SB Nation - Vaughn Meatoga

Raiders sign another former Packer DB, add two to practice squad

Levi Damien — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 18:01:15 -0000

The Oakland Raiders Wednesday signed to the active roster CB Brandian Ross from the Green Bay Packers' practice squad. This makes the third Packer defensive back the Raiders have signed since for Packer executive Reggie McKenzie took over as the general manager in Oakland.

Safety Brandon Underwood and cornerback Pat Lee were the other two. Underwood was waived injured and Pat Lee is currently a starter replacing starter Ron Bartell who was placed on partial season injured reserve with a broken shoulder blade.

Ross was signed due to the injury to the Raiders other former starting corner, Shawntae Spencer. Ross gives the Raiders five available corners on the roster.

The 6-1, 191 pound Ross, whose first name is pronounced BRAN-don, was on the Packers' active roster to begin the 2012 season and was inactive for the season opener against San Francisco. He was waived on Sept. 10 when the Packers activated LB Erik Walden, and re-signed to Green Bay's practice squad on Sept. 12.

Ross was initially signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent out of Youngstown State in 2011, and spent the entire season on the Packers' practice squad.

The Raiders also announced they have added two players to their practice squad, signing DB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah and re-signing DT Vaughn Meatoga.

Owusu-Ansah played in 14 games with Dallas and Jacksonville from 2010-11. The second-year player entered the league as the Cowboys' fourth-round draft pick (126th overall) in 2010 out of Indiana (Pa.).

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Owusu-Ansah played in four games with two starts with Jacksonville in 2011, and has returned 28 career kickoffs for 599 yards (21.4 avg.) and six punts for 47 yards (7.8 avg.).

The 6-foot-1, 295-pound Meatoga was originally signed to the Raiders' practice squad on Sept. 3 and waived Sept. 12. He was in training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals after signing as a non-drafted free agent out of Hawaii.

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Raiders sign long snapper and two others to practice squad

Levi Damien — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 20:04:51 -0000

The Raiders today have signed a long snapper in wake of the debacle that ensued when Jon Condo went out of Monday's opener with a concussion. His name is Nick Guess. He played at Tennessee and was most recently with the Chargers (ironically).

Along with Guess, the team signed former Oregon defensive end Brandon Bair and brought back Coye Francies. Francies was originally claimed by the Raiders a couple weeks ago from the Seahawks. He played in the team's final preseason game against the Seahawks before the Raiders released him in their final roster cuts.

Bair was a standout for the Oregon Ducks at defensive end. He was a converted tight end. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chiefs in 2011 and was on the roster last season. He was waived by the team in their final roster cuts.

With the new additions, the Raiders released wide receiver Brandon Carswell, defensive tackle Vaughn Meatoga, and the team's 2012 seventh round pick linebacker Nathan Stupar.

Former Bengals Defensive Tackle Vaughn Meatoga To Oakland Raiders Practice Squad

Josh Kirkendall — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 13:41:45 -0000

According to the official Oakland Raiders twitter account, former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Vaughn Meatoga has signed onto the Oakland Raiders practice squad. Meatoga signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins before he was waived four days later. The next day the Cincinnati Bengals claimed Meatoga off waivers on May 8. Meatoga played all four preseason games this year, generating two tackles.

Meatoga becomes the fourth player that's signed with a new team (not including Jordan Shipley). James Develin signed onto the New England Patriots practice squad, Kashif Moore signed onto the Indianapolis Colts practice squad and Colin Cochart signed onto the Dallas Cowboys 53-man roster.

Raiders add four more to practice squad

Levi Damien — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 03:35:52 -0000

The Raiders have filled out their practice squad by adding four more players. Two are familiar faces and two are new to the team-- CB Chimdi Chekwa, DT Vaughn Meatoga, C Colin Miller and RB Jeremy Stewart. They join LB Kaelin Burnett, WR Brandon Carswell, WR Travionte Session and LB Nathan Stupar to complete to maximum eight players on the squad.

Chekwa was waived on Friday as part of the final roster cutdown. He played in four games for the Raiders last season after the team chose him in the fourth-round (113th overall) of the 2011 draft.

Miller played in four preseason games with the Raiders, was also waived on Friday. The first-year player was in training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011.

Meatoga (6-1, 295) was an undrafted free agent out of Hawaii who spent camp with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played in 52 games over four collegiate seasons.

Stewart (5-11, 215) plays fullback. He was in training camp with the New York Jets but originally signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford.

Seattle Seahawks 2012 NFL Draft Musings: Day Two Reaction, Day Three Watch List

Charlie Todaro — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:24:29 -0000

Seattle went into day two of the draft picking at 43 and 75, ultimately taking linebacker Bobby Wagner at 48 and quarterback Russell Wilson at 75.

