Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Hawaii Warriors

December 25th, 2008 kNuke

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish ended their 9-game bowl losing streak by defeating the Hawaii Warriors 49-21.  The Irish were lead by Jimmy Clausen, who set numerous Irish bowl records, going 22-26 for 401 yards and 5 TDs.  Coming in a close second for player of the game honors was Golden Tate, who had 6 receptions for 177 yards and 3 TDs.

Offense: Where do I start?  Everyone on offense sucked.  Let’s go down the list:

• The offense line play was terrible even without all the personal foul penalties.
• There was no sense of urgency when trailing.
• Greg Alexander was holding on to the ball too long.
• No deep throws on 1st and 2nd down.
• Not enough separation by the wide receivers.  It was hard to tell on some plays, because of the pressure on Alexander.
• Malcolm Lane looked extremely sluggish.  Seemed like he didn’t really want to be there.
• Not enough adjustments were made again as usual by Ron Lee.

Defense:  This was by far the worst game of the year for the defense.  There was no pressure up front on Clausen.  That didn’t help the secondary, which looked overmatched in coverage; Tate just looked too fast for anybody to cover.

Special Teams:  Armando Allen returned a kickoff for a TD; enough said.

Coaching: They looked outclassed.

• No adjustments were made on either side of the football.
• Poor clock management on the last drive on defense heading into halftime.  Why not use the 3 timeouts?  Hawaii would have gotten the ball back with about 1:15 left.
• Once again, too many personal foul penalties; take those guys out already!
• Hawaii players never showed up.  There was no bowl pep in their step.

Final Word:  Another poor showing on national televsion for the Hawaii Warriors.  Hope the past two poor showings won’t hurt the Hawaii Warrior brand too much.

Looking ahead: This loss leaves a bad taste in the mouth, but it may be a good thing.  It showed that Hawaii has flaws all over the place; offense, defense, special teams, and in the coaching box.  Hopefully this terrible loss will spark some changes!

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Cincinnati Bearcats vs Hawaii Warriors

December 7th, 2008 kNuke

The 13-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats defeated the Hawaii Warriors in comeback fashion, 29-24.  The win by the BCS bound Bearcats marked the end of the FBS regular season.

Offense: Greg Alexander was 28-42 for 275 yards with 2 TDs and an INT.  Alexander never really looks comfortable, but he was a little more off than usual as he was harassed all night.  The offensive line didn’t provide much protection against a relentless Bearcat defense.  Also, the stiffness finally reared its ugly head as Alexander was not able to make plays with his feet for the first time this season.

The WRs played alright, but it was hard to tell, because of the pressure on Alexander.  The offensive line was the main problem, but good ole Ron Lee was involved as well.  Up by 14 in the 4th quarter, I was thinking to myself, “Please don’t let Ron Lee rear his ugly head!  All Hawaii needs is one solid drive.”  And sure enough, pick six.  Why not run screens and swing passes to eat the clock?  The defense was playing so well that a few first downs would have iced the game.  Then the play call on the safety was terrible…

Defense:  Up until the 69-yard TD pass to Mardy Gilyard, the defense was stellar.  They were putting pressure on the QB and hitting the hardest I’ve seen all year.  Holding a team to 20 points is a job well done in my book.

Special Teams:  They had a nice run without mistakes, and then BAM, a huge penalty on a FG attempt.  Why even do anything on that FG attempt, WHY?!?  They did block a FG earlier, but that penalty added 4 points on the scoreboard.  Guyton Galdeira gets a helmet sticker for his forced fumble, which was a perfect tackle.  I know Galdeira had a penalty later in the game, but that hit was huge.

Coaching:  Same story all year long.  Defense plays well, offense sputters in the second half, and the team has too many penalties.  I know that the offense scored 21 points in the 3rd quarter, but they only had one real drive.

Final Word:  Coach Mack let a signature win slip through his fingers.  This game was a good barometer to test the offense.  We all now know that the offense is still subpar.  Hopefully the team can regroup and finish off the season on a high note with a win in the Hawaii Bowl.

Side note: The green-white promotion was a stupid idea.   I hope that never comes back.  On ESPN2, there were a lot of seats unfilled; shame shame.

