Loosen up and have fun enjoying the ultimate college football eye
candy. You won’t have more fun this year watching sports than you
will going out of your way to find the late-late-night Hawaii games
after a full Saturday slate.
College football has been played for well over 100 years, so when
there’s a chance to see history in the making, you have to go out of
your way to watch, even if it requires staying up until four in the
morning to be a witness. For those old enough, remember 1991 UNLV
basketball when Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and the crew put on
their must-see shows in games that went deep into the early morning,
for anyone on the East Coast.
With Colt Brennan pulling his early application for the NFL draft,
the band is back together to assault the NCAA record books with what
should be among the most exciting, efficient passing attacks ever.
Hawaii finished first in the nation in total offense (559 yards per
game), first in scoring (46.86 points per game), and first in
passing (441.3 yards per game), and should do more of the same this
year, helped by receivers Davone Bess, Jason Rivers and Ryan Grice
Mullen, who’ll soon become college football household names.
This isn’t a fluke or some gimmicky attack, and it isn’t Timmy Chang
cranking out numbers because of the system. This is a pro-caliber
quarterback throwing to pro-caliber receivers, in what should be the
ultimate showcase for the June Jones passing offense. As long as
the media pressure doesn’t get to Brennan, and as long as the team
doesn’t lose its head when it hits a few rough patches, this could
be a BCS-caliber team that none of the big boys will have any
interest in dealing with.
What to watch for on offense: Will Brennan press? Brennan was
at his best last year in the second half of games, once he got into
a rhythm and a feel for what the defenses were doing. However, he
was far, far better when he relaxed and took what was given to him.
When he tried to make too many things happen on his own, like he did
in the loss to Oregon State, the machine wasn’t as effective. The
spotlight will be on and the pressure and attention might be
suffocating at times; he can’t let it get to him.
What to watch for on defense: Hitting. Hawaii isn’t exactly
known for being the most physical team around, but the defense,
despite not being all that great, will pop even without Jerry
Glanville (who left to take the head coaching job at Portland State)
running things. The Warriors are back to a 4-3, but it’s still built
to be aggressive and force big plays. With seven starters returning
in the backfield, the D might be a little bit more productive than
last year. This group won’t be a brick wall, but all it has to do is
hold teams to around 35 points and the offense will do the rest.
The team will be far better if … It finds a productive
running back right off the bat. The
offense lost 254-pound power back Nate Ilaoa, who was a killer yin
to Brennan’s yang, and also was a tremendous receiver. Making
matters worse, the offensive line has to replace three key starters,
including both tackles, so at least early on, it’ll be Brennan,
Brennan and more Brennan.
The Schedule: There isn’t a who’s who of good
non-conference teams making the trip across the pond, but there are
enough good home dates to not only hope for a WAC title, but also a
BCS berth. The toughest road game is either at San Jose State or at
Nevada, while Fresno State has to come to Aloha Stadium. The WAC
season ends with a nationally televised Friday showdown in Honolulu
with Boise State, while the regular season ends at home against
Washington.
Best Offensive Player:
Senior QB
Colt Brennan. Although junior receiver Davone Bess might turn out to be
the better pro, Brennan is the star of this show. The numbers are simply
astounding. In 26 games, he’s thrown for 9,850 yards (379 yards per
game), 93 touchdown passes and just 25 interceptions, while rushing for
520 yards and seven touchdowns. Most impressively, he has a 70%
completion percentage. He’s not just a function of the system; he’s the
real deal.
Best Defensive Player:
Senior DT
Michael Lafaele. The anchor up front, this 302-pound senior was decent
against the run, making 32 tackles while occupying double-teams. If he
can get into the backfield a little more, he’ll be a first team All-WAC
selection.
Key player to a
successful season:
Someone to replace RB
Nate Ilaoa. The 254-pound bulldozer was the unsung star of the offense,
catching 67 passes for 837 yards while running for 990 yards and 13
scores. Backup Reagan Mauia is also gone, meaning there’s an open
casting call for someone to provide some sort of a running game to
balance things out. The likely number one option is 240-pound David
Farmer, but the Warriors are going to audition several backs before the
opener.
The season will be a
success if
... Hawaii wins the WAC title. Going unbeaten might be tough,
considering the concerns on defense and the road dates with San Jose
State and Nevada, but the offense is going to hang 50 on just about
everyone. With Fresno State and Boise State coming to Honolulu, anything
less than the first WAC title since 1999 will be a huge disappointment.
The BCS is also a realistic dream if the Warriors can get to late
November unbeaten.
Key game:
Nov. 23 vs. Boise
State. The Warriors gave the Broncos all they could handle in last
year’s loss, but the comeback attempt fell just short. Now Boise State
has to come to Hawaii in what should be one of the must-see games of the
year, if everything goes according to plan. It’s not out of the realm of
possibility that these two could be unbeaten when they play each other.
2006 Fun Stats:
- Passing yards per game: Hawaii 441.3; Opponents 241.7
- Penalties: Hawaii 103 for 929 yards; Opponents 72 for 625 yards
- Punts: Hawaii 17 for 646 yards; Opponents 60 for 2,500 yards