First, Seattle picked up two more picks for day three - now at 7 on the day - projecting to 10 picks total with their move back for Wagner. My hope for Lavonte David was shattered, but I think that for any Seahawk fan that wanted David, Mychal Kendricks, or another linebacker in the 2^nd Wagner is a good consolation prize. He is someone I became familiar with over the draft process; if the Seahawks were going to pass on David and not have the opportunity at Kendricks, I think Wagner was a smart next choice to fill their glaring need at linebacker.

My impression of Wagner from a previous post: "Wagner was not at the combine due to pneumonia, but he's a player that visited the Seahawks and I believe could make a lot of sense for them. I've watched nearly a handful of his games: he played inside/outside in a 3-4/4-3 in college and is a big fly-around ‘backer with 33 inch arms. He's aggressive and will over run plays, but he can move sideline to sideline and find the ball. He can cover, flashes as a rusher and packs a punch for 6' 240 pounds."

Doug Baldwin noted the mean streak Wagner plays with, and you see that in the punch he packs at impact. I believe the drop-off between Wagner, or even a player like Demario Davis, to the next level for this type of versatile linebacker was rather wide. A four-year starter, two-year captain and three-time All-WAC honoree is a strong resume; his utility, speed and experience are big pluses here. All in all, this was a solid second round in my opinion.

My guess is if you frequented the site often enough in the past few months you know how I feel about Russell WIlson, and for those that may not: the more I learned about his leadership abilities and work ethic, watched the way he managed and played the game, and realized his knack for simply keeping his team in it or finishing the comeback; the I more I thought Wilson's physical and mental skill set would a phenomenal fit in Seattle. Heading into yesterday he was my "first choice" for their pick in round three, and I'm really excited to watch him grow within the program.

In general, I'm a big fan of the first two days. Seattle filled two major needs and continued to upgrade the quarterback position with a player that, in my opinion, could be special. Onto day three...

The final day of the draft will certainly be fun, as Seattle managed to build a bushel of day three picks with seven at their disposal - currently 10 total - after coming into the draft with six in all, not to mention there is undrafted free agency to follow. They could go many directions with their seven picks; they are yet to draft a touchdown catcher or a rusher, the secondary could use a corner and/or versatile safety, linebacker could use some more depth. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tom Cable get a raw but talented player to work with either. And with the way things have gone thus far, I'm not counting out any trade possibilities. My dream for 12 picks in 2012 starting with trading down from 12 is still alive! C'mon!

The day three watchlist is after the jump.

How players are listed at each position: Players still left from day two watchlist/added players to day three/players that visited the VMAC.

(Anyone italicized is a player I'm keeping my eye on in particular)

Quarterback: Kirk Cousins, Ryan Lindley/Chandler Harnish (also visited), Jordan Jefferson

Runningback: Cyrus Gray, Chris Polk, Robert Turbin (TAKEN IN 4TH), Terrance Gannaway/Princeton McCarty, Brandon Bolden, Michael Smith/Derrick Coleman, Logwone Mitz

Wide receiver/Tight end: WR: Marvin Jones, Keshawn Martin, Joe Adams, Greg Childs/WR: Tommy Streeter, Junior Hemmingway, Devin Wylie, Lavon Brazill, Dale Moss, Marvin McNutt TE: James Hanna, Rhett Ellison (TE/H-B), Ladarius Green and Orson Charles have fallen, could be good value/WR: Devin Aguilar, Deonte Thompson, Jermaine Kearse, Lavasier Tuinei, Nathan Palmer TE: Derek Carrier, Lamant Bryant, Adrien Robinson, Logan Paulsen, Brad Smelley.

Offensive lineman: Ben Jones, Phillip Blake/Quinton Saulsberry, Andrew Datko/Mike Ryan, Will Blackwell, Jon Operud

Defensive lineman: Jared Crick, Alameda Ta''amu, Cam Johnson, Malik Jackson, Jaye Howard (TAKEN IN 4TH), Mike Daniels, Jack Crawford, Trevor Guyton/Vaughn Meatoga, Chigbo Anunoby, Derrick Shelby, Billy Winn, Jamie Blatnick, Markus Kuhn, J.R. Sweezy (TAKEN IN 7TH), Marcus Forston, Louis Nzegwu/Matt Conrath, Claude Davis, Renard Williams. Adrian Hamilton, Prairie View A&M, could be one to watch as well.

Linebackers: Josh Kaddu, Johnathan Massaquoi, Ronnell Lewis, Nigel Bradham, James Michael Johnson, Kyle Wilbur/Brandon Marshall, Keenan Robinson, Audie Cole, Darius Fleming, Miles Burris, Tim Fugger, Tank Carder, Tahir Whitehead/Danny Travethan, Korey Toomer (TAKEN IN 5TH)

Corner/Safety: Ryan Steed, DaQuan Menzie/Derrius Brooks/Ron Brooks, George Iloka, Donnie Fletcher, Jeremy Lane (TAKEN IN 6TH), Josh Bellamy, Deshawn Shead, Desmond Morrow. (The first players are one's I've highlighted previously, but I think this whole group is generally intriguing.) Brandon Boykin or Alfonso Dennard could be good value on day three as well.

