Feature Article on Dennis McKnight

http://www.silive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/Sports/1192708803272500.xml&coll=1

SIA = Staten Island Advance (Thank you Tombo for finding it!)

Note: McKnight is in the Staten Isle Hall of Fame and went to Susan Wagner High

About coaching their OL to protect Colt, McKnight said:
“There’s no special trick,” said McKnight. We don’t have any unknown techniques (for pass blocking). We just emphasize it more. We do more drills for it and we prepare for it.

Brennan is our boy. It’s our job to keep him standing, but at the same time, he makes our job easy. He’s so accurate and so quick with his reads, as quick as anybody in the country. So you do what you do. Same as if we were to line up with two tight ends and two backs and pound it 40 or 50 times a game.” (SIA)

Note: UH has give up just 11 sacks in 7 games.

SIA Note: “McKnight brought that workman attitude — honed by years in the NFL with the Chargers, Lions and Eagles (he was a 1988 Pro Bowl alternate) — back to the Warriors last season when he returned after a six-year absence.

McKnight was the special teams coach and offensive line assistant, but left after the 2000 season to look after his California-based car-washing businesses. Less than a year later, in 2001, he caught the coaching bug again and worked at St. Augustine HS.

After moving to the junior college ranks at Grossmont College, he caught on at San Diego State in 2005 under Tom Craft. But when that regime was ousted, McKnight found a new home at his old one last year.”

About his second tour at UH, McKnight said:
“I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do then and wasn’t sure I could make the commitment. But, I guess it’s just my calling.” (SIA)

SIA Note: “It seems to be working out for the No. 17-ranked Warriors, who last year graduated three offensive linemen who are now “collecting NFL paychecks,” as McKnight likes to say.”

About how McKnight has helped him, sophomore center John Estes said:
“He’s outspoken, especially at the start of games. He gets us fired up. I can feel a difference in my play. I started at guard last year, before moving to center. But I think I was still playing like a guard. He’s showed me the different techniques and different things I can do to get better. He’s a technician and he demands for you to be technically sound every down.” (SIA)

Feeling they do not get enough respect, McKnight said:
“I don’t think that we get a lot of credit in the media. I think people dismiss us as a gimmick and don’t realize how efficient we are. But I tell our guys not to think about it and just control what we can control. And that is, if we’re fortunate enough to go 12-0, we want to go 13-0.

Do we deserve a chance (at the national championship) if we are fortunate enough to go 12-0? Absolutely. I’d say we’d earned it then. Look at Boise State from our conference and what happened last year. The BCS put them in against Oklahoma and probably said ‘Let them go out and get killed and those non-BCS schools will never cry again.’ And look what happened.” (SIA)

Quotes about UH’s D

Not concerned about their “points allowed” stats, GM said:
“I think they’re real skewed. I don’t worry about it at all.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “For one reason, the defense hasn’t been on the field for three touchdown returns the Warriors have given up this year.”

About how their backups allowed many of the TDs at the end of blowout wins, Blaze said:
“If you go back on some of those games, our second and third string was in, so I don’t think those stats really say much about our defense.” (HSB)

About how their main concern on D is to get the ball back for their offense, GM said:
“It’s to get the offense back on the field. It’s not about points or yards or any of that.” (HSB)

HSB Note: “You do that by forcing turnovers and stopping opponents on third down. Hawaii has been exceptional at both, with 18 takeaways and a WAC-low 29.7 third-down-conversion-allowed percentage.”

About how they have actually surpassed their goal for 3rd-down-conversion-allowed percentage, GM said:
“Our goal on third down is 37 percent and we’re below that. The thing we weren’t doing early is sudden change. We don’t want to give up a touchdown on a sudden change. Field goals sometimes you’re forced to live with.” (HSB)

About accepting the invitation to the Senior Bowl, Colt said:
“That’s so cool. It’s the best (bowl) you can get invited to. It’s really the best opportunity for me to get a chance for people to look at me and assess me and get all those stereotypes thrown out the window.” (HSB)

About how he probably won’t be playing in the Hula Bowl, Colt said:
“(The Senior Bowl) is the only one I have been invited to. I would think that’s the only one I would probably play in.” (HSB)

Quotes about the Scout Bowl Draft

About the free-for-all debate over their Scout Bowl draft, Dennis McKnight said:
“Is there any other team in America like this?” (HA)

HA Note: “Head coach June Jones crafted the idea of staging a draft to pick teams for today’s Scout Bowl featuring redshirts and developing players. The Green (coached by defensive seniors) picked one team; the White (coached by offensive seniors) chose the other. Just before the festivities began, the UH Marching Band marched into the athletic complex auditorium, blaring, “Hawai’i Five-0.” By the third song, the hootin’-and-hollerin’ was at jet-decibel level.”

