BADGERS/BOWS

[GENO]

Duo thankful for return trip home

There?s really no place like home. For Wisconsin?s Donovan Raiola and James Kamoku Saturday?s football game has a special sentimental value. It marks the first time since high school that the two Hawaiian natives will play in the Aloha State.

Raiola, the 6-foot-3, 294-pound starting center, attended Kamehameha High School in Honolulu. Back in those high school days, he was a regional All-American and a first-team all-state selection. Fast forward to 2005, where he is one of four Wisconsin team captains, was named to the 2004 and 2005 preseason watch lists for the Dave Rimington Trophy (college football?s top center) and was rated this preseason as the No. 5 center in the nation.

Needless to say, Raiola is looking forward to making the trip home. He feels a sense of pride being from Hawaii and playing in front of family and friends.

?Pride is important and Hawaiians like to carry it on their chest,? Raiola said.

The return home is a balance of business and leisure for the center, returning home while looking to help Wisconsin to equal its win total from last season (nine). The Badgers are also trying to revive a running game that has struggled in the last two weeks (-11 and 19 yards, respectively).

?It will be important for us to show up and play our best football,? Raiola said.

The senior is also looking forward to returning to his home surroundings. He said it will be an emotional high as he runs out on the Aloha Stadium field and sees his family and friends in the stands.

?I?m just grateful for having such great support,? the center said.

Kamoku is a 6-foot-2, 211-pound defensive back from Kailua-Kona. At Kealakehe High School, he was a second-team all-state and a first-team all-conference selection as a linebacker and a two-time team MVP. At Wisconsin he earned his first varsity letter in 2004 and played 11 games as a reserve defensive back.

However, even as a member of the visitors, he has a deep respect for the Warriors.

?University of Hawaii football is a dream for many players growing up on the islands,? Kamoku said.

The dream to play at a Division I school inspired Kamoku to further himself and work towards his full potential. It was this desire that landed him the opportunity to play at the UW. Regardless, though, the sophomore is eager to play in front of some familiar faces.

?I will be emotional and so will they,? Kamoku said. ?After all, it will be the first time that I have played before them since high school. And I do miss them; friends and family are something that you can?t take away.?

Both Raiola and Kamoku have high hopes for the team?s performance this weekend. They hold a great respect for the Warriors and know how tough they are to play in Aloha Stadium.

?It?s going to be a tough one,? Kamoku said. ?They are going to come out swinging.?

Raiola emphasized the importance for the Badgers to start the game with intensity and carry it throughout. Kamoku added the value of team play in a matchup that will test both sides of the ball.

?As a team: offensively, defensively and specially we plan to go into the game as one,? Kamoku said. ?If we lean on each other we will have a great chance of winning.?

The Hawaiian natives hope to gain something special from the travel back to the home state. Taking care of the business on the field is their first objective, followed by spending quality time with the team, family, and friends. But the Badgers will also take advantage of what the Aloha State has to offer. Raiola and Kamoku have made sure that the team has the opportunity to experience things such as the 20- to 30-foot waves on the North Shore, snorkeling in the Pacific and deep sea fishing.

?Hey, it will be a sight to see a bunch of fat lineman running around on the beach,? Raiola joked.

 

[GENO]

Hawai'i takes on No. 24 Badgers

Today's nationally-televised college football game between 24th-ranked Wisconsin and Hawai'i is dedicated to a departing coach who has provided inspiration and innovation through the years.

"This is for coach (Keith) Bhonapha," UH quarterback Colt Brennan said of the graduate assistant in charge of cornerbacks. NCAA rules limit GA terms to three years.

True, Bhonapha is not the only one making the farewell rounds ? Barry Alvarez is stepping down as Wisconsin's coach after 116 victories in 16 seasons ? but in this season on the blink, the Warriors are seeking motivation in any form.

"Keith's been here longer than me," said June Jones, who was named UH head coach in 1999, a year after Bhonapha joined UH as a defensive back. "He's a good young coach, and we hope we'll be able to get him a job in coaching."

UH defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said: "Maybe Keith and Alvarez should meet at the 50-yard line, and shake hands, and reminisce a little bit, and head down the highway. They've both done a great job."

