Hawaii Warriors vs Washington State Cougars
September 13th, 2009 kNuke
The Hawaii Warriors defeated the Washington State Cougars 38-20, giving Hawaii its first road victory over a BCS conference opponent in seven tries. Hawaii lead the game from wire to wire with the teams combining for 11 turnovers (4 for Hawaii).
Offense: Greg Alexander was 26-36 for a career best 453 yards and 3 TDs. Greg Salas will challenge him for WAC player of the week honors with 7 catches for 195 yards and a TD. Rodney Bradley looked good again with 7 catches for 150 yards and 2 TDs.
The first half gives all Warrior Nation hope. Alexander looked calm as he went through his progressions, carving up the Cougar secondary. The offensive line provided solid protection and even helped Alex Green bust a 44-yard TD run. Hawaii was up 35-6 at halftime.
The second half wasn’t as spectacular as Hawaii only mustered 3 points. It looked like Hawaii took their foot off the gas, which would explain the ineptness; fumbling twice didn’t help either.
Overall, the offense played well, but they need to work on holding on to the football; four turnovers against better competition will not cut it. Don’t get too excited about the offense just yet, because the Cougars had no pass rush and didn’t look very talented. On a side note, it’s not really a Wildcat-type package until Inoke Funaki actually throws the ball.
Defense: The defense is playing much better than expected. Three of the seven turnovers can’t be attributed to the defense, but four turnovers is still a great game. The defense is still susceptible to running plays and passing plays into space, but they are keeping the scoring at a minimal and that’s what counts. Just like the offense, don’t get too excited about the defense just yet as the Washington State QBs are terrible.
Special Teams: Nothing much to talk about here. Kickoffs were good, kickoff returns were okay, there was one nice punt, but one really bad punt, punt returns were subpar, and Enos made his lone FG; that about sums it up.
Coaching: Looks like the staff had a great gameplan and the players were ready to play from the get-go. The second half adjustments and intensity are question marks, but being up 35-6 at halftime ain’t bad.
Final Word: The offense looked good and the defense was solid again, but Washington State does not have PAC-10 talent. Still, it’s a win on the road; Warrior Nation will sleep well tonight.
Helmet Stickers:
Greg Alexander – 453 yards, 3 TDs
Greg Salas – 195 yards, TD
Rodney Bradley – 150 yards, 2 TDs
Tuika Tufaga – Sack, fumble
Paipai Falemalu – Sack, fumble
Mana Silva – 2 INTs
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