COLORADO STATE OFFENSE
WR—81 Olabisi Johnson 6-0 195 Jr.
TE—30 Dalton Fackrell 6-4 240 Sr.
LT—61 Zack Golditch 6-5 295 Sr.
LG—60 Trae Moxley 6-6 330 Sr.
C—77 Jake Bennett 6-3 290 Sr.
RG—72 Nicho Garcia 6-5 285 Jr.
RT—78 Ben Knox 6-6 325 Jr.
FL—8 Detrich Clark 5-10 180 Sr.
WR—4 Michael Gallup 6-1 200 Sr.
QB—7 Nick Stevens 6-3 215 Sr.
RB—1 Dalyn Dawkins 5-9 185 Sr.
Spoiler alert: Head coach Mike Bobo was Georgia’s offensive coordinator when the Bulldogs ruined the Warriors’ football party in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. Bobo has developed a prolific attack at CSU, which averages 2.54 points a possession this season. Lazarus-like quarterback Nick Stevens was benched early last season, but he regained the job after Collin Hill was injured, and went on to throw 19 TDs against three interceptions in the final seven games of 2016. “He’s gone through some adversity but he fought back, and I really look up to him for that,” wideout Olabisi Johnson said. Stevens is accurate (63.4 percent in the past 11 games) and elusive (two sacks in 166 passing situations). He also has several weapons. Michael Gallup was a standout receiver at a Georgia high school, but fell off the recruiting radar when he attended Butler Community College for two years. Bobo remembered, and now Gallup is Stevens’ go-to receiver with 52 targets. Gallup is fast (4.4 seconds over 40 yards) and tough (29 pancake blocks as a prep senior). He aligns in the slot or wide, but also slides across the formation before the snap, or is isolated when three or four receivers are aligned on the opposite side. Johnson, who was Colorado’s 5A champion in 110-meter hurdles, can cover 40 yards in 4.46 seconds. But he also gets open by improvising off coverages or when teams double up on Gallup. The downside is Gallup and Johnson have combined for only one TD this season.
GAME DAY: HAWAII VS. COLORADO STATE
>> Kickoff: 6 p.m. at Aloha Stadium
>> TV: PPV
>> Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM
>> Line: Rams by 6 1/2
COLORADO STATE DEFENSE
LE—91 Jakob Buys 6-4 280 Sr.
NT—94 Darnell Thompson 6-4 280 Sr.
DT—95 Richard King 6-4 275 So.
Buck—43 Evan Colorito 6-4 245 Sr.
SLB—52 Tre Thomas 6-2 215 Jr.
MLB—55 Josh Watson 6-2 240 Jr.
WLB—15 Kiel Robinson 6-2 230 Sr.
LCB—10 Kevin Nutt 5-10 190 Sr.
FS—11 Jordan Fogal 5-10 180 Sr.
SS—7 Jamal Hicks 6-1 185 So.
RCB—14 Anthony Hawkins 5-10 185 So.
In last year’s final four games, the Rams relinquished an average of 41.5 points. This year, the average is down to 23.8, including Alabama’s 41 points in 10 drives two weeks ago. The Rams are advertised as an odd-man front. But they usually set up with a four-man line when buck linebacker Evan Colorito becomes a hand-in-the-dirt end on the right side. Colorito’s father was a nose tackle selected by the Denver Broncos in fifth round of the 1986 draft. The Rams often employ two second-level defenders. Middle linebacker Josh Watson, the team’s barber, is the downhill attacker. Weak-side linebacker Kiel Robinson, who is reported to be iffy because of a toe injury, can drop into coverage. Strong-side linebacker Tre Thomas or backup Max McDonald can fill in if Robinson can’t play. While the Rams are effective in man coverage, they also can go with three-deep or four-across zones. Sometimes, they will show a four-deep zone before a safety will move up. Safety Jake Schlager, who leads the secondary with 19 tackles, is an outdoorsman who hunts, fishes and can make goose jerky or deer patties. As the son of a football coach, Schlager’s early memory was attending football games in a stroller. Later, Schlager said, “I helped break down film with him when I was a little kid with the VHS tapes. I pushed the play button because we didn’t have a remote at the time. I love the physicality of football and the team aspect of it.”
COLORADO STATE SPECIALISTS
PK—96 Wyatt Bryan 6-1 175 Jr.
LS—58 Trent Sieg 6-3 240 Sr.
H—59 Nathan Lucas 6-2 230 Jr.
P—41 Ryan Stonehouse 5-11 170 Fr.
KR—8 Detrich Clark 5-10 180 Sr.
PR—81 Olabisi Johnson 6-0 195 Jr.
It did not take long for the Rams to get over losing punter Hayden Hunt to graduation. Freshman Ryan Stonehouse, who was ranked as the No. 1 punting prospect, is averaging 47.9 yards per attempt. Only two of his 12 punts have been returned. Wyatt Bryan, who entered the season with 75-percent accuracy on field goals, has converted all six in the first four games.
