NCAA Football Preview - Hawaii Warriors

NCAA Football Betting Lines

08/22/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - 2006 SEASON IN REVIEW: Hawaii has been known as a passing team ever since head coach June Jones took over the Warriors almost a decade ago, and yet there were still more surprises in store for Jones and the rest of the Western Athletic Conference when junior quarterback Colt Brennan finally got comfortable in the pocket for the Honolulu-based squad. In front of the largest crowd ever to catch a glimpse of the Warriors, the team came up a little short in their season opener versus Alabama on the road, 25-17, but managed to crush UNLV in the home opener two weeks later, 42-13. The WAC opener versus Boise State also took some wind out of the team's sails as they went down in a 41-34 defeat in Idaho, but from then on it was nearly a perfect season for the program. A school-record nine-game win streak ensued, with the squad almost making it 10 in a row to close out the regular season, were it not for a hard-luck 35-32 setback versus Oregon State at Aloha Stadium on December 2nd. Nevertheless, the Warriors made their way into the postseason and their very own Hawaii Bowl versus Arizona State, the team's fourth shot in the event's five-year history. Brennan blew away the Sun Devils in a 41-24 decision thanks to the record-setting play of wideout Jason Rivers, who tied a school record with 14 receptions and established a new NCAA bowl standard with a ridiculous 308 yards receiving. Not to be overlooked, Brennan saved his best for last as he brought the team back from a 10-3 halftime deficit by passing for a school-record 559 yards and connected on a total of five touchdowns. The TD total was significant because it left the California native with an NCAA single-season record of 58 scoring passes. Records, from the team level and in the conference, along with national marks, fell week after week seemingly with the alarmingly accurate play of Brennan, who was named the 2006 winner of the Sammy Baugh Award and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting for a team that tied a program record with 11 wins overall and placed second in the WAC standings with a 7-1 mark. Brennan, who was named the WAC Offensive Player of the Year, threw for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns in eight different games, yet he was so productive with the nation's best completion percentage (.726) that he sat out the fourth quarter in six of the team's 14 outings.

2007 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: Is there any question who the focus of the offense will be this season for the Warriors? Brennan, who became the first Hawaii quarterback to earn All-American status since 1978, led the nation in seven statistical categories as a junior and set a new mark for passing efficiency for a single season at 185.96. Easily within range of any and all quarterback records with the Warriors, Brennan is on the cusp of greatness and will have plenty of weapons at his disposal out on the wings. Returning starters at wideout include juniors Davone Bess and Ryan Grice-Mullen and senior Jason Rivers. An honorable mention All-American selection, Bess was a first-team All-WAC choice for the second straight campaign as he led the squad with 96 grabs for 1,220 yards. While any team would be happy to have even one receiver with double- digit touchdowns, Bess was one of four receivers to register at least 10 TD catches, leading the unit with 15. With his huge postseason effort, Rivers finished with 72 catches for 10 TDs and an average of more than 16 yards per reception. In the two years that he's played for the Warriors, Grice- Mullen already has 23 touchdowns and close to 2,000 receiving yards. With Brennan getting the green light to throw down the field whenever he sees fit, Bess, Rivers and Grice-Mullen might just become the first set of teammates to all record over 1,000 yards receiving in a single season. The front line for Hawaii returns two starters in senior Hercules Satele and sophomore John Estes, which leaves Aaron Kia to come in at center, Keith Ah-soon the right tackle and Keoni Steinhoff at left tackle. In past years the running back position was nothing more than a blocking back for the Hawaii quarterbacks to buy some additional time in the pocket, but after Nate Ilaoa nearly gained 1,000 yards in 2006 the position might be redefined, which means junior David Farmer and freshman Kealoha Pilares will become even more important as they try to fill the void.

DEFENSE: As was the case with the so-called rushing attack in recent years for the Warriors, the defense did little more than buy time for the offense to rest up for another exciting burst down the field. However, the unit turned the corner last year as it ranked third in the conference in run defense, giving up just 136.1 ypg after placing 98th in the nation in that department a year earlier. The pass defense was a bit looser, allowing 241.7 ypg, but much of that had to do with the fact that almost every opponent was fighting an uphill battle both against the Warriors and the clock as they tried to catch up. Whatever the reason, junior linebacker Adam Leonard is not going to go away easily this season, especially after placing first on the unit with 114 stops a year ago, earning him All-WAC Second Team honors. In addition, Leonard also recorded team highs with nine pass breakups and four recovered fumbles. Joining Leonard in the middle of the field are Solomon Elimimian, Micah Lau and Tyson Kafentzis, the latter being one of the best athletes coach Jones has ever been around. Elimimian finished second on the unit with 89 stops which again was a result of so many teams having to pass the ball just to stay competitive. The front line has lost some considerable talent, leaving only senior Michael Lafaele as the only returning starter, which means juniors David Veikune and Keala Watson, along with senior Karl Noa will have to pick up the pace and gel as quickly as possible. The secondary remains almost intact with the inclusions of Gerard Lewis, Myron Newberry and Jacob Patek, which leaves the only remaining position at free safety falling to Desmond Thomas in all likelihood.

SPECIAL TEAMS: As one would expect with such a wildly successful offense, the Warriors had little need for a punter last season, leaving Kurt Milne with a mere 17 attempts, compared to 60 for the opposition. With Milne now gone, that means that either placekicker Dan Kelly or perhaps Briton Forester might fall into that spot. As far as making returns is concerned, any number of players could be in for kickoffs after as many as eight players were credited with such returns a season ago. Malcolm Lane might get the bulk of those attempts, while Newberry expects to again handle punts after handling a team-high 22 of them in 2006.

OUTLOOK: Hawaii, which enters the season ranked 23rd in the nation according to the AP, has seen more than its share of productive quarterbacks over the years. However, in the case of Brennan, he's learned how to make the tough throws without having to suffer the negative consequences. In 559 pass attempts a season ago, the signal-caller was picked off a mere 12 times, just 25 total after two seasons with more than 1,000 pass attempts. Considering the competition in the first four games this season (Northern Colorado, Louisiana Tech, UNLV and Charleston Southern), the Warriors might not get a lot of credit for senseless blowouts. However, the momentum, combined with meetings against Idaho and Utah State right afterwards should create a well-oiled offensive machine that few defenses will have an answer for.