Patchwork UH defense puts bear hug on Grizzlies
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
WAILUKU, MAUI — On a surreal night, when the "home" team arrived on a charter flight and dressed in a neighboring gymnasium, the University of Hawai'i proved it was capable of opening a football season in a unique way.
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A crowd of 11,254 — there were 12,863 tickets issued in 15,500-seat War Memorial Stadium — feasted at alcohol-free tailgate parties, choreographed pre-game waves and watched the Warriors rely on a freshman running back and mix-and-match defense to turn away Montana, 30-12.
Warrior slotback Craig Stutzmann is off and running in the Montana secondary after taking a Tim Chang pass in the second quarter.
"We knew we were bigger and stronger than (the Grizzlies), and we showed it," UH middle linebacker Chris Brown said in the postgame walk past the portable restrooms and souvenir-seeking fans.
The Grizzlies, a Division I-AA team that offers fewer scholarships than the Warriors, also had few clues on how to stop the Hawai'i offense, which amassed 525 yards.
UH quarterback Tim Chang completed 31 of 54 passes for 435 yards and two touchdowns, and junior running back Thero Mitchell scored on two of his five carries, including one in which he broke free from an apparent half-nelson.
"Ever since I was little, even in Pop Warner, I was always taught to never stop pumping your legs," Mitchell said. "I kept going because I love the smell of the end zone. To score a touchdown is like instant adrenaline to every limb and point in your body."
Mike Bass had a somewhat different chicken-skin sensation when he was named the fourth UH freshman to start at running back in the past 25 years. Bass, who attended his senior prom three months earlier, said, "I didn't get the news until right before the first play. Coach (June) Jones told me to go in, and I was looking around, like, 'Me?' I was shocked."
The 5-foot-6, 160-pound Bass provided a counter-punch in the run-and-shoot offense. After wideouts Ashley Lelie and Justin Colbert ran down long passes, the Grizzlies retreated into a three-safety umbrella.
"They were playing way back," Chang said. "They didn't want to give up anything deep. Mike really helped us."
On 12 of his 16 carries, the Warriors snapped the ball directly to Bass, who rushed for 77 yards.
"Coach Jones always told us (Bass) is a special one, and he is," Chang said. "He has so many moves."
Said Bass: "I was nervous at first, but then I started to feel comfortable. I had a fun time, and I'll always remember Maui. You never forget your first college football game."
But Bass' night to remember was the Grizzlies nightmare to forget. Between two first-quarter field goals that were boosted by 20 mph winds and Etu Molden's 12-yard scoring reception in the final three minutes, the Grizzlies appeared to be dazed and confused.
Their offensive woes were in part to linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, who made 13 tackles, including three sacks, and turned Montana quarterback John Edwards into the Running Man.
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"We had so many guys go down (with injuries) that I knew I had to step up," said Tinoisamoa, who was No. 2 on the depth chart in spring practice and struggled to remain academically eligible two months ago.
UH freshman running back Mike Bass tries to break free from a Montana defender in the second quarter.
For extended periods during last night's game, UH was without nickel linebacker Bronson Liana (concussion), defensive tackle Mike Iosua (hyperextended right knee), defensive end Houston Ala (left shoulder sprain) and safety Jacob Espiau (subluxed right shoulder).
"We were doing anything we could to get as many healthy people in there as possible," UH defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said.
Brett Clowers stepped in a defensive tackle, Robert Grant played safety and Kilinahe Noa was used at outside linebacker.
Lempa constantly called for defensive switches, with the Warriors often using five and six defensive backs. Lempa also instructed the defensive linemen to move around before the snap.
"We tried to screw up their offensive schemes," UH defensive end Laanui Correa said. "They would go to one side and we would go to the other. They looked confused."
The Grizzlies then went to a no-huddle offense to try to lock in the Warriors' defense. The strategy didn't work.
"We played hard, we got dirty," said Montana running back Yohance Humphery, who ran for 133 yards. "But Hawai'i came out the victor. Give them credit."
NOTES: St. Louis School graduate Jacob Yoro said the fact Montana had Hawai'i on its schedule this year helped inspire his progress in rehabilitating from a knee injury. "Coming back home really got me pumped up to do my rehab," said Yoro, a junior linebacker. "If my knee wasn't ready, I don't know if I would have made the trip." . . . The Warriors arrived at War Memorial Stadium at approximately 3:40 p.m. yesterday, just over an hour after leaving their Waikiki hotel. "The (flight) went great; the trip was right on schedule," said UH coach June Jones.
