Hawaii 2007 Preview

When University of Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan announced he was taking his name out of NFL Draft consideration and returning to school for his senior year, the local newspaper’s web site was so overwhelmed by the number of hits on the breaking story, it crashed. The school greeted news of Brennan’s return by putting season tickets on sale, and fans responded in huge numbers even though the schedule still had two games remaining to be booked.

Indeed, all signs point to the 2007 season being the most anticipated in Hawaii history, and Brennan is the biggest reason for the optimism. With a Midas aerial touch, he was the triggerman on an offense that led the NCAA in scoring (46.9 points per game), passing and total offense, propelling the Warriors to an 11–3 mark that tied the school record for victories.

Hawaii fans are looking forward to this season like none of the previous 40 years in the school’s history of playing an all-collegiate schedule.

Last year, Brennan threw for an NCAA single-season record of 58 touchdowns and won the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation’s top quarterback. This season, along with giving himself a chance to better his sixth-place Heisman Trophy finish, Brennan has provided fans with hope not only for the school’s first outright WAC football title and a return to the national rankings but possibly a shot at following in WAC rival Boise State’s footsteps by clinching an at-large berth in the Bowl Championship Series.

“I think Hawaii can be right there where they (13–0 Boise State) are next year,” says San Jose State coach Dick Tomey. “Hawaii has a lot of guys coming back. It is probably more (true) for Hawaii than everybody else (in the WAC).”

The biggest questions for the Warriors to answer include finding a running back to complement Brennan, rebuilding the offensive line and continuing to make progress on defense. The stop-unit will be led by new coordinator Greg McMackin, who returns to replace Jerry Glanville. The outspoken renegade in all black is now the head coach at Portland State after two years of rewiring the Warriors.

Coach June Jones, who came to UH in 1999 after coaching the San Diego Chargers and Atlanta Falcons in the NFL, continues to give the team a pro look with the return of McMackin, who ran the defense in the 1999 WAC title season favoring a speed-based lineup. McMackin was defensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks and, most recently, associate head coach with the San Francisco 49ers. He will install a 4-3 defense, scrapping the 3-4 of his predecessor.

Quarterbacks
Quietly, UH might have put together the best one-two quarterback punch in the country. Brennan was clearly the country’s most productive passer — with 5,549 yards, 58 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. His remarkable 72.6 completion percentage, which led the nation, was actually bettered by backup Tyler Graunke, who completed 74.4 percent. Graunke, however, attempted only 43 passes and did not meet the NCAA minimum to qualify for a ranking. Graunke, a junior, passed for 501 yards and four touchdowns without throwing an interception and is a better runner than Brennan. Coaches would have been happy with Graunke as the starter but are even happier to have Brennan back.

Running Backs
Until last year, when fifth-year senior Nate Ilaoa led the conference in yards per attempt (7.6), the position was little more than a change-up pitch in Jones’ pass-happy run-and-shoot offense. Replacing the multi-faceted Ilaoa, who was an adept receiver as well as a surprisingly quick runner and punishing blocker, is the offense’s biggest issue heading into the season. And with his backup, 280-pound Reagan Mauia, who was also a senior, the pair gave the Warriors a combination in the backfield that will be difficult to replace. The longest looks at filling their jobs will go to Kealoha Pilares and Leon Wright-Jackson. Pilares, the Hawaii high school Offensive Player of the Year in 2005 and a transfer from Air Force, was impressive in the spring. Wright-Jackson is a junior college transfer who played as a freshman at Nebraska in 2005. David Farmer, Jason Laumoli and Khevin Peoples saw limited action last year.

Receivers
Brennan will look to a familiar set of receivers with three of four starters back. Two of them, Davone Bess and Jason Rivers, topped the 1,100-yard mark and the third, Ryan Grice-Mullen, might have if not for injuries that kept him out of four games. The group accounted for 36 touchdown receptions. Finding a starter at right wide receiver among returnees C. J. Hawthorne, Malcolm Lane and Dylan Linkner and promising redshirt Greg Salas shouldn’t be a problem for a passing attack that spreads the wealth.

2007 Schedule
S. 1	Northern Colorado	W
S. 8	Louisiana Tech	W
S. 15	at UNLV	W
S. 22	Charleston Southern	W
S. 29	at Idaho	W
O. 6	Utah State	W
O. 12	at San Jose State	W
O. 27	New Mexico State	W
N. 10	Fresno State	W
N. 17	at Nevada	W
N. 23	Boise State	*
D. 1	Washington	W
Games in bold represent swing games. W or L indicates a projected win or loss.

Offensive Linemen
For as many times as Hawaii threw the ball (615) the rate of sacks given up — one every 22 attempts — was remarkable. Now comes the task of replacing three mainstays on the offensive line — All-WAC performers Samson Satele, Dane Uperesa and Tala Esera, who formed one of the best units in school history. The depth that coaches have touted will be tested in finding their successors. The guards, John Estes on the right and Hercules Satele on the left, are solid as the only returning starters. They excelled last year as lead blockers on counters. Lafu Tuioti-Mariner is the favorite at center. Left tackle is up for grabs among favorite Aaron Kia, Laupepa Letuli and Ray Hisatake, who was a defensive tackle until he joined the Warriors. At the right tackle spot, juniors Keith Ah Soon and Keoni Steinhoff will compete for the starting job.

Defensive Linemen
All-conference defensive ends Ikaika Alama-Francis and Melila Purcell are gone, as the Warriors begin building a four-man front for McMackin’s 4-3 scheme. Purcell’s brother, Amani, is a Penn State transfer who is likely to be one of the replacements with Karl Noa, David Veikune and Chris Leatigaga vying for the other end. The tackles will be manned by senior Michael Lafaele and junior Keala Watson, who each have starting experience, along with junior Fale Laeli and rising sophomore Rocky Savaiigaea.

Linebackers
Much is expected from a linebacking corps that did not lose a starter. But the new alignment puts one fewer backer on the field. That should raise the level of competition for a group that returns five players with some starting experience. Among them are All-WAC performers Adam Leonard and Solomon Elimimian, who, between them have led the team in tackles the last two seasons. Leonard will likely fill the re-formatted weak-side slot while Elimimian takes over the middle and talented sophomore Blaze Soares the strong side. Seniors Brad Kalilimoku and Micah Lau, along with juniors Tyson Kafentzis and C.J. Allen-Jones also return to a crowded unit.

Defensive Backs
Last year’s struggles with inexperience have left the Warriors with a veteran lineup that includes three returning starters — Gerard Lewis and Myron Newberry at cornerbacks and safety Jake Patek. The other safety job is a competition with Keao Monteilh, B. J. Fruean and Dane Porlas all in the mix. This unit should be better this season based on experience alone.

Specialists
After ironing out some early-season yips, Dan Kelly has the placekicking job nailed down. He made good on 13-of-17 field goal tries, including a 52-yarder. But punter is up for grabs for the first time in five years. That’s if anyone can even name a UH punter. Because the offense was so prolific, the punter position was Hawaii’s version of the Maytag repairman with seldom-used senior Kurt Milne punting only 17 times last year compared with 60 by opponents. Bess, who was a punter in high school, could figure in the equation, while also providing a dangerous trick play option on potential fake punts.

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