UH Game Day: Rainbow Warriors at BYU Cougars

HAWAII OFFENSE

LWO—85 Marcus Armstrong-Brown 6-3 210 Sr.

SB—5 John Ursua 5-10 175 Jr.

LT—75 Ilm Manning 6-4 280 Fr.

LG—57 J.R. Hensley 6-5 310 Jr.

C—63 Taaga Tuulima 6-2 290 So.

RG—60 Solo Vaipulu 6-2 310 Fr.

RT—72 Kohl Levao 6-6 340 Jr.

SB—6 Cedric Byrd 5-9 170 Jr.

RWO—19 JoJo Ward 5-9 175 Jr.

QB—13 Cole McDonald 6-4 210 So.

RB—7 Dayton Furuta 5-11 250 Jr.

After missing last week’s game because of an undisclosed injury, quarterback Cole McDonald is back at the controls. McDonald offers accuracy (65 percent), stretchability (39 percent on 41 passes of 20-plus yards from the line of scrimmage), mobility (5.1 yards per non-sack scramble or keeper), and situational ability. In the first four games, the slotbacks were targeted on 67 percent of the passes. But in the past three games, opponents began dropping six into coverage behind a 3-2 or 4-1 front. With defenses keying on slotbacks John Ursua (55 receptions for 801 yards and 12 TDs) and Cedric Byrd (receptions on 84.2 percent of the time he is the primary target), that has opened the way for wideouts Marcus Armstrong-Brown and JoJo Ward. In the past two games, the wideouts were targeted on 54.9 percent of the pass plays. “With John being so explosive (six receptions of 30-plus yards) and Byrd coming into play, it’s only natural to give Joe and Marcus the ball more so they can make plays,” McDonald said. Armstrong-Brown is at his best on slants and back-shoulder catches. Ward’s speed (10.8 seconds over 100 meters) creates matchup problems. He can either sprint past the secondary or create cushion when he hits the brakes on a go route. “If you go fast, you can stop fast,” Ward said. Byrd noted that every receiver will have his time. “You have to understand, you won’t always have 15-ball games or 200-yard games,” Byrd said. “It’s not always going to be, ‘oh, you’re open.’ Sometimes you have the double team. That gets other players open. You have to run hard and be humble. When it’s your turn, it’s your turn.”

HAWAII DEFENSE

DE—99 Zeno Choi 6-3 280 Sr.

NT—54 Blessman Taala 6-1 310 Fr.

DT—91 Samiuela Akoteu 6-2 280 Jr.

DE—96 Kaimana Padello 6-0 223 Jr.

LB—27 Solomon Matautia 6-1 230 Jr.

LB—31 Jahlani Tavai 6-4 235 Sr.

LB—33 Penei Pavihi 6-2 230 So.

CB—4 Roe Farris 6-1 180 Jr.

S—16 Kalen Hicks 6-3 200 Jr.

S—22 Ikem Okeke 6-0 200 Jr.

CB—8 Eugene Ford 6-2 195 So.

While facing tough, physical offenses this season, the Warriors have countered with one of their most rugged defenses in years. Nose tackle Blessman Taala has neutralized power games with strength (440-pound bench) at the point. Samieula Akoteu’s lateral quickness is underrated. Zeno Choi provides versatility at bandit end. Those three and inside linebacker Peni Pavihi allow the team’s best defender — Jahlani Tavai — to align as a stand-up end, in coverage or anywhere in the box. Cornerback Roe Farris and safeties Ikem Okeke and Kalen Hicks have developed as open-field tacklers. Eugene Ford regained a starting corner job two weeks ago, and last week he made a clutch play with a pass breakup on Wyoming’s final drive. “I knew when they called man coverage, it was time,” Ford said. “When the opportunity came, I took it.” Derek Thomas, who was recruited as a pass rusher, has become a reliable run defender on the edge. A week after playing 86 snaps, Kaimana Padello rotated with Thomas last week. Of Padello’s 14 tackles this year, 10 have been in the backfield, including seven sacks. Padello’s relentlessness was apparent as a Mililani High senior. “I was trying every way and any way to try and get in contact with (Division I) coaches,” Padello said. “When I went on Twitter, I could see all the coaches’ handles, and you could follow them. I liked every single post there was on the UH page hoping my name would pop up on the notification box, and they would be like, ‘who’s Kaimana Padello?’ It worked. UH extended an invitation as a preferred walk-on.

HAWAII SPECIALISTS

PK—94 Ryan Meskell 6-0 185 Jr.

KO—52 Michael Boyle 6-1 175 Fr.

LS—1 Noah Borden 6-1 220 Sr.

P/H—99 Stan Gaudion 6-3 210 So.

KR/PR—82 Justice Augafa 5-11 200 Jr.

In listing need-to-improve areas, the Warriors pointed to punt returns, where they had six for 30 yards in 2017. “We had to get more yards than that on punt returns,” head coach Nick Rolovich recalled thinking. UH paged the spin doctor — Justice Augafa, who relies on fearlessness and whirling moves. Augafa is averaging 10.4 yards (26th nationally) on eight returns. “For me, it’s more of a momentum thing,” Augafa said of his balance and agility. “I don’t think about all my moves, like spinning. I don’t even realize I spin that much. When a defender puts a certain amount of pressure, and I spin out, I use that momentum to keep moving forward.”