Cincinnati Bengals Showing Interest In Washington Defensive Tackle Alameda Ta'amu

Josh Kirkendall — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:52:21 -0000

As we wrote on Thursday, the Cincinnati Bengals reportedly sent running backs coach Jim Anderson to the University of Washington's Pro Day to work with running back Chris Polk, considered one of the upper running back prospects for this year's NFL Draft. However Anderson wasn't the only one that attended at Washington.

According to Rob Rang with CBSSports.com, the Bengals also sent defensive line coach Jay Hayes to personally work out defensive tackle Alameda Ta'amu.

Rang writes:

Ta'amu has surprisingly light feet for a man of his size and scouts on hand seemed pleased with his performance in the shuttle and three-cone drills.

Ta'amu was listed at 337 pounds at Washington, gaining a few more pounds for the 2012 Senior Bowl. Scout, Inc grades Ta'amu as the seventh-best defensive tackle prospect and exceptional against the run:

A massive, wide body NT. Needs work with leverage and playing with a consistent pad level. However, when playing with leverage can be a hand full for OL to handle on the interior. Possesses a powerful lower half and can create a strong initial surge in one-on-one battles. Strong base and plays with very good balance to anchor against double teams. Has quick hands but needs some coaching to consistently use them to his advantage. Finds the ball and moves well for his size. Can shed and redirect to get involved in tackle.

Jay Hayes has been rather active with Pro Days lately (which isn't uncommon for him). Earlier this week he was reportedly working out Vaughn Meatoga at Hawaii's Pro Day before making a pit stop at USC.

Bengals Defensive Line Coach Scouting Vaughn Meatoga At Hawaii Pro Day

Josh Kirkendall — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:38:40 -0000

According to Rob Rang, a senior analyst with NFL Draft Scout (partner with CBS Sports), Cincinnati's defensive line coach Jay Hayes was at Hawaii's Pro Day, scouting defensive tackle Vaughn Meatoga.

Of Hawaii's players, defensive tackle Vaughn Meatoga was not surprisingly the most impressive prospect. The 6-1, 299-pounder is the 22nd-rated defensive tackle in the 2012 class. He was invited to the Scouting Combine, and stood by those numbers, largely sitting out Monday's agility drills. He did participate in the vertical jump (31") and broad jump (9'2") Monday. He lifted the 225-pound bench press 27 times in Indianapolis, ran a 5.00-second 40-yard dash and was fifth among all defensive linemen with a 4.21-second short shuttle.

According to a source close to Meatoga, two NFL defensive line coaches (Kansas City, Cincinnati) came to the workout to specifically see Meatoga. Meatoga dined Sunday evening with the Kansas City coach.

According to Scout, Inc. Meatoga ranks as the 22nd-best defensive tackle prospect.

East-West Shrine Game rosters

Dan Kadar — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:27:58 -0000

EAST:

DC Justin Bethel - Presbyterian
DC Emanuel Davis - East Carolina
DC Gary Gray - Notre Dame
DC R.J. Blanton - Notre Dame
DC Charles Brown - North Carolina
DC Micah Pellerin - Hampton University
DC Josh Norman - Coastal Carolina
DL Matt Conrath - Virginia
DL Julian Miller - West Virginia
DL Jabaree Tuani - Navy
DL Kyle Wilber - Wake Forest
DL Akiem Hicks - Regina
DL Nick Jean-Baptiste - Baylor
DL Micanor Regis - Miami
DL Travian Robertson - South Carolina
FB/TE Bruce Figgins - University of Georgia
LB Brandon Lindsey - Pittsburgh
LB Najee Goode - West Virginia
LB Shawn Loiseau - Merrimack College
LB Steven Erzinger - Army
LB Max Gruder - Pittsburgh
LB Joshua Linam - Central Florida
LB Nick Sukay - Penn State
OC Quentin Saulsberry - Missisippi State
OC Tyler Horn - Miami
OG Derek Dennis - Temple
OG Jeremiah Warren - South Florida
OG Desmond Wynn - Rutgers
OG Rishaw Johnson - California (Pennsylvania)
OT Jeff Adams - Columbia
OT Lamar Holmes - Southern Mississippi
OT Joe Long - Wayne State
OT Bradley Sowell - Mississippi
PK Blair Walsh - Georgia
PT Shawn Powell - Florida State
QB BJ Coleman - Tennessee - Chattanooga
QB Austin Davis - Southern Mississippi
QB John Brantley - Florida
RB Alfred Morris - Florida Atlantic
RB Tauren Poole - Tennessee
RB Davin Meggett - Maryland
SAF Matt Daniels - Duke
SAF Jerrell Young - South Florida
SAF Christian Thompson - South Carolina State
SAF Tysyn Hartman - Kansas State
TE Chase Ford - Miami
TE Emil Igwenagu - Massachusetts
TE Evan Rodriguez - Temple
WO Tim Benford - Tennessee Tech.
WO LaRon Byrd - Miami
WO B.J. Cunningham - Michigan State
WO Kevin Hardy - Citadel
WO Lance Lewis - East Carolina
WO Thomas Mayo - California - Pennsylvania
WO A.J. Jenkins - University of Illinois

