Rislov
a smooth operator
Editor's note: This is the ninth in a series of 13 features on Hawaii's opponents this season.
Dr. Fitz Hill is not a medical practitioner. Neither is Scott Rislov.
But Hill, football coach of the San Jose State Spartans, trusts his senior quarterback enough to let him take a scalpel to his Ph.D. skull at a future time and place.
"Scott's going to be a doctor some day. He could operate on me. If I had to have brain surgery I give him permission to cut my brain," Hill said.
For now, Hill will settle for Rislov's slicing up of defenses like he did to Grambling State's last Saturday as the Spartans won their season-opener 29-0. Rislov passed for 321 of the offense's 463 yards.
Rislov's surgery becomes somewhat more major beginning Saturday as the Spartans march off to Florida and back to Stanford the following week.
Still, the complete game against Grambling (San Jose State's first shutout in 13 years) bodes well for Drs. Hill and Rislov and their colleagues. They also feel they're good enough to dream, having beaten Illinois and hung for a half against Ohio State in Columbus last year.
Before the shutout of one of Division-IAA's better offenses, Hill sounded concerned about his defense.
"We're going to stop something. I think it's the run. It's slow death if you can't stop the run," Hill said. "Pass, you have a chance. They have to throw it and catch it. Give up yards on the ground and you've got issues."
Hill likes it better when the opponents throw because he's got senior safety Gerald Jones (6-0, 196) leading a ball-hawking secondary.
Jones returned a pick for a TD against Grambling, and was third in the country with eight interceptions last year. He's joined in the back five (The Spartans use three safeties in its base defense) by sophomore corners Malcolm Thompson (6-1, 183) and Trestin George (5-9, 173) and junior safeties Josh Powell (6-3, 196) and Eric Wilson (5-9, 196). Wilson led the Spartans with 10 tackles Saturday.
Up front, converted linebacker Philip Perry (6-2, 254), a senior, is outstanding at end; he had seven sacks and forced seven fumbles last fall. But the Spartans are otherwise undersized, and will have to rely on quickness and technique with sophomore tackles Larnell Ransom (6-1, 257) and Kinji Green (6-2, 263), junior end Tony Ficklin (6-2, 257) and senior linebackers Paul Okumu (6-0, 234) and Onyeka Ossai (6-1, 217).
Rislov -- a transfer from North Dakota who has yet to earn less than an A in a class at San Jose State -- graded out well on the field last year with 3,251 passing yards. The guys on the other end of his tosses include experienced senior receivers Tuati Wooden (6-0, 192), Kendrick Starling (6-1, 183) and Jamall Broussard (5-9, 177) and tight end Courtney Anderson (6-7, 267).
Freshman tailback Yonus Davis (5-9, 170) made a nifty debut Saturday with 69 yards rushing and 69 receiving. Junior Lance Martin (5-10, 212) and sophomore Ezekiel Staples (5-11, 198) rotate in the one-back offense.
The offensive line features four seniors with lots of starting experience: They are left tackle Joseph Hayes (6-5, 310), left guard Kevin Israel (6-2, 310), center LaMons Walker (6-3, 269) and right guard Justin Arrington (6-1, 300).
New kicker Jeff Carr, junior brother of former kicker Michael Carr, made three of four field goals against Grambling. Bryce Partridge is the new punter.
Broussard and Starling are the punt and kick returners.
A crowd of 31,681 filled Spartan Stadium on Saturday, a boon for a program that needs as many butts in the seats as possible to ensure its Division I-A future. Too bad the Grambling band isn't available every week.
San Jose State Spartans
2003 schedule
Aug. 23 Grambling State W, 29-0 Aug. 30 at Florida Sept. 6 at Stanford Sept. 18 Nevada Oct. 4 at Rice Oct. 11 Southern Methodist Oct. 25 at Boise State Nov. 1 Hawaii Nov. 8 at Texas-El Paso Nov. 15 at Fresno State Nov. 22 Tulsa 2002 results
6-7 overall, 4-4 WAC
Aug. 31 Ark. St., at Little Rock W, 33-14 Sept. 7 at Washington L, 10-34 Sept. 14 at Stanford L, 26-63 Sept. 21 at Illinois W, 38-35 Sept. 28 Texas-El Paso W, 58-24 Oct. 5 at Southern Methodist W, 34-23 Oct. 12 at Ohio State L, 7-50 Oct. 19 at Nevada L, 24-52 Oct. 26 Boise State L, 8-45 Nov. 2 at Hawaii L, 31-40 Nov. 9 Louisiana Tech W, 42-30 Nov. 16 at Tulsa W, 49-38 Nov. 23 Fresno State L, 16-19
