NEW ORLEANS — These days, the Hawai'i football team's opponent has a face, two hands and no mercy.

The clock is the enemy when the alarm is set for 6 a.m. for a 7:30 practice.

"We're on schedule," head coach June Jones said, smiling. "It's just like normal, isn't it?"

The Warriors usually prepare by the dawn's early light for home practices. The thing is, the Warriors are in New Orleans getting ready for Tuesday's Sugar Bowl, and they started practice at what was 3:30 a.m. Hawai'i time.

"It's too early," said running back Kealoha Pilares, who synchronized yawns to pre-practice stretching. "My girlfriend called to wake me."

The players boarded three buses at 7 a.m. Central time for the 15-minute drive from the hotel to the New Orleans Saints' practice facility in Metairie, La.

Many slept on the bus ride. Many sleep-walked the chilly 60 yards from the parking lot to the facility's entrance.

"I'm a little tired," said quarterback Tyler Graunke, who was flat on his back on the FieldTurf, chewing a pink Pepto-Bismol tablet. "We have to take care of business. Then we can go back to sleep."

The first two nights in New Orleans, Jones did not impose a curfew. Since Friday, the evenings have been filled with meetings and video sessions.

"We're tuned in right now," defensive coordinator Greg McMackin said. "We're on game schedule. We met until 10:30 (Friday) night, and bed check was at 11. We're keeping them pretty busy, which keeps the coaches pretty busy."

Quarterback Colt Brennan said the early practices are "not bad."

Brennan left Honolulu last Sunday to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with his family at his grandmother's house in Aspen, Colo. He rejoined the team Wednesday.

"The extra days helped get me acclimated," Brennan said. "I haven't been on Hawai'i time for a while."

Graunke said: "We can't complain. We came out here to play football. We didn't come out here to have fun or to sleep all day. We've got to do what we've got to do. It's still hard (to awaken early), but we have to suck it up."

RIVERS SPEEDING ALONG

In a briefing with the Fox television crew, Jones emphasized how left wideout Jason Rivers is one of the smartest receivers he has ever coached.

Later, Jones praised Rivers' ability to recognize defenses and find openings.

"Jason is going to make it in the NFL," Jones said.

On Friday, Rivers was invited to play in the Jan. 19 East-West Shrine Game in Houston. He is awaiting word on an invitation to the Jan. 26 Senior Bowl, which is coordinated by the NFL.

Rivers said he has been invited to participate in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

After the Sugar Bowl, Rivers has a short time to train for the all-star games and the combine. While NFL scouts like Rivers' build (6 feet 1, 197 pounds) and sure hands, his stock will depend on his time in the 40-yard dash.

In team testing last April, Rivers ran 40 yards in 4.45 seconds.

"I keep hearing people tell me that's good for my size," Rivers said. "I never want to stop trying to get better."

He said his goal is run a sub-4.4.

"If I can get a high 4.3, I'll be happy with that," Rivers said.

Jones said a fast 40 time is "key for Jason. Hopefully, he'll run in the 4.4s. He's very smart. He's a good ballplayer."

And a tough one, too. The majority of Rivers' receptions come on inside screens or slants across the face of a defense.

"You can't think about getting hit," Rivers said. "You have to focus on making the catch."

In UH's four-wide offense, each receiver has the option of breaking off a route depending on the coverage. Rivers' high school team, Saint Louis, ran a similar read-and-attack offense.

"I've had a lot of repetition after years and years in this offense," Rivers said. "I think I have an understanding where I need to be and knowing where the open spots are going to be in the defense. That's the key. To find the open spot within your route."

Like the other UH receivers, Rivers has perfected the art of catching passes only with his hands.

"I learned that in high school," he said. "For the longest time, I never wore gloves. I caught everything without gloves. My junior year of high school, I started wearing gloves. It helped. With gloves, it's even easier to catch the ball."

MONTEILH NOT READY

Safety Keao Monteilh is conceding he will not play in the Sugar Bowl. Monteilh has not fully recovered from a fractured left scapula.

"The doctor said it's not really the best choice to play," Monteilh said. "The doctor said it's not 100 percent. It's 75, 80 percent. The doctor said there's no rush. I've got another year to play. They told me not to worry about it, and have fun in New Orleans."

DOGS KICKING BACK

During Georgia's practice Friday, Kelin Johnson threw a 66-yard pass. Johnson is the starting strong safety, and the pass was part of the first leg of the Bulldogs' punt-pass-kick triathlon. Yesterday's practice opened with a field-goal competition.

The contests coincide with the Bulldogs' tapering. The Bulldog practiced without pads yesterday, a routine they will follow today and tomorrow. "We're not going to do any more hitting," coach Mark Richt said. "We're not going to do anything, hopefully, that can get a guy injured. Hopefully, we can get everybody as full speed as we can get 'em, and get ready to play."

While the Bulldogs enter as the Southeastern Conference's most successful team the past six years — 63-15 — they are concerned about the underdog Warriors.

"We want to win," Richt said. "We don't want to get caught with our pants down."

Richt said most of the preparation was done early in what he described as "bowl camp."

"They know it's not truly a great bowl trip unless you win it," Richt said. "Maybe in Pee-Wee and all of that, it might be fun just to play. It's just not a whole lot of fun unless you win the game. We all understand that."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Make a difference. Donate to The Advertiser Christmas Fund.