The usual methods go on hiatus today when two of college football's most innovative coaches — offensive coordinator Chris Petersen of Boise State and defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville of Hawai'i — face off in a Western Athletic Conference game at Aloha Stadium.

Petersen is the Dr. Frankenstein of a blue monster offense that led the nation in scoring two of the past three years. Left tackle Daryn Colledge said Petersen's playbook has 800 plays, each preceded by motions and switches.

"We've got two plays," said Glanville, smiling — that is, if all-points blitzes and 11-to-the-football manhunts can be each categorized as a play.

Glanville said the Broncos play at "an upbeat tempo. They keep coming and coming and coming. You'd better be ready to play in a hurry. We're going to have to make defensive calls twice as fast as we've made 'em. We're going to have to get in and out of the huddle twice as fast. They create a lot of problems."

After studying videotapes of UH's 24-0 victory over Idaho, Petersen said of Glanville: "He does an awesome job. I've never seen so many unorthodox schemes. He makes you break your own rules."

Here's a closer look:

BSU OFFENSE

LWR—11 Drisan James 5-11 184 Jr.

H-BK—4 Legedu Naanee 6-2 230 Jr.

LT—73 Daryn Colledge 6-5 295 Sr.

LG—66 Tad Miller 6-4 303 So.

C—54 Jeff Cavender 6-2 287 So.

RG—64 Pete Cavender 6-1 289 So.

RT—79 Ryan Clady 6-6 312 Fr.

TE—91 Derek Schouman 6-2 211 Jr.

RWR—1 Jerard Rabb 6-2 198 Jr.

QB—5 Jared Zabransky 6-2 203 Jr.

RB—17 Lee Marks 5-7 181 Sr.

RB—22 Jeff Carpenter 5-9 197 Sr.

FB—34 Brad Lau 5-11 255 Jr.

Outlook: To paraphrase Rod Stewart, the Broncos' ad-libbed lines are well-rehearsed. They pay attention to each detail, from the multiple shifts before the snap to the coin-toss strategy. "Hey, we're 3-0 in the coin toss," Colledge said. "Tails never fails."

Although the number of plays could fill a phone book, Petersen tries not to make the game plan overwhelming, parceling assignments among the skill players. Only the quarterbacks have to know all 800 plays. Besides, all of the pre-snap motions and shifts serve this purpose: Create mismatches and milk the clock.

"They're shifting to get an advantage on you," Glanville said. "Their shift is not gingerbread for the crowd. They're not shifting so the crowd thinks they're cerebral. They shift a guy to one side, and if you don't have him covered, they'll get him the ball."

The Broncos have formations involving one or two tight ends, one to five receivers, and zero to three running backs. They rarely call audibles, preferring to use the motions and shifts to sniff out defensive schemes. By the time they're ready to snap, most of the play clock has been exhausted.

The key is Zabransky, who is effective on play-action passes and throws to the flats. He also is an elusive scrambler, scoring on an 85-yard run against UH last season. "He's Joe Theismann," Glanville said.

"The offense is a perfect fit for him, because it allows him to be an athlete," UH safety Landon Kafentzis said. "He can run and he can throw."

BSU DEFENSE

LE—97 Nick Schlekeway 6-4 261 So.

LT—99 Alex Guerrero 6-1 293 Sr.

RT—57 Andrew Browning 6-0 278 Jr.

RE—96 Mike G. Williams 6-3 244 Jr.

SLB—31 Colt Brooks 6-1 208 Jr.

MLB—25 Korey Hall 6-1 228 Jr.

WLB—55 Chris Barrios 5-11 220 Sr.

R—37 Austin Smith 5-9 170 So.

LCB—2 Gerald Alexander 6-0 197 Jr.

FS—20 Marty Tadman 5-11 176 So.

RCB—23 Quinton Jones 5-9 184 Jr.

Outlook: The highest compliment for a Bronco is to be a "grinder" — a two-Visine-drop video viewer; a post-practice worker; a hit-anything-that-moves defender. "Our goal is to go until the whistle blows," Alexander said.

The Broncos attack out of a flexible 4-3 alignment, in which Smith sometimes sneaks to the line of scrimmage. Against quarterback Colt Brennan, a first-year Warrior, the Broncos are expected to blitz nearly every play.

A disadvantage for the Broncos, who prefer to rotate several defensive players, is the WAC rule limiting travel rosters to 60. UH, as the home team, can suit up an unlimited number.

BSU SPECIALISTS

PK—47 A. Montgomery 6-1 215 Jr.

P/KO—Kyle Stringer 5-8 190 Jr.

KR—23 Quinton Jones 5-9 186 Jr.

KR—81 Cole Clasen 5-8 190 Sr.

