Idaho looks for a landmark

Brennan is ready to return as starting QB

STORY SUMMARY »

LEWISTON, Idaho » Colt Brennan appeared ready yesterday to move back into the starting quarterback position for Hawaii after missing a game due to injury. The senior Heisman Trophy candidate is the key man as the Warriors continue their quest for an undefeated season.

Hawaii (4-0) at Idaho (1-3) When: Today, 11:05 a.m. Where: Kibbie Dome, Moscow, Idaho The line: Hawaii by 24 1/2 TV: Live PPV 255; replay 9:30 p.m. today and 10 a.m. tomorrow, KFVE, Ch. 5 Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM Internet: htsportsnet.com

Hawaii is a 24 1/2-point favorite against host Idaho tonight.

UH (4-0, 1-0 Western Athletic Conference) is ranked 19th in the nation and goes for its ninth straight conference victory and sixth in a row on the road.

The Lewiston High School grass field on a chilly and wet afternoon was probably not the most ideal place for final preparations leading into today's game at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, about 30 miles away. But the Warriors made the best of it yesterday, beginning the afternoon workout with a spirited ha'a. Less than an hour later no one had aggravated any injuries and the team was back on the buses.

UH head coach June Jones said Brennan would be back in the starting lineup after missing last week's 66-10 victory over Charleston Southern with a sprained ankle.

Brennan practiced this week; he tweaked the ankle a little bit on Wednesday, but it was not a source of major concern.

"I'm excited to get back out there and play," Brennan said earlier in the week. "Every game right now I'm trying to cherish."

Senior wide receiver Jason Rivers made the trip but did not practice and is not expected to play due to a sore back that limited his participation in the Charleston Southern game.

Idaho (1-3, 0-0) has its third coach in three years, and the Vandals have beaten UH just once, in 1960 in Honolulu. Hawaii has since won five matchups and leads the series 6-1.

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LEWISTON, Idaho » Hawaii's only other visit to these parts resulted in a landmark victory and a confidence builder for a bunch of freshmen and a well-traveled transfer quarterback.

Two years ago, Brennan, receivers Davone Bess, Ryan Grice-Mullins and Mike Washington, defensive tackle Keala Watson, linebacker Solomon Elimimian and kicker Dan Kelly all started and experienced their first UH win on the road at Idaho, a 24-0 victory after Hawaii had lost its first two games of the season.

UH followed that up with a 68-10 rout of the Vandals at Aloha Stadium last year that stunned Dennis Erickson and may have gotten him thinking about getting out of Moscow -- which he did, for Arizona State.

Starting with that 2005 game at the Kibbie Dome, Hawaii has won 20 of its last 28.

"That will always be a big win for us," Grice-Mullins said. "It's the first one for us as a class."

Idaho's Robb Akey is hoping for a landmark victory of that sort for his young team that has already been through so much together. He got rid of 17 players because of character issues.

"I was amazed at some of the things that we dealt with in regards to drug involvement, cheating, stealing, things like that," Akey said.

When Hawaii has the ball

Whom do you key on? Bess, Grice-Mullins, C.J. Hawthorne and Jason Rivers are all on pace to catch more than 100 passes for more than 1,000 yards this season, assuming the Warriors win a few more games and qualify for a bowl.

There might be one fewer headache for Idaho, as Rivers (who did make the trip) has not practiced this week and may be kept out with a sore back that's been bothering him more than two weeks now. Or, maybe just a different kind of pain, as sophomore prodigy Malcolm Lane will likely start. Lane's comfort with the system is catching up to his considerable speed.

The Vandals have some talented defenders, like cornerback Stanley Franks (led the nation in interceptions last year, one this season) and linebacker David Vobora (team-leading 37 tackles). But they probably don't have enough speed to contain the Warriors.

Idaho will try to pressure quarterback Colt Brennan, especially since he will likely be slowed with his sprained ankle not at 100 percent.

"Getting pressure on Colt Brennan is a must," Vobora said. "We're expecting that he'll play, and we wouldn't want it any other way."

Taylor Rust has two of Idaho's three sacks. The Warriors did not allow a sack last week.

UH coach June Jones has given running back Leon Wright-Jackson the green light to improvise more at the line of scrimmage. The Warriors' leading rusher could be in for a breakout game.

When Idaho has the ball

The Warriors defensive line rotation has been very effective, keeping offenses off-guard with pass rushes from backups like David Veikune, Josh Leonard and Francis Maka who could start for most teams. Add John Fonoti to the mix, and UH's D-line depth has to be demoralizing to offensive linemen, especially late in games, when Hawaii can continue to throw fresh bodies into the fray.

The Vandals start an inexperienced quarterback in freshman Nathan Enderle, and the Warriors will do what they can to get him uncomfortable.

Blaze Soares -- who was expected to be one of the Warriors' most dynamic defensive players -- will finally play and is expected to see extensive action in some of UH's packages, especially those that use four linebackers.

Deonte' Jackson is emerging as one of the WAC's best running backs, but his high ankle sprain may keep him out of the game. That means Brian Flowers (who has had injury issues of his own) or Jayson Bird will be asked to carry the load.

UH has been nearly injury free on defense, starting the same 11 players three games. Safety Desmond Thomas -- another productive reserve in several groupings -- started against UNLV.

Special teams

Three different players -- Malcolm Lane, Ryan Mouton and Mike Washington -- have returned kicks or punts for touchdowns, the Warriors have covered kicks well and Dan Kelly has already hit a clutch field goal this season. But one of UH's biggest improvements on special teams involves what hasn't happened as often -- namely blocked punts or kicks. UH did have a field-goal try blocked against LaTech, but the Warriors have been perfect on punts.

Dennis McKnight coordinates the special teams, but it's a shared coaching responsibility with fellow assistants Rich Miano, Jeff Reinebold and Wes Suan.

"It's good because we all have the same philosophies and agree on things, and they're great guys, so we have fun working together," McKnight said. "Nobody has an ego, we all live by the same deal. It's amazing what we can accomplish when nobody cares who gets the credit. We've had our time in the sun; we don't need anybody patting us on the back. That's the way we look at it."

Shiloh Keo is Idaho's punt returner, and he took one back 100 yards for a TD. His 21.0-yard average is fifth in the nation. UH's Washington is No. 2 in the country at 25.5.

KEY MATCHUP

Idaho (lack of) consistency vs. Hawaii explosiveness

Idaho has some talented players, but not enough to afford costly mistakes, especially against a team with as many offensive, defensive and special teams weapons as Hawaii. Five of UH's 31 touchdowns have been scored by defense or special teams. The Vandals have generally played well, but made critical errors at key junctures.

A popular way to try to slow down the run-and-shoot is to mix zone coverages with blitzes in an attempt to contain the Warriors for short gains and pressure the quarterback. But UH's receivers run well after the catch, and Brennan does a good job of detecting blitzes and audibling into quick passes.

If this approach is to have a chance, it must be paired with a ball-control offense that also scores points while eating the clock.

Idaho coach Robb Akey said he didn't expect freshman running back Deonte' Jackson, who leads the WAC in rushing, to play because of a high ankle sprain. If Jackson can't go it makes it that much harder for the Vandals to match the Warriors, as well as to keep UH's offense off the field.

"Against Hawaii you have got to be able to match scores and do everything you can to try to match plays," Akey said. "That's the challenge in front of us."

Linebacker David Vobora said the Vandals feel they're on the verge of coming together as a winning team.

"In each of our nonconference games we did good things in difficult situations," he said. "But it really comes down to consistency. Putting together everything this week is obviously huge. On defense, our focus is to make them throw the short pass and minimize the big play, make them work for everything they get."