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—26 Miles Reed 5-9 190 So.
When quarterback Cole McDonald marred an otherwise brilliant season opener against Arizona by straying out of system six times, resulting in four picks, the cure was more than a don’t-do-that chat with himself. McDonald watched the video of that game five times — every frame — to analyze routes, throws and decisions. Quarterbacks coach Craig Stutzmann also came up with visual cues to remind McDonald when to take deep breaths. “He’s a talented kid,” Stutzmann said. “He makes great plays. It’s a matter of him remembering every play is different and to take what the defense gives you. That’s just the way the system works.” Despite the turnovers, McDonald completed 71 percent of his throws against Arizona. In last week’s victory over Oregon State, McDonald hit his targets’ hands 69.2 percent of the time — there were six drops — and averaged 6.7 yards on non-sack scrambles and keepers. “There are going to be three or four plays per game where you have to extend plays,” Stutzmann said. “Don’t make it eight when you don’t have to make it eight.” The right-side speedsters — wideout JoJo Ward and slotback Cedric Byrd — have four TD catches apiece. Meanwhile, left-side receivers Jared Smart and Melquise Stovall have been sure-handed, particularly on slants and cross routes into traffic. Smart and Stovall are housemates who constantly work on strengthening their grips. “Grinding and crafting,” Stovall said of the workout motto.
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 6-0 230 Sr.
LB—27 Solomon Matautia 6-1 230 Sr.
LB—15 Paul Scott 6-1 215 So.
CB—4 Rojesterman Farris II 6-1 185 Sr.
S—22 Ikem Okeke 6-0 200 Sr.
S—3 Kalen Hicks 6-3 215 Sr.
CB—18 Cortez Davis 5-11 180 Jr.
NB—8 Eugene Ford 6-2 200 Jr.
According to the laws of physics and aviation, a bumblebee is not supposed to be able to fly, and neither should a 300-pound nose tackle. But Blessman Ta‘ala has twice batted down passes, including a throw from Oregon State’s 6-foot-7 quarterback. “It’s all instinct,” said Ta‘ala, who credits Dwain Bradshaw, the director of football athletic performance. Instead of knee-bend lifts, Bradshaw has implemented a program to improve bursts with lifts beginning from a squat. He also has linemen jump over hurdles, simulating the zero-to-oomph power needed in the trenches. “The first time I was kind of nervous,” Ta‘ala said of the hurdle jumps. “We really didn’t do hurdles back in Samoa. I’m used to it now. It’s natural.” While the linemen have worked on vertical moves, linebacker Solomon Matautia has stressed lateral speed. Depending on the pairings, Matautia will play weak-side linebacker or middle backer. “He’s getting back to the things we need to do in terms of being able to play sideline to sideline,” defensive coordinator Corey Batoon said. Cornerbacks Cortez Davis and Rojesterman Farris II have elevated their tackling skills. Farris made a key fourth-down tackle against Oregon State. Both corners are now entrusted to blitz or sneak into the tackle box for run support.
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 5-9 180 Jr.
It is only a two-game sampling, but it appears returner Melquise Stovall has boosted the Warriors’ field position from a year ago. In 2018, the Warriors’ average starting spot following an opponent’s kickoff was the 24. This year, it is the 30. He also has helped avoid the hidden yards — bounces — by fielding 2.5 punts per game, up from last season’s 1.1 average. Last season, the Warriors allowed 39 punts to bounce or sail out of bounds. For Stovall, the keys are knowing when to field a punt, even on the bounce or roll, and making sure to secure the football tightly. “In my younger days, I had ball issues, fumbled here and there,” said Stovall, who now always holds the football “high and tight.”
WASHINGTON OFFENSE
WR—5 Andre Baccellia 5-10 175 Sr.
LT—72 Trey Adams 6-8 314 Sr.
LG—76 Luke Wattenberg 6-5 300 Jr.
C—56 Nick Harris 6-1 302 Sr.
RG—51 Jaxson Kirkland 6-7 315 So.
RT—70 Jared Hilbers 6-7 313 Sr.
TE—87 Cade Otton 6-5 246 So.
WR—2 Aaron Fuller 5-11 188 Sr.
WR—6 Chico McClatcher 5-8 183 Sr.
QB—10 Jacob Eason 6-6 227 Jr.
