Sports Hawaii

Starting with this week's lunch report, we'll be doing it a little differently. I suggested and Na Koa agreed that the reports on Na Koa lunches should be placed on the Na Koa website. I am a Na Koa member and started writing the reports as a service to Na Koa members as well as other fans who can't make it to the lunches. It has also served as a way to generate interest in Na Koa and resulted in a number of fans joining the organization. I feel the reports should be on Na Koa's website to generate even more awareness of Na Koa. As I have been doing on Sports Hawaii, we plan to have the reports up Tuesday mornings after the games. I'll post a preview and link to the report as soon as we have it up on the Na Koa site. Thanks for your support.

The Na Koa Lunch Report wrote:Coach Mack was the guest speaker at the Na Koa lunch held at The Willows Restaurant. Coach was “not a happy camper” and “not in a good mood”. He took full responsibility for the way the team played and said “we going to get it fixed”. He does not like to lose and “is not fun to be around” when we’re losing.

He reiterated the reason why he apologized to the fans saying that it wasn’t a “Warrior effort” in the second half and he doesn’t want fans to give up on the team. He also asked for fans to come out for the San Jose State game and to support the team saying “we really need it now”.

When he took the job, he knew that it was a very challenging schedule and it would be tough to replace virtually the entire offense. Nevertheless, he wants to win and is “not a happy camper” now. He is not making any excuses and not down on the team or coaches. We just need to get it together.

For the rest of the report, please click on the following link:
http://www.nakoa.org/pages/lunch_summar ... 15_08.html

Lunches are held on Mondays after games at The Willows Restaurant from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. The cost is $15 which includes parking. The public is invited.

Na Koa supports the football program by providing equipment, the training table, tutoring and summer scholarships. If you would like more information on how to join Na Koa, please contact Ben Yee at 542-8912 or check out Na Koa’s website: http://www.nakoa.org/

Getting the run and shoot going isn’t easy as evidenced by June’s progress at SMU. In fact SMU has thrown more interceptions than us.

He actually said that? Every offensive player on this team has been in the run and shoot since they got here, and every offensive player on SMU's squad is just learning it, unless they ran it in HS. There is no comparison there.

Thanks for the report, uhwarriors.

H20 wrote:

Getting the run and shoot going isn’t easy as evidenced by June’s progress at SMU. In fact SMU has thrown more interceptions than us.

He actually said that? Every offensive player on this team has been in the run and shoot since they got here, and every offensive player on SMU's squad is just learning it, unless they ran it in HS. There is no comparison there.

How many of the skill starters started a significant amount of games or played when the game was in doubt, not many. Big difference between being in there and taking mental reps.

thanks for the report

Irse wrote:

H20 wrote:

Getting the run and shoot going isn’t easy as evidenced by June’s progress at SMU. In fact SMU has thrown more interceptions than us.

He actually said that? Every offensive player on this team has been in the run and shoot since they got here, and every offensive player on SMU's squad is just learning it, unless they ran it in HS. There is no comparison there.

How many of the skill starters started a significant amount of games or played when the game was in doubt, not many. Big difference between being in there and taking mental reps.

Even June said that you need to get game reps to be proficient in this offense. I think that is why he rarely subbed his receivers.

Thanks uhwarriors! Great report. I look foward to it every week. Allows us outer island guys to be kept in the loop. Mahalo nui loa!

Irse wrote:

H20 wrote:

Getting the run and shoot going isn’t easy as evidenced by June’s progress at SMU. In fact SMU has thrown more interceptions than us.

He actually said that? Every offensive player on this team has been in the run and shoot since they got here, and every offensive player on SMU's squad is just learning it, unless they ran it in HS. There is no comparison there.

How many of the skill starters started a significant amount of games or played when the game was in doubt, not many. Big difference between being in there and taking mental reps.

Mental reps must not mean much. They've still been taking those mental reps, practice reps, learning plays, and have had a run and shoot play book since they've been here. ANY types of reps SMU has taken started less than a year ago.

Mack also said (half-jokingly, i think?) that we'll never run 3 running plays in a row again... lol.

he also mentioned that the kickers (kelly and grasso, i guess) came up to him and asked if they could go back to their old routine of warm up kicks before the game... I guess DK used to kick 4 times (from PAT distance then move back) and Grasso used to give about 3 boots before they ran into the locker room. If i'm remembering correctly, Mack said that he was only letting them kick 1 each this year. Not because of any particular reason other than that's the was it's always been everywhere he's coached (he mentioned seattle and i think 1 or 2 other places that i can't remember). I think he said he was gonna let them go back to that.

hmm... he made reference to Pilares (although he said 'Keao'), and how he's a better fit at slot. said something to the effect of he's not a good blocker, but he's the last resort RB. which makes me wonder why he's not trying Rego back there more. I didn't think of it at the time, i think i was still trying to figure out why he said 'Keao' was a RB... he's still fumbling around on some of the players' names. At least he tries tho.

this may be a recollection of what I got out of what coach said, i do that sometimes. so don't take what i say here as 'from the horse's mouth'...

