Hawai'i's June Jones and Nevada's Chris Ault are recognized as inventors of college football's most creative offenses.

Equally remarkable is the way both have reinvigorated their programs.

While most coaches reach a plateau after years at the same school, Jones and Ault are enjoying a revival. This season, Jones' ninth as UH head coach, is his best. The Warriors are nationally ranked, 9-0 for the first time against an all-college schedule, and challenging for a BCS berth. Ault, already in his third stint as Nevada's coach, has led the Wolf Pack to consecutive bowls after installing his Pistol offense.

Both coaches seem to be getting better — and more creative — with age.

"I've always been one of those guys who feels you have to change and grow with what you think might be best in the era," said Ault, who stays in shape by playing racquetball. "In the '90s, we were one of the best passing teams in the country. When I came back (after serving as Nevada's full-time athletic director), I wanted to still pass. But I felt to do the things we want to do now, we have to be able to run the ball a little bit more."

Jones said he tries to change 20 percent of the offense every year, sometimes searching the archives for schemes that can be blended into his four-wide passing attack.

"Like this week, we're using stuff we did 20 years ago," said Jones, who keeps fit with daily walks around the Manoa campus. "You kind of steal (ideas) off tapes from other teams, what other people do. I really stole a lot of things from Bill Walsh."

Jones also said he is motivated by helping to develop players.

"I like watching (receivers) Greg Salas and Malcolm (Lane) coming into their own," Jones said. "It's been fun watching (right slotback) Ryan (Grice-Mullins), who couldn't catch a ball when he first came here. He didn't want to play receiver. Now he's probably going to play in the NFL."

Here's a closer look at tonight's game:

HAWAI'I OFFENSE

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.

LWO—84 Jason Rivers 6-2 189 Sr.

LSB—7 Davone Bess 5-10 195 Jr.

LT—62 Keith AhSoon 6-1 315 Jr.

LG—65 Hercules Satele 6-2 293 Sr.

C—55 John Estes 6-2 292 So.

RG—73 Larry Sauafea 6-2 294 Sr.

RT—78 Keoni Steinhoff 6-3 282 Jr.

RSB—1 Ryan Grice-Mullins 5-11 180 Jr.

RWO—2 C.J. Hawthorne 5-11 168 Sr.

QB—15 Colt Brennan 6-3 201 Sr.

QB—6 Tyler Graunke 6-0 185 Jr.

QB—11 Inoke Funaki 5-11 193 So.

RB—4 Leon Wright-Jackson 6-1 211 So.

RB—48 David Farmer 6-1 224 Jr.

RB—26 Daniel Libre 5-8 185 Jr.

Outlook: UH officials said a decision on Brennan's availability will be a "game-time" decision. Brennan, who suffered a concussion last week, has attended all of the meetings, video sessions and practices, but has not been cleared to play in the game.

Grice-Mullins has emerged as a favorite target, with 50 passes thrown in his direction in the last three games. This season, Grice-Mullins' yards-after-catch (YAC) average is 6.8. While Grice-Mullins is quick, it is his strength that allows him to fight off grasping defensive backs and break into the clear. "I don't like the DB to put his hands on me when I'm running the route," Grice-Mullins said. "If he doesn't get his hands on me, I'm doing something right."

In contrast, UH's most sure-handed receiver, Hawthorne, who has a starter-low three drops, is seeking to improve his post-catch running. "I need to work on turning the 5-yard catch into a 25-yard play," said Hawthorne, who has a YAC average of 2.31. "The key is to lock into what the defense is doing. You need to know where to go once you catch the ball. The slightest hesitation makes a difference. At this level, people can run up and catch you in no time."

The Warriors successfully replaced running back Kealoha Pilares, who will miss a second consecutive game because of a sprained right knee. Libre and Wright-Jackson are skilled in eluding defenders. Against Fresno State last week, Libre broke five tackles and Wright-Jackson escaped two. Libre had a yards-after-broken-tackle average of 8.4 yards. "We do a lot of rope drills, line drills, working on our foot work," Libre said. "That helps a lot." Wright-Jackson said the backs are taught to force defenders to try and make arm tackles, which are easier to break. "That's what we've been trying to do," Wright-Jackson said.

HAWAI'I DEFENSE

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.

LE—54 Amani Purcell 6-4 277 Sr.

LE—94 David Veikune 6-3 252 Jr.

LT—96 Fale Laeli 6-1 292 Jr.

RT—67 Michael Lafaele 6-1 302 Sr.

DT—93 Keala Watson 6-3 300 Jr.

RE—12 Karl Noa 6-4 251 Sr.

RE—58 John Fonoti 6-3 250 So.

SLB—43 Brad Kalilimoku 5-10 221 Sr.

OLB—53 Blaze Soares 6-1 239 So.

MLB—17 Solomon Elimimian 6-0 218 Jr.

LB—10 Timo Paepule 6-0 252 Sr.

WLB—44 Adam Leonard 6-0 236 Jr.

LCB—23 Gerard Lewis 5-9 175 Sr.

CB/NB—27 Ryan Mouton 5-10 182 Jr.

FS—24 Desmond Thomas 6-3 174 Jr.

SS—31 Jacob Patek 6-0 204 Sr.

RCB—3 Myron Newberry 5-9 174 Sr.

Outlook: Altitude? It's about attitude. "Once we get running and sweating, we'll be all right," Newberry said of playing at 4,546 feet above sea level. "We run a lot, anyway."

In preparation for Reno's breathtaking thinner air, the Warriors ran extra sprints this week. "Nobody runs more than we do in practice; it's like a track meet," said Rich Miano, who coaches the defensive backs. "They'll be fine."

