WARRIOR FOOTBALL
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii capped an 11-3 season by beating Arizona State in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl last Sunday.
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View from the top
Hawaii has to figure out how to follow up a successful season
Getting to the top -- or near it -- is the easy part. At least compared to what comes next.
June Jones knows all about that. He's been through it once already.
In 1999, his first year on the job, he coached Hawaii to the biggest turnaround in college football history and glasses clinked throughout the state in his honor. Then came the double-reverse 3-9 season of 2000, and the "JJ for Governor" T-shirts all of a sudden disappeared.
The Warriors finished with more wins than losses every one of the next four seasons, but it seems it took a rebuilding year in 2005 for Jones and his team to begin to really meet their own high expectations.
In many ways, lessons learned during that 5-7 season last year (during which Jones said was the most fun he's had coaching) laid the foundation for the spectacular show and 11-3 record of 2006.
At least for now, Jones has proved wrong the critics of his four-receiver, pass-first offense. With third-team All-America quarterback Colt Brennan leading the way, the Warriors broke or tied 28 NCAA records, most of them passing, receiving, scoring and total offense.
"Colt is what I said he was, and everybody probably thought I was crazy. The best college quarterback in America. And he showed it," Jones said.
Brennan dominated the 2006 quarterback statistics, and the Warriors -- by the numbers -- earned a place among the most impressive offensive teams in history. Some will question the strength of schedule, but the statistics are truly spectacular.
The opponent didn't seem to matter after the first half of the season-opening 25-17 loss at Alabama; the Warriors scored at least 32 points in every other game, with more than 60 in four others.
A defense that went from horrible in 2004 to a little bit better in 2005 in its first year under Jerry Glanville bloomed in 2006. The gang-tackling and forced turnovers reminded fans of UH teams from previous generations that prided themselves on defense.
Glanville has been around long enough that he knows, too: Now comes the hard part.
Staying there, and then climbing higher.
"Next spring we have to go out there like we never hit anyone before in our life," said Glanville, minutes after Hawaii completed its season with a 41-24 win over Arizona State.
He loses three All-WAC performers in ends Ikaika Alama-Francis and Mel Purcell and safety Leonard Peters.
The offense also takes some heavy hits, as center Samson Satele, tackles Tala Esera and Dane Uperesa, receivers Ross Dickerson and Ian Sample and running back Nate Ilaoa must be replaced. Four of them were first-team All-WAC.
The five linemen, Ilaoa and Peters could all get drafted, and Dickerson and Sample could get into camps as free agents. All nine are candidates for college all-star games, with Satele already committed to the Senior Bowl.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Quarterback Colt Brennan and right tackle Dane Uperesa signed autographs for fans after the Dec. 2 game against Oregon State -- Uperesa's last regular-season game as a Warrior, and possibly Brennan's.
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Brennan was sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting and became the most nationally honored player in school history in a few short weeks. Though a junior, he might be gone to the NFL, too.
"People will think I'm an idiot if I don't at least listen to the NFL," Brennan said.
Jones doesn't want to think too much about filling the pukas now -- except maybe on the links and on the 2007 schedule (four nonconference games remain unannounced).
"Not yet. I'm going to play some golf next week," he said. "But I'm very excited about the players we have coming back. The senior leadership has shown that it takes more than one guy to win."
Everything in the offseason before 2006 seemed to go right for the Warriors. Three key players -- Peters, Sample and Ilaoa -- were each granted a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA. Satele decided to return for his senior year instead of turning pro, as did Purcell. And junior receiver Jason Rivers came back after missing a year of school for personal reasons.
Two more plusses were the additions of Dennis McKnight coaching the offensive line and special teams and Jeff Reinebold becoming the full-time defensive line coach.
While the 2006 Warriors enjoyed an abundance of talent and experience, their greatest attribute was character. All successful football teams become so because of camaraderie. Guys play hurt (and guys who don't play hide their hurt) more on winning teams.
"I think these kids just understood that it's not 'me.' Everybody plays hard for each other," Jones said. "They understand putting the other guy first, all that kind of stuff."
They played for each other, and let the rest take care of itself.
"I really wanted to hand it off with a win," Alama-Francis said after the Hawaii Bowl.
Note: Final team statistics appeared in the Dec. 26 Star-Bulletin. They can also be accessed online at starbulletin.com.
The 2006 UH Football Season: Game By Game
Sept. 2
Alabama 25, Hawaii 17
At Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. » The Warriors almost gave the Tide something to really be Crimson about before 92,138 at the breaking in of Alabama's newly refurbished stadium.