-Fu

fulingyu wrote:Mack also said (half-jokingly, i think?) that we'll never run 3 running plays in a row again... lol.

he also mentioned that the kickers (kelly and grasso, i guess) came up to him and asked if they could go back to their old routine of warm up kicks before the game... I guess DK used to kick 4 times (from PAT distance then move back) and Grasso used to give about 3 boots before they ran into the locker room. If i'm remembering correctly, Mack said that he was only letting them kick 1 each this year. Not because of any particular reason other than that's the was it's always been everywhere he's coached (he mentioned seattle and i think 1 or 2 other places that i can't remember). I think he said he was gonna let them go back to that.

hmm... he made reference to Pilares (although he said 'Keao'), and how he's a better fit at slot. said something to the effect of he's not a good blocker, but he's the last resort RB. which makes me wonder why he's not trying Rego back there more. I didn't think of it at the time, i think i was still trying to figure out why he said 'Keao' was a RB... he's still fumbling around on some of the players' names. At least he tries tho.

this may be a recollection of what I got out of what coach said, i do that sometimes. so don't take what i say here as 'from the horse's mouth'...

-Fu

I think Keao may be short for Kealoha.

i was pretty down on graunke in other posts. but if he hurt his wrist in the first half, then i'll give him a pass... and it makes me feel better about the rest of the season. i just hope graunke can fully recover from this.

i don't understand why he says we do not have depth on the dline. i mean what happened to elliot purcell, cj allen-jones, cameron allen-jones, victor clore, antwan mahaley, alasi toilolo, tuika tufaga, chris leatigaga?

we heard great things about clore, purcell and allen-jones in spring practice. those guys have been around a few years. so does that mean these guys are really not d1 material after all? that really worries me. either that, or something's wrong with the coaches.

I forgot to write about something that tells us a little about Coach Mack. When he was talking when all of a sudden his cell phone goes off. Believe it or not, his ringtone is "Hawaii 5-0".

Waryor wrote:i was pretty down on graunke in other posts. but if he hurt his wrist in the first half, then i'll give him a pass... and it makes me feel better about the rest of the season. i just hope graunke can fully recover from this.

i don't understand why he says we do not have depth on the dline. i mean what happened to elliot purcell, cj allen-jones, cameron allen-jones, victor clore, antwan mahaley, alasi toilolo, tuika tufaga, chris leatigaga?

we heard great things about clore, purcell and allen-jones in spring practice. those guys have been around a few years. so does that mean these guys are really not d1 material after all? that really worries me. either that, or something's wrong with the coaches.

I believe he said that Leatigaga didn't do much lifting during the summer and it shows. I think that the starters and Laeli are so much better than the backups. Purcell will be a good one but is still young. I'm not sure about the rest.

I think the difference between JJ's play-calling Philosophy and Ron's philosophy in the OSU game is this:

JJ says when the run and shoot shoot is executing, it can't be stopped, so we are going to be pass-first until we execute it well, regardless of how the D lines up, until the D really over-commits to stopping the pass.

I'm guessing Ron was trying to out-think the defense by running when it was least expected. Since it is expected less often than a pass, I can see how that can backfire when the runs don't bring first downs.

I'm sure both guys will get their respective teams to execute better.

Irse wrote:

Waryor wrote:i was pretty down on graunke in other posts. but if he hurt his wrist in the first half, then i'll give him a pass... and it makes me feel better about the rest of the season. i just hope graunke can fully recover from this.

i don't understand why he says we do not have depth on the dline. i mean what happened to elliot purcell, cj allen-jones, cameron allen-jones, victor clore, antwan mahaley, alasi toilolo, tuika tufaga, chris leatigaga?

we heard great things about clore, purcell and allen-jones in spring practice. those guys have been around a few years. so does that mean these guys are really not d1 material after all? that really worries me. either that, or something's wrong with the coaches.

I believe he said that Leatigaga didn't do much lifting during the summer and it shows. I think that the starters and Laeli are so much better than the backups. Purcell will be a good one but is still young. I'm not sure about the rest.

Redshirt frosh Vaughn Meatoga and junior Tuika Tufaga are in the rotation and are providing good depth at the DT position as back-ups to Josh Leonard and Keala Watson...while Fale Laeli and Rocky Savaiigaea heal up. Coach Mack made the comment about junior DT Chris Leatigaga in response to a question. My take on Coach Mack's comment about lack of quality depth on the Dline seems to apply more to the DE position...since he also mentioned that Fonoti & Veikune both played 81 of the approximately 90 defensive plays.

Coach Mack's comment...in response to another question...was that OL also lacked quality depth...mainly because of lack of recruiting enough Olineman the past 2 or so years (by JJ). Remember that Coach Mack only rejoined UH after the 2007 Recruiting Class was already signed....and wasn't involved with recruited Oline until he became head coach with only 3 weeks left before the 2008 LOI day. Coach Mack indicated that UH will need to do a better job recruiting OL this year.