WEST:

DC Chris Greenwood - Albion
DC Brandon Hardin - Oregon State
DC Rodney McLeod - Virginia
DC Shaun Prater - Iowa
DC Keith Tandy - West Virginia
DC Trevin Wade - Arizona
DL Tyrone Crawford - Boise State
DL Kentrell Lockett - Mississippi
DL Arnaud Nadon - Laval
DL Justin Francis - Rutgers
DL Dominique Hamilton - Missouri - Columbia
DL Vaughn Meatoga - Hawaii
DL Kaniela Tuipulotu - Hawaii
DL Dajohn Harris - Southern California
LB Jerry Franklin - Arkansas
LB Tank Carder - Texas Christian
LB Steven Johnson - Kansas
LB Brandon Marshall - Nevada
LB Josh Kaddu - Oregon
LB Ronnie Thomton - University of Southern Mississippi
OC David Snow - Texas
OC Moe Petrus - Connecticut
OG Brandon Brooks - Miami - Ohio
OG Markus Zusevics - Iowa
OG Ben Heenan - Saskatchewan
OG Josh LeRibeus - Southern Methodist
OT Tom Compton - South Dakota
OT Ryan Miller - Colorado
OT Al Netter - Northwestern
OT Matt Reynolds - Brigham Young
OT Marcel Jones - Nebraska
PK Greg Zuerlein - Missouri Western State
Punter Matt Prewitt - Kentucky Christian
Punter Bryan Anger - California
QB Tyler Hansen - Colorado
QB Chandler Harnish - Northern Illinois
QB Dan Persa - Northwestern
RB Lennon Creer - Louisana Tech
RB Marc Tyler - Southern California
RB Bobby Rainey - Western Kentucky University
SAF Aaron Henry - Wisconsin
SAF Austin Cassidy - Nebraska
SAF Blake Gideon - Texas
SAF Duke Ihenaho - San Jose State
TE Kevin Koger - Michigan
TE Cory Harkey - UCLA
TE George Bryan - North Carolina State
TE David Paulson - Oregon
WO Greg Childs - Arkansas - Fayetteville
WO Junior Hemingway - Michigan
WO Dale Moss - South Dakota State
WO Tyler Shoemaker - Boise State
WO Jarius Wright - Arkansas
WO Devon Wylie - Fresno State
WO Darius Hanks - Univeristy of Alabama

2011 Season Preview: The Hawaii Warriors And Identity

Bill C. — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:40:28 -0000

NOTE: Confused? Don't miss the definitions and footnotes at the bottom. And as always, if you don't like numbers, just skip to the words. This marks the final of 120 profiles. Time for the Gatorade bath.

In chess, there are strategies, and there are tactics. Strategies are general approaches to life -- arranging the board to accommodate for your favored tactics. They are long-term approaches you put in place because you think they give you the best chance to succeed. Tactics, meanwhile, are short-term. Forks, skewers, etc. [...]

Like chess, football usually boils down to strategies and tactics in the end (unless, as is often the case, one team's talent and athleticism is too great for the other, like they're starting with more pieces on the board). Who you decide to place on the field, and where you place them, constitutes strategy. 4-3 defense? 3-4? 3-3-5? Spread offense? Pro-style? Wishbone? Your strategies are your "base, core plays," your approach, your mindset. Tactics, then, are what you actually do once you have established your strategy: Who do you use to blitz and when? When (and how often) do you call your constraint plays to complement your base plays? You put yourself in position to win with strategy; you win with tactics.

-- Strategies, Tactics And The Florida State Seminoles

Identity, knowing and committing to your chosen strategy, can be so important, especially in areas of the country that are less than fertile when it comes to big-time football. Identity alone doesn't make you good -- it isn't hard to come up with an example of a terrible wishbone or run-and-shoot team -- but it is certainly part of the battle. And in 2011, few programs have established a stronger identity than the Hawaii Warriors. On offense, they are going to unabashedly throw the ball; on defense, they are going to attack you and try to hit you as hard as they can. If you keep your poise, and if you are athletic enough to make them pay for the risks they take -- they don't have a natural athletic advantage over many of the teams they play, so there is certainly risk involved in ferociously attacking -- then you can beat them. But they stick to what they know, and after a two-year crater following head coach/miracle worker June Jones' departure to SMU, Hawaii was back in the winner's circle in 2010. They won ten games, played as well as almost anybody in the month of October, and reestablished themselves as a solid, steady mid-major program.