Bhonapha, who was raised in Oakland, used his Bay Area ties to help UH recruit slotback Davone Bess, running back Mario Cox, and defensive backs JoPierre Davis and Desmond Thomas.

"I know Keith has to leave because of the NCAA limit," Glanville said, "but why would Alvarez want to leave coaching? Did you see his team? That team has so much talent, he doesn't have to recruit for a while, and he'll still win a lot of games over the next two, three years."

Indeed, the Badgers are rich in talent and tradition ? affluence that is more graphically apparent in comparison to the Warriors' situation.

Alvarez, who will focus solely on being athletic director, is in charge of a $72 million sports budget, more than four times UH's.

The bowl-bound Badgers (8-3) are third in the Big Ten, a conference that receives an automatic berth in a Bowl Championship Series game. The Warriors (4-6), already eliminated from postseason consideration, are members of the Western Athletic Conference, which is on perpetual standby for a BCS berth.

Against that backdrop, the Warriors have sought several rallying cries, from win-one-for-Bhonapha to knocking off the Big Cheese to creating a postseason atmosphere.

"This is our Thanksgiving bowl," UH outside linebacker Tanuvasa Moe said. "A win will make our Thanksgiving weekend a little sweeter."

Reminded that the Warriors have one more game left in the regular season, against San Diego State next week, Moe said, "I guess that means we're playing in two bowls this year. ... But this game is huge for us."

"This is 'huge-mongous,' " said Bess, the Warriors' leading receiver, "and spell that with a big 'huge.' I've been talking to the rest of the receivers about the game all week. I'm excited to get out there. This is a chance to put Hawai'i on the map."

Representing a bruising conference and football style, the Badgers appear to treat their size advantage as a girth-right. Their average starting offensive lineman is 6 feet 5 and 301 pounds. The Warriors' starting defensive line consists of a former basketball player (Ikaika Alama-Francis), converted center (Michael Lafaele) and a walk-on with a badly sprained ankle (Renolds Fruean).

Bess likened the teams to sluggers (the Badgers) and boxers (the Warriors).

"They're big, but we can't go into this game worrying about how big they are," Bess said. "We need to go in there and score with the jabs. That's sticking to what we know best: throwing the ball on offense and swarming to the ball on defense."

Brennan said the youthful Warriors, with first-year starters at the six ball-handling positions on offense, have not grasped their designated role as underdogs.

"Maybe we're too young to understand," said Brennan, a third-year sophomore who transferred from Saddleback Community College in June. "We're kind of in awe and shock of doing what we've always dreamed of doing, we never thought about the outside things. We're just trying to learn and have fun and win games. We're excited about this game, because this is our chance to send out the season right."

 

[GENO]

Last shot to win a 'Big Game'

It is time for last call for the University of Hawai'i football team.

Not for tailgate alcohol, although that could be ending soon, too.

Rather, today is the Warriors' last shot at beating a nationally ranked team for a while or even an opponent that will finish the season with a winning record.

When you're 4-6, with no chance for a winning season or a bowl, that's as close as you can get to slapping an exclamation point on this season. When your victims this year have a collective 6-35 record, this is something you need to point to.

In the 24th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers (8-3), the Warriors have an opponent that represents the potential for making something of a splash in a nationally shown ESPN2 game at 4:05 p.m. today.

Remarkably so since the Warriors are but six-point underdogs on several Las Vegas betting lines.

That they were 36-point underdogs to Southern California and 11 points to Fresno State underlines just how golden this opportunity can be.

With only a mediocre 5-6 San Diego State next week left on the schedule, the Badgers stand as UH's last chance for a win of import in this season. Their last opportunity, too, this year to beat a team that will have a winning record.

It has been almost four years since UH last knocked off a ranked team, No. 9 Brigham Young in a 2001 finale that, at the time, seemed to herald bigger and better things. Since then, however, while UH has had its openings, it has lost six in a row to ranked teams.

