For starters, they'll line up for Hawai'i on Saturday
| • | 2001 UH football roster |
| • | Players draw inspiration from 'Honorary Warrior' |
| • | 2001 UH opponent series history |
| • | Plotting a comeback |
By Steven Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
A relief pitcher will loosen up for five minutes, throw eight warm-up pitches and then face one batter. A boxer will run several miles every day for several weeks, then fight three-minute rounds in a small square.
And, so, it follows the logic of sports that the University of Hawai'i football team will practice for a month in March, train daily during the summer and conduct 27 workouts in three weeks to prepare for Saturday's season-opener against Montana at Wailuku's War Memorial Stadium.
For all of the training, meetings and studying, the Warriors know who will start, but not who will finish. They know who plays well in practice, but "not under the lights."
"Until we play a game, nothing is certain," UH coach June Jones said.
But no matter the outcome, one thing is certain. The Warriors will practice the following Monday.
The following is a look at this season's tentative starting lineup:
Offensive starters
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| Justin Colbert |
To improve his receiving skills, Justin Colbert spent an hour each day playing catch. When a quarterback wasn't available, he used an automatic throwing machine. The work paid off. In training camp, Colbert developed into a sure-handed deep threat. Now that defenses no longer can press him, Colbert probably will be used more on insides screens.
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| Channon Harris |
Channon Harris always ran precise routes, but often wasted the effort with drops. As a result, he fell from being the second receiving option to third or fourth. Once last season, he was benched after dropping a pass in the open field. Harris has never lacked confidence — he gave himself the nickname, "Fabulous" — and he always plays well in practice. But if he stumbles (or fumbles) early, the Warriors will turn to freshman Nate Ilaoa.
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| Lui Fuata |
To earn extra cash, Lui Fuata once worked as a bouncer, a job that inadvertently provided him with the skills to serve as the backside blocker. Fuata can play every line position — he also is the backup long-snapper — but, for now, there's nobody better on the left edge.
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| Manly Kanoa |
As the line's elder statesman, senior Manly Kanoa III has experienced the circle of life: Winning a starting job on the 1999 WAC championship team, moving from right guard to left guard, getting married and becoming a father. Now, he assumes the role of leader of the line. During the offseason he trimmed down to 309 pounds. "Or 310," he said, "depending on what I have for lunch."
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| Brian Smith |
At 6 feet 1 and 275 pounds, Brian Smith is hardly an imposing figure in the land of giants. But he has rated high in strength endurance tests, and he has the knack for quickly identifying defensive alignments. Smith is in charge of the line calls.
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| Vince Manuwai |
It might be easier to explain how a bumblebee can fly than how Vince Manuwai amassed 49 pancake blocks. Of UH's 848 offensive snaps last season, 73 percent were pass plays, meaning Manuwai spent nearly three-quarters of his time retreating into a pass-blocking stance. But Manuwai has developed a jackknife technique, in which he can fire out of pass-block. He also is quick enough to serve as the lead blocker on runs to the left side.
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| Uriah Moenoa |
The ballots were counted, re-checked and, last month, cast again. The results were the same: Uriah Moenoa is the successor to Kynan Forney, now with the Atlanta Falcons. There were concerns about Moenoa's ability to turn out (think of a hinge bending to the right) against pass-rushers. But in preseason training, Moenoa has proved to be a technically sound open-space blocker.
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| Craig Stutzmann |
Craig Stutzmann probably should have redshirted last year after suffering a torn ligament in his left arch. In the first six games, he could barely jump, and he had difficulty breaking free from clinging defenders. But Stutzmann said his arch is fine, and after losing 10 pounds, he is faster than ever.
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| Ashley Lelie |
During his free time, Ashley Lelie popped "College Football 2002" into the PlayStation-2, clicked on "Hawai'i," and watched himself become The Man. For this season, Lelie prepared for an expanded role. He gained weight, worked on his receiving, and improved his speed by sprinting, doing leg presses and modifying his running motion. Last spring, he ran 40 yards in a hand-timed 4.27 seconds. There were doubts until a Philadelphia Eagle scout timed Lelie at the same speed, proving that Lelie can be as remarkable in real life as in a video game.
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| Tim Chang |
Tim Chang should receive credit after the Warriors relinquished a school-low 10 sacks last season. His quick release and field presence make him an elusive target for pass-rushers. His added strength — he gained 15 pounds through weightlifting and nutritional supplements — will allow him to stand in the pocket longer.
