HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i Warrior football head coach Greg McMackin, senior linebacker Solomon Elimimian and junior quarterback Greg Alexander addressed the media at the first of two press conferences for the 2008 Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl to be held on Dec. 24. 

We really appreciate being here representing the University of Hawai'i and the state of Hawai'i. We've been to a lot of bowls and this is one of the classiest bowls we've been to. The way we've been treated, the enthusiasm of everyone, all the good things that they are doing for the players and the staff - just really first class. (Executive Director) Dave (Matlin) has done a great job organizing everything.

 

We are playing a really good opponent. Notre Dame is one of the top schools as far as tradition goes. They are well coached and they have good players. 

 

We have a real mature football team. The senior leadership has been really outstanding this year and we have a bunch of good guys on our team.   I want them to have fun, but they know what they have to do and they know what our goal is. It's part fun, part business trip – when we have fun, we have fun and when we get down to business, we get down to business. I've treated them like pros and like men and they've acted that way so I have no worries about these guys. 

I remember when we were 1-3. The team could have split apart. But the team and coaches stayed together. The greatest portion of our fans stayed with us. These guys fought through adversity. I give credit to the seniors and to our coaches. We've come a long way ,we're playing our best football right now, we're playing more the type of football we want to be known for. The game will be an exclamation point for the season. It's a great opportunity to play Notre Dame in front of the entire country and we're excited about that.

 

A lot of seniors will be playing their last game in a Hawai'i uniform. And 8-6 sounds a lot better than 7-7. It would be good to send our seniors and football team out with a bowl championship. We've worked very hard through the year, and obviously this game would set up next season and be good for recruiting, but I'm looking at it as the last game of this season for a group …. who has fought adversity and is a class bunch of guys.

 

We're really enthusiastic about this bowl game because it's our bowl game. Out of all the bowls we could have gone to, it's always going to be the Hawai'i Bowl because of the way they treat us (and) just the comfort we have here. It's an honor to be here and we're excited because we are playing a top tier program in Notre Dame.

 

Well it's definitely an advantage. Notre Dame is stuck in snow and we don't have to deal with that. Also our families live here. In the end, the game is going to be played on the field. (Notre Dame) will have three or four days here to prepare, but come Wednesday we're going to strap it up and play between the lines. All the other stuff will be out the door.

 

I feel like we learned a lesson last year playing in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. A lot of guys didn't know what to expect. In a way we were like a young team. A lot of us are not going out because we know that the game is first and we need to win. Just the experience from last year is helping us get prepared mentally by being focused for the game knowing that it's all business.  

 

It doesn't matter what their record is – it's Notre Dame. It will be a pleasure playing against them because as a kid you grow up watching them. That gold helmet always sticks in your mind. It's going to be fun and exciting. I'm thinking about it every second. Besides finals, I'm thinking about Notre Dame. It's an opportunity…the whole country will be watching this game and it will be fun.

 

A lot of people had us fourth or fifth in the WAC coming off a 12-0 season and that hurt us and made us upset because of things we've accomplished. For us to finish second was a big accomplishment. You look at this year and we played as a team. The biggest difference between this and last year…we had a lot of superstars…a lot people doubted us because those people were gone. How could Hawai'i rebound? We had to stay together and come together closer than we ever had as coaches and players. Every game we won because of the team, not because one player dominating by himself. We came together in all facets.

 

Obviously, I'm really excited and all the guys are. For me it's always been a dream to play D-I and definitely playing in a bowl game and against a team like Notre Dame with so much tradition.

 

It's just great tradition. You have movies written about them. Obviously, they've had great teams in the past and they are still a great team this year even if their record doesn't show it. But watching them on film defensively, they are like a Cincinnati or a Florida level. We're going to have our hands full with them, but it's going to be a lot of fun to get out there and play against a team like Notre Dame.