We can’t solve your middle-of-the-week blues. But we can answer some of your questions about the University of Hawaii football team.
Question: Whatever happened to Ben Yee?
Answer: Yee, who co-founded Na Koa (the football program’s booster club), said he is enjoying his “retirement” from his 45 years as a Rainbow Warrior volunteer. He said he was not forced out when he departed in 2012, and hinted that UH’s politics might have been a contributing factor. He said he adheres to his doctor’s advice to “relax more.”
Yee, 85, remains an avid hunter of “four-legged animals” that are “legal to shoot.” He also is a season-ticket subscriber, although he has not attended a UH game in four years.
Yee and UH head coach Nick Rolovich regularly keep in contact. “For a guy who’s seen many moons, he’s a pretty good texter,” Rolovich said.
Rolovich has invited Yee to be on the UH sideline for all games.
“I love Ben Yee,” Rolovich said. “There are guys like Alec Waterhouse, Ben Yee … who knows where this program would be if it weren’t for their sacrifices and contributions to the program.”
Rolovich also will bring back the Ben Yee Most Inspirational Award that was discontinued after the 2011 season.
“I like what Rolo is doing with the program,” Yee said. “I’ll help when I can.”
Rolovich said: “Ben is all UH football.”
Q: What’s the status of offensive lineman Luke Clements?
A: Clements has medically retired because of multiple knee issues. Clements will remain on scholarship, although he will not count toward the Warriors’ scholarship limit.
Q: Why did the UH offense rely on long passes versus short passes, bubble screens and passes out of the backfield to mitigate the stacking of New Mexico players in the box?
A: In fact, all but one of the Warriors’ completions were on underneath routes. “The corners were playing very soft,” offensive coordinator Brian Smith said. “They were giving us more hitches. We were trying to take advantage of the hitches. We were only able to complete one of the balls we threw downfield.”
Q: What is UH’s philosophy on running the “dive” play when an opponent has stacked the line of scrimmage with seven or eight players before the snap of the ball?
A: The width of the line is much greater than what it appears from the stands or the television screen. Many of the run plays are not up the middle. There are runs through the A, B, C, and even D gaps. Against New Mexico, Smith said, “we were getting a lot of zero pressure. We were trying to cut off some of the slants” by running in the A, B and C gaps. “In hindsight, we probably wish we ran a little more stretch against them. We thought we had a really good plan of getting out of some of our runs versus pressure that wasn’t executed as well as we had been practicing.”
Q: On the last UH drive of the game, why was the ball given to running back Steven Lakalaka on fourth-and-1 after he struggled in his three previous carries?
A: “He’s extremely effective in short-yardage situations,” Smith said. “We like his ability to get us a yard. There was a run through the A gap that wasn’t blocked well, and he got hit in the backfield. It wasn’t a Lakalaka issue.”
Q: How is Solomon Matautia, who made his first UH start, progressing as an inside linebacker?
A: “Solomon is an athlete,” defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said. “He can run. … When he got an opportunity, he practiced well and played well. I’m happy for him.”
Q: Which players will step up for the final third of the season?
A: Rolovich said he is hopeful Matautia, offensive lineman Elijah Tupai, and cornerback Rojesterman Farris II will be significant contributors. “I love how Solomon has played when he got his opportunity,” Rolovich said. “We can probably count on Ro to make some plays.”
Q: How is tight end Sione Kauhi developing?
A: Kauhi said he has lost 50 pounds and now weighs 235.
“Sione wasn’t ready to contribute this year as far as a starter,” Rolovich said. “He’s contributed unbelievably on the scout team, and I see improvement. He’s got incredible buy-in. He’s one of the guys who takes tremendous pride in his scout-team role, and he makes guys better.”
Q: What has given Rolovich the most satisfaction or sense of accomplishment as the head coach?
A: “I like to see how happy these guys are after wins in the locker room after all the hard work they’ve given us,” Rolovich said. “It’s not an accident the games we’ve won. It’s been heartbreaking for the losses, especially some of the ways they’ve happened. One of the great things this team has it there’s not ‘Offense, you didn’t play good enough.’ There’s not pointing fingers. … You take (losses to) UNLV and New Mexico. Did the defense play good enough to win versus New Mexico? Yeah, but they didn’t. We didn’t score enough points (against) UNLV. You’d like to think most times when you score over 40, you can be in that game and win. But that’s football. That’s the team mentality I’m most proud of: Everybody hurts. Defense didn’t come out after New Mexico and say, ‘We played good, that felt good.’ They were hurt. That shows sacrifices. They showed they invested.”
Q: Would UH consider giving players chocolate-covered macadamia nuts as an energy boost during games?
A: “I have not considered that,” Rolovich said.
