Thin line separates Uperesa, Stovall
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
In the last week, Dane Uperesa of the Hawai'i football team and K.T. Stovall of Appalachian State have rarely left each other's thoughts.
Stovall has researched Uperesa's biography. Uperesa has committed to memory each of Stovall's tendencies. When Stovall leans to one side, Uperesa will know why, and what he will do next. Stovall likely has a counter move.
Uperesa and Stovall have never met.
This Saturday, each will step off the film room's screen and onto Aloha Stadium's FieldTurf in the season opener for both teams.
"I know what I have to do," said Stovall, a left defensive end.
"I've watched film of him," said Uperesa, a right tackle. "I know I have to do what I was trained to do."
Only college football could randomly select this odd-couple matchup.
At 6 feet 4 and 305 pounds, Uperesa has a physical advantage over the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Stovall.
But Stovall, a senior who averaged 0.83 sacks per game in 2002, has the edge in experience. Uperesa's last game was in November 2001, when he was a Punahou School senior.
Stovall is named after his father, Kernist Thomas Jr., a career military man. They lived in Fayetteville, N.C., Charleston, S.C., St. Louis and a small town in Georgia. Uperesa, whose father Kevin was a Punahou standout, grew up in Hau'ula.
These polar players from schools at opposite ends of the country — Boone, N.C., and Honolulu are 4,948 miles apart — could be the game's key duel.
Instead of dropping back into a pass prevent, a strategy employed by many opponents of UH's run-and-shoot offense, the Mountaineers plan to front-load their defensive attack. That means increasing the pressure on Jason Whieldon, the fill-in for suspended UH quarterback Tim Chang. That means turning to the defensive line's leader. Of Stovall's 65 tackles last year, 15 were in an opponent's backfield.
Unlike most other defenses, the Mountaineers align their best pass-rusher on the left — the quarterback's right and front side. It also leaves Uperesa, a second-year freshman, as the lone barrier against Stovall.
Stovall has above average quickness (4.83 seconds over 40 yards) and strength (380-pound bench press). But his coaches marvel at his "motor," football parlance for attacking until the whistle blows.
"I pride myself on never giving up," Stovall said. "My whole approach is to go 100 mph until the play is over."
UH offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh has implored Uperesa to "trust your technique" — set up in a balanced stance, then thrust both hands onto the jersey numbers to control the on-rushing defender. It is a technique that has sent 10 UH blockers to NFL camps in the last four years. Still, it is difficult to master against a moving target.
"It helps to go against Houston Ala (in practice) every day," Uperesa said. "Who has a motor better than his? It helps me prepare a lot for a guy like this."
Uperesa said he has found additional tips from watching videotapes. The teams had an agreement to send each other several game tapes.
"I see how they align and how they set up and try and pick and choose," Uperesa said. "He uses his hands a lot (on pass rushes). Our guys use their hands a lot, too."
After 20 days of training camp and another week of practice, Uperesa said: "I'm ready to play. I think it's going to be a good game.
