Hawaii Football: Legends of Manoa

[redsox907]

Excited to see what you can do with Hawaii. Recruiting is going to be tough with the prox to home being terrible for anyone not already in HI lol

Nice opening win. Got to cut the interceptions down, but for the 1st game with a new team its expected

[Deuce2223]

Good luck. I really enjoyed my Dynasty with Hawaii back in 2014.. I brought back legendary QB Timmy Chang to the Island to lead the rebuild and brought back the old Run and Shoot offense. Not sure how this game rates Campus Lifestyle in Hawaii but it should be a A+

[tobin834]

The UCLA Bruins traveled to Hawaii for a nice game that turned into a vacation. The Bruins defeating the Warriors 35-10 in a game that was closer than it really seemed.

Bruins QB Ethan Garbers was the star for UCLA going 23/28 for 335 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win. The Newport Beach, California Senior has made big claims for the UCLA Bruins this year and he was everything he said he would be and then some in this game.

Then at the end of the second half God Mode took over, a mode that is truly too much for me. After a first half of Interceptions, incompletions and struggle, UCLA miraculously responded with a very long touchdown that found them re-take the lead seconds after Hawaii took it – because, it's half time and the UCLA team somehow became unstoppable. They'd take a 14-7 lead going into the Half.

The second-half is usually where the depth shows up and this was no different. The Bruins spending much of the third quarter running the ball with TJ Harden. The Junior rushed 19 times, most of them coming in the third, for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Warriors offense got off to a slow start – even throwing an interception in the endzone near the end of the second half. The Warriors defense did what they could but the Bruins team proved to be too overpowering for the Warriors.

Hawaii will have next week off – something Coach Wetzel is sure to approve of as they got some work to do.


HAWAII COACH TOM WETZEL'S POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

Reporter 1 (Hawaiian Sports Network):
"Coach Wetzel, tough loss tonight against a strong UCLA team. What are your initial thoughts on how the game played out and where things went wrong for your squad?"

Yeah, I said before this game that this one would be a measuring stick to see where this program is and that's exactly what this was. You know, I think we need to get better on both sides of the ball to be competitive in the Mountain West. I understand this was a BIG10 team, but we need to be able to be competitive there as well. The Mountain West surely has some good teams in it and we're going to have to get better to be competitive.

Reporter 2 (ESPN)
“Coach, you mentioned using this game as a measuring stick. What specific areas do you feel need the most improvement, and how do you approach addressing those during the bye week?”

Well we're going to look at tape like we always do, go over it with the guys by position coach as we always do. The measuring stick comment was more based on the overall score, how things went. We gave up too many points and didn't score enough. I mean that's the simple of it. But if we dig deeper in we need to have a better rushing game – and that doesn't fall on Landon (Sims, JR) alone. It falls on the offensive line and it falls on us as coaches to not get our players in better positions. When you average 0.32 yards per rush, there is always need for improvement. We also let them get 12 yards per pass which is obviously too much. We need to do a better job on pass defense as well. We'll look at our roster, continue to evaluate and get the guys we have in the best positions possible to win the game.

Reporter 3 (Bleacher Report):
“Coach, despite the loss, were there any positives you saw from your team tonight that you can build on moving forward?”

Oh sure. Look we were 50% on our third downs which isn't an eye popping stat but it's one we can live with. We need to continue that so we can keep our defense off the field. I think we did a great job of keeping the ball as well – speaking of that. We had the ball 27 minutes tonight? I think that comes to an even higher number if we can get the rushing game going. But yes, Brayden (Schager, SR QB) was impressive tonight. Kid can really spin the ball out here, so we're going to let him do that as much as possible this year while also trying to balance out the time of possession which will have to include the running game.

[tobin834]

Good morning, college football fans! It’s Week 3, and we are live from the heart of Big Ten country—Madison, Wisconsin! Right here on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, where tonight, the No. 25 Badgers will take on the powerhouse No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide! This is College GameDay—built by the Home Depot!

