2010 Hawaii Warrior Football Draft Watch

April 21st, 2010 kNuke

Tomorrow kicks off a new 3-day format for the NFL Draft.  For the first time, the First Round will be televised live in prime time on Thursday night, 1:30 PM Hawaiian.  The second and third rounds will be televised live at 12 noon Hawaiian on Friday.  The draft will conclude on Saturday starting at 4 AM Hawaiian.  The draft will continue to be televised on the same networks, ESPN and NFL Network.

If you’re a Hawaii fan excited about hearing one of your favorite Warrior names called, you won’t have to pay attention till Saturday.  And even then you might be disappointed as only one Warrior has a legitimate chance to have his named called.

John Estes, C
Estes looked like a solid 5th round pick at the beginning of the season, but the tide has turned against him. After being snubbed by the NFL Combine and getting injured at Pro Day, most reports don’t have Estes even being drafted. I disagree, I think his body of work will convince one team he deserves a shot.
Projection: Round 6

Blaze Soares, OLB
I’ve heard numerous reports that Soares was gaining draft consideration. I really don’t know why any team would select Soares; he’s too slow and injury prone.
Projection: FA

John Fonoti, DE
At the beginning of the season a lot of people were saying Fonoti will play on Sundays. I didn’t think so and it looks like the rest of the NFL agrees.
Projection: FA

Jovonte Taylor, WR
Taylor ran a great 40-time at the Pro Day (4.34 seconds), but that’s not enough to be selected. All those dropped passes and his short stature are too much for teams to overlook, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he got invited to a few tryouts; speed has a way of opening doors.
Projection: FA

Aaron Kia, OL
Maybe the NFL Officials could draft Kia and use him during flag throwing and whistle blowing practice.
Projection: FA

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Wisconsin Badgers vs Hawaii Warriors

December 7th, 2009 kNuke

The Wisconsin Badgers physically dominated the Hawaii Warriors on both sides of the ball in the 51-10 beat down. Wisconsin totaled 301 yards rushing while holding Hawaii to only 197 yards passing. John Clay, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, rushed for 172 yards and three TDs.

Offense: Bryant Moniz was off, there was no attempt at a running game, and the offensive line play was poor. Simply put, the offense never showed up.

Defense: Like the offense, the defense never showed up. And even if they did, it wouldn’t have mattered; Hawaii was simply over matched.

Special Teams: Alex Dunnachie and Jovonte Taylor got a lot of practice.

Coaching: Coach Mack set the tone by punting on the first drive of the game; it was all downhill from there.

Final Word: Hawaii was beat by a better team.

Helmet Stickers:
Hawaii Seniors – It was a good 4-game run

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Navy Midshipmen vs Hawaii Warriors

November 28th, 2009 kNuke

The Hawaii Warriors survived another week, defeating the Navy Midshipmen 24-17, keeping their Hawaii Bowl dream alive. Warrior nation held their breath after Hawaii failed to convert on 4th down with a little less than 6 minutes remaining. Luckily, poor play calling and terrible clock management helped seal the Hawaii victory. Bryant Moniz’s TD pass to Alex Green in the 3rd Quarter proved to be the difference.

Offense: Moniz was 32-44 for 366 yards and 3 TDs. Moniz was on point for most of the night minus a rough start. He had a few questionable throws, but luckily Navy was unable to capitalize. Most often the Hawaii QBs get into trouble when they lock in on Salas and forget about their progressions.

Kealoha Pilares was the star of the night, catching 8 passes for 108 yards and 2 TDs. Greg Salas added 10 grabs for 147 yards. Pilares plays well against less talented teams so his numbers should not surprise. The offensive line played pretty well, yielding only 2 sacks and giving Moniz ample time to throw. The touchdown at the end of the 1st half was absolutely huge.

Defense: Simply put, the defense won the game, holding Navy to well below its season rushing average. Hawaii did an especially good job at stopping the dive and pitch. Tackling was so-so again, but it was good enough.

Special Teams: Scott Enos made his kicks and Alex Dunnachie did a pretty good job pinning Navy back. Jovonte Taylor was huge again returning kicks; I’m just waiting for him to take one to the house. Can Warrior nation get a Xmas gift early from Jovonte next week?

Coaching: The defensive gameplan was excellent, but the offensive playcalling still needs some work. I thought I saw something that resembled a stop-fade route to Royce Pollard so I’m hopeful.

