2008 Hawaii Football Predictions

A drop off is inevitable after a near perfect 12-1 season and losing Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan, but how far will Hawaii fall in the WAC? Jimmy Boyd discusses the upcoming season in his 2008 Hawaii Warriors predictions and season preview.

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Offense

The offense will look completely different this season without Brennan and his go-to wideouts. The top two QB replacements are Inoke Funaki and Tyler Graunke. Both has good springs, but neither has been named starter yet for the August 30th matchup at Florida. First year head coach Greg McMackin also wants to take a look at junior college transfers Greg Alexander and Brent Rausch in fall camp before deciding his No. 1. It's doubtful that either of the juco kids could master the run and shoot in time for Florida, but McMackin may be inclined to use more than one QB early on to let actual game action decide who's the best. The Warrior will also feature four new starting wide receivers and two new tackles. Nebraska transfer Leon Wright-Jackson may take over Kealoha Pilares tailback spot, pushing him to the slot position.

Defense

The Warrior return just four starters on defense, but that is the side of the ball which will have to be on point as the offense likely struggles early on. Talented linebackers Solomon Elimimian and Adam Leonard will lead the way. The two combined for 246 stops in 2007. Leonard has big play ability. He tied for the team lead in interceptions with four and returned two of those for scores. Elimimian averaged nearly 11 stops per game. The kid had a nose for the football. The Warriors also have two quality linemen n David Veikune and Fale Laeli. Veikune had a team-leading seven sacks in 2007 in a backup role, which was enough to earn All-WAC honors. Safeties Desmond Thomas and Keao Monteilh combine with cornerback Ryan Mouton to form one of the best secondaries in the WAC.

Special Teams

Kicker Dan Kelly returns, fresh off a season in which his clutch field goals at Louisiana Tech and Nevada earned him All-WAC honors. Punter Tim Grasso was little used because of how good Hawaii's offense was last season, but he performed well when called upon. He had just 35 punts in 13 games. 10 of those punts landed inside the twenty and 10 forced fair catches. Michael Washington should be one of the best punt returners in the league. He averaged 20.8 yards per return in 2007 and scored on a 80-yard punt return. Malcolm Lane, who returned two kickoff for scores last year, will handle the kick return duties along with Mouton.

Prediction – 4th in WAC

Fresno State and Boise State figure to hang around in the top 25 for portions of the season with Nevada also making some noise in the WAC. That leaves Hawaii fourth. This year they'll win because of their defense and not their offense. There's no way that this season can be as exciting as last, but Greg McMackin will put another solid team on the field.

Jimmy Boyd is the foremost authority in the world on college football betting. He's spends countless hours in the research room prior to the season and each week to bring his clients the highest rated selections on the board. Stick around for Jimmy's college football picks for a season and watch your bankroll reach new heights.

July 25th, 2008