LB Brown shoulders the load
By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai'i's defense didn't have a Pisa Tinoisamoa leg to stand on, so they did have the broad shoulders of middle linebacker Chris Brown to help carry the burden. Never mind that one of those shoulders was dislocated.
Tinoisamoa started the game but left after just one play with a strained right leg. That left Brown and the rest of the UH defense to try and contain a team that just one week ago amassed 746 yards of total offense in a blowout against Tulsa.
"I knew Pisa was out and coach (George Lumpkin) told me I had to keep this defense together," Brown said. "I just did my best to pick up after Pisa. We needed him, but I think all the guys did a real good job and I just tried to do my part to lead this defense."
Brown responded with 10 tackles, including two for a combined loss of 11 yards. He also contributed a pivotal sack in the fourth quarter in UH's 34-10 victory over San Jose State.
"I knew we could get them," Brown said. "All week, I was on the guys to get up for this game."
In the first half, the junior helped UH survive four fumbles and hold San Jose State's vaunted rushing attack to just 45 yards on 20 carries.
San Jose State scored its only touchdown of the game when Brown went to the sidelines with a dislocated shoulder in the first drive of the second half.
"I kind of tripped and the lineman fell on me right on the shoulder," Brown said. "I told the doctor to just push it back in."
Brown missed four downs, during which the Spartans marched 50 yards and scored on a 5-yard run by Jarmar Julien.
"That kind of upset me," Brown said.
So Brown made sure he didn't miss another down. With his shoulder burning with pain, he took it on himself to fire up his teammates.
"In the locker room before the game, I told the guys 'bring yourself to the point that you feel no pain,' " Brown said. "I'm the one who said it, so I was the one who had to do it. I just sucked it up and brought it to the table."
Brown came up huge in the fourth. With UH leading 27-10 and more than nine minutes left, the Spartans mounted a stiff challenge, moving 59 yards on five plays to the UH 13-yard line. On first down, UH ran a blitz up the middle.
"I was watching and I noticed that (Spartan quarterback Clint Carlson) tended to go to his left a lot," Brown said. "So I went to my left, found the hole and just brought it."
Brown caught Carlson with his aching right arm and wrestled him to the ground for a 10-yard loss. The Spartans were penalized 5-yards for a delay of game on the next down, then lost another nine yards when Joe Correia sacked Carlson at the 37-yard line.
The Spartans had to settle for a 50-yard field goal attempt by Nick Gilliam that missed its mark. UH scored on the ensuing drive to put the game out of reach.