If the Warriors don't get this one, you wonder when they will bag another trophy game. At this point, all their best hopes for next year figure to be on the road. At Tuscaloosa, Ala., Fresno, Calif., and, possibly, Boise State. Not exactly the places you'd bet the house on pulling an ambush in 2006.

So, if there is an upset to be sprung this might be as good as it gets for a while. Indeed, several of the elements are in place for the well-rested Warriors, whose coaches have had an extra week to prepare for a Badger team that stumbles in here with a surprising degree of vulnerability after back-to-back losses and an open date.

It should tell you something when the Badgers couldn't even send their head coach of 16 years, Barry Alvarez, out on a winning note in his home finale two weeks ago in a 20-10 loss to Iowa.

It also suggests their bread-and-butter running game has a little mold on it since, over the past two games, the Badgers have managed but 99 yards on 50 rushing attempts (minus sack yardage).

At this point, the Badgers, who got an extra $50,000 from ESPN to move the game to today, got UH to agree to the demand for Pac-10 officials for the game and came out on Tuesday, might be happy just to thaw out in the sun and contemplate the possibility of more of it in the Jan. 2 Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

Meanwhile, if the Warriors, with what could be their biggest home crowd since the season opener with USC, have a finishing kick in them, this is the day to show it.

 

[GENO]

Badgers playing for better bowl
UH has a chance to knock Wisconsin into a lesser game
By Dave Reardon
Two college football programs in transition for different reasons meet today at Aloha Stadium when Hawaii hosts No. 24 Wisconsin in an ESPN2-televised game at 4:05 p.m.

A crowd of close to 40,000 -- including about 5,000 from Wisconsin -- is expected.

The rebuilding Warriors (4-6) have a chance to beat a ranked team for the first time since 2001 and remain on track for a fifth consecutive non-losing season. The Badgers (8-3) want to give 16-year coach Barry Alvarez a victory in his last regular-season game and get picked for the Capitol One Bowl, instead of a lesser postseason game.

"Most teams don't have a chance like this to be here," Wisconsin outside linebacker Dontez Sanders said. "But this is a business trip first, especially since we want to win for Coach."

Wisconsin is a 6 1/2-point favorite. But UH was also an underdog against Big Ten teams Northwestern and Michigan State at the end of last season. The Warriors won both games to finish the regular season at 7-5 and earn a Hawaii Bowl berth.

No bowl is possible this time, but a young UH team hopes to use today's game and next week's against San Diego State as a jump-start into next season.

Wisconsin beat Hawaii twice in visits here in 2000 and 1996. But UH, led by All-American defensive tackle Al Noga, beat the Badgers 20-17 in 1986.

Freshman receiver Davone Bess is confident Hawaii can move the ball against Wisconsin, which is 102nd nationally with 431.3 yards allowed per game.

"I watched them, seems like every other week, on ESPN, and I think we have a good chance to beat them," Bess said. "They're not used to the kind of offense, speed, quickness, routes. I think we have a good chance to put up some numbers. If the defense can come through ... we're a different team at home."



"The running back is scary. He's the fastest guy on their team. He's a little like Barry Sanders."

June Jones
UH coach, on Wiscconsin's Brian Calhoun

The Warriors haven't fared much better defensively, allowing 426.7 yards for 98th nationwide. UH may be without starting defensive end Melila Purcell, which could make it more difficult to stop Wisconsin running back Brian Calhoun.

"It's going to take everything for us to slow them down. At one time, everybody was thinking they were going to win the Big Ten conference and looking at them on film, I see why they thought they were going to win it," Warriors coach June Jones said. "I think they're bigger and more powerful on the offensive line (than USC). The running back is scary. He's the fastest guy on their team. He's a little like Barry Sanders."

Calhoun has 1,830 all-purpose yards, but was held to 56 rushing yards on 35 carries in Wisconsin's last two games, losses at Penn State and against Iowa.

But the Badgers have other offensive weapons, including receiver Brandon Williams. He is the program's career leader in receptions with 194. The offensive line is anchored by center Donovan Raiola, a Kamehameha product. Tight end Owen Daniels and fullback Chris Pressley are also threats.

