CALIFORNIA vs. HAWAII<\/p>\n
7-5 overall, 4-4 in Atlantic Coast | 8-4 overall, 5-3 in Mountain West<\/p>\n
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BEARS OFFENSE <\/p>\n
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X\u20144 Jordan King 6-2 220 Jr. <\/p>\n
LT\u201452 Nick Morrow 6-8 315 So. <\/p>\n
LG\u201466 Jordan Spasojevic-Moko 6-5 335 Sr. <\/p>\n
C\u201476 Bastian Swinney 6-6 310 Sr. <\/p>\n
RG\u201456 Tyson Ruffins 6-2 310 So. <\/p>\n
RT\u201477 Braden Miller 6-6 315 Jr. <\/p>\n
TE\u201485 Mason Mini 6-4 240 So. <\/p>\n
SB\u201421 Jacob De Jesus 5-7 170 Sr. <\/p>\n
Z\u20147 Trond Grizzell 6-4 205 Sr. <\/p>\n
QB\u20143 Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele 6-3 225 Fr. <\/p>\n
RB\u20141 Kendrick Raphael 5-11 200 Jr. <\/p>\n
With eyes on the future and feet in the present, the Bears hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant QB coach Jordan Somerville as offensive coordinator while allowing Bryan Harsin to call plays in today\u2019s Hawaii Bowl. Harsin\u2019s offenses, notably in his stint with Boise State, involve pre-snap motions, overloads with tight ends, quick passes, run-pass options and some \u201ctrickeration\u201d (tight end Mason Mini threw a 42-yard scoring pass). This year, the Bears have aligned in three- and four-receiver sets, double and triple tight ends, split backs, a diamond with two slotbacks in the backfield, and receiver Jacob De Jesus everywhere (11.8 targets and 8.75 offensive touches per game). \u201cThe only way to prepare is to take those reps,\u201d said De Jesus, whose extracurricular work includes running routes alone after practices. De Jesus has bonded with freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, a Campbell High graduate. De Jesus has switched to using his right hand as the lead hand in catching passes from left-handed Sagapolutele. \u201cI always felt lefties have more zip on the ball,\u201d De Jesus said. \u201cThere\u2019s some science to that. I think Jaron has a rocket, a frickin\u2019 strong arm. Sometimes I have to tell him he\u2019s throwing it too hard.\u201d Sagapolutele can launch passes from different planes, including a side-armed motion to De Jesus or running back Kendrick Raphael on horizontal routes. Sagapolutele has completed 95.7% of his bubble screens and hitches. Sagapolutele also has a panoramic view of the passing tree. He no longer needs the glasses he wore when he was younger. \u201cGod blessed me with good vision,\u201d he said. Although RPOs are on the menu, Sagapolutele averages 3.3 yards on non-sack scrambles and keepers, preferring to throw. Raphael, who has 12 touchdowns, is averaging 3.02 post-contact yards while amassing 46 missed tackles.<\/p>\n
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BEARS DEFENSE <\/p>\n
E\u201410 Jayden Wayne 6-5 255 Jr. <\/p>\n
DT\u201488 TJ Bollers 6-2 305 Sr. <\/p>\n
DT\u201447 Aidan Keanaaina 6-3 320 Sr. <\/p>\n
E\u20143 TJ Bush 6-3 265 Jr. <\/p>\n
ILB\u20140 Cade Uluave 6-1 235 Jr. <\/p>\n
ILB\u201441 Luke Ferrelli 6-3 230 Fr. <\/p>\n
NB\u201420 Cam Sidney 5-11 180 Jr. <\/p>\n
CB\u20145 Hezekiah Masses 6-1 185 Sr. <\/p>\n
S\u20142 Dru Polidore Jr. 6-2 195 Sr. <\/p>\n
S\u201414 Aiden Manutai 5-11 200 Fr. <\/p>\n
CB\u20144 Paco Austin 5-11 180 Sr. <\/p>\n
The secondary has been a priority. Three defensive backs were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, bringing the total to nine in six years. The Bears have two of the best corners in the ACC. Hezekiah Masses was named to the second team of four All-America lists after intercepting five passes and leading the nation with 18 passes defended (1.5 per game). \u201cWatching film makes the game easier,\u201d said Masses, who usually defends the wide side of the formation. He also complements team workouts with thrice-weekly treadmill runs. Eric Brent \u201cPaco\u201d Austin, a corner who transferred from South Florida, had a school-record six pass breakups against Virginia. Austin said his nickname was derived from a childhood resemblance to a singer. The Bears often align in a one-high look with Kahuku High graduate Aiden Manutai serving as a safety net. \u201cIn our (DB) room, we have a saying: \u2018standard over feelings,\u2019\u201d Austin said. \u201cYou have to build the standard no matter what.