Warriors begin to look ahead
POSTED: Monday, December 07, 2009
Over the past month, they called it the playoffs and a single-elimination tournament.
While the Hawaii football team survived four weeks on the edge, the finality set in for the Warriors following a 51-10 loss to Wisconsin.
Visions of ending the year with a Christmas Eve date in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl—which appeared distant at best when the Warriors dropped to 2-6—came into sharper focus when they won four straight. And coming within a game of the requisite seven wins to become bowl eligible may have added to the sting of the loss to cap a 6-7 campaign.
“;We were fired up to come out and play, get to a bowl game, and it just didn't come out the way we wanted it,”; slotback Greg Salas said.
The Warriors closed the season with the annual team banquet at the Sheraton Waikiki. They have another meeting this morning to formally wrap up “;a season full of challenges,”; as head coach Greg McMackin described his second year in charge.
After struggling with injuries and inexperience through the first two months of the season, the Warriors rallied late and enter the offseason with the bitter taste of Saturday's loss.
A week after stifling a finesse-based option offense to knock off bowl-bound Navy, the Warriors were overpowered by the rested Badgers.
Not since 2000, when UNLV sent UH into the offseason with a 34-32 defeat, had the season ended with a senior night loss.
In six of the previous seven years, the Warriors had a bowl game to look forward to following the regular season. In 2005, the last time Hawaii didn't qualify for the postseason, the Warriors closed with a win over San Diego State. In 2001, the senior class powered a storied rout of Brigham Young.
Saturday's loss ended Greg McMackin's sophomore season as head coach, a year that began with promise then became a test of resilience.
With the departure of 10 senior starters, the Warriors have some holes to fill, particularly on the offensive line, where four seniors ended their careers.
The Warriors will have a new starter at center for the first time since 2007 with the departure of John Estes, who received the Alec Waterhouse most valuable player award at the banquet.
Estes set an NCAA record for games played, starting all 54 since his freshman year.
Senior linebacker Blaze Soares won the Ben Yee most inspirational player award after leading the Warriors with 107 tackles. He missed the entire 2008 season due to injury and started every game this season.
All three of the unit award winners are set to return.
Salas, the Warriors' most outstanding offensive player, returns along with most of the receiver corps. Salas finished fourth in the country in receiving with 122.3 yards per game. His 106 receptions and 1,590 yards were the second-highest single-season totals in school history.
Kealoha Pilares and Jovonte Taylor are also juniors. Rodney Bradley is starting his rehab from a broken leg.
Safety Spencer Smith was named the most outstanding defensive player and is part of secondary that didn't have a senior this season. Mana Silva, winner of the scholar-athlete award, also returns as the Western Athletic Conference's leader in interceptions.
Linebacker Corey Paredes, winner of the special teams award, and Jake Heun figure to help fill the void left by Soares and senior captain R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane. Aaron Brown showed some of his play-making potential before a hamstring injury led to a redshirt year.
The Warriors will be seasoned at quarterback, where Bryant Moniz returns after starting eight games following Greg Alexander's season-ending knee injury. Fellow sophomore Shane Austin made two relief appearances and led UH to an overtime win at San Jose State. Brent Rausch is slated to return after a hand injury sidetracked his season in September.
Among the other award winners honored yesterday were slotback Jon Medeiros (most improved), offensive lineman Brett Leonard (scout team) and defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea (Warrior Club).
Wolf Pack return to Hawaii Bowl
Hawaii's loss opened the way for Nevada to return to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.
The Wolf Pack accepted an invitation to the game yesterday and will face SMU and former UH head coach June Jones on Christmas Eve at Aloha Stadium.
Nevada (8-4, 7-1) finished second in the WAC behind Fiesta Bowl-bound Boise State as quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running back Vai Taua led the nation's top rushing offense this season. Nevada is making its fifth straight bowl appearance, a string that began with the 2005 Hawaii Bowl against Central Florida, which was also the Pack's last bowl win.
