Boise State's prowess not simply coaching platitudes

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i coaches have become the Rosie O'Donnell of college football.

They love everybody.

Fresno State? Love that talent.

San Jose State? Love that passing attack.

Tonight's opponent? Well, what's not to love about Boise State?

"Boise State is the best-coached team that we'll play this year," defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said.

Even better than Fresno State?

"They beat Fresno at Fresno," UH coach June Jones said.

"I guess that means they're a better team," Lempa said.

Here's a closer look at tonight's game at Aloha Stadium:

Boise State's passing

LWR—84 Lou Fanucchi (5-11, 191, Jr.)
TE—80 Jeb Putzier (6-5, 251, Sr.)
RWR—1 Jay Swillie (6-3, 207, Jr.)
QB—7 Ryan Dinwiddie (6-0, 192, So.)

The buzz: The key, especially when UH's safeties retreat into zone coverage, is Putzier, who is unlike any other tight end the Warriors will face this season. Putzier can run 40 yards in 4.57 seconds, either stretching defenses or zipping past secondaries. When he gains position on a smaller safety, he is as difficult to defend as Karl Malone in the low post. Putzier, who has a team-high nine touchdown receptions and averages 17.2 yards per catch, is one of the few tight ends who runs post patterns.

Fanucchi, who has struggled in recent weeks, is the deep threat. Of Swillie's 38 catches this season, 27 have gone for first downs. His favorite routes are across the middle.

Dinwiddie, who leads the WAC with a pass-efficiency rating of 165.34, can throw a football 70 yards on the fly.

Boise State's rushing

LT—68 Peter Naumes (6-3, 279, Sr.)
LG—67 Jeff Cheek (6-5, 293, Sr.)
C—56 Scott Huff (6-2, 292, Jr.)
RG—78 Rob Vian (6-5, 300, Jr.)
RT—77 Matt Hill (6-6, 298, Sr.)
FB—33 Matt Strohfus (6-2, 233, Jr.)
TB—36 Brock Forsey (5-11, 198, Jr.)
TB—3 David Mikell (5-10, 195, So.)

The buzz: With Putzier serving as a third receiver, Strohfus acts as the tight end, teaming with Hill to lead the way on toss sweeps. Hill, who is the Broncos' best blocker, is effective pulling toward the left on counter-tackle plays.

Forsey is the power runner; Mikell is the speed back.

The Broncos also run the "Fly," a play borrowed from Oregon, in which Swillie, Fanucchi or wideout Tim Gilligan gets the ball on a reverse and then follows the student-body blocking.

Boise State's defensive front

LE—93 Marcus Purkiss (6-3, 237, Jr.)
LT—69 Dane Oldham (6-2, 259, So.)
RT—98 Bobby Hammer (6-2, 263, Jr.)
RE—59 Sky Dumont (6-2, 238, Sr.)
SLB—43 Greg Sasser (5-9, 206, Sr.)
MLB—34 LaGary Mitchell (6-1, 244, So.)
WLB—44 Kris Foster (5-11, 220, Jr.)

The buzz: With the average starting down lineman weighing 249 pounds, the Broncos try to avoid becoming a stationary target by constantly shifting. Sometimes they will drop back their down linemen and rush with the linebackers. Other times, rover Quintin Mikell or a cornerback will blitz. A newspaper report estimated the Bronco defense blitzes 40 percent of the time.

Tony Altieri, the team's best interior lineman, suffered a neck sprain three weeks ago and will not play the rest of the season.

Boise State's secondary

LCB—6 Julius Brown (5-10, 184, So.)
Rov—9 Quintin Mikell (5-10, 197, Jr.)
FS—13 Travis Burgher (6-1, 204, So.)
RCB—16 Gabriel Franklin (5-10, 179, Fr.)

The buzz: Franklin, a redshirt freshman who has emerged as the Broncos' best cover guy, is expected to defend wideout Ashley Lelie.

Mikell (no relation to the running back) is the busiest defender, leading the team with 67 tackles. Mikell developed hand-eye coordination by playing video games, footwork by jumping rope and flexibility by taking ballet lessons for a semester. "I expected to get teased, but they were pretty cool about it," he said of his teammates' reaction to his ballet lessons. "A couple of (teammates) are taking it now."

Boise State's specialists

PK—19 Nick Calaycay (5-7, 168, Jr.)
P—37 Keith Schuttler (5-11, 191, Jr.)
KR—36 Brock Forsey (5-11, 198, Jr.)
PR—87 Tim Gilligan (5-8, 164, So.)