Crowd erupts in cheers, waving “Jump Around” and anti-Alabama signs.

Camp Randall is rocking, the brats are grilling, and the student section hasn’t slept since Thursday! And why would they? They’re hosting one of the biggest games of the weekend as the Badgers look to shock the Tide in front of their home crowd.

But that’s just the beginning, folks. From the cheese curds of Wisconsin to the Bluegrass State, the drama is coast-to-coast this week. The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs roll into Lexington to face a feisty Kentucky squad that’s looking to make a statement under the lights. Meanwhile, down in the Swamp, No. 11 Texas A&M clashes with Florida in a game brimming with SEC stakes and fiery fanbases."

And out West, the desert heat meets the Little Apple. No. 12 Arizona heads to Manhattan, Kansas, to take on Kansas State in a matchup that could shake up the Big 12 landscape."

And of course, it all leads back here—to Madison, where the Alabama Crimson Tide, fresh off a dominant start to their season, take on the Wisconsin Badgers in a game that could redefine the playoff picture. Will Bucky Badger rise to the occasion? Or will the this Crimson Tide squad show why they’re perennial contenders?

We’ve got predictions, analysis, and plenty of surprises coming your way. So buckle up, grab your coffee—or your tailgate brat—and let’s kick off another unforgettable Saturday of college football! This is College GameDay!!!

[cookies00]

Really cool presentation in here

[tobin834]

The Hawaii Warriors defeated the Sam Houston State Bearkats in front of 18,923 on the campus of Sam Houston State. Hawaii, coming off a bye week last week seemed to have solve a lot of it's own problems as they defeat the hometown Bearkats 41-10.

Hawaii employing a different strategy this week by relying on their running game more. Hawaii as a result ended with 107 yards which is above average for the Warriors. Landon Sims rushed his way to 99 yards on the day and a touchdown. The Junior Running Back did leave the game in the third with a bruised shoulder but did end up finishing the game. Something to look out for.

Maybe not so shockingly was the Quarterback play which doesn't seem to be lights out more as it seems to be steady. Senior Quarterback Brayden Schager went 23 for 30 for 364 yards on 3 touchdowns. Schager ended up having time to thrown in the game which was a big difference from the UCLA game a few weeks ago.

The Hawaii defense was impressive and certainly got the word from coach Tom Wetzel that they needed to be better. The defense allowed 10 points and one was after a pick-six thrown by Schager that ended up with Sam Houston taking the ball over at the 10. The defense did only allow 8 first downs (in comparison to 23 by Hawaii), and allowed 19 rushing yards and 170 passing yards. Overall Wetzel has to be proud of the defense.

Hawaii returns home next week to take on Northern Iowa.



HAWAII COACH TOM WETZEL'S POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

Reporter 1 (Hawaiian Sports Network):
“Coach Wetzel, congratulations on the win! This was a dominant performance, especially on defense. What stood out to you about the way your team handled Sam Houston State on that side of the ball?”

Yeah, I think its something that's more in line with what we're capable of. I know we have some work to do on both sides of the ball, but I can't be angry at either today. I think Brayden (Schager, SR QB) played lights out tonight. I think someone told me he had 350, 360, something like that. I mean anytime we're in that range it's probably not the offense that's the issue. But same can be said for the D tonight right? 10 points? Both sides played great tonight.

Reporter 2 (ESPN)
“Coach, you mentioned Brayden Schager’s performance, and he seemed to have much better protection this week compared to the UCLA game. What adjustments did you make to give him the time to shine?”

Well we really lit a fire under our offensive line all week because I know what those guys are capable of and I don't think we played up to the level we were capable of in the UCLA game. Thankfully today we're doing that and Sam Houston presented a lot of interesting looks and schemes, but I'm happy with how our guys adjusted to them both throughout the game but especially at halftime.

Reporter 3 (Bleacher Report):
“Coach, you also leaned more on the running game this week, and Landon Sims came close to breaking 100 yards. Was that part of the game plan going in, and how is Sims feeling after leaving the game briefly with a shoulder issue?”