Hawaii started out slowly with dropped passes and other mistakes, and was fortunate to trail just 15-3 at halftime. Then the Warriors (0-1) gained momentum after the break, and UH was driving to try to tie the game when Lionel Mitchell intercepted Colt Brennan's pass in the Crimson Tide (1-0) end zone on the final play.
Rushing--H: Nate Ilaoa 4-27 0. A: Jimmy Johns 8-58 0.
Passing--H: Colt Brennan 30-44-1 350 2. A: J.P. Wilson 16-29-0 253 1.
Receiving--H: Ryan Grice-Mullins 6-109 1. A: Keith Brown 6-132 1.
Tackles--H: Adam Leonard 6-5-11. A: Juwan Simpson 3-6-9.
Sept. 16
Hawaii 42, UNLV 13
At Aloha Stadium » The Warriors played smart and swarming defense, seemingly anticipating every move by UNLV's multi-faceted spread-option shotgun attack. The Rebels (1-2) managed only six first downs in the first half as Hawaii built a 28-0 lead. Their two touchdowns came long after the issue had been settled and UNLV struggled to 39 yards rushing.
A crowd of 28,173 also saw Colt Brennan complete his first nine passes as the Warriors (1-1) scored on their first two possessions.
Rushing--U: David Peeples 13-39 1. H: Nate Ilaoa 9-104 2.
Passing--U: Rocky Hinds 13-37-1 166 0. H: Colt Brennan 24-35-2 296 2.
Receiving--U: Casey Flair 4-87 0. H: Davone Bess 10-124 1.
Tackles--U: Jason Beauchamp 8-1-9. H: Brad Kalilimoku 4-4-8.
Sept. 23
Boise State 41, Hawaii 34
At Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho » Dogged by its own mistakes and the No. 25 Broncos' efficiency, the Warriors stubbed their collective toe again on the blue turf. Ian Johnson rushed for 178 yards, and UH was betrayed once again by its special teams. A sellout crowd of 30,642 watched on a nearly balmy night as BSU beat Hawaii for the fifth season in a row.
The Warriors (1-2, 0-1) lost their WAC season opener despite five touchdown passes by Colt Brennan, including three to Jason Rivers. Four-time league champion Boise State went to 4-0 and 1-0 in the WAC.
UH botched a field-goal try and two point-after-touchdown attempts.
Rushing--H: Nate Ilaoa 12-68 0. B: Ian Johnson 29-178 2.
Passing--H: Colt Brennan 25-36-1 388 5. B: Jared Zabransky 17-29-1 273 3.
Receiving--H: Davone Bess 6-104 2. B: Drisan James 5-66 0, Legadu Naanee 3-66 1.
Tackles--H: Leonard Peters 6-7-13. B: Korey Hall 5-7-12.
Sept. 30
Hawaii 44, E. Illinois 9
At Aloha Stadium » The Warriors (2-2) pulled the welcome mat out from under the guests early and often in UH's most lopsided win in five years. A gathering of 22,480 -- one of the smallest to see UH play at Aloha Stadium -- watched Colt Brennan throw for five touchdown passes and 409 yards, all in less than three quarters. Hawaii amassed 571 total yards, 529 of it passing.
The Warriors allowed just 291 yards, and that included a breakaway run of 69 by Vincent Webb on short yardage. The Division I-AA Panthers fell to 2-3.
Rushing--E: Vincent Webb 11-117 0. H: Nate Ilaoa 9-46 1.
Passing--E: Cole Stinson 6-13-2 42 0. H: Colt Brennan 30-41-1 409 5.
Receiving--E: Brian Burdis 3-28 0. H: Ian Sample 6-122 2.
Tackles--E: Donald Thomas 7-1-8. H: Adam Leonard 9-1-10.
oct. 7
Hawaii 41, Nevada 34
At Aloha Stadium » The Wolf Pack fought back in the fourth quarter and the Warriors needed to make a goal-line stand to hold off Nevada. The UH defense stopped four tries from the Hawaii 3 with less than 4 minutes left. Colt Brennan passed for four touchdowns and rushed for another. But it was his fumble that gave Nevada the ball and its chance for a first WAC win in Hawaii.
A crowd of 29,427 saw Hawaii improve to 3-2 and 1-1 in the WAC after building a 20-point lead but then need the entire game to shake the gum-on-the-shoe Wolf Pack (3-3, 0-2).
Rushing--N: Brandon Fragger 10-54 1. H: Nate Ilaoa 14-151 0.
Passing--N: Jeff Rowe 20-26-0 243 2. H: Colt Brennan 36-47-0 419 4.
Receiving--N: Jack Darlington 8-135 1. H: Davone Bess 10-139 1.
Tackles--N: Ezra Butler 8-0-8. H: Adam Leonard 8-1-9.