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| Mike Bass |
Training camp's white-knuckle moment came when freshman Mike Bass slipped through the defensive line and headed toward safety Jacob Espiau. One on one, Espiau figured, the odds favored Bass, who was born to play chasemaster. But Bass was tripped by an offensive player, and Espiau was spared the humiliation UH opponents will endure this year. The 5-foot-6, 160-pound Bass runs low, making him difficult for defenders to track, and also has breakaway speed (4.41 seconds over 40 yards).
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| Mat McBriar |
When he is at his best, Mat McBriar's punts can remain airborne for nearly five seconds, enough time for even a lineman to race downfield. The past two months, McBriar has worked on his kick placements.
Defensive starters
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| Laanui Correa |
While sitting out the 1999 season after transferring from Nevada-Las Vegas, Laanui Correa lost the crazed-dog fierceness that made him a feared pass-rusher. But by the middle of spring practice in March, Correa was back to being a dominant defender. He also regained his edge; before training camp, he wore his helmet to bed.
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| Mike Iosua |
Of the two tackle positions, the left one usually is assigned to the more agile player. It's a match for Mike Iosua, who has played tight end and defensive end at UH.
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| Wayne Hunter |
In a unique experiment, Wayne Hunter, who was trained to play a pass-rushing end, was moved to boost a depleted interior line. While the 6-foot-6 Hunter is vulnerable to cut-blocks at tackle, his height is an asset in obscuring the sightline between a quarterback and a receiver on a crossing pattern.
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| Houston Ala |
With his first-step quickness, Houston Ala probably is best suited to play left defensive tackle. But with Iosua owning that position, and the 250-pound Ala not having the girth to play the space-eating tackle spot, the move to outside was the next best option. Still, Ala will be used at defensive tackle when UH uses five defensive backs and at nose tackle when a sixth defensive back is summoned.
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| Joe Correia |
From a shoulder injury that ended his pro baseball career to a seemingly endless list of injuries since enrolling at UH in 1998, Joe Correia has never been healthy for an entire season. If his broken foot has healed completely, he might be able to show why he received his second consecutive invitation to the Hula Bowl. (His college career was extended when the NCAA granted him a medical hardship for last season.)
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| Chris Brown |
Chris Brown is a throwback to the days when the Nogas roamed the football fields. He is a workout maniac (he can bench press 500 pounds) and a snarling terror before each snap. As a defensive end last year, he had difficulty side-stepping trap blocks while chasing running backs to the perimeters. In the middle, he has a better angle at a running back.
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| Pisa Tinoisamoa |
Bouncing back last year after being ruled academically ineligible to play as a freshman in 1999 was only Pisa Tinoisamoa's second-biggest comeback. Two months ago, faced with the prospect of flunking out, Tinoisamoa earned high enough grades in summer school to remain eligible. He is on track to graduate in two years. "I focused on what I had to do," he said. "This summer, I worked on making myself better."
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| Hyrum Peters |
Two years ago, Hyrum Peters was a courtesy clerk at Foodland. His current job of defending the narrow side of the field is considerably more difficult. Peters is an aggressive run defender, and his speed (4.5 seconds over 40 yards) is decent enough to cover quick wideouts. But there are concerns after he suffered hamstring injuries in spring practice and training camp.
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| Jacob Espiau |
Jacob Espiau also has been slowed by a variety of injuries. But those are minor in comparison to his hamstring injury two years ago in which ligaments were torn from the bone. It was feared Espiau would never play again. But not only has he rebounded to become the team's best defensive back, he also plays soccer on Sundays.
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| Nate Jackson |
Nate Jackson used to commute daily between Wai'anae and Manoa, a distance as great as his journey from a 151-pound freshman to a senior leader. Jackson is the team's fastest in the lateral test, which measures speed on a cookie-cutter course. Even at 170 pounds, he can be used as a run-defender.
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| Kelvin Millhouse |
At 6 feet 1, Kelvin Millhouse is the tallest UH cornerback in recent memory. Now, UH will be able to match up against Texas-El Paso's 6-foot-3 Lee Mays, Fresno State's 6-2 Bernard Berrian and Nevada's 6-2 Nate Burleson.
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| Justin Ayat |
The top of a tee is less than an inch off the ground, a relatively insignificant amount, except when a football is placed on it. After a redshirt season, four weeks of spring practice and training camp, Justin Ayat believes he is comfortable kicking a football set on the ground. His power was never in question (he converted a field goal from 50 yards last week), but now he said he is accurate kicking from either hashmark.
