’Bows have seen
that scheme

UH to face the rare 5-2 defense
for the second time
in three weeks

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

University of Hawaii offensive coordinator Wally English sees it as some kind of an omen.

In this era of 3-4 and 4-3 defensive schemes, the chances of running across the old 5-2 formation popularized by Oklahoma decades ago is about as likely as encountering the wishbone. You might see it once over the course of two seasons, but that's about it.

Hawaii encountered the defensive alignment two weeks ago against Air Force. English had to dust off the pages of the playbook used to attack the formation that employs five down linemen and two linebackers. But his game plan worked well, as the 27 points and 357 total yards would attest.

Imagine how surprised English was when he pulled out tapes of San Jose State and saw the Spartans lined up in the 5-2.

"It brought a small smile to my face," English said in a reverent tone. "Not only do we get to play it again, we had the bye week to spend time fine-tuning some things.

"That doesn't guarantee us a victory. But it does allow us three weeks to go against a defensive alignment that you don't see that often. If we prepare well and limit our mistakes, then we have a chance to snap this losing streak you guys keep talking about."

Hawaii has dropped 19 consecutive Western Athletic Conference road games since beating Texas-El Paso in October of 1992. Hawaii hasn't won at San Jose State in 39 years. The Rainbows tied the Spartans the last time the two teams met at Spartan Stadium in 1991.

English said the Rainbows would use a game plan similar to the one used against the Falcons. The big difference -- San Jose State's defense isn't as statistically sound as Air Force's.

The Spartans are yielding nearly 200 yards a game on the ground. Hawaii managed only 26 yards rushing against Air Force, so English hopes freshman running back Charles Tharp can cut loose and help open the passing lanes for quarterback Josh Skinner.

Free safety Lyle West leads the Spartans with 106 tackles this season. The junior from Fremont, Calif., also leads the team in interceptions (five) and pass breakups (10).

Fortunately for Hawaii, West might be the only player in the secondary familiar with his position. The Spartans are injury-riddled at defensive back. So much so that San Jose State head coach Dave Baldwin said starting strong safety Wardell Crutchfield will have to play corner Saturday.

"They kind of remind me of us," English said. "They've had a bunch of injuries that have forced them to put people at positions they aren't comfortable playing. Hopefully we can take advantage of that."

UH defensive coordinator Don Lindsey hopes the same. Like the defense, the San Jose State offense has struggled this season. The Spartans have used three quarterbacks and have seven running backs with 20 or more carries.

"And that's a lot when considering they come at you primarily from a one-back set," Lindsey said. "They are kind of a blend of San Diego State, UNLV and Cal State Northridge. They like to use four wide receivers and get you in man situations in the secondary.

"They're also pretty good at it. They remind me of our offense. One week they look really good, then they have problems because of turnovers and penalties. They don't scare you to death, but they do give you cause for concern."

The Spartans' three starting receivers -- Oliver Newell, Waking Bailey and Gabe Payne -- have combined for 104 receptions for 1,242 yards and six touchdowns. Leading rusher Carlos Meeks has 322 yards on 82 carries, but he sprained his ankle at San Diego State last weekend, forcing Baldwin to go with Donte Scarbrough. In six games this year, Scarbrough has 193 yards and one touchdown.

At quarterback, senior Dan O'Dell will start, but Brian Vye could also see playing time.

O'Dell is 61-for-133 for 577 yards and four touchdowns. Vye is 77 of 168 for 1,006 yards and five touchdowns. The two have tossed 16 interceptions between them.

"And that's something we have to be aware of as a defense," Lindsey said. "We might have an opportunity to make some big plays, and we need to in order to give ourselves a chance to win.

"We'll scheme them kind of like we did against San Diego State and UNLV. They'll run some, but most of the time we expect the football to be in the air."

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