"A team like that you got to be disciplined. If you try to make extraordinary plays and stuff like that, it usually works out for the worse. You end up messing up or putting the rest of the team out of position," UH safety Lamar Broadway said. "A game like this is going to be physical, so of course you have to be aggressive, but you also have to play smart. If we focus too much on one phase another will hurt us."

Due to complaints from Michigan State and Northwestern about WAC officials, a Pac-10 crew will handle today's game.

"It'd be nice if you had neutral officials anytime you had inter-conference games," Alvarez said. "What we've done most recently, anytime we play someone (out of conference) we swap. When we play there, we take our officials. ... It used to be you used a split crew. If they don't work together, you know, no one was really satisfied with that."

Alvarez is the rare football coach going out on his own terms. He steps down after 16 seasons and will retain the post of athletic director at Wisconsin. He named current defensive coordinator Bret Bielema as the Badgers' next head coach.

UH graduate assistant Jeff Reinebold, an Indiana alumnus, said Alvarez brought the Badgers to Big Ten and national prominence through recruiting.

"The Big Ten is a physical conference with big people and they've always had that. Since Alvarez, they've also done a great job of going outside to get speed," Reinebold said. "They've also gotten into suburban Chicago, which used to be Michigan. He's gone to New Jersey to get great backs ... Florida, Texas for players, even out here. He put them in great position to win because of recruiting."

 

[GENO]

Once again, the University of Hawai'i football team is investing in Andre Taylor, and this time better returns are expected.

"I'm glad to get a second chance," said Taylor, who is projected to return kickoffs in Friday's nationally televised game against 24th-ranked Wisconsin. "I have to make the most of this opportunity."

Taylor is expected to replace A.J. Martinez, who is recovering from a bruised right knee.

Taylor had won the job the first time after returning two second-half kickoffs for 61 yards in the season opener against top-ranked Southern California. The following week against Michigan State, Taylor was used as the returner for both punts and kickoffs. His three kick returns netted 75 yards against the Spartans.

But Taylor's sizzling emergence ? he transferred from Santa Rosa (Calif.) College in June ? soon fizzled. He struggled to field punts, and his production declined on kick returns. By the sixth game, he ceded both jobs to Martinez.

Taylor's slide began with his difficulty in catching punts. Taylor has returned four of the 15 punts that were not touchbacks or fair catches. He allowed the other 11 punts to bounce until they were downed.

"It was just bad judgment," he said. "Sometimes, I was told to fair catch the ball, and I didn't run up to it. I let it go. I needed to have more confidence."

Those woes apparently bled into his kick returns. Against USC and Michigan State, Taylor averaged 27.2 yards per kick return. In the next three games, his kick-return average was 19.5 yards.

"Hopefully what Andre's learned, from the time he was down, is that he has to go in there and cut it loose, like he did against USC, and not worry about too many things and seeing too many things," said Jeff Reinebold, who coordinates UH's kickoff returns. "He has to pick a spot, and hit the spot, and run."

Taylor said: "Basically, they want more north-south runners, not north-south-east-west, all of that juking and shaking. They want somebody to hit the hole. That's what I've got to do. Take those couple of steps and then sprint as fast as I can, with no fear. I have to hit the hole really fast because the openings can close really quick."

Reinebold said Taylor's "timeout" period should be beneficial. "Sometimes you don't know what you have until you don't have it," Reinebold said. "When all of a sudden you're put on the second team, and you're watching somebody else doing your job, that can serve as a positive motivating force. I think he's taking it the right way. He sees it now as his opportunity to seize the job."

UH's kick-return schemes also should be helpful. Most teams use linebackers and running backs to block for two kick returners aligned deep. The Warriors use one returner, allowing a sixth player to align on the front line to protect against on-side kicks.

The Warriors also align two 300-pound linemen ? Larry Sauafea and Kahai LaCount ? at the 15 to serve as lead blockers.

"We love to get the big guys involved," Reinebold said. "It doesn't make any sense to use a small guy who doesn't want to block anyway. You watch us on tape, and you'll see Larry Sauafea and Kahai LaCount, and they're a handful against some 230-pound linebacker. You put a 300-pound body on a linebacker, and you've got a real nice mismatch."

