Hawaii's D stops Aggies in easy win

2009 Hawaii Warriors ... Head Coach: Greg McMackin

2009 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 5-8
2009 Record: 4-6

9/4 Central Ark W 25-20
9/12 at Washi St W 38-20
9/19 at UNLV L 34-33
9/23 OPEN DATE
9/30 at La Tech L 27-6
10/3 OPEN DATE
10/10 Fresno St L 42-17
10/17 at Idaho L 35-23
10/24 Boise St L 54-9
10/31 at Nevada L 31-21
11/7 Utah State W 49-36
11/14 NMSU W 24-6
11/21 at SJSU
11/28 Navy
12/5 Wisconsin

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 5-8
2008 Record: 7-6

Aug. 30 at Florida L 56-10
Sept. 6 Weber State W 36-17
Sept. 13 at Oregon State L 45-7
Sept. 20 OPEN DATE
Sept. 27 San Jose State L 20-17
Oct. 4 at Fresno St W 32-29 OT
Oct. 11 Louisiana Tech W 28-14
Oct. 17 at Boise State L 27-7
Oct. 25 Nevada W 38-31
Nov. 1 at Utah State L 30-14
Nov. 8 at N Mexico St W 43-20
Nov. 15 OPEN DATE
Nov. 22 Idaho W 49-17
Nov. 29 Washington St W 24-10
Dec. 6 Cincinnati
Hawaii Bowl
Dec. 24 Notre Dame L 49-21

Hawaii Warriors

Nov. 14
at Hawaii 24 … New Mexico State 6
Leon Wright-Jackson ran for two touchdowns in the first quarter and Greg Salas caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Shane Austin as Hawaii had few problems beating the Aggies. NMSU’s offense gained just 244 yards and didn’t score, with the team’s one touchdown coming on a 58-yard Davon House interception return. The Warriors lost QB Bryant Moniz to a rib injury.
Player of the Game: Hawaii WR Greg Salas caught 16 passes for 196 yards and a score.
New Mexico State: Passing: Jeff Fleming, 12-21, 111 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Tonny Glynn, 11-74, Receiving: Marcus Allen, 4-42
Hawaii: Passing: Bryant Moniz, 20-38, 294 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Bryant Moniz, 9-43, Leon Wright-Jackson, 6-43, 2 TD, Receiving: Greg Salas, 16-196, 1 TD 
What It All Means: Losing QB Bryant Moniz to a rib injury was a scare, but he’s expected to be able to play against San Jose State. The bigger issue could be an injured foot on star WR Greg Salas. The offense can produce with Shane Austin under center, but there’s no chance against Navy or Wisconsin after next week’s game at San Jose State if Salas isn’t fine. He’s expected to play. The defense is coming off a tremendous performance, and it should shut down a miserable Spartan offense in the final road game of the year.

Nov. 7
at Hawaii 49 … Utah State 36
Utah State scored first on a seven-yard Robert Turbin touchdown run, and then it was all Hawaii with 35 straight points to close out the first half. Bryant Moniz finished with four touchdown passes including two scoring plays to Greg Salas from ten and four yards out. But the real story was the Hawaii running game with 360 total yards and 167 yards and three scores from Leon Wright-Jackson. Alex Green also ran for 110 yards on ten caries as the Warriors controlled the game throughout. Utah State got two touchdown passes and a scoring run from Diondre Borel, but it was too late.
Player of the Game: Hawaii RB Leon Wright-Jackson ran 15 times for 167 yards and three scores.
Utah State: Passing: Diondre Borel, 35-48, 344 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Robert Turbin, 13-60, 2 TD, Receiving: Omar Sawyer, 6-86
Hawaii: Passing: Bryant Moniz, 21-37, 337 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Leon Wright-Jackson, 15-167, 3 TD, Receiving: Greg Salas, 10-187, 2 TD
What It All Means: Hawaii?! 360 rushing yards?!? Utah State might not have much of a run defense, but this is Hawaii, and this is an offense that hasn’t do much over the last several weeks over the course of a six-game losing streak. The passing game wasn’t ignored, with Bryant Moniz having his best all-around game since taking over, and Greg Salas ripping up the Aggies for 187 yards and two scores. The momentum should continue against New Mexico State and San Jose State, and if Hawaii can get to 5-6, all of a sudden, things get interesting with home games against Navy and Wisconsin to finish up. 

Oct. 31
at Nevada 31 … Hawaii 21
Nevada overcame a 14-0 deficit with 28 straight points highlighted by two Colin Kaepernick touchdown runs and a 30-yard Vai Taua touchdown dash. Jovonte Taylor caught touchdown passes from 71 and four yards out for the Warriors, but couldn’t handle the Wolf Pack rushing attack that rolled up 312 yards.
Player of the Game: Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick completed 12-of-21 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns and ran 13 times for 114 yards and two scores.
Nevada: Passing: Colin Kaepernick, 12-21, 184 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Vai Taua, 19-127, Receiving: Brandon Wimberly, 4-45
Hawaii: Passing: Bryant Moniz, 29-49, 374 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Alex Green, 10-70, Receiving: Jon Medeiros, 9-92 
What It All Means: Bryant Moniz threw the ball well and got the attack moving early, but Nevada’s secondary gets torched by everyone. On a six-game losing streak and at 0-5 in the WAC, everything is going wrong. But on the plus side, the tough WAC games are out of the way with Utah State, New Mexico State, and San Jose State to close out the conference season before facing Navy and Wisconsin. The defense isn’t generating any pressure, and the offense isn’t consistent. Having four home games in the final five will help.