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Washington State Cougars vs Hawaii Warriors

November 30th, 2008 kNuke

The Hawaii Warriors defeated the Washington State Cougars 24-10 on a rainy and windy night at Aloha Stadium.  The Warriors lead from wire to wire.  This is the third straight victory for the Warriors, earning them a birth in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

Offense: Greg Alexander was 19-34 for a career best 315 yards and 2 TDs.  It never looks pretty until the game is over, but once again Alexander made enough plays to get the job done.

Greg Salas finally showed up again, posting 7 receptions for 131 yards and a TD.  Michael Washingston pitched in 81 yards on 4 receptions and a TD.  Aaron Bain was hit early, but then virtually disappeared, ending the night with 5 receptions for 71 yards.  Although the numbers look nice, at the end of the night, the WRs showed exactly what has plagued them all year; their inconsistency and inability to get open.

The offensive line played okay.  They gave up a few sacks, but for the most part, Alexander was given enough time to make throws.

Overall, the offense looked out of sync and it was extremely distressing watching them squander an opportunity from the 5 yard line.  It is encouraging to know that despite all the negatives, the offense did enough to merit a win.

Defense:  Once again the defense was solid.  Although they gave up chunks of rushing yards, they were able to stuff the run enough to force the pass.  I wouldn’t say that pass defense was excellent as much as the Washington State QBs are terrible.

Special Teams: I hope the next kicker is a little more consistent than Dan Kelly.  Maybe the expectations for the guy are too high?  Other than that, no positives or negatives.

Coaching: The players didn’t look as jacked up as I thought they would be, but maybe that was just my perspective.  The defensive coaches did well, as usual, but Ron Lee and the offensive coaches still need to work on their second half gameplan.

Final Word: The game was about as close as I expected after seeing the Cougars QBs throw the ball.  It’s been a pretty rough season, but in the end, a Hawaii Bowl birth was the expectation, and that nail was hit directly on the head.

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Idaho Vandals vs Hawaii Warriors

November 23rd, 2008 kNuke

The Hawaii Warriors pounded the Idaho Vandals 49-17.  The Warriors gave up a first possession TD to the Vandals, but cruised from then on with the game never in question.

Offense: Greg Alexander was 14-24 for 264 yards and 3 TDs.  He also added a rushing TD.  Alexander is looking more and more comfortable in the offense.  I don’t think he had one bad throw the entire game.  I do like the fact that he doesn’t force throws, risking turnovers.  Not a great game, but good enough to win.  Alexander plays most of his games that way.

The offensive line played well and has played alot better in the past few games.  Having David Farmer in the backfield has helped to solidify the pass protection. Hawaii didn’t run the ball that much, but there really wasn’t a need to.

Malcolm Lane had a big night showing off his speed.  Even though he drops passes, he still has the ability to stretch the field.  That’s why he has to be in the game.  Michael Washington had a decent game as well, but he only seems to show up against the lower tier teams.  I question using Kealoha Pilares at RB.  I think it’s just going to slow his maturation at the slot position.

Overall, the offense was efficient.  They have been playing better as of late, but it has been against subpar competition.  We’ll really see where the offense stands in the next couple of weeks.

Defense:  They allowed only 49 yards rushing and forced 4 turnovers; that usually equals a win.  The defensive line played their best game of the year, the linebackers made tackles, and the secondary didn’t get beat for big plays.  There are things each unit can improve on, but overall a very good game.  The only negative was that Ryan Mouton got injured.

Special Teams:  Malcolm Lane looks really good returning kicks.  The punt returners give Hawaii nothing, but as long as they don’t fumble, it’s okay.  Even though Dan Kelly sucks, he’s a pretty decent tackler.

Coaching:  No complaints this game.  McMackin and his staff deserve a pat on the back for this one.

Final Word:  This was a must win for the Warriors and they got it.  They look improved at this point, but the past two games were against inferior opponents.  I’m keep my expectations tempered for the moment.  I’m expecting a very close game against the Washington State Cougars next weekend.

Fans: Everyone gets a pass this weekend due to the rain as only 23,000 fans showed up.  If Aloha Stadium isn’t packed next weekend, I’ll be very disappointed in the Hawaii faithful.

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Hawaii Warriors vs New Mexico State Aggies

November 8th, 2008 kNuke

Another week, another Aggies squad for the Hawaii Warriors, but this time a different outcome.  The Hawaii Warriors outgunned the New Mexico State Aggies 42-30 to keep their Hawaii Bowl hopes alive.