Now we get to Coach Mack… Coach Mack, what are you thinking? Most of the time, I love the idea of going for it on 4th and less than 2 yards, but not in that situation. Kick the friggin field goal! Make it a two score game and let a defense that’s playing solid win the game. Holy cow…

Final Word: Who would have thought that Hawaii would make it this far in their own little NCAA March Madness pool? One more win equals a Hawaii Bowl berth. Warrior nation has a few more peeps on the wagon after this win.

Helmet Stickers:
Bryant Moniz – 32/44, 366 yards and 3 TDs
Kealoha Pilares – 8 catches, 108 yards and 2 TDs
Greg Salas – 10 catches, 147 yards
Blaze Soares – 12 tackles, 1 sack
R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane, 10 tackles, 1 sack
Hawaii team defense – Held Navy to 248 yards rushing

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Hawaii Warriors vs San Jose State Spartans

November 23rd, 2009 kNuke

The Hawaii Warriors escaped with a win, defeating the San Jose State Spartans 17-10 in OT. It was an ugly game with six total turnovers, two for Hawaii and four for San Jose State. Both teams had a chance to win the game in regulation, but failed. Leon Wright-Jackson’s 5-yard TD run in OT proved to be the difference.

Offense: Shane Austin was 28-46 for a career-high 299 yards. Austin made some poor decisions and extremely questionable throws, but he did show the ability to squeeze the ball into tough spots and make plays. I’d say that Moniz and Austin are about equal; I’m still holding out hope that the coaches truly re-evaluate the QB situation next year.

Jon Medeiros is clearly the most reliable Hawaii WR. Alex Green averages a fumble per 10-15 carries. Aaron Kia will end his career as the mostly penalized Warrior, ever. Kealoha Pilares needs to ride pine. I’m back on the LWJ bandwagon, but he needs to learn how to catch a pass. At the end of the day, 17 points is not going to get it done.

Defense: The defense played well, but let’s call a spade a spade. San Jose State is not good, not even close to good; maybe the worst team in the nation. There is almost no excuse losing to a backup Senior QB. Still, the defense came up huge causing a fumble at the end of regulation.

Special Teams: Scott Enos needs to be better; his kicks are too low. I feel like Jovonte Taylor could break one at any moment. That running into the kicker penalty could have been huge, but I liked the fact that at least they’re trying to block the kick.

Coaching: Kudos to Coach Mack for going for it on 4th and 5, but 4th and 16 is a little crazy. I’d like to have seen the offense on the field for 4th and 2. Penalties were an issue again, but coaching Aaron Kia at this point is useless. The defense was solid, 10 points is a great game. Loved the shovel passes when they were called, but the offense still needs more imagination; fade, stop-fade, menehune formation, WR-lateral pass… something exciting?

Final Word: Ugly wins are becoming Hawaii’s trademark, but the dream is still alive.

Helmet Stickers:
Jon Meideros – 10 catches for 149 yards
Lametrius Davis – 2 INTs

Side note: I missed the last two games so there are no recaps.

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Hawaii Warriors vs Nevada Wolf Pack

November 1st, 2009 kNuke

The Nevada Wolf Pack defeated the Hawaii Warriors 31-21 behind the nation’s best rushing attack, which ended the game with 312 yards. Nevada quickly fell behind 14-0, but scored 28 unanswered points. Colin Kaepernick threw two TD passes and rushed for two more while Vai Taua added 127 rushing yards and a TD.

Offense: Bryant Moniz was 29-49 for 374 yards with 3 TDs and 2 INTs. Moniz played okay; he goes through his reads well, but he’s not accurate enough on most throws. Most importantly, unlike Alexander, he just doesn’t make enough plays. I’m willing to concede that Moniz is probably the best QB right now, but I really hope the coaches truly re-evaluate the QB situation next year.

Jovonte Taylor was explosive on his 71-yard TD catch, but he drops too many passes; regarless, he needs to move to slot. Kealoha Pilares needs to move back to RB. It’s sad to say, but Jon Medeiros is the most reliable WR. Greg Salas had a good game, no fumbles. The LWJ project didn’t pay off, it’s time to give Alex Green the RB job full-time to see if he can handle the duties without fumbling. The offensive line didn’t play very well and I’m tired of hearing Aaron Kia’s name.

The offense was able to move the ball and put up some yardage, but weren’t able to score points; 21 points is not going to get it done.

Defense: It’s the same story each week. This week was no different, but at least all Hawaii fans can take solace in the fact that Nevada leads the nation in rushing. Coach Mack has some heavy recruiting ahead of him to help this unit, which needs help at every spot.