Sauafea said: "I look forward to hitting people. That's a job I love to do."

LaCount said he is willing to field direct kicks.

"We're told to let the returner come up and get the ball," LaCount said. "But if the ball came right to me, I can handle it. I'll go straight forward. No fancy moves."

PURCELL SITS OUT PRACTICE

Starting left defensive end Melila Purcell, who is recovering from a hyper-extended left elbow, did not compete in practice yesterday. Purcell remains confident he will be available to play against Wisconsin.

Purcell's immediate backup, Renolds Fruean, yesterday missed practice to attend to his girlfriend, who was in a traffic accident. She was not seriously injured, said Vantz Singletary, who coaches the defensive line.

Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville is supportive of Fruean, who commutes by bus from the Leeward Coast. Fruean is not receiving a football scholarship.

"We appreciate what he has to do to get here," Glanville said. "I love my son, but I don't see my son getting up at 4 o'clock to get here. (Fruean) buys his own bus ticket. He'll catch the last bus home every night. There's dedication there."

Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan and Karl Noa, who is recovering from a sore left shoulder, also can play left end. Noa resumed practicing yesterday.

"It was good to get back on the field," Noa said. "I got injured last week in practice. I fell on it weird."

 

[GENO]

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
It's back to basics for the Badgers, who want to get their running game going. Wisconsin is averaging 34.6 points per game this season, but is only 10th in the Big Ten in rushing with 153.6 yards per game. SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The defense has been the team's Achilles heel all season. The Badgers have fallen on exceptionally hard times lately, giving up 500 yards or more in four of the last five games. Wisconsin lacks overall team speed and has developed some serious tackling issues.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"They cheat guys down to the inside. People have run the ball on them or thrown the ball. But they feel that is what gives them a chance to stay in the game or else they wouldn't do it." -- Wisconsin offensive line coach Jim Hueber on the approach that Hawaii takes on defense.

 

[GENO]

Current Honolulu Airport Weather
1500 HST Friday November 25 2005 Temperature - 82o
Rel. Humidity - 70% MOSTLY SUNNY
Winds - S 8 mph N/A


PRETTY Hot for a bunch of guys from Madison WI :scared :scared :scared

 

[GENO]

This week's football game celebrates "Season Ticket Holder Appreciation" at Aloha Stadium as Hawai'i takes on Big Ten foe Wisconsin. Kickoff is slated for 4:05 pm on Friday, Nov. 25, and will be televised before a national audience on ESPN2.

The game marks the fifth meeting between the two teams. The Badgers own a 3-1 edge against the Warriors, 2-1 when facing off in Honolulu. The last meeting between the two teams was Nov. 25, 2000, when the Warriors suffered a 34-18 loss at Aloha Stadium.
Hawai'i (4-6, 4-4 WAC) is coming off a bye week after wrapping up Western Athletic Conference play with a 50-23 win against Utah State on Nov. 12. The Warriors, who got off to a slow start, managed 28 points in the second quarter to take a 34-3 halftime lead. The Warrior offense was sparked by a motivated Hawai'i defense which forced a fumble and held the Aggies to three first downs and only 81 total yards in the first half.

Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan and the Warrior offense managed to out-gain Utah State 579 to 371 in total yards. Brennan passed for 386 yards and two touchdowns (24-of-36) and rushed 10 times for 33 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore has completed 292-of-425 attempts for 3,572 yards and 27 touchdowns on the season.

True freshmen receiver Davone Bess has been Brennan's main target for most of the season. The California native recorded his fifth straight 100-yard game against the Aggies, finishing with five catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Bess has managed to make 81 catches for 1,048 yards and 12 scores on the year. His 12 touchdowns ranks second among all freshman nationally. He also ranks third nationally averaging 8.10 receptions per game and sixth nationally averaging 104.8 receiving yards per game.

Junior receiver Ross Dickerson led the Warrior offense finishing with six grabs for 112 yards while Ryan Grice-Mullen recorded five catches for 88 yards. Receiver Aaron Bain got involved midway through the fourth quarter, making a 32-yard grab to score his first collegiate touchdown.

