Notre Dame defensive end Pat Kuntz is happy to be in Hawaii for a number of reasons.

“;It's hot, the beautiful terrain, the trees and everything, a lot of plant life,”; he said. “;Like a tropical island.”;

After a little more prodding, Kuntz saved his biggest smile for when Hawaii's FBS-worst 49 sacks allowed were brought up.

“;They do give up a lot of sacks,”; he said. “;I HAVE noticed that.”;

The 6-foot-3, 283-pound senior is licking his chops to get after Hawaii quarterback Greg Alexander when the Fighting Irish (6-6) and the Warriors (7-6) face off in the Hawaii Bowl on Christmas Eve at 3 p.m.

Notre Dame has struggled with its pass rush, with only 18 sacks in 12 games, but Kuntz's grin served as an indication of how the Irish plan to stop Hawaii's run-and-shoot offense.

“;As a defensive lineman, it's a great game to be a part of,”; he said. “;It's exciting to be able to go up against a team that passes the ball a lot.”;

Notre Dame faced two teams that threw the ball more than 33 times in a game (Purdue and San Diego State) and beat both by at least a touchdown, despite the lack of a significant pass rush.

Neither one of those teams qualified for a bowl game as Hawaii did, and the Warriors' offensive attack will be one of the biggest challenges the Irish have faced this year.

“;Our opening games (SDSU, Purdue) they throw it pretty heavily, pretty often,”; safety Kyle McCarthy said. “;It's nothing new to us, but then again, Hawaii does it pretty good and probably better than anyone in the country at throwing the ball around.”;

McCarthy, who set a school record with 103 tackles by a defensive back, is one of six senior starters on a defense that allows less than 185 passing yards a game.

Hawaii, which averages more than 245 yards a game through the air, has expanded on that number since Alexander has gotten comfortable at quarterback late in the season.

In addition to moving the ball in the air, Alexander's surprising mobility for his large 6-foot-3 frame has caught a few teams off guard, but not the Irish.

“;He'll stay in the pocket and throw, but if he has to, he has the athleticism to get out of the pocket and run,”; senior cornerback Terrail Lambert said. “;We'll be ready for that.”;

Lambert, who has started 31 games in his career, missed the last three with a sprained ankle suffered in practice. The 5-11 senior went up to deflect a pass and came down awkward on his left knee, which he initially thought put an end to his football career.

“;As soon as I went down I was thinking 'I'm done,'”; he said. “;For what happened, I honestly shouldn't be walking right now.”;

Lambert was one of nine players on a leadership committee that had a say in what bowl the Irish played in. The Motor City Bowl in Detroit was one of a couple of other bowl games the Irish drew interest from, but after meeting with the players, Hawaii emerged as the favorite.

It definitely was (the choice) in terms of weather and climate,”; Lambert said. “;It's negative 2 back at school and I'm not trying to be there at this point.”;

The Irish will try to stop a nine-game bowl losing streak, the longest in NCAA history, while remaining undefeated against Hawaii, which they've beaten twice previously.

“;We feel fortunate to be one of the teams worthy of being here,”; Lambert said. “;We welcome that opportunity and want to end the season on a good note and get things rolling for the guys next year.”;