Oct. 14
Hawaii 68, Fresno State 37
At Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, Calif. » The Warriors (4-2, 2-1 WAC) were close to unstoppable against the struggling Bulldogs and set a school record for points scored on the road.
Hawaii scored touchdowns on 10 of 13 offensive possessions, sending most of the 39,122 attending to the exits early in the second half. UH's four starting receivers all caught at least one touchdown pass.
Rushing--H: Colt Brennan 7-43 0. F: Lonyae Miller 16-113 1.
Passing--H: Colt Brennan 32-39-0 409 5. F: Sean Norton 14-24-1 225 3.
Receiving--H: Ross Dickerson 10-115 1. F: Marlon Moore 3-100 1.
Tackles--H: Solomon Elimimian 4-3-73. F: Josh Sherley 5-1-6.
Oct. 21
Hawaii 49, NMSU 30
At Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, N.M. » The Warriors ruined a second consecutive homecoming by dominating the end game after the Aggies (2-5, 0-3 WAC), nearly three-touchdown underdogs, managed to hang within four points with three quarters in the books. Colt Brennan and Chase Holbrook lived up to billing in the matchup of prolific quarterbacks before a gathering of 17,318.
But huge defensive plays allowed the Warriors (5-2, 3-1) to take control late. Including a huge hit by Melila Purcell that temporarily knocked Holbrook out of the game, UH forced the Aggies to turn the ball over on downs and to fumble twice late in the game, resulting in 21 Hawaii points.
Rushing--H: Nate Ilaoa 18-94 1. N: Chris Nwoko, 12-59 1.
Passing--H: Colt Brennan 22-31-0 330 5. N: Chase Holbrook 31-45-1 323 3.
Receiving--H: Ross Dickerson 6-125 2. N: Chris Williams 7-160 2.
Tackles--H: Solomon Elimimian 2-12-14. N: Nathan Nuttal 2-10-12.
Oct. 28
Hawaii 68, Idaho 10
At Aloha Stadium » The Warriors dominated all phases in the best all-around effort of the season, whipping the Vandals from the opening kickoff -- which Ross Dickerson returned 100 yards -- to the final minutes. Colt Brennan, the nation's leader in passing efficiency and touchdown passes (33), extended his streak of passes without an interception to 158 before a homecoming crowd of 29,364. Ryan Grice-Mullins came back from missing four games with an ankle injury to catch two touchdown passes, and Ian Sample scored for the fifth game in a row.
The Warriors (6-2, 4-1 WAC) defense knocked the Vandals (4-5, 3-2) around like scout-team freshmen. Ryan Keomaka's 29-yard interception return gave UH its final score.
Rushing--I: Brian Flowers 9-37 0. H: Colt Brennan 5-63 0.
Passing--I: Steve Wichman 13-29-0 192 1. H: Colt Brennan 31-38-0 333 5.
Receiving--I: Luke Smith-Anderson 5-88 0. H: Jason Rivers 6-108 1.
Tackles--I: David Vobora 9-0-9. H: Adam Leonard 5-2-7.
Nov. 4
Hawaii 63, Utah State 10
At Romney Stadium in Logan, Utah » The Warriors won their sixth in a row and clinched a Hawaii Bowl berth as running back Nate Ilaoa scored three touchdowns while piling up 210 all-purpose yards (including a game-high 155 receiving). The Hawaii (7-2, 5-1 WAC) defense again did its part. It recovered three Aggies (1-8, 1-4) fumbles and intercepted a pass, scoring touchdowns after all three fumbles.
The Warriors scored enough in each quarter alone (at least 14) to win, as they did against Idaho.
Rushing--H: Nate Ilaoa 12-68 0. U: Riley Nelson 15-65 0.
Passing--H: Colt Brennan 18-29-1 413 6. U: Riley Nelson 17-29-1 225 0.
Receiving--H: Nate Ilaoa 6-155 2. U: Kevin Robinson 5-84 0.
Tackles--H: Adam Leonard 3-8-11. U: Devon Hall 2-3-5.
Nov. 11
Hawaii 61, LaTech 17
At Aloha Stadium » A turnstile crowd of 27,529 saw UH win its seventh straight game, and improve to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the WAC. For the third game in a row and fourth in five, Hawaii exceeded 60 points. The defense also dominated again, yielding just 10 points while the outcome was in question and generating two turnovers that were recycled into Hawaii touchdowns.
LaTech (3-7, 1-4) showed early it was intent on making a game of it, but the Warriors scored 52 unanswered points after the Bulldogs took an early lead. Colt Brennan threw four TD passes to four different receivers.
Rushing--L: Patrick Jackson 13-94 0. H: Colt Brennan 6-60 1.
Passing--L: Zac Champion 12-31-2 135 1. H: Colt Brennan 27-40-1 406 4.
