The Hawai'i football team believes it was a victim of identity theft.

How else to explain last week's loss to Louisiana Tech, in which they missed 41 tackles?

"That wasn't us," middle linebacker Blaze Soares said. "That wasn't Hawai'i football."

The Warriors, to a man, have vowed to correct those breakdowns when they play Fresno State today at Aloha Stadium. Kickoff is at 5 p.m.

The players staged an unsupervised workout a week ago, and they have stressed tackling techniques in meetings and practices the past week.

Soares, who has emerged as a leader of the defense, also implored teammates to return to "Warrior football."

Soares was 5 when he first appreciated the importance of big hits.

"That's the type of defense you want to play, that kick-butt mentality," Soares said. "You can't forget it. That's just Warrior football."

He reminded teammates of a time when UH was a school of hard knocks: linebacker Alvis Satele, rover David Maeva, the brothers Niko, Pete and Al Noga, Jeff Ulbrich, Pisa Tinoisamoa ...

"Growing up, I saw that type of style, old-school football, hard-nosed, just flat-out whack guys," Soares said. "That's the kind of team I always wanted to play for. Hawai'i has that type of identity. It's awesome. We're a unique team. We're the only team that represents an entire state. We're ready to represent the state of Hawai'i."

There is little sand left for both teams' pursuit of a Western Athletic Conference title.

The Warriors are 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the WAC. Fresno State is 1-3, having lost to teams with a combined 15-0 record, and 1-1 in the WAC.

"This is an important game for both programs," UH head coach Greg McMackin said. "You're only as good as your last game in people's eyes. We have to come and play as Warriors. We took a step backward last week. There's nothing to talk about now. We have to go under the lights and play."

Bryant Moniz, who entered training camp as the No. 4 quarterback, will start in place of Greg Alexander, who underwent season-ending knee surgery last week. Moniz, a 2007 Leilehua High graduate, is a walk-on who delivers pizza to help pay for college expenses. He joined the team in January as a third-year sophomore.

"I have a lot of confidence in Bryant," McMackin said. "He's a good quarterback."

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are trying to remain upbeat entering their fourth consecutive road game. This season, according to an Fresno State news release, the Bulldogs will travel more than 23,000 miles and play in five of the United States' six time zones.

What's more, because of the California state school system's financial problems, the coaches were forced to take three furlough days last week. That meant no practices, no meetings and no cell phone calls.

Still, the first game in 14 days has left the Bulldogs feeling "fresh," safety Moses Harris said.

Of the losses, Harris said, "we can't let them tear us apart. We have to use them as motivation. We're focused, and taking it one day at a time, one play at a time."

UH and Fresno State have developed into the best of rivals.

Nate Ilaoa, now a UH student manager, remembered representing UH as a running back in the 2007 Hula Bowl. The Fresno State coaches were in charge of Ilaoa's team.

"We got to see the other side of (Fresno coach) Pat Hill," Ilaoa said. "He's a great guy. Everybody is like, 'Hate the Bulldogs.' But he was cool, a great coach, a great staff. When we play each other, we're at each other's throat. But it's exciting to play them. You know they're going to bring it. It's guaranteed to be a good game. It makes for a good evening for the players and the fans. Fresno is always the highlight of the year."