Many members of last fall's experienced squad are gone, meaning this year is a big one for fourth-year head coach Greg McMackin. Being a good coach means achieving success with multiple cycles of recruits. One cycle is out the door; do the replacements have what it takes to maintain Hawaii's momentum? And will having such a strong identity help them out?

2010 Schedule & Results*

Record: 10-4 \| Adj. Record: 10-4 \| Final F/+ Rk: 49**
Date	Opponent	Score	W-L	Adj. Score	Adj. W-L
2-Sep	USC	36-49	L	35.1 - 40.7	L
11-Sep	at Army	31-28	W	38.2 - 32.1	W
18-Sep	at Colorado	13-31	L	24.0 - 34.8	L
25-Sep	Charleston Southern	66-7	W	41.4 - 27.4	W
2-Oct	Louisiana Tech	41-21	W	42.5 - 30.8	W
9-Oct	at Fresno State	49-27	W	37.4 - 25.9	W
16-Oct	Nevada	27-21	W	36.4 - 11.9	W
23-Oct	at Utah State	45-7	W	35.9 - 0.2	W
30-Oct	Idaho	45-10	W	38.9 - 20.7	W
6-Nov	at Boise State	7-42	L	24.2 - 32.5	L
20-Nov	San Jose State	41-7	W	32.1 - 16.0	W
27-Nov	at New Mexico State	59-24	W	47.5 - 26.7	W
4-Dec	UNLV	59-21	W	35.7 - 33.2	W
24-Dec	vs Tulsa	35-62	L	29.7 - 29.7	L

Category	Offense	Rk	Defense	Rk
Points Per Game	39.6	10	25.5	58
Adj. Points Per Game	35.6	12	25.9	49

Like San Diego State, Hawaii was an incredible team in the middle of the season. After a slow start that saw them both lose two games and deserve to lose two games, Hawaii got as hot as any team in the country. It started with a whipping of Charleston Southern but continued against three solid conference opponents. They took out Louisiana Tech and Fresno State by 20+, then handed Nevada their only loss of the season. The defense was mostly dominant in this stretch, but it faded again in November.

First Three Games: Opponents 35.9 Adj. PPG, Hawaii 32.4 (-3.5)
Next Six Games: Hawaii 38.8, Opponents 19.5 (+19.3)
Final Five Games: Hawaii 33.8, Opponents 27.6 (+6.2)

Offense***

Category	S&P+ Rk	Success Rt. Rk	PPP+ Rk
OVERALL	20	22	20
RUSHING	13	18	15	Adj. Line Yards:
PASSING	28	28	31	105
Standard Downs	23	22	27	Adj. Sack Rate:
Passing Downs	34	44	28	38
Redzone	69	56	79

Q1 Rk	37	1st Down Rk	12
Q2 Rk	20	2nd Down Rk	30
Q3 Rk	33	3rd Down Rk	38
Q4 Rk	25

Does a system offense produce interchangeable parts? That's what Hawaii has to be hoping as they head into a season in which they must replace three incredibly productive skill position players: running back Alex Green (1,199 yards, 8.2 per carry, +55.0 Adj. POE, 18 TD; 363 receiving yards, 79% catch rate, 1 TD) and receivers Greg Salas (1,889 yards, 15.9 per catch, 74% catch rate, 14 TD) and Kealoha Pilares (1,306 yards, 14.8 per catch, 71% catch rate, 15 TD). Almost every carry by a running back and 74% of all passing targets have departed, leaving quarterback Bryant Moniz (5,040 yards, 9.1 per pass, 65% completion rate, 39 TD, 15 INT) with almost entirely new pieces around him.

One of the interesting dilemmas when attempting to gauge an offense like Hawaii is determining the difference between players who are productive because of the system and players who are really, really good. At first glance, it appears that Green and Salas in particular were excellent, and it might be difficult for the Warriors to replace either of them. Green almost doubled up everybody else in the country in terms of Adj. POE; as a Hawaii running back, you are going to get plenty of opportunities to take advantage of defenses gearing up for the pass. But what Green did, averaging over eight yards per carry and almost 11 yards per pass target, was incredible. He suffered a bit from fumbleitis, but both his vision and speed were outstanding.

With backup Chizzy Dimude also gone, the running back duties will fall to big redshirt freshman Joey Iosefa (6-foot-0, 240 pounds) and junior college redshirt Sterling Jackson. Iosefa could bring an interesting power aspect to the offense (perhaps not unlike Zach Line at SMU), but we'll see if he has the speed necessary to take full advantage of a distracted defense. Moniz has some wheels of his own (331 pre-sack rushing yards, +12.5 Adj. POE), but he cannot be expected to carry the rushing load.

