HONOLULU – University of Hawai`i Warrior football head coach Greg McMackin conducted his weekly press conference, recapping last weekend's thrilling upset at No. 22 Fresno State. Senior defensive back Keao Monteilh and placekicker Dan Kelly, the WAC's weekly honorees on defense and special teams, respectively, also attended the press conference. Below are excerpts.

 

This feels really good for our players, and coaches, and fans. I was happy the way the team stayed together and trusted one another. I'm really proud of them because after that San Jose State loss people could have started going in different directions. There was some adversity and I felt that our team and coaches and a good portion of our fans all stayed together and that's the only way that we're going to go forward. 

 

We've been trying to get better all year long in different areas. After the San Jose State loss we realized the thing we had to get better at were turnovers on both sides of the ball. We really worked hard on that this weekend, we focused and over emphasized it even though we have coached it since the first time we've been together. This team is a smart football team, and a loyal football team, and anything I ask them to do they seem to get it fixed. 

 

After the ball game you look at the statistics, and just winning under the adversity we were under, the travel, the fans that test your limits, and being at their home against a really good football team…it was a hard fought football game and our guys didn't quit. They fought to the end and I respect them and our coaching staff. We now have a team that fights together, who have been in the fire together, and now we can continue to get better. There are a lot of things that we can improve on, but now we can be as good as we want to be because we have something to build on. 

 

Every team has its own personality. We have a lot of veterans on defense and not a lot of veterans on offense. We're trying to build on our strengths of our offensive players, we have good running backs, our offensive line is physical, and Inoke (Funaki) is very mobile. We have added to the run-and-shoot a package that Inoke can utilize his qualities. That's what coaching is about, it's not fitting someone into a square peg, but trying to utilize their abilities to get better. The offensive staff and I sat down and talked about things (for) a mobile quarterback…we've utilized those ideas and made a nice little package for Inoke. Any quarterback that is mobile is tough to face. We're using things that don't take away from the run-and-shoot and (also) fit his ability. 

 

I think we're in the thick of things now. Anybody can win the WAC because I don't believe anyone is going to go through undefeated. There are four or five really good football teams and depending on where you're playing them at, and injuries, I think the WAC is wide open.

 

It was a nice coming-out game for a lot of our guys…we are finally comfortable with each other.

 

On receiving the WAC Special Teams Player of the Week award:

I've had horrible camps the last three years prior to my senior year and I always end up having good seasons, but this year I had the best camp of my life and I just came our flat. You can never take this game for granted. I think I over-think things. I (went) into my senior year thinking I have to play well, scouts are watching, it's showtime. I realize I have to live in the present….I'm going to take it game by game. 

 

On the Fresno State game:
We're trying to get momentum to roll into the next game. We knew we could go in there and give them a good game. We won the last two years and we said we're not going to let it stop right here. 

 

On receiving the WAC Defensive Player of the Week award:

It was what the other guys on the team did. Both times I got my interceptions were plays from other guys and I finished the play. The first couple games we were on a dry streak. This week we focused on getting turnovers. Coach said it will it come in bunches, and this is the week that it came.