\u201d TJ Bollers and Aidan Keanaaina are the scrimmage-line re-setters in a three- or four-man front. Jayden Wayne can set the edge or blitz from the middle. The intent is for the running plays to funnel to linebackers Luke Ferrelli, the ACC\u2019s Defensive Rookie of the Year, or Cade Uluave, whose 91 tackles include 11.5 backfield stops. \u201cI\u2019ve always liked contact since I was a little kid,\u201d Uluave said. \u201cI think my first sport was wrestling. I think my parents put me in wrestling because I was too crazy around the house. \u2026 Even hanging out with my family, my cousins, somehow we\u2019d always end up tackling each other in the back yard. Football is kind of perfect for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
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BEARS SPECIALISTS <\/p>\n
PK\/KO\u201491 Chase Meyer 5-10 180 Jr. <\/p>\n
P\u20149 Michael Kern 6-3 195 So. <\/p>\n
Snap\u201439 Rino Monteforte 5-7 210 Jr. <\/p>\n
H\u201440 Brook Honore Jr. 6-0 190 Jr. <\/p>\n
KR\/PR\u201421 Jacob De Jesus 5-7 170 Sr. <\/p>\n
As a top punt returner, Jacob De Jesus has one rule: \u201cDon\u2019t let the ball drop. When it does, it typically goes (toward the goal line) and that\u2019s losing yards for your team. Catch the ball. Give possession to the offense.\u201d De Jesus prefers to work with a punter instead of catching footballs launched by a JUGS machine. \u201cThat\u2019s how you get the eyes right,\u201d he said. De Jesus said it takes only the first punt in a game to erase the nerves of catching in a crowd. \u201cThen it\u2019s just football,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is what I grew up doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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RAINBOW WARRIORS OFFENSE <\/p>\n
WO\u201411 Karsyn Pupunu 6-3 205 Sr. <\/p>\n
SB\u20145 Pofele Ashlock 6-2 185 Jr. <\/p>\n
LT\u201452 Dean Briski 6-5 300 Jr. <\/p>\n
LG\u201458 Zhen Sotelo 6-3 310 Sr. <\/p>\n
C\u201457 Ethan Spencer 6-2 295 Jr. <\/p>\n
RG\u201459 Kuao Peihopa 6-3 290 Sr. <\/p>\n
RT\u201470 James Milovale 6-6 320 Sr. <\/p>\n
SB\u20143 Nick Cenacle 6-2 200 Sr. <\/p>\n
WO\u20141 Brandon White 5-8 170 Jr. <\/p>\n
QB\u201412 Micah Alejado 5-10 180 Fr. <\/p>\n
RB\u20140 Cam Barfield 5-7 185 Jr. <\/p>\n
It was no surprise when wideout Jackson Harris left the Warriors with the intent of entering the transfer portal. Harris had four TDs of 70-plus yards, was sure-handed (three drops in 74 targets) and clutch on 50-50 balls (37 of 49 receptions resulted in first downs). Karsyn Pupunu, who started 10 games this season, takes over Harris\u2019 spot at left wideout. Similar to Harris, Pupunu will benefit from left slotback Pofele Ashlock\u2019s defender-drawing decoy routes and left-handed QB Micah Alejado\u2019s straight-to-the-chin-strap throws (65.8% accuracy on passes to left side). \u201cKarsyn never flinches,\u201d receivers coach Jared Ursua said. \u201cWhatever the conditions, he\u2019s ready.\u201d Pupunu, who initially joined as a walk-on, recalled being \u201cat the bottom of the barrel and slowly climbing my way up.\u201d With Tama Uiliata\u2019s development as an inside receiver, slotback Nick Cenacle, now healthy, can rotate with Pupunu or Brandon White on the outside. The 25-day break since the end of the regular season has helped Alejado return to good health. At 5-10, Alejado can fire passes to receivers while being obscured behind his O-line. \u201cWhen I was a linebacker, the thing I hated the most was facing a smaller quarterback, because you can\u2019t see him,\u201d UH associate head coach Chris Brown said. \u201cYou think he\u2019s there, then you go through the gap and all of a sudden he disappears and you can\u2019t find him in the mass.\u201d Running backs Cam Barfield and Landon Sims offer different skills. Barfield is a jump-cut runner who is an effective receiver on screens and swing routes. Sims is a physical back with speed (he clocked a team-best, in-game burst of 22.1 mph.) Three days ahead of the game against Wyoming, Sims\u2019 left leg was eggplant-colored from a bruised femur and ruptured blood vessels. \u201cI grew up hearing stories of my dad (former UH running back Travis Sims) playing in the Holiday Bowl with a 104-degree fever and three broken ribs,\u201d Sims said. \u201cI have no excuses. If I can walk, I can play.\u201d He played against Wyoming.<\/p>\n
