HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i Warrior football head coach Greg McMackin conducted his weekly press conference Monday, recapping the team's heartbreaking 28-27 loss at San Jose State last Friday.
 
Opening Statement:
Obviously, we had too many turnovers in the first half, but our defense kept us in the game. At halftime, we talked about that we could have been 42 or 45-7, but it wasn't that, thanks to our defense. The second half, defense played outstanding as far as getting the six turnovers and they were possessed. Guys like our defensive tackles, Kaniela (Tuipolutu) and Vaughn Meatoga played an astounding game, (Vaughn) had two sacks, was all over the field. After the game (Vaughn) he couldn't talk, he had I.V.s in him and he played, as you say, completely to exhaustion. Some players that just played well, I mentioned those two (Kaniela Tuipolutu and Vaughn Meatoga), Aaron Brown played great, Corey Parades played hurt and played the whole game. Richard Torres played an outstanding game, turnover wise, Billy Ray (Stutzmann), Joey Iosefa played an outstanding game. The last series we came up short, you have to give San Jose State a lot of credit and they moved the ball on us.
 
On the problems with the field goal unit and the blocked kicks…
Happened against Boise State two years ago, same type of thing. That is unacceptable, to have kicks blocked. We met as a coaching staff and we are changing our scheme, changing personnel. We are going back to inter-locking scheme that we obviously can't do what we are doing now. It is coming from the same place, it always has. The ball was down, the kickers kicked, it was coming from inside A-gap and we can't allow that. That has been fixed and now we'll practice it this week and that is where we are on that. We can't allow that.
 
The way we were blocked was the problem. They sent a big guy through the A-gap and got his hand up and blocked the ball. We've had that before and we've changed personnel. We are going to change the scheme.
 
No, it is nobody's fault. I take the responsibility for everything, but what it is, I got together with the special teams staff and Gordy (Shaw), and we got to do it another way.  They were completely knowledgeable about it and it will be fixed. At a time like this everybody wants to point fingers and as I told my team after the game, anything you say about anything or anything you say about anybody, look in the mirror first. Make sure that you did everything that you're supposed to do. Same type of thing. You point a finger at somebody, there is a finger pointing right back at you. So we are staying together. There is a lot of people jumping off ship and that always happen, that's the name of football, that's the game. That doesn't bother me, they'll be back when we are winning. We have seven or eight ball games left and we're 3-3 right now. Our goal right now is to win four more games and get bowl eligible. Then it depends on the games we win in the WAC. If we win the WAC games, which we are taking one game at a time, we have New Mexico State this week, then we have our own destiny ahead of us and we will end up like we did last year – one tie, all tie type of thing. We have a lot of work ahead of us and we are going to take it one game at a time and New Mexico State is our next game. Quite honestly, I give San Jose State credit. I put it on our defense who (was) playing really well. I mean it's 4^th and 16, at first I was going to go (for it) 4^th and 16, you noticed I called the timeout, and the reason I didn't. That really put the offense in a bad situation, in my mind. That was my decision. (The offense is) always ready to go for it and that was a really tough call. I asked Gordy and Dick if they fixed the A-Gap and they had and had another person in there. We went for the 42-yard field goal, which should be a piece of cake, and it got blocked. It didn't hurt us because our defense held and that's where we were.
 
On the change in personnel on the field goal unit…
We are working on that right now. Well it's always (been) offensive linemen. It may be a defensive lineman. It is going to be a tough hard nosed mother that isn't going to be pushed out of the way.
 
We are going to teach guys. We don't need auditions. We are going to get a guy that knows the job. Like I said, we are going do a new scheme, inner-lock their legs, and go back to old time, hard-nose football.
 
On the upcoming game against New Mexico State…
I know they've lost the first two quarterbacks. I know they have a great running back.  I looked a lot on them.
 
On the decision to punt the ball on fourth down on the team's final possession…
I don't even know if you guys asked about it, but there was another decision made and that was a (4^th) and 1 situation, less that one or whatever, but the reason that I made the decision to punt the ball is that if an offensive team knows you're going to run the football, and we're not going to pass the ball in that situation, it's just like us on the goal line. They were on the one a couple of times and couldn't get in and if they put up and eight, nine man front, with our inexperience line, I would rather punt it. We have a good punting team and put it on the defense. There's (one) minute, 26 (seconds) left with no timeouts, I'd rather put it in our defenses hands and that is why I made that decision.
 
I watched the game from behind the offense because I can see the whole thing. Guys were saying, “we got a bad spot”, but it wasn't such until I saw it on T.V. and it looks like its on the yellow line. You don't know where the knee goes down and I didn't see the spot, but I heard it was a bad spot. I don't know if his knee is down, I didn't look at it that closely. All I know is that on (4^th) and 1, or fourth and short, any pro coach or coach that knows what he is doing, isn't going for it because all you're doing is running into 11 guys and when your defense is playing like it was.
 
On the turnovers the defense created in the second half…
That was awesome. Six turnovers in the second half, I think, is the most I've been around. They played possessed, they did a great job, stripped the ball. We talked about it at halftime that we have given up five turnovers and they've averaged three a game and that we have got to get turnovers on defense to help out our offense and they went out and just took care of it. They stripped the ball, the interceptions were all knifing off of guys and getting the balls and great breaks. With the exception of that last drive, which is a shame because they kept us in the first half, and then they made the second half what it was. We don't have a prevent defense. I know there has been comments that we went in to a prevent, we don't have a prevent defense. We have a last play defense. Actually we were blitzing on their last touchdown, so we don't have a prevent defense. I don't believe in prevent defenses.
 
On the health of the team…
All three of our linebackers aren't going to practice for a day or two. Corey (Paredes) really sucked it up and Aaron (Brown) sprained it at the end, then Art Laurel hurt his hand. I am not sure if he broke it or what happened.
 
I think all three of them will play (this week). I think we just need to watch out for Corey (Paredes). He is such a tough guy and he will try to play his best, but he played a lot. He is just a tough guy and he just can't run as fast right now.
 
Royce (Pollard) is going to have to miss a few days too. We may make some moves there at the receiver spot, but I just got out of a staff meeting. He didn't pull his hamstring, it is just really tight. I would think he would be able to play but he won't be able to play for a day or so.
 
On the rotation of receivers…
We could move Billy Ray (Stutzmann) outside and play the two guys (Justin Clapp and Jeremiah Ostrowski) inside, so, I mean, we do have movement we can do, but we've got several receivers. Now all of a sudden we have pretty good depth as soon as we can get Royce back, but we have some movement to do.
 
On keeping Trevor Davis on the redshirt track…
Well that could be and it couldn't be. It depends on Royce's situation. Trevor is ready to come out of redshirt. Trevor Davis is one of our better receivers, as a freshman and if he did come out, he would play. We've been taking him on all the trips. With that in mind he's learned, he knows what's going on, he's outstanding and if we have the ability to do that, then we will try to do that. We have some games to win. We have four more games to win to go to a bowl game. Then if we win the right ones, elite games, then we are in the same situation we were in last year, so that is where our goals are.