BRIGHAM YOUNG OFFENSE

WR—21 Talon Shumway 6-3 210 Jr.

SB—15 Aleva Hifo 5-10 187 Jr.

LT—67 Brady Christensen 6-6 295 Fr.

LG—59 Thomas Shoaf 6-5 300 Jr.

C—66 James Empey 6-4 297 Fr.

RG—69 Tristen Hoge 6-5 305 So.

RT—71 Austin Hoyt 6-8 315 Sr.

TE—79 Matt Bushman 6-5 245 So.

WR—80 Gunner Romney 6-3 185 Fr.

QB—11 Zach Wilson 6-3 205 Fr.

RB—22 Squally Canada 5-11 210 Sr.

Under first-year coordinator Jeff Grimes (previously the line coach at LSU, Virginia Tech and Auburn), the Cougars have had subpar per-game production — 21.2 points (117th nationally), 306 yards (124th), 35.1 percent on third down (105th). The widespread belief is freshman quarterback Zach Wilson will replace Tanner Mangum, who has started in 27 of 32 career appearances. They have similar builds — 6-3, 205 pounds — but Wilson is more mobile (6.25 yards per non-sack scramble or keeper) than Mangum (3.29 yards the past two years). In last week’s in-state battle against Utah State, Mangum’s fingerprints were on two costly turnovers while Wilson led a late scoring drive. Wilson is a Utah resident who initially picked Boise State over California and Iowa before re-opening the recruiting in December and eventually signing with the Cougars. Wilson’s development was rapid enough to relocate Beau Hoge (son of former NFL running back Merrill Hoge) to receiver. Whoever is taking the snaps — from under center or the shotgun — will have a long menu of targets. The Cougars average nine receivers per game, including former UH slotback Dylan Collie. The Cougars try to portray uncertainty with pre-snap motions and shifts, all of which sets up slants and screens to the wideouts and pick-and-pop throws to tight end Matt Bushman (18.7 yards per catch, 70 percent of receptions resulting in first downs). There also is the power element when fullback Brayden El-Bakri is employed as a hand-in-the-dirt lead blocker.

BRIGHAM YOUNG DEFENSE

E—52 Trajan Pili 6-2 247 Jr.

N—95 Khyiris Tonga 6-4 340 So.

T—93 Bracken El-Bakri 6-3 285 So.

OE—90 Corbin Kaufusi 6-9 275 Sr.

FLB—44 Riggs Powell 6-2 220 Sr.

MLB—38 Butch Pau‘u 6-0 225 Sr.

WLB—16 Sione Takitaki 6-2 230 Sr.

LC—18 Michael Shelton 5-8 175 Sr.

FS—11 Austin Lee 6-0 200 Jr.

SS—5 Dayan Ghanwoloku 5-11 200 Jr.

RC—32 Chris Wilcox 6-2 195 Jr.

The defense suffered a setback when it was announced Zayne Anderson probably would miss the remainder of the season. Anderson fittingly played flash linebacker, a rover-like position that made use of his speed as a high-school sprinter and converted safety. Riggs Powell, a two-way starter at quarterback and safety in junior college, will open at flash. The Cougars usually align in a symmetrical formation with a linebacker flexed on each side of the four down linemen, and an inside linebacker set 5 yards from the line of scrimmage. In recent games, Sione Takitaki was the middle backer who rarely blitzed or dropped into coverage. Instead, Takitaki was in charge of tracking the back coming through the line gaps. Corbin Kaufusi rotates between either end. At 6-9, Kaufusi is an obstacle on passes to the flats. But he also has the strength — and surprising leverage — to force his way into the pocket. Kaufusi has accounted for four of the Cougars’ six sacks. Playing low is “one of the constant struggles,” said Kaufusi, who grew 5 inches between his junior and senior years in high school and another 3 inches during a church mission in South Korea. To improve leverage, he said, every squat lift is okole to the grass. Several relatives, including his father and five uncles, played college football. “Everybody is doing it, so you want to do it,” he said. “But as you go on, you’re like, ‘I really like (football).’ When I got into it, I loved it.”

BRIGHAM YOUNG SPECIALISTS

PK—20 Skyler Southam 6-0 195 Fr.

KO—29 Andrew Mikkelsen 6-0 200 Sr.

LS—98 Mitch Harris 6-4 216 Jr.

H—27 Gavin Fowler 6-0 191 Sr.

P—26 Rhett Almond 6-4 200 Sr.

KR—15 Aleva Hifo 5-10 187 Jr

PR—18 Michael Shelton 5-8 175 Sr.

After winning a three-kicker competition in training camp, Skyler Southam has converted five of eight, but none in the past two games. He is best known for his short game. He has been used twice for on-side kicks. Andrew Mikkelsen is the kickoff specialist. An opponent’s average drive starts on the 23 following a Mikkelsen kickoff. Mikkelsen is finally a senior in a career that began at Oregon in 2012 and was on hiatus for a church mission. Rhett Almond, who was last season’s kicker, is this year’s roll-out punter. Michael Shelton offers speed (4.43 seconds over 40 yards) and athleticism (38-inch vertical jump).