FOOTBALL STATISTICS
University of Hawaii
TEAM STATISTICS
| ||
| HAWAII | OPP | |
| SCORING | 296 | 383 |
| Points Per Game | 22.8 | 29.5 |
| FIRST DOWNS | 280 | 274 |
| Rushing | 74 | 149 |
| Passing | 189 | 116 |
| Penalty | 17 | 9 |
| RUSHING YARDAGE | 1,306 | 2,624 |
| Yards gained rushing | 1,620 | 2,958 |
| Yards lost rushing | 314 | 334 |
| Rushing Attempts | 292 | 537 |
| Average Per Rush | 4.5 | 4.9 |
| Average Per Game | 100.5 | 201.8 |
| TDs Rushing | 12 | 33 |
| PASSING YARDAGE | 4,381 | 2,635 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 339-569-17 | 214-334-12 |
| Average Per Pass | 7.7 | 7.9 |
| Average Per Catch | 12.9 | 12.3 |
| Average Per Game | 337.0 | 202.7 |
| TDs Passing | 25 | 16 |
| TOTAL OFFENSE | 5,687 | 5,259 |
| Total Plays | 861 | 871 |
| Average Per Play | 6.6 | 6.0 |
| Average Per Game | 437.5 | 404.5 |
| KICK RETURNS: #-Yards | 67-1,518 | 48-1,059 |
| PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards | 23-150 | 9-15 |
| INT RETURNS: #-Yards | 12-69 | 17-142 |
| KICK RETURN AVERAGE | 22.7 | 22.1 |
| PUNT RETURN AVERAGE | 6.5 | 1.7 |
| INT RETURN AVERAGE | 5.8 | 8.4 |
| FUMBLES-LOST | 29-16 | 31-10 |
| PENALTIES-Yards | 78-652 | 68-641 |
| Average Per Game | 50.2 | 49.3 |
| PUNTS-Yards | 42-1,647 | 50-2,039 |
| Average Per Punt | 39.2 | 40.8 |
| Net punt average | 36.5 | 35.4 |
| TIME OF POSSESSION/Game | 28:58 | 31:00 |
| 3RD-DOWN Conversions | 67/149 | 73/165 |
| 3rd-Down Pct | 45% | 44% |
| 4TH-DOWN Conversions | 2/17 | 15/21 |
| 4th-Down Pct | 12% | 71% |
| SACKS BY-Yards | 19-145 | 36-223 |
| MISC YARDS | 0 | 88 |
| TOUCHDOWNS SCORED | 37 | 50 |
| FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS | 12-19 | 12-17 |
| ON-SIDE KICKS | 2-3 | 0-1 |
| RED-ZONE SCORES | 35-57 61% | 49-55 89% |
| RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS | 25-57 44% | 37-55 67% |
| PAT-ATTEMPTS | 34-35 97% | 45-46 98% |
| RUSHING | ||||||
| G | Att | Net | Avg | TD | Long | |
| Wright-Jackson | 13 | 74 | 554 | 7.5 | 7 | 62 |
| Green | 13 | 86 | 453 | 5.3 | 2 | 44 |
| Moniz | 10 | 58 | 117 | 2.0 | 1 | 31 |
| Alexander | 4 | 37 | 103 | 2.8 | 0 | 23 |
| Dimude | 6 | 11 | 67 | 6.1 | 0 | 17 |
| Funaki | 13 | 9 | 34 | 3.8 | 1 | 13 |
| Rego | 8 | 4 | 17 | 4.2 | 0 | 9 |
| Pilares | 13 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 0 | 13 |
| Taylor | 13 | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM | 12 | 5 | -20 | -4.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Austin | 4 | 6 | -29 | -4.8 | 1 | 3 |
| Totals | 13 | 292 | 1,620 | 4.5 | 12 | 62 |
| PASSING | ||||||||
| G | Comp | Att | Int | Yds | TD | Long | ||
| Moniz | 10 | 182 | 319 | 10 | 2,396 | 14 | 71 | |
| Alexander | 4 | 98 | 150 | 4 | 1,433 | 9 | 73 | |
| Austin | 4 | 58 | 93 | 3 | 545 | 2 | 30 | |
| TEAM | 12 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Funaki | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | |
| Totals | 13 | 339 | 569 | 17 | 4,381 | 25 | 73 |
| RECEIVING | |||||||
| G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | ||
| Salas | 13 | 106 | 1,590 | 15.0 | 8 | 66 | |
| Pilares | 13 | 66 | 690 | 10.5 | 4 | 32 | |
| Medeiros | 10 | 47 | 589 | 12.5 | 3 | 57 | |
| Taylor | 13 | 33 | 445 | 13.5 | 4 | 71 | |
| Bradley | 7 | 31 | 575 | 18.5 | 5 | 73 | |
| Wright-Jackson | 13 | 17 | 127 | 7.5 | 0 | 18 | |
| Pollard | 8 | 15 | 157 | 10.5 | 0 | 21 | |
| Green | 13 | 11 | 98 | 8.9 | 1 | 32 | |
| Avery | 8 | 6 | 64 | 10.7 | 0 | 16 | |
| Dimude | 6 | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 0 | 13 | |
| Blount | 4 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Henry | 12 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | |
| Funaki | 13 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | |
| Totals | 13 | 339 | 4,381 | 12.9 | 25 | 73 |
| TOTAL OFFENSE | ||||||
| G | Plays | Rush | Pass | Tot | Avg | |
| Moniz | 10 | 377 | 117 | 2,396 | 2,513 | 251.3 |
| Alexander | 4 | 187 | 103 | 1,433 | 1,536 | 384.0 |
| Wright-Jackson | 13 | 74 | 554 | 0 | 554 | 42.6 |
| Austin | 4 | 99 | -29 | 545 | 516 | 129.0 |
| Green | 13 | 86 | 453 | 0 | 453 | 34.8 |
| Dimude | 6 | 11 | 67 | 0 | 67 | 11.2 |
| Funaki | 13 | 11 | 34 | 7 | 41 | 3.2 |
| Rego | 8 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 2.1 |
| Pilares | 13 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 1.0 |
| Taylor | 13 | 1 | -3 | 0 | -3 | -0.2 |
| TEAM | 12 | 10 | -20 | 0 | -20 | -1.7 |
| Totals | 13 | 861 | 1,306 | 4,381 | 5,687 | 437.5 |
| SCORING | ||||||
| TD | FG | 1XP | 2XP | Saf | Tot | |
| Enos | 0 | 12 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 70 |
