Game Notes

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i Warrior football team heads to Gainesville, Fla., with a season-opening matchup against No. 5 Florida, Saturday. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs and marks Greg McMackin's debut as UH head coach.

           
During McMackin's two seasons as defensive coordinator in 1999 and again in 2007, the Warriors captured the Western Athletic Conference title and statistically ranked as one of the best defensive units in the nation. An assistant for most of his coaching career, McMackin begins his first year as a Football Bowl Subdivision head coach. He spent four years as head coach of NAIA's Oregon Tech from 1986-89.

The Warriors (0-0) are coming off a 12-1 campaign that saw them participate in the school's first Bowl Championship Series game against Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. UH finished the regular season as the nation's only undefeated team before suffering a 41-10 loss to the Bulldogs.

The Gators (0-0) completed the 2007 season with a 9-4 record culminating in a 41-35 loss to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl. Quarterback Tim Tebow is the reining Heisman Trophy winner beating out Arkansas' Darren McFadden and former UH signal caller Colt Brennan, who finished third in the final vote.

The game will mark the second time in the last three years that the Warriors open the season on the road against an Southeastern Conference team after UH opened the 2006 campaign at Alabama (UH lost 25-17).

 

When: Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008

Time: 12:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. HT

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field (88,548) in Gainesville, Fla.

Television: Raycom Sports will carry the game live with Dave Neal (play-by-play), Dave Archer (color), and Dave Baker (sideline). In Hawai'i the game will be shown on Oceanic Cable Pay-Per-View (Digital Ch. 255).

Radio: ESPN 1420 AM will carry the game live with Bobby Curran (play-by-play) and Robert Kekaula (color). Don Robbs, Chris Hart and Gary Dickman host the “Countdown To Kickoff” beginning at 5:30 a.m., and also the halftime show. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KPUA in Hilo, KMWB in Kona.

Audio Webcast: Live audio streaming on espn1420am.com

Live Stats: Live in-game stats are available on gatorzone.com

Series Information: First meeting

 

- UH plays the first of six road games in 2008, its most since 2003.

- UH received one vote in the Associated Press Preseason Poll, after finishing No. 19 last season.

-  UH has won a school-record eight straight road games dating back to 2006 (last loss at Boise State, Sept. 23, 2006).

-  UH is 3-7 all-time versus SEC teams, including 0-3 in road situations.

-  The largest crowd to watch a UH game was 92,138 at Tuscaloosa, Ala., in the 2006 season-opener between UH and Alabama.

-  UH is 8-28 all-time versus teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

-  The Warriors trek to Gainesville will be its furthest east since traveling to New Jersey for a meeting versus Rutgers in 1975.

-  A total of four players from Florida grace the 2008 UH football roster: DB Chris Black (Ft. Lauderdale), WR Malcolm Lane (Ft. Lauderdale), RB Khevin Peoples (Tampa) and WR Rick Taylor (Ponte Vedra Beach). Only Lane and Peoples will make the trip to Gainesville.

- Taylor (Nease HS) was a high school teammate of Florida QB Tim Tebow and OL James Wilson.

-  UH has won 22 of its last 24 games overall.

-  UH led the nation in scoring in 2007 (43.4 ppg).

-  UH begins its 92nd season of football and holds a 497-372-25 (.570) overall and 333-315-9 (.514) collegiate record.

-  UH is 56-30-5 (.643) all-time in season openers. UH snapped a three-game losing streak in 2007 with a 63-6 rout of Northern Colorado.