Oct. 24
Boise State 54 … at Hawaii 9
Boise State rolled at will as Kellen Moore threw four first half touchdown passes and five on the day with three going to Titus Young. Young’s 48-yard scoring grab ended a run of 44 Bronco points to start the game before Hawaii got on the board with a safety. Six Warrior turnovers helped turn the game into a blowout, with the Hawaii attack not getting into the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter on a ten-yard Jon Medeiros catch.
Player of the Game: Boise State QB Kellen Moore completed 18-of-30 passes for 223 yards and five scores.
Hawaii: Passing: Shane Austin, 22-36, 174 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Alex Green, 8-44, Receiving: Greg Salas, 9-90
Boise State: Passing: Kellen Moore, 18-30, 223 yds, 5 TD
Rushing: Matt Kaiserman, 23-122, 1 TD, Receiving: Titus Young, 8-115, 3 TD 
What It All Means: The passing game is trying to get something going, but the quarterback play isn’t steady enough or productive enough to help pull off wins over the better WAC teams. This might be an ugly five-game slide, but the Warriors have played the best teams in the WAC so far, with one more to go in an almost certain whacking at Nevada coming up next. Things ease up for a few weeks, but the season is already lost. Now it’s about spending the second half of the season trying to improve for next season.

Oct. 17
at Idaho 35 … Hawaii 23
Hawaii’s Bryant Moniz threw for 360 yards, connected with Greg Salas on a 21-yard touchdown pass, and ran for a 15-yard score, but it wasn’t enough to overcome four touchdown runs from DeMaundray Woolridge and a 14-of-17 passing day from Nathan Enderle. Enderle connected with Maurice Shaw for a 60-yard score in the first quarter and Woolridge scored from 28, four, one, and six yards out with his final two touchdown runs allowing the Vandals to pull away.
Player of the Game: Idaho RB DeMaundray Woolridge ran 17 times for 81 yards and four touchdowns.
Hawaii: Passing: Bryant Moniz, 30-42, 360 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Leon Wright-Jackson, 9-37, Receiving: Greg Salas, 10-111, 1 TD
Idaho: Passing: Nathan Enderle, 14-17, 226 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Princeton McCarty, 16-89, Receiving: Daniel Hardy, 3-62 
What It All Means: The offense finally showed it can produce a little bit without Greg Alexander with Bryant Moniz throwing well, and he did a great job on third downs, but the defense couldn’t get off the field in key spots. Spencer Smith 12 tackles, bur the defense has become awful at the wrong time with Boise State and Nevada are up next. Say bye-bye to a bowl game, but if Moniz is hot, then the offense could make things interesting against the bigger boys.

Oct. 10
Fresno State 42 … at Hawaii 17
Fresno State had no problems in the rain getting out to an early lead on first quarter touchdown runs from Lonyae Miller and Ryan Matthews followed up by two 17-yard Ryan Colburn touchdown passes on the way to a 42-3 lead. Robbie Rouse added touchdown runs from 34 and 16 yards away in the third quarter, and then Hawaii finally got on the board with two short Bryant Moniz touchdown passes.
Player of the Game: Fresno State RB Ryan Mathews ran 24 times for 149 yards and a score.
Hawaii: Passing: Bryant Moniz, 24-52, 283 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Leon Wright-Jackson, 5-66, Receiving: Rodney Bradley, 7-94, 1 TD
Fresno State: Passing: Ryan Colburn, 12-14, 120 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Ryan Mathews, 24-149, 1 TD, Receiving: Seyi Ajirotutu, 4-48
What It All Means: Bryant Moniz is trying, but the offense isn’t close to being the same without Greg Alexander. The defense needs to pick up the slack by doing something more than it was able to against the Fresno State offense that ran for 277 yards and allowed the Bulldog passers to complete 14-of-17 passes. To have a chance against a strong Idaho team next week, and with Boise State and Nevada to follow, the team has to be perfect, the seven penalties and three turnovers of this week were too many, and the receivers will have to take short Moniz passes and do something with them. 

