2010 Hawaii Football Predictions

August 26, 2010

The Hawaii Warriors completed their 2009 season at 6-7 and were not invited to a bowl game for the first time in the last three years. The Warriors really struggled to get things going in the WAC last season, as they finished with their first losing record in conference play since 2000, going just 3-5. Heading into the 2010 season the Warriors have just 12 starters back, but still believe they have a shot at finishing with a winning record and making a much strong showing in the MWC. Here is a quick breakdown of what the Warriors will bring to the table this season, plus my thoughts on where they finish the year in conference play.

Offense:

The Warriors will have a couple of options on who to start at quarterback this season, as they return 2009 starter Bryant Monz, who was injured this spring, which allowed junior Shane Austin to get a lot of work with the first team. If Monz is healthy I predict he will be the starting quarterback, but either way this unit should put up better numbers this season.

Senior Alex Green is expected to take over the majority of the carries at running back this season, as the Warriors lose 2009 starter Leon Wright-Jackson. Green is a junior college transfer so it’s hard telling exactly what he will bring to the table, if he is unable to get the job done look for either senior Chizzy Dimude or red-shirt freshman Hogan Rosehill to get more carries.

The passing game figures to be pretty solid this season, as the Warriors bring back three of the starting four from 2009, led by senior Greg Salas, who caught a conference best 106 passes for 1,590 yars and nine touchdowns. Junior Darius Bright transferred in from a junior college this spring, and brings a lot of speed to the table. The other starters back are seniors Rooney Bradley and Kealoha Pilares.

The big concern for the Warriors on this side of the ball comes on the offensive line, as the Warriors only starter back from the 2009 season is junior left tackle Austin Hansen. If this unit struggles to get it going this team is going to struggle to do much of anything on this side of the ball.

Defense:

The Warriors had just one starter back on defense last season, and it showed as the Warriors allowed nearly 30 points a game, the most points they have allowed since giving up nearly 36 points a game in 2005.  The Warriors look to be the strongest at the four defensive line spots on this side of the ball, as they return senior defensive end Elliott Purcell and junior defensive tackle Vaughn Meatoga. The Warriors are pretty high on sophomore defensive end Paipai Falemalu, who had 2 sacks in limited action as a freshman.

Junior Corey Paredes is the only starter back at linebacker, as he is set to return to his starting outside linebacker spot after leading the team with four sacks in 2009. Added to the starting mix will most likely be junior Aaron Brown at the other outside spot and senior Jake Heun in the middle.

The Knights should also be very strong in the secondary as they have all four starters back from last season, led by senior corner Lametrius Davis and senior strong safety Mana Silva. The only problem is the Warriors really struggle to stop the run and it allows opposing teams to keep from testing this secondary.

WAC Prediction –5th: Hard to make a lot of improvements with a completely new offensive line, but I still think the Warriors have a good shot at finishing the 2010 season with a winning record and a bowl game appearance. If the line performs better than expected, the Warriors could be a surprise team in the WAC.

See where Jimmy Boyd has the Knights finishing this year, in his 2010 WAC Predictions.

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Posted by Jimmy Boyd · Filed Under Football Picks, Football Predictions, Football Rankings 

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