In the last two games, Newberry and Lewis played most of the way. Mouton, who is the No. 1 nickelback, will join Newberry and Lewis to form a three-cornerback rotation. JoPierre Davis and Keenan Jones also will receive expanded roles. In situations calling for five defensive backs and when Mouton is at cornerback, then Guyton Galdeira will play nickelback.

The Warriors also plan rotations at linebacker and on the defensive line. In some defensive packages, two of the hardest hitters — Soares and middle linebacker Paepule — will be in the same lineup as outside linebackers.

HAWAI'I SPECIAL TEAMS

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.

K—86 Dan Kelly 6-3 202 Jr.

P/H—49 Tim Grasso 5-11 221 Jr.

LS—57 Jake Ingram 6-4 234 Jr.

KR—84 Jason Rivers 6-2 189 Sr.

KR—89 Malcolm Lane 6-2 184 Sr.

PR—3 Myron Newberry 5-9 174 Sr.

PR—7 Davone Bess 5-10 195 Jr.

Outlook: If Lane, who suffered a sprained right hand Tuesday, is not available to play, then Michael Washington, Keenan Jones or Mouton will serve as the second returner. Rivers made an impact despite not receiving any kickoffs last week. He had three pancake blocks. "It's pretty simple," said Rivers, who has recovered from a sore neck. "If you get the ball, you run. If you don't, you block."

Kelly, who struggled with his kickoffs in the first eight games — his average boot was to the 6 — said he has found his groove. His kickoffs had an average hang time of 3.7 seconds in the first eight games; last week they averaged 4.1 seconds. That should increase in the thin air.

NEVADA OFFENSE

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.

LWR—5 Kyle Simmons 5-11 195 Sr.

Fl—89 Mike McCoy 6-0 190 Jr.

T—Mike Gallett 6-6 295 Fr.

G—75 Charles Manu 6-3 300 Sr.

C—61 Dominic Green 6-3 295 Jr.

G—60 Gary Hall 6-3 290 Jr.

T—73 Alonzo Durham 6-4 285 So.

TE—88 Adam Bishop 6-4 245 Sr.

RWR—4 Marko Mitchell 6-4 200 Jr.

QB—10 Colin Kaepernick 6-6 215 Fr.

RB—7 Luke Lippincott 6-2 215 Jr.

Outlook: Replacing quarterback Nick Graziano, who suffered a season-ending injury Oct. 6, Kaepernick has energized the Pack with his strong arm (he was a baseball pitcher who threw 89-mph fastballs as a high school senior) and his scrambling. In the last five games, he has accounted for 18 touchdowns. Kaepernick flourishes in the Pistol offense, in which he is 4 yards from the line of scrimmage and 3 yards directly in front of Lippincott. Kaepernick is best on play-action plays because of his skill in deceptively hiding the football. "He's got big hands," said Ault, who doubles as the quarterbacks coach. "Play-action passes are a big part of the system. He does well."

Ault has tried to keep the offense basic, and he often summons Kaepernick to the sideline before each play. "Because he doesn't have that experience, he and I exchange a lot of conversation," Ault said.

Ault said it went down to the wire before Graziano was selected as the starter. After Graziano was injured, the offense was altered to take advantage of Kaepernick's scrambling ability. With Kaepernick at quarterback, "we feel they have two backs in the game," UH defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold said.

The Pistol has elements of the Wing-T offense, in which receivers also can serve as blockers or runners. In some passing schemes, the offensive tackle will pull. The different aspects keep defenses guessing, and opens the way for draws or bootlegs. It is why Lippincott, a one-cut-and-go runner, is able to gain yards in all of the designed chaos. "We're proud of Luke," Ault said, noting Lippincott moved from defensive back 1 1/2 years ago. "He practices hard, he runs hard and he plays hard."

Lippincott leads the WAC in rushing with 117.1 yards per game. "He's an old-school runner," Reinebold said. "He's all about straight-ahead, no-fair-dodging running. If you stop him, he'll come back the next time, finding an open seam."

NEVADA DEFENSE

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.

E—94 Mundrae Clifton 6-2 290 Jr.

N—57 Matt Hines 6-1 285 Sr.

E—99 Kevin Basped 6-6 240 Fr

SLB—52 Nick Fuhr 6-3 245 Sr.

MLB—31 Kevin Porter 6-1 240 Jr.

Wolf—54 Jerome Johnson 6-1 253 Jr.

Ban—56 Ezra Butler 6-2 248 Sr.

CB—20 Devon Walker 6-0 180 Sr.

SS—17 Uche Anyanwu 6-4 220 Jr.

FS—29 Justin Jackson 6-1 195 Sr.

CB—32 Kenny Viser 6-1 195 Fr.

Outlook: Despite entering the season with eight returning defensive starters, the Pack struggled early. "We really played poorly," Ault said. "The last few weeks we played better. We're still climbing that hill."

Butler, who can align as a fourth-down lineman or in pass coverage, has eight backfield tackles and two interceptions.

Hines, nicknamed "Dump Truck," is a snarling hold-the-point defender. "If you have 20 of him on your team, you wouldn't even have to practice or coach them," UH offensive line coach Dennis McKnight said of Hines. The defensive ends like to run stunts or loops.

NEVADA SPECIALISTS

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.

K—13 Brett Jaekle 6-4 210 Jr.

P—69 Zachary Whited 6-2 190 Sr.

KR—2 Dwayne Sanders 5-10 175 So.

KR—14 Chris Wellington 6-1 185 Fr.

PR—80 Alex Rosenblum 5-9 185 Sr.

Outlook: Jaekle leads the WAC in field goals, averaging 1.44 per game — he's 8 of 11 from beyond 35 yards — but Whited is having difficulties. Nevada has allowed three punt returns for touchdowns.

Visit Tsai's blog at www.HawaiiWarriorBeat.com.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.