OREGON STATE OFFENSE
WR–1 Tyjon Lindsey 5-9 193 So.
TE—81 Noah Togiai 6-4 246 Sr.
LT—73 Blake Brandel 6-7 307 Sr.
LG—63 Gus Lavaka 6-4 347 Sr.
C—64 Nathan Eldridge 6-3 300 Jr.
RG—56 Clay Cordasco 6-5 314 Sr.
RT—68 Brandon Kipper 6-6 305 So.
WR—16 Champ Flemings 5-5 141 So.
WR—17 Isaiah Hodgins 6-4 209 Jr.
QB—6 Jake Luton 6-7 229 Sr.
RB—22 Jermar Jefferson 5-10 214 So.
GAME DAY: OREGON STATE AT HAWAII
>> Kickoff: 6 p.m. Aloha Stadium
>> TV: Spectrum Sports PPV
>> Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM
>> Line: Hawaii by 6 1/2
The book on OSU’s offense is a tome, with multiple formations and sets. The back can be aligned in a pistol directly behind the quarterback, off to the side, or accompanied in the backfield with tight end Noah Togiai morphing into a fullback. Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren has called for outside and inside zones, pulls (including Togiai’s cross-over blocks), traps and fly sweeps. OSU has three-, four- and five-receiver sets. Wideout Isaiah Hodgins is the playmaker, setting up on either side. Against Oklahoma State, he used a triple move to catch a 20-yard pass, then a zig-zag maneuver for a 9-yard scoring reception. A favorite tactic is to isolate Hodgins on one side while 5-9 Tyjon Lindsey and 5-5 Champ Flemings run quick-cut routes on the other side. Jermar Jefferson leads a three-back rotation. Quarterback Jake Luton was approved for a sixth year to extend a career that began at Idaho. Luton, whose high school team ran the fossilized wing-T, left Idaho after two years for a junior college with the hope more passes would lead to a Pac-12 shot. “That was my reasoning,” said Luton, who enrolled at OSU in 2017. In last week’s opener, Luton was 23-for-42 for 251 yards and four TDs. But there were six drops and three passes intentionally tossed away under pressure. His receivers also struggled for separation, combining for a post-catch average of 2.6 yards. The line has UH ties. Right tackle Brandon Kipper was a Warriors freshman 2017, and left guard Gus Lavaka signed with UH in 2012 before going on a church mission.
OREGON STATE DEFENSE
DE—90 Isaac Hodgins 6-0 271 So.
DT—99 Elu Aydon 6-3 377 Sr.
DE—96 LaMone Williams 6-3 277 Sr.
OLB—15 Addison Gumbs 6-4 242 So.
ILB—41 Shemar Smith 6-1 237 Sr.
ILB—34 Avery Roberts 6-1 231 So.
OLB—8 Matthew Tago 6-2 225 So.
CB—23 Isaiah Dunn 6-0 191 Jr.
S—2 Shawn Wilson 5-9 194 Sr.
S—33 Jalen Moore 6-0 213 Sr.
CB—21 Nahshon Wright 6-4 184 So.
Against a rush that turned into a hazing last week, the Beavers surrendered 352 yards on the ground. It could have been worse. A 39-yard scamper for a TD was nullified because of a holding penalty. OSU was burned on first down (seven plays of 10-plus yards), second down (8.7 yards per rush), and third down (76.9 percent conversions).The Beavers had 16 missed tackles. But they also managed nine backfield tackles, and got solid play from safety Shawn Wilson and linebackers Addison Gumbs and Shemar Smith. The Beavers have several defensive looks — a three-man front that expands to five when the outside linebackers crash down, overload shifts, and man and zone combos in the secondary. Gumbs has revived the flex role he played at Oklahoma in 2017. The former 4-star defensive end played a season with the Sooners, then transferred to OSU. He redshirted last year in accordance with NCAA transfer rules. Gumbs can storm the backfield, seal the edge or clutter the passing lanes. Smith has earned the nickname “41 Savage” in tribute to his jersey number and ferocity. Smith sometimes moves up to essentially serve as a stand-up nose when OSU spreads the defensive front. “I’ve been playing this sport since I was 5,” said the Miami-reared Smith, who embraces the linebacker’s motto of “Don’t over-think too much. Make the game come to you. That’s how I live.” Smith has 90 tackles the past 13 games.
OREGON STATE SPECIALISTS
PK—46 Jordan Choukair 6-1 195 Sr.
LS—37 Keegan Firth 6-4 218 Sr.
H—38 Luke Loecher 6-4 208 So.
P—39 Daniel Rodriguez 5-10 206 Sr.
KR—16 Champ Flemings 5-5 141 So.
PR—1 Tyjon Lindsey 5-9 193 So.
Jordan Choukair has the genes (his father kicked in the NFL), advanced training (alumnus of Chris Sailer Kicking) and competitiveness (6-handicap in golf). But after being lauded as a top prospect — 5 stars by Chris Sailer, 100 grade from National Camp Series — Choukair has had fickle success. He has connected on 62.5 percent of his field-goal attempts in a 28-game OSU career. But he has range (career-long 49-yarder). Daniel Rodriguez averaged 47.8 yards per sea-level punt last week.
