Countdown to No. 1

By The Standard Staff - 07/29/2007

No. 22 Hawaii Warriors Conference: Western Athletic Coach: June Jones, 64-40 in eight seasons 2006: 11-3, 7-1, 2nd Bowl: Defeated Arizona State, 41-24, in Hawaii Bowl Starters returning: 6 on offense, 8 on defense Key players: Senior QB Colt Brennan, senior WR C.J. Hawthorne, junior WR Davone Bess, junior OT Keith Ah-Soon, senior DT Michael Lafaele, senior DE Karl Noa, junior FS Desmond Thomas, junior LB Solomon Elimimian, junior LB Adam Leonard OVERVIEW Why Hawaii is No. 22: Two words: Colt Brennan. The record-setting quarterback has been scarily proficient running Jones’ pass-heavy spread attack. Brennan should throw a lot of passes for a lot of yards and a lot of TDs. That means the Warriors should win a lot of games.

Best-case scenario: Hawaii averages 50 points a game, obliterates all the foes on its less-than-challenging schedule and is invited to a BCS bowl.

Worst-case scenario: Hawaii averages 50 points a game, obliterates all the foes on its less-than-challenging schedule and is invited to the Humanitarian Bowl.

Bottom line: Those who pay attention to Hawaii’s late-late-late-night games in The Islands could help boost the Warriors’ profile on The Mainland. However, no matter how good Brennan and the Warriors are, it’s difficult to imagine them duplicating WAC rival Boise State’s 13-0 2006 season that was capped by a Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma.

STORY LINES 1. How much will Brennan play? (He played only six complete games last season because of lopsided scores.) 2. How will poll voters evaluate Hawaii’s 12-game schedule that features two Division I-AA opponents?

3. The offense must replace three starters on the line plus last season’s leading rusher.

RECORD PACE Brennan has 93 touchdown passes, 28 shy of the NCAA Division I-A record held by BYU’s Ty Detmer. Last season, Brennan set the Division I-A single-season record with 58 TD passes.

JAMARCUS WHO?

Jones, who has NFL playing and coaching experience, says Brennan would have been the best quarterback in April’s NFL Draft. Brennan considered skipping his senior season but decided to stay.

Jones said Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis was ‘‘crazy’’ drafting LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell with the No. 1 pick.

‘‘That guy isn’t ready to play, I’m sorry,’’ Jones said. ‘‘If (Brennan) had come out last year, after it’s all said and done, after all the coaches worked out everybody, after they sat and talked to everybody, that he would have gone first. This guy can play. You’ve got to be nuts not to take a quarterback who can throw like that.’’

STAFF CHANGE Greg McMackin replaces defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville, who is now head coach at Division I-AA Portland State. McMackin, Texas Tech’s defensive coordinator from 2000-03, has switched the Warriors defense from the 3-4 to the 4-3.

DID YOU KNOW?

Brennan, a native of Irvine, Calif., says that he communicates in Samoan with his offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage.

EXTRA POINTS Hawaii has finished with 10 or more victories four times in 91 seasons. If the Warriors win 10 or more games this season, it will be the first time the school has had consecutive years with double-digit victories. ... Brennan was one of the three finalists for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and won the Sammy Baugh Trophy. ... At the urging of his Samoan teammates, Brennan grew his hair long and has gone to a dreadlocks style.

IT FIGURES 1Hawaii’s NCAA Division I-A rank last year in total offense (559.2 yards per game), scoring (46.9 points per game), and passing (441.3 yards per game).

2Punts by Hawaii over the last five games last season.

17Punts by Hawaii in 14 games last season.

SCHEDULE Sept. 1+No. Colorado Sept. 8+at Louisiana Tech* Sept. 15+at UNLV* Sept. 22+Charleston So.

Sept. 29+at Idaho* Oct. 6+Utah State* Oct. 12+San Jose State* Oct. 27+New Mexico St.* Nov. 10+Fresno State* Nov. 16+at Nevada* Nov. 23+Boise State* Dec. 1+Washington *Conference game Hawaii wasn’t able to find a 13th foe after Michigan State backed out of a game contract. Hawaii also had to fill out its nonconference slate with two Division I-AA teams: Northern Colorado and Charleston Southern. . . . Two tough WAC foes — Fresno State and Boise State — visit Hawaii. The Oct. 27 date with New Mexico State and quarterback Chase Holbrook could short-circuit the Aloha Stadium scoreboard.