The buzz: Gilligan made several highlight shows, but for the wrong reason. Twice this season, he was KO'd when defenders ran into him while the punt was in the air. One of the violators received a one-game suspension, and questions were raised about the efficiency of the "halo rule," which allows a returner a 2-yard cushion to receive punts. What is overlooked is Gilligan is a skilled returner who never fumbles.

UH's passing

LWR—18 Justin Colbert (5-7, 160, Jr.)
LSB—85 Channon Harris (5-8, 151, Sr.)
RSB—2 Craig Stutzmann (5-11, 194, Sr.)
RWR—8 Ashley Lelie (6-3, 187, Jr.)
QB—12 Nick Rolovich (6-2, 200, Sr.)

The buzz: A telling statistic is the Warriors have scored 77 fourth-quarter points, 40 percent more than they have scored in the third quarter, an indication that the run-and-shoot offense is not losing steam late in the game. That is remarkable considering the starting four receivers often run deep routes and rarely take breathers.

UH's rushing

LT—53 Lui Fuata (6-2, 313, Jr.)
LG—76 Manly Kanoa III (6-4, 320, Sr.)
C—66 Brian Smith (6-2, 284, Sr.)
RG—65 Vince Manuwai (6-2, 285, Jr.)
RT—69 Uriah Moenoa (6-4, 331, Fr.)
RB—1 Mike Bass (5-6, 158, Fr.)
RB—24 Thero Mitchell (5-10, 215, Jr.)

The buzz: Lately, the most effective running play is "35 trap," which, at first, appears to be a simple sweep. In fact, it is a double-option play. Manuwai, for instance, will pull from the right to the left. If the defensive end tries to loop around, Manuwai will block him outside, allowing Mitchell to cut inside. If the defensive end powers forward, Manuwai will hook him, forcing the defensive end toward the line of scrimmage, and allowing Mitchell to run wide. Last week, Mitchell's two scoring runs came on this play.

UH's defensive front

LE—58 La'anui Correa (6-4, 267, Jr.)
LT—70 Mike Iosua (6-3, 272, Sr.)
RT—92 Lance Samuseva (5-11, 285, So.)
RE—6 Joe Correia (6-2, 240, Sr.)
SLB—44 Matt Wright (6-1, 222, Jr.)
MLB—54 Chris Brown (6-2, 258, Jr.)
WLB—46 Keani Alapa (6-0, 222, So.)

The buzz: With weakside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa (stress fracture in right leg) unavailable and right end Travis Laboy (sprained left ankle) questionable, the Warriors might be without their two best playmakers. Correia is fast and strong, but also brittle (he is playing with nagging injuries). But don't count out Laboy, who is deceptively tough. Since his moped was vandalized last month, he has walked the 11/2-mile distance from his apartment to the athletic department every day, even on the sore left ankle.

UH's secondary

LCB—17 Kelvin Millhouse (6-1, 198, So.)
FS/NB—12 Nate Jackson (5-10, 163, Sr.)
FS—2 Robert Grant (6-1, 191, Sr.)
SS—3 Jacob Espiau (5-10, 196, Sr.)
RCB—33 Hyrum Peters (5-8, 190, So.)

The buzz: Cornerback Abraham Elimimian has apparently recovered from a sprained ankle that kept him from playing last week. But Peters took most of the reps this week and is expected to start. With the Broncos expected to flood the passing lanes, the Warriors will rotate several defensive backs.

UH's Specialists

PK—47 Justin Ayat (5-11, 203, Fr.)
P—49 Mat McBriar (6-1, 202, So.)
KR/PR—82 Chad Owens (5-8, 175, Fr.)

The buzz: Ayat is sore from a hyper-extended right knee, but he won't miss any playing time.

Owens has become a self-made returner. He shows up 15 minutes before every practice, fielding footballs shot from a mechanical launcher. Then he will receive live punts from McBriar or backup punter Greg Kleidon. He said his elusiveness comes from eight years of playing soccer.

BOISE STATE (5-4)

13 at South Carolina 32
20 Washington St. 41
42 UTEP 17
45 at Idaho 13
14 at Rice 45
41 Tulsa 10
35 at Fresno St. 30
49 Nevada 7
42 at Louisiana Tech 48
Today at Hawai'i
Nov. 17 San Jose St.
Dec. 1 Cent. Michigan

HAWAI'I (6-2)

30 Montana 12
20 at Nevada 28
24 Rice 27
38 at SMU, 2OT 31
66 UTEP 7
36 at Tulsa 15
38 Fresno St. 34
34 San Jose St. 10
Today Boise St.
Nov. 17 Miami (Ohio) .
Nov. 24 Air Force
Dec. 8 BYU