Receiving--L: Bryan Carroll 4-81 1. H: Davone Bess 7-143 2.
Tackles--L: Marquis Spurgon 5-1-6. H: Adam Leonard 5-1-6.
Nov. 18
Hawaii 54, SJSU 17
At Aloha Stadium » A five-touchdown spurt after halftime -- enabled by UH's crushing defense -- allowed the Warriors (9-2, 7-1 WAC) to match the school record for consecutive victories in one season. San Jose State (6-4, 3-3) managed just 192 yards in offense, while UH added to its nation-leading average by piling up 568.
The largest home crowd of the season to this point (29,523) saw the Warriors win their fourth homecoming game of the year -- Fresno State's, New Mexico State's, their own against Idaho, and this night's return of former UH coach Dick Tomey as the head Spartan.
Rushing--S: Cameron Island 15-38 0. H: Nate Ilaoa 12-100 1.
Passing--S: Adam Tafralis 7-15-0 110 0. H: Colt Brennan 28-39-1 402 5.
Receiving--S: Chester Coleman 2-32 0. H: Davone Bess 6-81 2.
Tackles--S: Damaja Jones 7-3-10. H: Solomon Elimimian 10-2-12.
Nov. 25
Hawaii 42, Purdue 35
At Aloha Stadium » The string of blowouts was fun for the Warriors. But No. 25 UH (10-2) showed its resilient side, outlasting the Boilermakers (8-5) for a ninth win in a row -- a school record for consecutive victories in one season. It was Hawaii's first win by less than 31 points in seven weeks.
Purdue fought back from a 17-0 halftime deficit and led 35-27 early in the fourth quarter as it took full advantage of three UH turnovers. But the Warriors -- playing before 44,298 -- rallied on both sides of the ball and Ian Sample scored the winning touchdown on a 23-yard pass-and-run play from Colt Brennan with 1:27 left. An interception by Gerard Lewis set up the winning score, and one by Adam Leonard sealed the deal.
Rushing--P: Jaycen Taylor 7-46 0. H: Nate Ilaoa 12-159 2.
Passing--P: Curtis Painter 29-42-2 357 4. H: Colt Brennan 33-48-1 434 3.
Receiving--P: Dorien Bryant 8-76 0. H: Davone Bess 6-117 0.
Tackles--P: Terrell Vinson 6-2-8. H: Solomon Elimimian 9-5-14.
Dec. 2
Oregon State 35, Hawaii 32
At Aloha Stadium » Everything was set up for another magical finish. The Warriors weathered a storm of BCS talent to be in the game in the fourth quarter. A huge crowd of 46,683 had their back. Colt Brennan led a late touchdown drive to put UH within a score. And the defense came up with a three and out in the waning minutes to give the ball back to Hawaii.
But, unlike the week before against Purdue, Brennan proved he's human. His fourth-down pass bounced in front of Jason Rivers, and Oregon State (9-4) ran out the clock. The Beavers, with 11 players and five coaches with Hawaii on their birth certificates and résumés, sacked Brennan six times and hung a loss on the Warriors (10-3) for the first time after nine UH wins.
Rushing--O: Yvenson Bernard 20-108 1. H: Nate Ilaoa 8-48 1.
Passing--O: Matt Moore 11-17-0 245 3. H: Colt Brennan 37-50-2 401 2.
Receiving--O: Sammie Stroughter 3-106 1. H: Davone Bess 10-116 1.
Tackles--O: Derrick Doggett 9-3-12. H: Adam Leonard 4-6-10.
Dec. 24
Hawaii 41, Arizona State 24
At Aloha Stadium » Colt Brennan and Jason Rivers were voted co-MVPs after breaking national records and June Jones became UH's winningest coach with his 64th at the Hawaii helm. The victory gave the Warriors an 11-3 mark and capped a season some will call Hawaii's best.
Brennan threw five touchdown passes to finish with 58 for the year and broke the single-season record of 54 set by Houston's David Klingler in 1990. He passed for a school-record 559 yards and was intercepted once.
Rivers caught 14 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. The yardage is a record for all bowl games, as well as a school mark.
A gathering of 40,623 -- largest in the five-year history of the Hawaii Bowl -- watched as the Sun Devils fell to 7-6 in fired coach Dirk Koetter's last game.
Rushing--H: Nate Ilaoa 18-97 0. A: Ryan Torain, 18-160 1.
Passing--H: Colt Brennan 33-42-1 559 5. A: Rudy Carpenter 13-26-0 273 2.
Receiving--H: Jason Rivers 14-308 2. A: Michael Jones 5-72 1.
Tackles--H: Solomon Elimimian 6-2-8. A: Beau Manutai 8-0-8, Josh Barrett 7-1-8.
