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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, September 24, 2003

Poumele's versatility adds another dimension to offense

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

To be sure, University of Hawai'i football player Se'e Poumele is an original.

POUMELE

MOE
During yesterday's practice, he appeared to be wearing leg warmers. In fact, they were knee-high socks cut off at the ankles.

His hair, when unbraided, evokes images of Diana Ross, the diva years.

Of his practice of not wearing socks in practice, Poumele said, "Our (high) school didn't have a laundry, and I didn't want to use my new school socks."

Of his long hair, which has gone uncut since he transferred from a junior college in August 2002: "You know, I didn't have any clippers. The longer it got, the more the girls liked it. So when the girls liked it, I was like, 'I guess I have to keep it.' "

Poumele, a fourth-year junior, plays the dual role of running quarterback/sprinting slotback — a position that cannot be found in previous editions of coach June Jones' playbook. Jones' run-and-shoot offense usually uses four receivers to spread the field with pass routes. Jones decided that adding a mobile quarterback in special situations would keep opponents from setting up in a prevent defense. It was a concept, he said, that "we stole from other teams — Clemson, Northwestern."

If nothing else, the threat of a designed quarterback scramble would force opposing teams "to divide their practice times," Jones said.

Against Nevada-Las Vegas last week, Poumele ran 7 yards for a touchdown on a quarterback draw and caught four passes for 61 yards.

• It wasn't me: Despite his admission of guilt during post-game comments to reporters, Tanuvasa Moe did not make the errant snap that led to a UNLV touchdown in the first quarter last week.

After suffering a possible mild concussion on the opening kickoff, Moe was replaced as long-snapper by Chad Kapanui.

"It was me," Kapanui said. "I think I was a little bit nervous. I didn't want to snap it over the punter's head, so I think I babied it and snapped it low."

After the game, Moe — believing reporters were questioning him about another play — accepted responsibility for the bad snap.

"I thought they were talking about the one that was high and to the right," he said. "I didn't know (Kapanui's) snap happened. ... Most of the first quarter, I don't have any recollection of."

Still, Moe said, "I take the blame for that snap because I felt I should have been in there."

• Angry management: For the first time since becoming UH's head coach in 1999, Jones scolded his players for a lack of discipline in last week's loss to UNLV. The Warriors lost three fumbles and threw three interceptions, and were penalized 12 times for 129 yards.

"That was the first time I ever saw him like that," said strong safety Hyrum Peters, a senior co-captain. "It wasn't surprising. I knew it was coming. To me, it's not a joke when Coach is mad like that. We have to take care of business."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.