Special Teams: Jovonte Taylor looked good again at KR. The punting turnover was great, but the rest of the punts were not very good; it’s a recurring theme. Scott Enos deserves a poor grade as well with a missed FG and an OB kickoff. Those directional kicks need to go.

Coaching: I really really really didn’t like kicking the FG or punting on 4th and 1. I still don’t understand why the defense didn’t force Nevada to throw the ball more. I understand that Hawaii doesn’t have a player capable of spying Kaepernick, but he should have been forced to throw more often. Again I have to ask, where is the creativity of offense/defense? Coach Mack will definitely have to make some changes to his staff at year’s end.

Final Word: Hawaii played better, but it wasn’t good enough. The effort looked good, but the talent of the coaching and players are just not enough.

Helmet Stickers:
Halloween Costumes – There weren’t too many sexy angels or devils, but the sexy bunnies, police, pirates, and Dorothy’s made up the slack. The Ghostbusters car was sweet and the Duck Tours pirate boat was ingenious, but the Best Costume goes to Cloud. I was surprised that there were no Coach Mack costumes; maybe next year?

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Boise State Broncos vs Hawaii Warriors

October 26th, 2009 kNuke

The Boise State Broncos dominated the Hawaii Warriors 54-9, scoring the first 44 points of the game while forcing six turnovers. Kellen Moore threw for a career high five TD passes and freshman Matt Kaiserman rushed for 122 yards in his first college game due to a concussion.

Offense: There’s not much to say, the six turnovers pretty much sum it up. The offensive line played pretty well giving up only one sack. I thought Shane Austin was decisive in his throws and showed decent arm strength despite the three INTs. Kealoha Pilares needs to be moved back to RB next year, because he drops too many passes and isn’t elusive enough in the slot. Greg Salas needs to work on ball security; he fumbles way too much.

Defense: They put up a fight, but the turnovers and inferior talent were just too much to overcome. The tackling looked better, but it’s the same old story; no DL pressure or push, RB always falls forward for another 3 yards, and the secondary is too slow. I know a lot of people are saying the defense did a great job, but remember that Boise State had at least six poor snaps.

Special Teams: Jovonte Taylor looks like the best bet for kickoff returns. The kicking game was average and the punting was atrocious, again.

Coaching: Can’t blame the coaches for six turnovers… but the Hawaii coaching staff was definitely out of their league against Chris Peterson. I’m starting to think that Coach Mack may be one of those guys that can’t handle being Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator.

Final Word: The game went as expected. After all, Boise State is the #4 BCS team in the nation for a reason.

Helmet Stickers:
Fans – Attendance was 37928; not a sellout, but a nice showing considering Hawaii is terrible.

Side note: I missed the Idaho game last week so there is no recap.

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Hawaii Warriors vs Fresno State Bulldogs

October 11th, 2009 kNuke

Thump thump went the night as the Fresno State Bulldogs obliterated the Hawaii Warriors 42-17 in a game that was never in question. This loss drops the Warriors out of WAC contention and puts its Hawaii Bowl bid into serious question.

This was such a bad game that going over the details would be pointless. Instead I’ll just give a quick and dirty summary.

Bryant Moniz is not the future at QB. Rodney Bradley and Greg Salas are the teams two best players. LWJ had a nice run then got only four more touches. The Red Zone offense was terrible once more; where was the fade or stop-fade? The defense was slow, weak, and couldn’t tackle… again. Special teams were terrible, absolutely terrible. In a recurring theme, the coaches had no answers and made no adjustments.

Final Word: It hurts to say, but at this rate, Hawaii may win two more games, tops.

Helmet Stickers:
Alex Dunnachie – 2 punts inside the 20, zero PR yards, and 48.3 punt average

Side note: The stadium had so many empty seats. Hawaii needs to get with the economic times and drop the North and South upper level ticket prices to $10 to put people in the seats. More people at the game usually equates to more support for the team, more food and drinks being bought, and more money for everyone involved.

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Hawaii Warriors vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

September 30th, 2009 kNuke

Before the game recap, prayers go out to all those affected by the Tsunami in Samoa.

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs beat the Hawaii Warriors into submission 27-6. Running back Daniel Porter amounted for 160 yards and 2 TDs; the Bulldogs had 352 yards rushing in the game. The loss also snapped a 62-game TD streak for the Warriors.

Offense: Coming off of two pretty good games, just when things were starting to click, the Warrior offense did a complete 180. Greg Alexander looked off-target and extremely hesitant, unwilling to throw the football. It’s hard to tell if the WRs weren’t creating separation and/or if Alexander just held the ball too long; I’m leaning towards the latter. The WRs dropped too many passes. The offensive line play was sub par, but better than what the 7 sacks indicate.