Offense: Minus his one fumble, Greg Alexander played well.  He still tucks the ball and runs too quickly, but he makes enough plays to help Hawaii win. Alexander was 26 of 32 for 288 yards and two TDs. And you have to love the effort on the 2-point conversion ala John Elway!

The offensive line probably played its best game of the season.  Yes they had penalties, but that’s to be expected.  Other than that, Alexander had plenty of time in the pocket and Libre had gaping holes to run through.

Kealoha Pilares looked really good in the slot, finishing with 10 catches for 90 yards and a TD.  Daniel Libre looked quick, but lacks breakaway speed, finishing with 88 yards on 13 carries and 2 TDs.  Aaron Bain scored, but he and Michael Washington need to be rotated more often.

Ron Lee…  7 points in the 2nd half.  That’s not going to get it done.

Defense: The defense gave up two huge TD catches.  I’m not sure what happened on those plays, but that can’t happen.  For the most part, the defense got lucky with a few New Mexico State drops, poor play-calling, and a tipped pass, which Ryan Mouton intercepted and returned for a TD.  John Fonoti and Solomon Elimimian played well along with the always steady David Veikune.

Special Teams: Dan Kelly sucks.  There is no excuse for missing an extra point.  At least he made a tackle on the kickoff.  Special Teams were subpar overall; they just can’t turn the ball over, like Bain’s fumble, give up points, or leave points on the field, like with Kelly’s kicks.  On a side note, I loved New Mexico State’s 3-man circus kickoff return.

Coaching: I’m happy the coaches finally stopped flip-flopping at quarterback and stuck with Alexander.  That move definitely paid off.  The penalties shouldn’t happen, I believe that’s a coaching issue.  I still have to question their ability to adjust in the 2nd half.  Also, what’s up with that challenge and why was Pilares playing on that last drive?

Final Word: New Mexico State is terrible.  It looked like there were only Hawaii fans there, that’s embarrassing.  It’s a win, but Hawaii needs to take this game with a grain of salt.

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Hawaii Warriors vs Utah State Aggies

November 1st, 2008 kNuke

The Utah State Aggies defeated the Hawaii Warriors 30-14 behind the impressive quarterback play of sophomore Diondre Borel.  Borel was 14 of 19 for 223 yards with 2 TDs and added 87 yards on the ground.  The Aggies never trailed in the game.

Offense:  The unit moved the ball well in between the 20s, but stalled in the red zone.  I attribute that mostly to the terrible play calling.  I’m tired of talking about Ron Lee already.

On the quarterback front, Greg Alexander looked pretty sharp for most of the game, accounting for both Hawaii TDs.  I think inserting Inoke Funaki into the game interrupted the rhythm, but Funaki played okay.

The offensive line played pretty well, but the wide receivers dropped way too many passes (about 7) and couldn’t create any separation.  It’s time for the coaching staff to rotate more wide receivers into the game for Michael Washington and the other slot position.  A big part of the poor offense had to do with the wide receivers.

Defense: It seems like the defense is getting worse as the season progresses.  I’m wondering how much that has to do with Ryan Mouton playing less?  David Veikune can only do so much.

Special Teams: I couldn’t really tell if Dan Kelly’s kicks were too low or if somebody forgot to block.  Either way, the kicking game sucked.  I love Malcolm Lane returning kicks, but there is no excuse for that fumble.

Coaching: I think Greg McMackin deserves two-three years to be evaluated like any other coach, but he hasn’t made many good decisions so far in his tenure.  I want to be optimistic, but it’s hard when the team doesn’t show consistent improvement from game to game.  And the penalties are still there!

The entire team took about a bzillion steps backwards today; they just weren’t ready to play.

Final Word: Hawaii still has a chance to be bowl eligible.  If the coaching staff lets Alexander run the show, Hawaii has a good chance to win the next 3 games and get a berth in the Hawaii Bowl.

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Nevada Wolfpack vs Hawaii Warriors

October 26th, 2008 kNuke

The Hawaii Warriors went through 3 quarterbacks and was outgained 481-331, but still managed to defeat the Nevada Wolfpack 38-31 in thrilling fashion.  With 20 seconds left in the game, Greg Alexander lofted a TD pass to Malcolm Lane for the victory.