(And this says nothing of an offensive line that must replace four starters, including second-team all-conference picks in guard Adrian Thomas and tackle Laupepa Letuli. Left tackle Austin Hansen accounts for 20 of Hawaii's 21 career starts. Then again, the offense was terrible in terms of line blocking, anyway, so regression isn't guaranteed.)

Other tidbits:

Of course, focusing on the running game with this offense is missing the point. More important than Green's absence will be that of Salas and Pilares. Royce Pollard (901 yards, 14.1 per catch, 59% catch rate, 7 TD) becomes the de facto No. 1 guy, but none of the three primary returnees -- Pollard, Billy Ray Stutzmann (130 yards, 10.0 per catch, 52% catch rate, 1 TD as a redshirt freshman) and Jeremiah Ostrowski (94 yards, 23.5 per catch, 36% catch rate, 8.5 per target) -- averaged anywhere near the 10.5 or 11.8 yards per target Pilares and Salas averaged, respectively. Then again, only Pollard had a major sample size. Big things are expected of big junior college transfer Darius Bright (6-foot-3, 230 pounds), but Bright, Stutzmann and Ostrowski have all missed fall practice time to nagging injuries. Moniz will throw as many passes as anybody in the country this year; who he's throwing to is a complete mystery.
One interesting aspect of Hawaii's high-octane offense: it wasn't also a high-pace offense. Unlike a lot of pass-heavy attacks, the Warriors do not necessarily focus on sideline routes. They attack the interior of the field as much as they can, and that is reflected here.

Defense

Category	S&P+ Rk	Success Rt. Rk	PPP+ Rk
OVERALL	56	68	52
RUSHING	45	54	47	Adj. Line Yards:
PASSING	69	87	62	45
Standard Downs	60	82	49	Adj. Sack Rate:
Passing Downs	73	59	77	47
Redzone	91	105	73

Q1 Rk	24	1st Down Rk	78
Q2 Rk	29	2nd Down Rk	57
Q3 Rk	112	3rd Down Rk	47
Q4 Rk	97

As strong as Hawaii's offensive identity is, their defensive identity is almost as strong: they mercilessly attack the run on standard downs, and blitz on passing downs. Opponents know what they're going to do -- the Warriors faced more standard downs passes and passing downs rushes than the national average -- but in 2010, Hawaii was successful enough that predictability didn't matter. They will attack, and they will go after the ball at all times, and if you are not composed enough to handle it, they will make big plays against you.

Hawaii's was a rock solid mid-major defense, playing strong against the run and, at the very least, limiting big plays in the passing game. They weren't good enough at getting to the quarterback to make their blitzing altogether worth it, but when your talent is somewhat limited you make sacrifices. The Warriors limited big plays on standard downs and played relatively efficiently on passing downs (while giving up some big plays).

This season, Hawaii should continue to field a solid unit. Seven of the top nine defensive linemen return, as do the top two linebackers. The secondary is a bit of a concern, however. A unit that was not particularly deep a year ago, loses four of its top seven contributors. Mana Silva (67.5 tackles, 3.0 TFL/sacks, 8 INT, 7 PBU) was a tremendous free safety, and Jeramy Bryant (43.5 tackles, 2.0 TFL/sacks, 4 INT, 8 PBU) was a strong playmaker at cornerback; both are gone. Strong safety Richard Torres (48.5 tackles, 2.0 TFL/sacks, 2 INT, 5 PBU) returns, as do corners John Hardy-Tuilau (40.0 tackles, 5.0 TFL/sacks, 3 PBU, 3 FF as a freshman) and Kawika Ornellas (20.5 tackles, 1 PBU), but there is some work to be done here.

Other tidbits:

Some defenses flow to the ball, evenly distributing tackles to any number of players. Others, like Hawaii, filter everything toward one or two players. Only two Hawaii players had more than 49.0 tackles in 2010: middle linebacker Aaron Brown (68.0 tackles, 9.5 TFL/sacks, 3 INT, 6 PBU, 2 FF) and BUCK linebacker Corey Paredes (117.0 tackles, 4.0 TFL/sacks, 4 INT, 5 PBU, 2 FF). Both return, as do backups George Daily-Lyles (19.5 tackles, 2.5 TFL/sacks as a redshirt freshman) and Jordan Monico (20.5 tackles). This is a steady, reliable unit.
Perhaps the best thing about this defense in 2010 was the line, and most of it returns. The Warriors will miss ends Kamalu Umu (38.5 tackles, 15.5 TFL/sacks, 3 PBU) and Elliott Purcell (26.5 tackles, 3.0 TFL/sacks), but Paipai Falemalu (26.0 tackles, 6.5 TFL/sacks) and Siaki Cravens (10.0 tackles, 2.5 TFL/sacks) should be able to at least approximate some of their production, and few mid-majors have a deeper set of tackles than Haku Correa (31.5 tackles, 5.0 TFL/sacks), Kaniela Tuipulotu (25.5 tackles, 3.5 TFL/sacks, 3 PBU), Vaughn Meatoga (24.5 tackles, 2.5 TFL/sacks), Geordon Hanohano (14.5 tackles, 1.0 TFL/sacks,) and Zach Masch (12.0 tackles, 3.0 TFL/sacks).