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RAINBOW WARRIORS DEFENSE <\/p>\n
DE\u201451 Lester Lagafuaina 6-4 240 So. <\/p>\n
NT\u201498 Carsen Stocklinski 6-3 295 Sr. <\/p>\n
DT\u201479 De\u2019Jon Benton 6-2 270 Gr. <\/p>\n
DE\u201457 Jackie Johnson III 6-0 245 Sr. <\/p>\n
MLB\u201417 Giovanni Iovino 6-1 235 Gr. <\/p>\n
DLB\u20143 Jalen Smith 6-0 220 Sr. <\/p>\n
NB\u20144 Elijah Palmer 5-8 180 Jr. <\/p>\n
CB\u201423 Virdel Edwards 6-2 210 Sr. <\/p>\n
S\u20141 Peter Manuma 6-0 205 Sr. <\/p>\n
S\u20148 Kilinahe Mendiola-Jensen 6-1 170 Sr. <\/p>\n
CB\u201414 Jaheim Wilson-Jones 5-11 175 Sr. <\/p>\n
The tackle box \u2014 the imaginary rectangle near the line of scrimmage \u2014 is considered the Warriors\u2019 \u201chunting ground.\u201d Mike linebacker Jamih Otis, who amassed 34 stops in the box, is recovering from knee injuries. But Otis\u2019 high school teammate, Giovanni Iovino, is a space eater in plugging run gaps and filling notebooks with observations. Jalen Smith relies on strength, speed and instincts as the dime linebacker on the weak side. When Smith replaces Iovino as the mike, 225-pound Wynden Ho\u2018ohuli, who shed 39 pounds in the offseason, plays the dime. Nickelback Elijah Palmer also can mix it up in the box. Palmer squat-lifted 500 pounds as a Bishop Gorman High senior four years ago. Six D-linemen rotate at the two interior spots. De\u2019Jon Benton, who has drawn comparisons to former UH pocket wrecker Al Noga, can maneuver past O-linemen with first-step quickness and a powerful jab. Of rush end Jackie Johnson III\u2019s 29 tackles, 8.5 were In the backfield, including 7.5 sacks. \u201cI always liked getting after the quarterback,\u201d said Johnson, who sought a life of grime after realizing \u201cI\u2019m not good with the ball in my hands. I can only run straight. I have no brakes.\u201d At an optimistically listed 6 feet, Johnson gets even lower when he sets up in a four-point stance. Johnson follows D-end coach Jordan Pu\u2018u-Robinson\u2019s advice on being \u201cintentional\u201d in workouts and studying videos. \u201cYou can get a rep, even a mental rep, and the more you get, the more sound you get, the more muscle memory.\u201d In practices, quarterbacks are protected by a no-hit mandate. \u201cYou gotta let the dogs rip on game day,\u201d Pu\u2018u-Robinson said.<\/p>\n
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RAINBOW WARRIORS SPECIALISTS <\/p>\n
PK\/KO\u201417 Kansei Matsuzawa 6-2 200 Sr. <\/p>\n
P\u201419 Billy Gowers 6-1 205 Fr. <\/p>\n
Snap\u201433 Jack Mowrey 6-3 240 So. <\/p>\n
H\u201418 Caleb Freeman 6-0 185 Sr. <\/p>\n
KR\u20140 Cam Barfield 5-7 185 So. <\/p>\n
PR\u20148 Tama Uiliata 5-11 190 Fr. <\/p>\n
Jack Mowrey, who was once rated as the nation\u2019s top high school long-snapper, has provided key tips to kicker Kansei Matsuzawa, the Warriors\u2019 first consensus All-American, and punter Billy Gowers, who. averages 46.3 yards per attempt. Mowrey delivers laces-out snaps to holder Caleb Freeman on FG and PAT attempts. On snaps to Gowers, who did not play organized football until joining the Warriors this year, he uses a grip that will compress the football more. Helped by his father, a former Australian rules player, the right-handed Gowers can launch left-footed punts of up to 70 yards.<\/p>\n
Kickoff: 3 p.m. today, Ching Complex | TV: ESPN | Radio: 1420-am \/ 92.7-fm | Line: UH by 11\u20442<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CALIFORNIA vs. HAWAII 7-5 overall, 4-4 in Atlantic Coast | 8-4 overall, 5-3 in Mountain West \u00a0 \u00a0…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":107826,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,14596],"class_list":{"0":"post-107825","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-california","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-california-headlines","10":"tag-california-news","11":"tag-editors"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107825\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}