Sophomore linebacker Brad Kalilimoku and senior safety Lono Manners led the Warrior defense with seven tackles each. Manners added a sack and returned a Utah State PAT attempt 95 yards for a two-point conversion. Senior linebacker Kila Kamakawiwo'ole added a forced fumble, four tackles, including two for-a-loss and a sack.

Kamakawiwo'ole is tied for 23rd nationally averaging 0.80 sacks per game and tied for 27th nationally averaging 0.30 forced fumbles per game.

Kicker Dan Kelly earned WAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his stellar performance against the Aggies. Kelly was two-for-two in field goal attempts, booting a career-long 46-yarder in the first quarter. The true freshman has made 9-of-13 field goals, and 32-of-35 PATs on the year.

Wisconsin (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten), also coming off a bye week, suffered a 20-10 loss to Iowa in head coach Barry Alvarez's final home game. Alvarez, who is ending his 16-year career as head coach, will continue as UW's director of athletics.

Junior quarterback John Stocco and the Badger offense gained an uncharacteristic 276 total yards against Iowa, 257 passing and a mere 19 on the ground. Stocco completed 21-of-38 attempts for 257 yards and one touchdown.

The Badgers rank 15th nationally in scoring offense averaging 34.6 points per game. Junior running back Brian Calhoun, who is only the second player Big Ten Conference history to gain at least 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in one season, finished with 18 yards on 15 carries and added eight grabs for 69 yards. The Doak Walker Award semifinalist leads the Badgers with 289 carries for 1,274 yards and 20 scores on the ground, and 50 receptions for 556 yards and two touchdowns receiving. Calhoun ranks 14th nationally averaging 115.8 rushing yards per game and has scored 22 total touchdowns, tied for the national lead.

Senior receiver Brandon Williams recorded a career-high nine catches for 132 yards and one touchdown against Iowa, his fourth time reaching the century mark this season. Williams leads the team with 51 catches for 864 yards and five scores.

Williams is also a threat on special teams, having returned two punts for touchdowns this season. Williams is ranked sixth nationally in all-purpose yardage and ninth nationally averaging 15.6 yards per returns. He has 24 returns for 375 yards in 2005.

The Badger defense is stabilized by senior linebacker Dontez Sanders and junior defensive back Joe Stellmacher. Sanders leads all Badgers with 85 total tackles (45 solo) on the season, while Stellmacher has contributed 76 total tackles (38 solo).

GAME 11
FRIDAY, NOV. 25, 2005
4:05 p.m.
ALOHA STADIUM
AIEA, HI (50,000)

WISCONSIN (8-3, 5-3 BIG TEN CONFERENCE)
AT
HAWAI'I (4-6, 4-4 WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE)

"SEASON TICKET HOLDER APPRECIATION NIGHT": UH will host "Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Night" on Friday, Nov. 25, when the Warriors host the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference at 4:05 p.m. All fans with season tickets to football, basketball, and/or women's volleyball will receive 50 percent off UW ticket purchases for family and friends (non-premium areas only and maximum of six tickets). This offer is available at the Stan Sheriff Center Box Office only. It applies to pre-sale purchases and is not valid on game day. The Honolulu Advertiser is the game sponsor.

TELEVISION: Live nationwide on ESPN2 with Dave Pasch calling the action, Rod Gilmore and Trevor Matich providing color, and Stacey Dales-Schuman on the sidelines.

RADIO: Live on Sports Radio 1420 with Bobby Curran and Robert Kekaula calling the action. Don Robbs hosts the "Warrior Warm-up" beginning at 3 p.m., and also the halftime show. Neighbor island simulcasts can be heard live on KAOI on Maui/Kona, KPUA in Hilo and KQNG on Kauai.

AUDIO WEBCAST: Live on sportsradio1420.com.

 

[Iminforabuck]

So after all these great articles.......who do you like Geno?

 

[GENO]

HAWAII + 9.5 3%

 

[GENO]

UNDER 68.5 Unsettled
CF 21 11/25 WISCONSIN AT HAWAII 3%