RB—26 Salvon Ahmed 5-11 195 Jr.
The quarterback shuffle began after spring ball when redshirt freshman Colson Yankoff, destined for third on the depth chart, bolted for UCLA. Then a week before the opener, Jake Haener, who lost the starting job to Jacob Eason, left the Huskies. Haener is set to join Fresno State. Eason also has been a mobile quarterback. After being named the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a Lake Stevens (Wash.) High senior, he started for Georgia in 2016. But injuries led to ceding the starting job to Jake Fromm in 2017, and then Eason transferred to Washington, where he redshirted in 2018. Eason is an effective manager in the Huskies’ deceptive offense, completing 68.2 percent of his throws with a 4-to-1 ratio of TDs to picks. Head coach Chris Petersen recreated the street magician’s tactics that confounded defenses when he was at Boise State. Before the snap, the Huskies are in motion, with two tight ends shifting to the other side of the formation or a receiver jet sweeping in front or behind Eason. There are plays where receivers Andre Baccellia (4.38 seconds in the 40) and Chico McClacher are rushers or running back Salvon Ahmed (4.32 in 40) motions into the slot. Tight end Cade Otton is a nuisance as an edge sealer, tandem blocker with Hunter Bryant, or check-down receiver. Eason is comfortable under center, in the shotgun or as a pooch punter. Against California last week, the receivers averaged 5.8 post-catch yards, but they also dropped six of Eason’s 30 throws.
WASHINGTON DEFENSE
OLB—55 Ryan Bowman 6-0 277 Jr.
DL—95 Levi Onwuzurike 6-3 293 Jr.
DL—90 Josiah Bronson 6-3 291 Sr.
OLB—9 Joe Tryon 6-5 262 So.
LB—30 Kyler Manu 6-1 246 Sr.
LB—13 Brandon Wellington 6-0 226 Sr.
SS—16 Cameron Williams 6-0 191 Fr.
FS—5 Myles Bryant 5-8 185 Sr.
CB—27 Keith Taylor 6-3 195 Jr.
CB—19 Kyler Gordon 6-0 190 Fr.
NCB—3 Elijah Molden 5-11 190 Jr.
The past four seasons, the Huskies led the Pac-12 in total and scoring defense. In the first two games, opponents have been held to one scoring pass and an average 17.0 points. But the Huskies are rebuilding a defense that lost nine starters, including the Human Dam, inside linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven. Last season, Burr-Kirven, now with the Seattle Seahawks, amassed 176 tackles — 103 more than runner-up Tevis Bartlett’s total. Bartlett also has departed. Their replacements — Brandon Wellington and hard-hitting Kyler Manu — combined for 46 tackles. Wellington’s 2017 season was short-circuited by an ACL injury, which did not fully mend until the middle of last season. He is counted on to anchor a multiple-look defense. Levi Onwuzurki and Josiah Bronson are interchangeable gap-cloggers who can play anywhere inside the offensive tackles. At 6-0 and 277 pounds, edge defender Ryan Bowman can cut the perimeter runs or impede the passing lanes with his 38-inch vertical jump. Free safety Myles Bryant, at 5-8, has drawn comparisons to 5-10 Budda Baker, an Arizona Cardinals safety and Washington alumnus. The odds favor cornerbacks Keith Taylor (10-4 broad jump) and Kyler Gordon (421⁄2-inch vertical jump) on 50-50 balls. The Huskies do not have a takeaway this season.
WASHINGTON SPECIALISTS
PK—47 Peyton Henry 5-11 197 So.
LS—49 A.J. Carty 6-2 243 Sr.
H—46 Race Holder 6-2 183 Jr.
P—32 Joel Whitford 6-3 209 Sr.
KR—25 Sean McGrew 5-7 186 Jr.
After connecting on 16 of 22 field-goal attempts in 2018, place-kicker Peyton Henry spent the offseason working on his accuracy and focus. In the first two games, he was true on 12 kicks — five field goals and seven point-after attempts. Against California, he drained a career-long trey from 49 yards. Punter Joel Whitford is an alumnus of ProKick Australia, which helped develop UH punters Alex Dunnachie, Scott Harding and Stan Gaudion. Of Whitford’s three punts, only one was returned, for minus-1 yard.