Of course the biggest loss was the injury to Alexander. The way his leg bent, it’s possible he’s done for the season; best case scenario, 2-3 weeks. I know Mike Trapasso is a busy guy, but can’t he take a couple days out of his schedule to teach these QBs how to slide? Bryant Moniz looked okay, but I’m sure the playbook will be simplified for him so that probably means less explosiveness… So Mack, maybe a good time to bust out the Noke?

Defense: Looks like the Louisiana Tech coaching staff did their homework. Runs up the middle and screens to the outside are poison to the young Warrior defense; the Bulldogs delivered both in heavy doses. Pile on top of that, all the missed tackles and absence of turnovers and you’ve got the game in a nutshell. Mama said there would be days like these… The defense is young and can’t be counted on to win games; too many people forgot this after the Central Arkansas and Washington State games. This is the real Warrior defense; sorry Warrior nation.

Special Teams: Pollard almost took one to the house on a kick return, but looked choppy and hesitant on his other 5 returns. Scott Enos made both of his FGs, Ryan Henry’s one punt return was okay, and the punting was actually adequate. Minus the first big kickoff return, the Warriors kept the Bulldogs in the stable; a job well done.

Coaching: The players just weren’t ready to play… Period. It’s hard to second-guess either the offensive or defensive play calling. Minus those odd consecutive goal line runs or not making the Bulldogs QB beat them with something other than a screen? I actually thought Mack’s time management at the end of the First Half was well done. Once again though, no second half adjustments to speak of.

Final Word: When the dust settled and the Warrior defenders regained consciousness, it was actually the offense that loss the game.

Helmet Stickers:
Team Bus driver – He got the team to the game on time.

On a side note, I’m not sure people understand how hard it is to play on the road. This is no way an excuse for the performance, but it’s not easy to travel through different time zones and play at the highest level. It’s not about desire as much as that’s the way nature is sometimes. Some days you have it, some days you don’t. It’s not an excuse, it’s the way it is. I’d challenge whoever says playing on the road “ain’t no thang,” to take a trip to the mainland, run around for 3 days, and see if you don’t feel like crap. While you’re sucking wind with a massive headache, you can take a water break and go look up empathy on Wikipedia.

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Hawaii Warriors vs UNLV Rebels

September 20th, 2009 kNuke

The UNLV Rebels defeated the Hawaii Warriors 34-33 in dramatic fashion. A 15-yard TD pass from Omar Clayton to Phillip Payne with 36 seconds remaining in the game was the difference. It was an exciting end to an exciting game on an exciting college football Saturday.

Offense: Greg Alexander was 31-48 for a career best 477 yards and 3 TDs with 1 INT. He will definitely be in consideration for a second consecutive WAC player of the week honor. Rodney Bradley was Hawaii’s best WR with 8 catches for 189 yards and a TD. Greg Salas was solid again with 6 catches for 104 yards and 2 TDs. Kealoha Pilares posted 13 catches for 146 yards.

The offense played well enough to win, but they did leave points on the field in the 1st quarter. Alexander looked comfortable again in the offense, but some of his throws were a little off; especially to Bradley. The offensive line play has been really encouraging as they provided Alexander adequate protection, allowing only 2 sacks. Things are starting to click for the offense, they should be fun to watch the rest of the way.

Defense: The talent on the defensive side of the ball finally caught up to the Warriors. The defensive line again provided no pass rush and the secondary was picked apart to the tune of 340 yards. They did intercept 2 passes, but there were too many missed tackles and not enough stops.

Special Teams: You have to be sound in the kicking game… Enos nailed a 47-yard FG and made a 20-yard FG, but missed a 31-yard chip shot, which would have been huge. Royce Pollard had one nice kickoff return, but Pilares should not be on the kickoff return team. And I’m stilling waiting for a decent punt.

Coaching: The offensive play calling was suspect at times, but it’s hard to argue with 33 points; I would have gone for it on the first 2 drives instead of kicking FGs though. The defensive play calling was soft; it seemed like Hawaii was too afraid of the big play. The bend but don’t break philosophy is nice, but there are times to take risks. Those times were in the 2nd half as UNLV was unstoppable. Hawaii is going to have to take risks with some blitzes to create confusion and get pressure on the QB.

Final Word: Tough loss for the Warriors in their first real test of the season.

Helmet Stickers:
Greg Alexander – 477 yards, 3 TDs
Rodney Bradley – 189 yards, TD
* Greg Salas would have made the list if he didn’t drop that pass on the last drive.

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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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