After Green won the coin toss, GM Michael Lafaele whispered the pick to commissioner JJ who walked to the podium and announced:
“With the first pick in the 2007 draft, the Green team selects quarterback Jake Santos. The White team is on the clock.” (HA)

HA Note: “Santos scooted on stage, where he was presented a green No. 1 jersey from linebacker Timo Paepule, who was wearing a tie. Santos and Jones posed for a picture.”

Promising not to hold out, Santos said:
“I’m so happy.” (HA)

About how he and Hercules (co-coaches for the White team) then chose LB Mana Lolotai, Colt said:
“Best player available.” (HA)

Lafaele had a brief conversation with JJ and then announced their 2nd pick, QB Shane Austin (the only other QB available):
“We asked coach Jones if we could pick two quarterbacks, and he said, ‘Yeah, it’s a draft,’ so we did. We played strategy.” (HA)

HA Note: “In a panic, the White coaches scrambled for answers. With its fourth pick, the White team chose slotback Jon Medeiros, who played quarterback at Kapolei High.”

About the desperate situation the White team is in, Lafaele said:
“They have no offense if they go with Jon Medeiros. This isn’t high school football.” (HA)

HA Note: “White’s fifth pick was defensive end Antwan “Tua” Mahaley, a converted wide receiver. Mahaley wore a cap in which the word “Scout” was written on tape. In true post-draft fashion, he spoke in the third person. “Antwan Mahaley plays d-end and receiver,” Mahaley said.

As the 56th — and final — selection, running back Alonzo Chopp, taken by the White, was declared Mr. Irrelevant. He was told he won a trip to Waipahu.”

After Colt and Hercules grabbed him after the draft, QB Austin demanded a trade and insisted he would not report to the Green team, saying:
“I want to be traded. I didn’t sign a contract.” (HA)

About the White team, Lafaele said:
“They’re mad because they don’t have a quarterback. We’re taunting them, and they’re getting all salty.” (HA)

About how they demanded Lolotai but White offered CB JoPierre Davis, Lafaele said:
“That doesn’t make sense. We want something big for our second pick.” (HA)

About how his team wants Shane Austin, Colt said:
“We want Shane. We’ll trade family, but we think they’re at a disadvantage because they have two top picks but only one can play.” (HA)

Rocky Savaiiagaea, a consultant for the Green team, said about having 2 QBs:
“We’ll rotate quarterbacks.” (HA)

HA Note: “Brennan then called Jones, who ordered the teams to work out a one-for-one trade. Jones said he would decide on the second White player to be sent to the Green. Paepule asked for defensive tackle Vaughn Meatoga. Brennan, who was autographing a football, put down the Sharpie and shook Paepule’s hand. “Noooo, Colt,” Satele said. “Not Vaughn.” The deal was called off.”

About how he and Colt shook on Vaughn Meatoga, Paepule said:
“C’mon, Colt, a deal’s a deal.” (HA)

About wanting to trade for Vaughn Meatoga, Lafaele said:
“If we get Vaughn, we’ll have the best o-line and best d-line. We can control the line of scrimmage. That’s where games are won.” (HA)

HA Note: “After a stalemate, both sides agreed to resume talks today.”

Colt said that he would ask if Inoke can enter the draft pool and said that he wouldn’t be involved with the Scout Bowl next year:
“I’m not coming back. It’s not in my contract.” (HA)

Before the draft, Myron Newberry said about their draft plans:
“I’m going to try and take Jake Santos first. He’s tops on Mel Kiper’s list.” (HSB)

About how the Scout Bowl gives them a chance to really evaluate their reserves, GM said:
“There’s a lot of guys waiting for their opportunity. We try to evaluate talent every chance we get, so this will be a big evaluation of our guys and the talent of our guys.” (HSB)

Before the draft, Colt talked about the QB battle expected in the Scout Bowl:
“I think it will be an interesting battle between Jake (Santos) and Shane (Austin). That will be a big test for both of them.” (HSB)