Hawaii's 2010 Season Set to Music

Because I haven't used nearly enough Stooges music in this series, we'll cap it with some "Search and Destroy." "I am the world's forgotten boy/the one who searches and destroys" summarizes the UH defense pretty well.

Fun Stat Nerd Tidbit

Almost no team in the country has consistently committed to the pass as much as Hawaii.

Average Adj. Run-Pass Ratio (2005-10)
Rank	Offense	Adj. Run%	Adj. Pass %
1	Texas Tech	28.5%	71.5%
2	Hawaii	29.9%	70.1%
3	New Mexico State	41.5%	58.5%
4	Miami (Ohio)	42.2%	57.8%
5	Baylor	42.4%	57.6%
6	UTEP	43.3%	56.7%
7	SMU	43.6%	56.4%
8	Western Michigan	44.1%	55.9%
9	Purdue	44.2%	55.8%
10	Houston	44.2%	55.8%
11	Bowling Green	44.5%	55.5%
12	Arizona	44.8%	55.2%
13	San Diego State	45.3%	54.7%
14	Missouri	45.4%	54.6%
15	Central Michigan	45.7%	54.3%
16	Notre Dame	45.7%	54.3%
17	Washington State	46.0%	54.0%
18	Duke	46.3%	53.7%
19	Indiana	46.3%	53.7%
20	Idaho	46.4%	53.6%
21	Troy	46.5%	53.5%
22	BYU	46.6%	53.4%
23	N.C. State	46.7%	53.3%
24	Arizona State	46.7%	53.3%
25	Florida State	46.8%	53.2%
26	Tulane	46.8%	53.2%
27	South Carolina	46.8%	53.2%
28	UNLV	47.1%	52.9%
29	Kansas	47.1%	52.9%
30	Oregon State	47.4%	52.6%
31	Cincinnati	47.5%	52.5%
32	Virginia	47.6%	52.4%
33	Northwestern	47.7%	52.3%
34	San Jose State	47.8%	52.2%
35	East Carolina	48.2%	51.8%
36	Akron	48.2%	51.8%
37	Florida International	48.6%	51.4%
38	Tennessee	48.7%	51.3%
39	Boston College	49.0%	51.0%
40	Marshall	49.0%	51.0%
41	Buffalo	49.1%	50.9%
42	Rice	49.4%	50.6%
43	Colorado State	49.5%	50.5%
44	Kentucky	49.6%	50.4%
45	Colorado	49.8%	50.2%
46	UAB	50.0%	50.0%
47	Florida Atlantic	50.1%	49.9%
48	UCLA	50.1%	49.9%
49	USC	50.2%	49.8%
50	North Texas	50.3%	49.7%
51	Louisville	50.4%	49.6%
52	Syracuse	50.6%	49.4%
53	Eastern Michigan	50.7%	49.3%
54	Utah	50.7%	49.3%
55	Michigan State	50.8%	49.2%
56	North Carolina	50.8%	49.2%
57	Iowa	50.8%	49.2%
58	Iowa State	50.9%	49.1%
59	Toledo	51.0%	49.0%
60	Kansas State	51.0%	49.0%
61	Tulsa	51.2%	48.8%
62	Vanderbilt	51.2%	48.8%
63	Ball State	51.2%	48.8%
64	Maryland	51.4%	48.6%
65	Washington	51.4%	48.6%
66	Texas	51.4%	48.6%
67	California	51.5%	48.5%
68	Texas A&M	51.5%	48.5%
69	Clemson	51.7%	48.3%
70	Miami	51.8%	48.2%
71	Minnesota	51.9%	48.1%
72	Wyoming	51.9%	48.1%
73	Kent State	52.0%	48.0%
74	Louisiana Tech	52.0%	48.0%
75	Nebraska	52.2%	47.8%
76	Memphis	52.4%	47.6%
77	Boise State	52.5%	47.5%
78	Pittsburgh	52.7%	47.3%
79	New Mexico	52.7%	47.3%
80	Arkansas	52.9%	47.1%
81	Penn State	53.0%	47.0%
82	Oklahoma	53.1%	46.9%
83	Temple	53.1%	46.9%
84	Stanford	53.2%	46.8%
85	Ole Miss	53.3%	46.7%
86	Georgia	53.3%	46.7%
87	Southern Miss	53.5%	46.5%
88	Alabama	53.5%	46.5%
89	Arkansas State	53.6%	46.4%
90	Middle Tennessee	53.9%	46.1%
91	Rutgers	54.3%	45.7%
92	Florida	54.4%	45.6%
93	UL-Monroe	54.5%	45.5%
94	LSU	54.6%	45.4%
95	Oregon	54.7%	45.3%
96	Fresno State	55.3%	44.7%
97	Michigan	55.4%	44.6%
98	Ohio	55.6%	44.4%
99	Utah State	56.0%	44.0%
100	Oklahoma State	56.1%	43.9%
101	Wake Forest	56.3%	43.7%
102	Illinois	56.3%	43.7%
103	Mississippi State	56.5%	43.5%
104	Central Florida	56.7%	43.3%
105	South Florida	56.7%	43.3%
106	Northern Illinois	56.9%	43.1%
107	UL-Lafayette	57.3%	42.7%
108	Nevada	57.4%	42.6%
109	Connecticut	57.8%	42.2%
110	Auburn	58.0%	42.0%
111	TCU	58.8%	41.2%
112	Western Kentucky	58.9%	41.1%
113	Wisconsin	59.4%	40.6%
114	Ohio State	59.7%	40.3%
115	Virginia Tech	60.0%	40.0%
116	West Virginia	64.1%	35.9%
117	Army	67.2%	32.8%
118	Georgia Tech	67.4%	32.6%
119	Air Force	78.3%	21.7%
120	Navy	82.3%	17.7%