Offense: Finally, decent QB play…  Greg Alexander was 17-22 for 205 yards and 2 TDs.  Alexander was nimble enough to make plays with his feet and on the money with most of his throws.  He’s earned the starting gig for the rest of the season.  Hopefully now the offense will open up a little bit.

The offensive line played poorly again.  At least the coaches tried to help the offensive line by leaving Daniel Farmer in to block.  Ryan Mouton looked good, but I worry that the defense will suffer as he tires throughout the game.  Michael Washington and Malcolm Lane finally showed up and it’s about damn time.  I’m still not sold on Washington, we’ll see what he does next week.

Ron Lee’s offense actually scored second half points!  I give him credit for playing Alexander and not letting the game slip away with Inoke Funaki.  I liked all the deep shots as well.  I didn’t like the conservative play calling once Hawaii was up, but overall, this was Lee’s best game thus far.

Defense:  The defense did score a TD, but once again were unable to stop the run.  Nevada is a great running team, but 308 yards is ridiculous.  If Colin Kaepernick had any accuracy, the Wolfpack would have rolled up 45 points.

Special Teams: Malcolm Lane belongs back there, no question about it.  His kick returns were excellent.  Tim Grasso had 3 punts inside the 20 and JoPierre Davis looks like he should be on the field more often.

Coaching:  I didn’t care for the conservative playing calling when up by 14 and the defense didn’t have a great gameplan to stop the run, but a win is a win.  Whoever made the decision to bring in Alexander deserves the gameball.

Final Word: Hawaii kept its bowl hopes alive and may have found a quarterback.  Is this a blip on the radar or has the Alexander legacy begun?

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Hawaii Warriors vs Boise State Broncos

October 17th, 2008 kNuke

The Boise State Broncos extended their home winning streak with a 27-7 victory over the Hawaii Warriors.  The Broncos defense recorded 7 sacks and 5 INTs, holding the Warriors scoreless in the second half.  This win probably secures the Broncos a share of the WAC championship.

Offense:  5 INTs…  7 sacks…  Ugh…

I will give Inoke Funaki a little credit.  Funaki played his best football of the year during the first half, making some good throws and moving the football, but the second half was just terrible.  Two of the INTs may not have been his fault, but the other 3 INTs were purely poor throws.  He has his place in the offense, but he should not be the starting QB.  If Tyler Graunke can’t play, it’s time for Brent Rausch.

Greg Salas looked solid again this week.  If he gets faster, he could be an NFL caliber guy.  Once again Michael Washington proved he shouldn’t be playing; too many drops and no playmaking abilities.  Where do I start with the offensive line?  I won’t, I don’t want to type that much…

Typical Ron Lee offense; no second half points.  I have to give Lee some credit though, he took shots deep and moved the ball fairly well in the first half with some decent playcalling.  It’s not his fault Funaki underthrows every WR on the deep routes and overthrows every WR on crossing routes.  At the end of the day, Lee just doesn’t cut it.

Defense: The defense played pretty solid again.  No matter who’s on defense, if you’re playing on your side of the field on every possession with no rest, you’re going to give up points.  I only have two points, once again no pash rush and that 4th and goal play.  I’m not sure if it was blown coverage or what, but everyone in the building knew it was going to be playaction.

Special Teams:  Other than Tim Grasso’s bad punt, the Special Teams were a nonfactor either way.

Coaching:  I would have kicked the FG on the first drive, but I can’t argue with the decision; I do argue with the play call.  Why not go playaction with a run/pass option for Funaki?  I’ll echo what I said last week about the coaching staff, they need to get better at in-game and halftime adjustments.

Final Word: Hawaii had an opportunity to steal this game, but the offense blew it.  Like I thought last week, 28 points would win the game.

Looking ahead: Next week is another must-win for Hawaii.  The offense better come to play, because the Wolfpack have a pretty good offense with a dynamic QB; the defense can’t win every game on its own.

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Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs Hawaii Warriors

October 12th, 2008 kNuke

The Hawaii Warriors defeated the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 24-14.  The Bulldogs missed 2 FGs, fumbled at the goal-line, and turned the ball over 4 times in the loss.  Hawaii is undefeated against the Bulldogs at Aloha Stadium.

This was a must win game for Hawaii’s bowl hopes and they got it.