HAWAII OFFENSE
LWO—23 Jared Smart 6-0 190 Jr.
LSB—3 Jason-Matthew Sharsh 6-0 190 Sr.
LT—75 Ilm Manning 6-4 280 So.
LG—57 J.R. Hensley 6-5 320 Sr.
C—63 Taaga Tuulima 6-2 310 Jr.
RG—52 Solo Vaipulu 6-2 300 So.
RT—74 Gene Pryor 6-3 305 Jr.
RSB—6 Cedric Byrd 5-9 175 Sr.
RWO—9 JoJo Ward 5-9 175 Sr
QB—13 Cole McDonald 6-4 220 Jr.
RB—7 Dayton Furuta 5-11 250 Sr.
During the final period of a practice this week, the clock was set at 60 seconds and the order was shouted: “42 yards for the win.” The offense needed half the time for the score, the last 20 yards coming on a laser from Cole McDonald to right slotback Cedric Byrd. There was no hangover from the Aug. 24 opener, when McDonald strayed from the system six times, leading to four picks. “I made four bone-headed mistakes that I could have easily avoided,” said McDonald, who tried to thread passes into congested coverages. But McDonald still threw for 378 yards and four TDs on 70.7 percent passing, a figure adjusted to 82.9 on plays when he was in system. During the offseason, McDonald tightened his motion to provide more zip on his medium-range passes. In the first game, McDonald connected on 40 percent of his deep passes (20-plus yards from the line of scrimmage) and 82.2 percent on throws up to 19 yards in the air. “Just trying not to force things I don’t need to force,” McDonald said. Byrd has been a favored receiver (targeted on 43.8 percent of UH’s passes). Left-side starters Jared Smart and Jason-Matthew Sharsh have been sure-handed, securing 76.4 percent of throws when they were the primary targets. The backs coughed up the football twice in the opener. But Dayton Furuta, Fred Holly III and Miles Reed are usually reliable, averaging one lost fumble every 83 carries. In the opener, the Warriors’ only sack in 48 pass plays was an intentional downing by backup quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, who wanted to keep the clock running.
HAWAII DEFENSE
DE—43 Mason Vega 6-3 275 Jr.
NT—55 Blessman Ta‘ala 6-1 300 So.
DT—95 Kendall Hune 6-3 285 Sr.
DE—96 Kaimana Padello 6-0 225 Sr.
LB—15 Paul Scott 6-1 210 So.
LB—12 Kana‘i Picanco 6-1 225 Sr.
NB—8 Eugene Ford 6-2 200 Jr.
CB—18 Cortez Davis 5-11 180 Jr.
S—22 Ikem Okeke 6-0 200 Sr.
S—3 Kalen Hicks 6-3 215 Sr.
CB—4 Rojesterman Farris II 6-1 185 Sr.
Defensive end Pumba Williams received national attention after he raced 35 yards to assist in the game-saving tackle against Arizona. But earlier in the contest, cornerback Cortez Davis made an unheralded hustle play. When an Arizona receiver jet-motioned to the right side, Davis raced the width of the field to make the solo tackle in the flat. The defensive backs made 25 of the 46 solo tackles. Each practice, the DBs work on tackling, prying away footballs and catching. “We have to be able to make the tackles because we’re in the open field all the time,” cornerback Rojesterman Farris II said. “You can’t just cover. You have to be able to tackle.” Against Arizona, safeties Kalen Hicks and Ikem Okeke took turns tracking quarterback Khalil Tate. Against OSU’s run-pass option and more traditional sets, the safeties will be given the freedom to attack other areas. With several ailing linebackers, the Warriors will test their depth. Darius Muasau, a 2019 Mililani High graduate, is expected to join the rotation. Kana‘i Picanco also is expected to have a large role. Picanco, who can play both linebacker positions, registered a key third-down sack against Arizona. Growing up in Kaneohe, Picanco attended Castle High games, rooting for future UH linebackers Blaze Soares and Corey Paredes.
HAWAII SPECIALISTS
PK—17 Ryan Meskell 6-0 185 Sr.
LS—44 Wyatt Tucker 5-10 205 Jr.
P/H—9 Stan Gaudion 6-3 200 Jr.
KR/PR—10 Melquise Stovall 5-9 190 Jr.
The last time a UH punter heard a thump — the sound of a block — was on Christmas Eve in 2008. Since then, the Warriors have gone 657 punts without yielding a rejection. UH and Auburn are tied for the longest streak at 131 games. “We take it very seriously, even though we only had one punt against Arizona,” special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said. “We still practice it the most out of every unit just because it’s one of the more critical ones.” Ghobrial said a successful launch sometimes means keeping the protection in place a little longer. “The biggest thing is making sure the punt goes off and we flip the field,” Ghobrial said.