| Salas | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
| Wright-Jackson | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| Bradley | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Pilares | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Taylor | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Medeiros | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Green | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Funaki | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Austin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Moniz | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| TEAM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Alexander | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 37 | 12 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 296 |
| PUNTING | ||||||||||
| No. | Yds | Avg | Long | |||||||
| Dunnachie | 42 | 1,647 | 39.2 | 66 | ||||||
| Totals | 42 | 1,647 | 39.2 | 66 | ||||||
| Punt Returns | ||||||||||
| No. | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | ||||||
| Henry | 18 | 93 | 5.2 | 0 | 16 Salas | 5 | 57 | 11.4 | 0 | 32 |
| Totals | 23 | 150 | 6.5 | 0 | 32 |
| KICK RETURNS | |||||
| No. | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | |
| Taylor | 36 | 902 | 25.1 | 0 | 55 |
| Pollard | 13 | 287 | 22.1 | 0 | 47 |
| Pilares | 7 | 156 | 22.3 | 0 | 32 |
| Blount | 4 | 80 | 20.0 | 0 | 29 |
| Lolotai | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 0 | 13 |
| Stutzmann | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 0 | 16 |
| Rice | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 0 | 15 |
| Green | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 0 | 17 |
| Rego | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 | 20 |
| Totals | 67 | 1,518 | 22.7 | 0 | 55 |
| TACKLES | ||||
| G | UT | AT | Tot | |
| Soares | 13 | 58 | 49 | 107 |
| Kiesel-Kauhane | 13 | 61 | 24 | 85 |
| Smith | 13 | 52 | 25 | 77 |
| Silva | 13 | 47 | 27 | 74 |
| Paredes | 13 | 37 | 17 | 54 |
| Tufaga | 13 | 24 | 23 | 47 |
| Bryant | 11 | 28 | 17 | 45 |
| Torres | 13 | 30 | 14 | 44 |
| Davis | 13 | 34 | 7 | 41 |
| Fonoti | 10 | 21 | 18 | 39 |
| Purcell | 13 | 14 | 16 | 30 |
| Heun | 13 | 17 | 7 | 24 |
| Ornellas | 13 | 19 | 4 | 23 |
| Satele | 13 | 13 | 7 | 20 |
| Falemalu | 12 | 16 | 4 | 20 |
| Savaiigaea | 13 | 10 | 9 | 19 |
| Meatoga | 11 | 10 | 5 | 15 |
| Lolotai | 13 | 10 | 5 | 15 |
| Hopkins | 9 | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| Wadsworth | 13 | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| Clore | 11 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Brown | 3 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Hanohano | 12 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| Walker | 12 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Gomes | 10 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Rice | 13 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Ahmad | 13 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Correa | 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Enos | 13 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Black | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Funaki | 13 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Taylor | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| K. Estes | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| J. Estes | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Ingram | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Henry | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Alexander | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bradley | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Medeiros | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Wright-Jackson | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Salas | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals | 13 | 574 | 311 | 885 |
MISCELLANEOUS
Interceptions (No.-Yds.): Mana Silva 6-28, Richard Torres 1-17, Blaze Soares 1-21, Spencer Smith 1-3, Lametrius Davis 3-0. Totals: 12-69.
Sacks (No.-Yds.): Corey Paredes 4-29, Blaze Soares 2-20, Tuika Tufaga 2-16, Paipai Falemalu 2-14, R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane 2-11, Aaron Brown 1-11, Jake Heun 1-9, Liko Satele 1-8, Spencer Smith 1-8, Lewis Walker 1-8, Vaughn Meatoga 1-8, Fetaiagogo Fonoti 1-3. Totals: 19-145.
Fumbles (No.-Yds.): Fetaiagogo Fonoti 1-5, Jeremy Bryant 1-0, R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane 1-0, Corey Paredes 1-0, Richard Torres 1-0, Paipai Falemalu 1-0, Mike Wadsworth 1-0, TEAM 1-0. Totals: 8-5.