Sept. 30
at Louisiana Tech 27 … Hawaii 6
Louisiana Tech’s defense held Hawaii to 301 yards of total off with seven sacks in the shockingly easy win. The Bulldog D allowed just two field goals to the high-powered Warriors, while the offense ran for 352 yards and got two short scoring runs from Daniel Porter with Myke Compton putting the game well out of reach on a six-yard touchdown run late in the third. Hawaii QB Greg Alexander was knocked out with a knee injury.
Player of the Game: Louisiana Tech RB Daniel Porter ran 25 times for 160 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran twice for 11 yards.
Louisiana Tech: Passing: Ross Jenkins, 13-22, 97 yds
Rushing: Daniel Porter, 25-160, 2 TD, Receiving: Tyrone Duplessis, 4-42
Hawaii: Passing: Greg Alexander, 20-34, 199 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Alex Green, 3-7, Receiving: Kealoha Pilares, 8-60
What It All Means: This was the nightmare game for Hawaii. Away from home and against a pass rush bent on getting to the quarterback no matter what, the Warriors crumbled getting nothing from the running game while the quarterbacks got beaten and bruised. Now the season is in jeopardy with QB Greg Alexander suffering a knee injury, and while Bryant Moniz threw for 109 yards, he only completed 5-of-11 passes. He’s not Alexander. Just as big an issue is a run defense that got torched for 352 yards. With Fresno State’s Ryan Mathews coming into town next week, the Warrior defensive front needs to improve in a big hurry. 

Sept. 19
at UNLV 34 … Hawaii 33
Omar Clayton connected with Phillip Payne for a 15-yard score with 36 seconds to play and the defense hung on with a batted down Hail Mary for a tough UNLV win. Greg Alexander threw for 477 yards and three touchdowns, including a 23-yarder and a 54-yarder To Greg Salas, but UNLV was able to keep up the pace with some big plays of its own. Jerriman Robinson caught a 42-yard touchdown pass and Payne caught an eight-yard scoring pass in the see-saw battle that saw 965 yards of total offense and 817 passing yards.
Player of the Game: In a losing cause, Hawaii QB Greg Alexander completed 31-of-48 passes for 477 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Hawaii: Passing: Greg Alexander, 31-48, 477 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Greg Alexander, 9-17, Receiving: Kealoha Pilares, 13-146
UNLV: Passing: Omar Clayton, 28-43, 340 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Channing Trotter, 15-68, Receiving: Ryan Wolfe, 9-130 
What It All Means: Hawaii might have lost to UNLV, but unlike past year, the team is playing far better on the mainland. It used to be a given that the Warriors lost whenever they went away from home, but Greg Alexander and the passing game are cranking out yards without a problem and the defense isn’t playing that poorly. There’s one more road game on this rough trip, and it’s a far one going to Louisiana Tech. If Hawaii can pull off the upset In Ruston, it has an honest shot at being in the WAC title hunt getting Fresno State and Boise State at home.

Sept. 12
Hawaii 38 ... at Washington State 20
Greg Alexander threw three touchdown passes including a 23-yarder and 73-yarder to Rodney Bradley, and Alex Green tore off a 44-yard touchdown dash as part of a 35-0 run to start the first 20 minutes. Washington State turned it over seven times, but mounting a little bit of a comeback pulling within 15 in the fourth quarter on a four-yard Kevin Lopina run, but wouldn't get any closer.
Player of the Game: Hawaii QB Greg Alexander completed 26-of-36 passes for 453 yards and three touchdowns
Hawaii: Passing: Greg Alexander, 26-36, 453 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Alex Green, 9-59, Receiving: Kealoha Pilares, 8-69
Washington State: Passing: Kevin Lopina, 18-32, 191 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: James Montgomery, 17-118, 1 TD, Receiving: Jeffrey Solomon, 6-71
What It All Means: After a shaky first game, the Hawaii offense was humming against Washington State with a near-perfect performance from Greg Alexander. Not only did the offense work well, Alexander and the offense took advantage of every opportunity to put the game away. The 12 penalties were a problem, there were four fumbles, and the game got a little tight after a 35-0 lead, but to go on the road against a BCS-league team and come up with an easy win is a nice step no matter who it's against.

Sept. 4
at Hawaii 25 ... Central Arkansas 20
Greg Alexander connected with Rodney Bradley on a eight-yard touchdown pass with 1:22 to escape with the win in a sloppy game. A Hawaii fumble led to an early UCA lead as Brent Grimes took it in from one yard out for the first of his three scores on the day, but the Warriors were able to keep pace with three short touchdown passes from Alexander including a four-yarder to Greg Salas to pull within five, 14-9, going into halftime. Hawaii turned it over four times with three key fumbles, but outgained UCA 415 yards to 270.
Player of the Game: Hawaii WR Greg Salas caught seven passes for 180 yards and a touchdown.
Hawaii: Passing: Greg Alexander, 21-32, 304 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Greg Alexander, 16-76, Receiving: Greg Salas, 7-180, 1 TD
Central Arkansas: Passing: Robbie Park, 20-31, 186 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Brent Grimes, 18-65, 2 TD, Receiving: Preston Echols, 5-44
What It All Means: Hawaii can't afford to be as loose with the ball as it was against Central Arkansas. The Warriors turned it over four times with three fumbles that kept the game close, but Greg Alexander kept his cool and made the plays needed and Greg Salas had a huge game to show he really might be ready to take over the No. 1 role. A huge concern has to be the running game; Alexander can't be the team's leading rusher going forward, but he was the only one who got any work. He had 16 carries, while Alex Green, Kealoha Pilares and Leon Wright-Jackson combined for just ten. Alexander ran extremely well, but he's going to need help.