HAWAII OFFENSE
LWO—12 Keelan Ewaliko 5-11 205 Sr.
TE—7 Metuisela ‘Unga 6-5 240 Sr.
LT—50 Dejon Allen 6-3 295 Sr.
LG—51 John Wa‘a 6-4 315 Sr.
C—65 Asotui Eli 6-4 315 Jr.
RG—64 Fred Ulu-Perry 6-2 305 So.
RT—60 Chris Posa 6-4 290 Sr.
SB—5 John Ursua 5-10 165 So.
RWO—80 Ammon Barker 6-4 215 Sr.
QB—2 Dru Brown 6-0 200 Jr.
RB—22 Diocemy Saint Juste 5-8 195 Sr.
Kalaepohaku is the birthplace of the Warriors’ version of the run-pass option (RPO) offense. It was at Saint Louis School where Craig Stutzmann, UH’s pass-game coordinator, combined inside-zone runs with bubble and quick screens. At Rhodes College in Memphis, Stutzmann tinkered with blocking schemes while experimenting with longer pass routes. At Weber State, Stutzmann worked with Robin Pflugrad, a former receivers coach under Chip Kelly. Then Stutzmann went to Emery & Henry. “You’re at a Division III school, where nobody is really watching, and you can make mistakes and develop things,” he said. “It’s almost like being in high school again.” After studying videos of Baylor’s prolific offense and using concepts from June Jones’ run-and-shoot, Stutzmann developed the RPO version now used at UH. The premise is this: for quarterback Dru Brown, if the tackle box is roomy, hand the ball off to Diocemy Saint Juste. If it’s crammed, pull back and throw it. In either situation, the linemen are moving forward — pass blocking with a run-block technique — that befuddles defenses. If the wideouts stretch the field, that leaves slotbacks John Ursua (NCAA-leading 151 receiving yards per game) and Dylan Collie to face single coverage against a linebacker or safety. The keys are to correctly read the defense and to make sure the running lane and pass routes don’t lead to the same area. The Warriors also have added different tempos to the schemes.
HAWAII DEFENSE
DE—3 David Manoa 6-3 240 Sr.
NT—8 Penitito Faalologo 5-11 295 Sr.
DT—98 Viane Moala 6-7 290 So.
DE—97 Meffy Koloamatangi 6-5 240 Sr.
LB—27 Solomon Matautia 6-1 230 So.
MLB—31 Jahlani Tavai 6-4 235 Jr.
LB—44 Russell Williams Jr. 6-1 230 Sr.
CB—9 Eugene Ford 6-2 195 Fr.
FS—39 Trayvon Henderson 6-0 209 Sr.
SS—4 Daniel Lewis Jr. 5-11 180 Jr.
CB—18 Rojesterman Farris II 6-1 180 So.
The Warriors regained depth on the line with the return of defensive tackle Viane Moala and nose tackle Samiuela Akoteu, both of whom served one-game suspensions. Penitito Faalologo is expected to open as the hold-the-point defender. He’s the Warriors’ strongest player (405-pound bench, 625-pound squat). Ends David Manoa and Meffy Koloamatangi did good job last week narrowing Wyoming’s pocket with bracket rushes. The Warriors have expanded their defensive packages. They can slide to a 4-2-5 or 3-3-5 by inserting rover Kalen Hicks in place of a d-lineman or linebacker, or they go with a three-safety look with Keala Santiago joining Daniel Lewis Jr. and Trayvon Henderson. Middle linebacker Jahlani Tavai is the defensive leader, and outside backer Solomon Matautia has impressed with his versatility. But it is the third starting linebacker, Russell Williams Jr., who has been overshadowed. He averages 2.0 yards on run stops. Against Wyoming, he often attacks as a hunched rush end. He also takes on tight ends in one-on-one coverage. “I like being the underdog,” Williams said. “Make the big plays, get your named called. It’s all good.” The Warriors have been rotating the corners. Last week, Eugene Ford started opposite Manu Hudson-Rasmussen. Rojesterman Farris II is fully healthy. Mykal Tolliver also has been getting reps. There is hope that Cameron Hayes, who has been out with ailments, will be available to play.
HAWAII SPECIALISTS
PK/KO—29 Ryan Meskell 6-0 180 So.
PK—46 Alex Trifonovitch 6-1 180 So.
P/H—99 Stan Gaudion 6-3 210 Fr.
LS—1 Noah Borden 6-1 215 Jr.
KR—12 Keelan Ewaliko 5-11 205 Sr.
PR—5 John Ursua 5-10 165 So.
Ryan Meskell has the leg strength — he has launched a 70-yard kickoff from the 20 — but still is adjusting to his placements. The opponents’ average starting position is the 31 on Meskell’s 22 kickoffs. Meskell has converted 1-of-3 field-goal attempts. Alex Trifonovitch, the short-yardage placekicker, had his lone 3-pointer annulled because of a roughing penalty. Max Hendrie, a second-year freshman from Australia, leads the Warriors with eight tackles on kickoff coverage.