Yeah, I told Landon “look, we need you this week. We're going to rely on you, we're going to have to lean on you” and I love how he responded to that challenge. Landon is a great kid, great teammate. We're lucky to have him and we wish we could have got him the 100 tonight. I know if he wouldn't have left he would have had it. But yeah he'll be fine. Just a little soreness on his shoulder but he'd been playing through the whole game with that, so I can't blame him. He's healthy now and he'll be great for next week, so there is no issue there.

Reporter 4 (Honolulu Star-Advertiser):
“Coach, with such a strong showing on both sides of the ball, how do you use this performance to build momentum as you head back home to face Northern Iowa next week?”

Well I think you said it right? Momentum. I think it's something we've needed for awhile and this isn't just another game to us. We're set with the opportunity to go 4-1 and have a 3 game winning streak which is something that really helps morale. This is a program that's been down for awhile – that's something we need. Hopefully next week we're able to come out with the same effort as we did today.

[tobin834]

The Hawaii Warriors moved to 3-1 with a victory over Northern Iowa 58-17 at home in Hawaii. The Warriors, coming off an impressive victory last week over Sam Houston State defended their home turf yet again with a huge victory that made a statement to those in the Mountain West.

The offensive attack was again on fire. Hawaii Quarterback Brayden Schager was impressive. 28/32 for 299 yards and 4 touchdowns on no interceptions. One again, his favorite target was everyone. Schager spread the ball out to seven different targets throughout the night. Tight End Devon Tauaefa (SO, TE) led the receiving with 7 receptions for 71 yards. He also was one of four to catch a touchdown in this game.

Defensively, the Warriors were tough. Junior DT Dion Washington turned in 6 total tackles and 2.5 sacks in the game to keep the Hawaii defense on a hot streak moving into Mountain West play.

All in all, the Warriors and Head Coach Tom Wetzel should be proud of how far they've come and the record is there to prove it. Hawaii will have a bye week next week, but a big week regardless as the Warriors number one target is coming in, 4-star WR Alex Benavidez who is from Kapolei, Hawaii. He has offers from both Southern Cal and California waiting for him, but has limited his top three down to those two schools and Hawaii – with Hawaii leading. He is the 147th best player in the country, and the 17th best WR. As far as Hawaii is concerned, he's the number one prospect coming off the island this year.


HAWAII COACH TOM WETZEL PRESS CONFERENCE


Reporter 1 (Hawaii Tribune-Herald): Coach, congratulations on the win. What does this performance say about where your team is heading into conference play?

Well yeah, it's a big win for us for sure. I think as a Coach I'm always going to find something we could have done better – it's just my nature – but tonight it's going to be hard to find something. I think it was great to give some of our starters a rest at the end of the game. This thing is a marathon, I don't forget that and we need people

Reporter 2 (Star-Advertiser): Coach, Brayden Schager was nearly flawless tonight—28 of 32, 299 yards, four touchdowns, no picks. What can you say about his performance and how he’s led this offense?

Since I've gotten here to Hawaii, I've known Brayden to be a team leader through and through. He's going to go out there and lead by example and that's exactly what he did tonight. I am proud of him tonight, I'm proud of all of our guys tonight. If our guys up front don't do their job – and Brayden would tell you this himself – he can't do his job.

Reporter 3 (KHON2): Coach, with Alex Benavidez visiting next week, there’s a lot of excitement about potentially keeping such a talented player here in Hawaii. Have you thought about what kind of pitch you’ll make to him during the bye week?

Well, Alex coming in and giving us a visit is a huge thing for our program. Obviously being here locally he knows what Hawaii is about – better than I do at this point. But he also grew up going to our games. I want to really just demonstrate to him how badly I want Hawaii to be back on top – and yeah, I have firmly believed that has to happen by keeping our best players on the Island.

[redsox907]

nice start for the Warriors.

The loss to UCLA is honestly to be expected, they've got a pretty good offense.