PR—37 Austin Smith 5-9 170 So.

Outlook: The Broncos are so skilled on special teams that Lee Marks, who scored on a 92-yard kickoff return last week, probably won't be used this week. Jones, who averages 31.4 yards per kickoff return, resumes those duties.

UH OFFENSE

LWR—5 M. Washington 5-7 160 Fr.

LSB—7 Davone Bess 5-9 187 Fr.

LT—70 Tala Esera 6-4 295 Jr.

LG—64 Samson Satele 6-2 305 Jr.

C—59 Derek Fa'avi 6-1 273 Sr.

RG—66 Brandon Eaton 6-2 295 Sr.

RT—72 Dane Uperesa 6-5 315 Jr.

RSB—1 Ryan Grice-Mullen 5-10 174 Fr.

RWR—82 Ross Dickerson 5-10 185 Jr.

QB—15 Colt Brennan 6-2 190 So.

RB—4 Nate Ilaoa 5-9 230 Sr.

Outlook: To ease the transition for the first-year starters at the six ball-handling positions, UH coach June Jones has implemented a West Coast-like offense featuring minimum-risk, short-yardage passes. The Warriors are averaging slightly more plays per game (71.0 this year, compared to 69.2 last year) and retaining possession longer (34.17 minutes, up from 27.43 minutes in 2004). Brennan is completing 72.9 percent of his passes (the school record is 59.5 percent for a season, based on a minimum of 150 passes), and he has not been intercepted since the first series of the season, a span of 103 throws. What's more, the Warriors have dropped only eight passes this season, including one against Idaho last week.

UH will miss left wideout Ian Sample, whose recovery from a partially torn knee ligament could take up to eight weeks. Sample caught 12 of the 14 passes thrown in his direction, and nine of the receptions resulted in first downs. He was 5 for 5 on third-down plays, with four resulting in first downs and a fifth setting up a field goal. His yards-after-catch (YAC) average is 5.36; his replacement, Washington, has a YAC of 3.50.

Uperesa, who aggravated a sprained right ankle last week, is expected to start. If he is unavailable, Eaton moves to right tackle, and Marques Kaonohi and Larry Sauafea rotate at right guard. Running back Bryan Maneafaiga is not expected to play because of a pulled left hamstring, opening the way for Ilaoa to make his second career start at running back.

UH DEFENSE

LE—98 Melila Purcell III 6-5 266 Sr.

NT—67 MICHAEL LAFAELE 6-1 297 SO.

RE—91 I.Alama-Francis 6-6 250 Jr.

SOLB—45 Tanuvasa Moe 6-0 220 Sr.

SILB—41 Solomon Elimimian 5-11 224 Fr.

WILB—43 Brad Kalilimoku 5-11 205 So.

WOLB—1 K.Kamakawiwo'ole 6-3 240 Sr.

LCB—24 Kenny Patton 6-0 184 Jr.

SS—15 Lono Manners 5-10 205 Sr.

FS—8 Landon Kafentzis 6-0 202 Sr.

RCB—35 Keao Monteilh 5-11 170 So.

Outlook: It is easy to be dazzled by the Broncos' razzle. For a defender, the key is to the use basketball player's trick of ignoring the shifts, and watching the ball. "They're moving around before the snap, and they're doing it very fast," Moe said. "If you don't know what you're going to do before they snap the ball, that's when they can break a big play. You have to be disciplined."

Kafentzis said: "We looked at some film of them, and we were like, 'How many plays do these guys have?' It's unbelievable. We have to study our keys, and we should be all right."

Lafaele starts at nose tackle this week. UH will rotate at least three others, including Keala Watson, who started last week despite wearing a wrist cast to protect a surgically repaired left scaphoid. The Warriors hope to receive big hits from their safeties — Manners, who can bench press 500 pounds, and Kafentzis, who was under a restraining order in practices this week. "There were times I felt I could have gotten our receivers (in practice), but I know I can't do that," Kafentzis said. "Hitting has always been natural to me. That's why I love games. I know if I see a receiver, I can go after him."

UH SPECIALISTS

PK—99 DANIEL KELLY 6-3 199 FR.

P—25 Kurt Milne 5-11 208 Jr.

KR/PR—27 Andre Taylor 5-11 171 Jr.

Outlook: Kelly has improved his kickoff placements; against Idaho, a returner fielded the ball in the corner, stepping out at the 2. Milne, too, has frustrated opponents. Only three of his 12 punts have been returned.

In the first three games, UH showed a punt-blocking scheme in which nine defenders storm the backfield. To protect Taylor, Dane Porlas is aligned 5 yards in front, as a personal blocker. "He gives me room to run," Taylor said.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.