Offense: I’m running out of words to describe this offense.  Let’s just say it’s not pretty.  Inoke Funaki was 14-26 for 224 yards with 2 TDs and an INT; he also ran for 43 yards.  Again, Funaki made one good throw all game.  I can’t remember the route, but it was to Michael Washington who subsequently dropped the ball.  Funaki has shown some touch on his deep ball, but routinely underthrows his target.  Bottom line is that Funaki just makes poor throws way too often.

While Funaki is still Funaki, Kealoha Pilares and Greg Salas looked like players.  I’m expecting big things from both players during the next couple years.  On the flip side of that, it’s time to sit Michael Washington.  He drops too many passes and offers nothing once he catches the ball.

Once again the offense sputtered in the second half.  At season’s end, I hope Greg McMackin takes a long look at another Offensive Coordinator.  I did like two things from Ron Lee; more vertical passes and the fake handoff option pitch wrinkle.

Defense: The defense was solid for the third week in a row, but the run defense was a sore spot again.  It is very concerning that the run defense has not made any adjustments.  It seems like any team can gash Hawaii with the run.

Special Teams: Not as spectacular as last week, but they got the job done.  A FG block and fumble recovery were the positives with the punt block being the negative.

Coaching: I pretty much feel the same way about the staff that I felt last week.  They need to get better at in-game and halftime adjustments.

Final Word: This was a game Hawaii had to win and they won it; everyone in the 50th state will take a win.

Looking Forward: Everyone needs to be on top of their game on the road against #15-ranked Boise State.  Hawaii will need to take better care of the football; they had 2 fumbles that weren’t recovered by the Bulldogs.  The offense will need to put up at least 28 points and the run defense will need to show up.  Hawaii needs to keep the game close and hope Dan Kelly has a little magic left in that leg.

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Hawaii Warriors vs Fresno State Bulldogs

October 5th, 2008 kNuke

The Hawaii Warriors defeated the 22nd ranked Fresno State Bulldogs on a Dan Kelly 33-yard field goal in Overtime.  This was the first ever Hawaii victory over a ranked opponent on the road.  Fresno State turned the ball over 6 times and missed 2 FGs.

This win puts Hawaii back in the bowl hunt.

Offense: Last week I used the word UGLY to describe the offense, this week I’ll use another word, PATHETIC.  The defense forced 6 turnovers and the offense was only able to muster 2 TDs.

Inoke Funaki was 17-25 for 170 yards with 2 TDs and led the team in rushing with 79 yards on 14 carries, but he is not the answer.  He made one good throw all game, the 28-yard TD pass to Malcolm Lane, but that was it.  I’ll give him credit for making plays with his feet, but he can’t move the offense.  If Tyler Graunke can’t play, it’s time for Brent Rausch or Greg Alexander.

It looked like Ron Lee tailored the offense a little bit more to Funaki’s strengths with rollouts and QB draws.  That’s a step in the right direction, but the guy seems incapable of making good in-game or halftime adjustments.  How long do you give an Offensive Coordinator before you decide he just doesn’t have what it takes?

Defense: The defense played solid again.  They were getting gashed with the runs, but forcing 6 turnovers more than makes up for that.  The front four still can’t get any pressure on the QB, but I doubt it’ll change at this point in the season.  Hawaii will just have to time their blitzes and hope for tipped passes and errant throws.  I am not a big fan of delayed blitzes and only outside blitzes, so I was glad to see some pressure brought up the middle.

Special Teams: Helmet Sticker to the Special Teams.  Punt coverage was solid, Kick coverage was solid, and only one penalty that I can recall.  Not to mention Dan Kelly’s 4 FGs, Antwan Mahaley’s FG block, and Ryan Mouton’s 90-yard kickoff return, which was #3 on ESPN’s Top Plays segment.  The only blemish was Kelly’s missed extra point, what was up with that?

Coaching: Hawaii won the game, but I feel that it’s in spite of the coaching, minus whoever coaches Special Teams.  The staff needs to get better at in-game and halftime adjustments.

Final Word: Hawaii’s bowl hopes are back alive.  The Offense sucked, but the Defense, Special Teams, and Lady Luck came up HUGE to propel Hawaii to an OT victory.

I had a feeling Hawaii was going to beat either Fresno State or Boise State this year.  Maybe they can beat both of them?

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