UH wary of Bulldogs' ground-hogging ways

FRESNO, Calif. » Promoters note that tonight's football game matches Hawaii's top-ranked passing attack against Fresno State's No.-2 rated pass defense.

But in UH's war room this week, the focus has been on the Bulldogs' ground attack.

As emphasis, UH defensive coordinator Dave Aranda put together a highlight video of the Bulldogs' running game. But instead of detailing the action, the video showed close-ups of the line judge on the sideline. Each time he was ready to mark the new line of scrimmage, he kept sidling forward.

The point was this: The Bulldogs running backs never stop fighting for extra yards.

"You think you stop the running back after 2 yards, then he gets 2 more yards, and then 2 more yards," UH middle linebacker George Daily-Lyles said. "Then it's second and 4 instead of second and 8, and that makes it tough on a defense."

The more the Bulldogs can rely on their running game, the more time they can eat. And that is the Warriors' concern: Will there be enough time and opportunities for their offense?

"Our game plan is pretty straightforward: Stop the run," Daily-Lyles said. "If we can do that, we have a chance to win."

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