Summary and Projection Factors

Below is a small handful of projection and change factors most pertinent to the Football Outsiders' preseason projections you will find in the Football Outsiders Almanac 2011.

Four-Year F/+ Rk	74
Five-Year Recruiting Rk	84
TO Margin/Adj. TO Margin****	+12 / +11.0
Approx. Ret. Starters (Off. / Def.)	9 (3, 6)
Yds/Pt Margin*****	-1.4

Nine starters returning. It is difficult to overcome that. But here's where Hawaii's strong identity could pay off. The new players know exactly what is expected of them, and ... well, Hawaii would gain quite a few yards yards and score a lot of points even if they returned zero starters. The question is, will they score the right points? Will they be able to stand up to Nevada in Reno and take down Fresno State at home?

The Football Outsiders Almanac 2011 gives Hawaii a 28% chance of finishing 6-1 or better in a weakened WAC and a 1% chance of going undefeated. That is both showing a lot of respect for Hawaii's recent accomplishments and reminding us just how soft the WAC is. The Warriors are heading to the Mountain West next season, but in the meantime they are timing this transition team well; despite all of their personnel losses, they could quite possibly ride a strong identity to a sneaky conference title.

Be sure to purchase your Football Outsiders Almanac 2011 today. The college portion is available for just $5, and the print version is now available!

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* For more on the 'Adj. Score' and 'Adj. Record' measures below, feel free to read this Football Outsiders column. Adj. Score is a look at how a team would have performed in a given week if playing a perfectly average team, with a somewhat average number of breaks and turnovers. The idea for the measure is simple: what if everybody in the country played exactly the same opponent every single week? Who would have done the best? It is an attempt to look at offensive and defensive consistency without getting sidetracked by easy or difficult schedules. And yes, with adjusted score you can allow a negative number of points, which is strangely satisfying.

** F/+ rankings are the official rankings for the college portion of Football Outsiders. They combine my own S&P+ rankings (based on play-by-play data) with Brian Fremeau's drives-based FEI rankings.

*** What is S&P+? Think of it as an OPS (the "On-Base Plus Slugging" baseball measure) for football. The 'S' stands for success rates, a common Football Outsiders efficiency measure that basically serves as on-base percentage. The 'P' stands for PPP+, an explosiveness measure that stands for EqPts Per Play. The "+" means it has been adjusted for the level of opponent, obviously a key to any good measure in college football. S&P+ is measured for all non-garbage time plays in a given college football game. Plays are counted within the following criteria: when the score is within 28 points in the first quarter, within 24 points in the second quarter, within 21 points in the third quarter, and within 16 points (i.e. two possession) in the fourth quarter. For more about this measure, visit the main S&P+ page at Football Outsiders.

**** Adj. TO Margin is what a team's turnover margin would have been if they had recovered exactly 50 percent of all the fumbles that occurred in their games. If there is a huge difference between TO Margin and Adj. TO Margin (in other words, if fumbles and unlucky bounces were the main source of a good/bad TO margin), that suggests that a team's luck was particularly good or bad and might even out the next season.

*****Phil Steele has long tracked Yards Per Point as a means of looking at teams that were a little too efficient or inefficient the previous season. A positive Yds/Pt Margin means a team's offense was less efficient than opponents' offenses, and to the extent that luck was involved, their luck might even out the next year.