Brown to also see time at rush end

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i middle linebacker Chris Brown is preparing to return to defensive end during situations when the Warriors use five defensive backs.

"I want to play the rush end because, to me, that's my natural position," said Brown, who is 6 feet 2 and 255 pounds. "I'm not gifted with the 6-5, 290-pound look, but it's natural for me to come off the edge."

Brown played right end as a freshman and sophomore before moving to middle linebacker last year. In 2001, he was a defensive end when the Warriors were in a nickel package, which uses five defensive backs and four down linemen, and the nose tackle in the Okie scheme, which uses three down linemen, two linebackers and six defensive backs. But this year, Houston Ala played nose tackle in the Okie scheme and rotated with Kevin Jackson at defensive end in the nickel package.

With Ala recovering from a sore left Achilles' heel, Brown played nose tackle in the Okie scheme in UH's 31-21 victory over Fresno State last week. The Warriors used the Okie scheme five times against the Bulldogs. (Former UH defensive coordinator Greg McMackin based the Okie defense on a special defense used by Oklahoma.)

Brown was limited to one tackle — a sack — against the Bulldogs, his lowest output in 32 career starts. Still, he drew praise from the UH coaches for sacrificing statistics to free the way for the outside linebackers to swoop in for tackles.

"He's filling the gaps, and that helps the other guys make plays," UH defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said.

Brown was matched against FSU's Dartagnon Shack, a 6-foot-2, 309-pound offensive guard who was moved to fullback. Shack's sole assignment was to seek out Brown on running plays. At least two times, Shack knocked back Brown, who can bench press 505 pounds.

"That was the biggest guy I've ever gone against," Brown said. "He was the biggest and hardest hitter."

Brown's subluxed right shoulder popped out of joint during the game, but he kept mum about the injury. After the game, he approached Shack, and they embraced.

"He said, 'I can't even move my neck,' " Brown recalled. "I told him about my shoulder. We have mutual respect for each other."

• Sack time: The Warriors have achieved the statistical double of amassing the most sacks in the Western Athletic Conference while relinquishing the fewest.

They have allowed seven sacks in eight games, and are on track to break their unofficial WAC record of 10 sacks in a season, set in 2000. Two of those sacks came when quarterback Tim Chang fumbled while trying to sprint to daylight and when he was called for intentionally grounding a screen pass.

Meanwhile, the Warriors have made 25 sacks, including five against Fresno State. In recent years, the Warriors applied pressure by blitzing the safeties. This season, the defensive ends have been credited with 11.5 sacks, the outside linebackers seven and the defensive backs only three.

"Anytime the ends are sacking out of a 4-3 (alignment), that's a good thing," Lempa said.

Credit goes to defensive tackles Isaac Sopoaga and Lance Samuseva, who have repeatedly drawn double and triple teams. "The d-tackles are the key because they open it up for the rest of us," said defensive end Travis Laboy, who has two sacks.

Lempa said: "The tackles are drawing double teams, which gives the ends one-on-one matchups."

Sopoaga said he uses his leg strength to try and collapse the pass pocket. Even when facing a web of blockers, Sopoaga said, "I fight though it. I have no other choice."

With the front seven providing pressure, the Warriors are able to keep the safeties back in pass coverage. UH also leads the WAC in pass defense, relinquishing 203.4 yards per game, and total defense (363.2 yards).

"We haven't had to blitz as much," said Lempa, noting that of the Warriors' five sacks last week, two came off blitzes.

• Health report: A magnetic resonance imaging yesterday did not show any muscle tears in Ala's sore left Achilles' heel.

Ala, who has been medically cleared to play, did not compete in contact drills the past two days. He underwent an MRI, which uses magnetic fields to create an image of the body's interior. UH medical officials said no tear was detected during the initial reading.

Michael Brewster, who is 17th nationally in kickoffs with an average of 25.4 yards, also did not practice yesterday because of a sprained ankle. He limped off the grass field yesterday with an ice pack wrapped around his injured ankle.