The Sports Network

By Gregg Xenakes, Associate College Football Editor

GAME NOTES: On the field that was home for the Hawaii Warriors who went a perfect 12-0 in the regular season, the 62nd Annual Hula Bowl showcases the nation's top all-stars in a game that pits the best from the East (Aina) versus the top performers coming out of the West (Kai) at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. With a number of postseason all-star games now clamoring to grab the most recognizable names and top talent from across the nation, this year Illinois head coach Ron Zook gets to guide the players from his side of the United States, while Oregon State's Mike Riley leads the boys closer to the South Pacific. Last year the East All-Stars captured an 18-10 victory. The victory was the fifth in a row for the group since the contest renamed the squads from North and South between 1997-2002. All the familiar schools are represented here in 2008, from Ohio State and Virginia Tech to USC and Utah. In between one can also find diamonds in the rough from McNeese State and Gardner-Webb to Chadron State and West Texas A&M, not to mention this year's winner of the Buck Buchanan Award, the most outstanding defensive player in FCS college football, Montana defensive end Kroy Biermann. Since its beginnings in 1947 when mainland college players were stacked up against a group of locals from Leiehua High School, this game has undergone countless alterations and adaptations, even pitting the best of the College Stars against the best performers from Hawaii as recently as 1994. In an effort to create a more competitive event, the Hawaiian team over years has even been infused with NFL players, before going back to just collegiate performers in the 1960s.

The quarterbacks listed on the East All-Star roster may not be household names that most casual fans would recognize, but they are no less exciting, especially with New Hampshire's Ricky Santos leading the way. Santos, who was named the Walter Payton Award winner following the 2006 campaign when he threw for 23 touchdowns and ran for another 12, is credited with more than 13,000 passing yards in his career, leading to 123 touchdowns. He's also picked up better than 1,400 yards on the ground, en route to another 30 scores, so it's never easy figuring out how to stop him. Tulsa signal-caller Paul Smith was just in action on Sunday when he threw for 312 yards and five touchdowns in a rout of Bowling Green in the GMAC Bowl. Smith finished with an incredible 5,065 yards and 47 passing touchdowns altogether this past season. Toledo running back Jalen Parmele managed to place ninth in the nation this season with an average of 125.9 ypg and scored 14 touchdowns coming out of the backfield for the Golden Flashes, while Ohio's Kalvin McRae placed 14th in the country with his 119.5 ypg on the ground and also made it into the end zone 19 times. As part of one of the top passing offenses at the FCS level, Duquesne wideout Bruce Hocker brings 162 career receptions for almost 2,600 yards and 33 touchdowns into the festivities.

Representing the nation's top defense from Ohio State strong safety Larry Grant is scheduled to make an appearance following his team's performance in the national title game on Monday night in New Orleans. Also slated to see time in the secondary for the group are Syracuse free safety Joe Fields, Arkansas State's Tyrell Johnson and Kansas State DB Justin McKinney. Fields placed first on the Orange and eighth in the Big East with an average of eight tackles per game, accounting for half of his career eight interceptions this past season. One of the nation's best with six picks this season, Johnson scored a touchdown versus Tennessee on a return back in September, while McKinney tallied 51 solo tackles, had three INTs and a blocked kick on his way to the island. Earning some recognition for Florida Atlantic, linebacker Cergile Sincere gets the invite to Honolulu based on 64 solo tackles and six forced fumbles for a team that didn't have that great of a campaign. McNeese State's Bryan Smith placed first in his conference and ninth in the FCS with just under two tackles for loss per game and was third in the nation with 1.05 sacks per game as well.

Of the three signal-callers listed on the West roster, two are coming in from the Pac-10 Conference in Stanford's T.C. Ostrander and Washington State's Alex Brink. Representing the Mountain West Conference and San Diego State is Kevin O'Connell who finished his career as the program's top rushing quarterback. Not only did O'Connell help make the SDSU passing attack second in the MWC with 272.7 ypg, he was also the team's top rusher with close to 36 ypg. Brink had a pair of games this season in which he threw for five touchdowns, although he was also put in his place by an Oregon State defense that logged an incredible six interceptions against him as well. Certain to get wild applause from the hometown crowd, offensive guard Hercules Satele and wideouts Jason Rivers and C.J. Hawthorne will also play their part for the offense. Rivers, who scored four times in the win over Washington at the end of the regular season, had 13 TDs overall for the Warriors, while Hawthorne managed to finish with 61 catches for 859 yards and six touchdowns for the squad. Also setting up on the outside for the squad will be Nebraska receiver Maurice Purify who finished seventh in the Big 12 with 74 yards per game receiving, finishing with nine touchdowns, of which six came against Kansas and Colorado in wild offensive showings. Oregon State running back Yvenson Bernard, who total 13 rushing TDs, will be like everyone else getting to see Chadron State's Danny Woodhead (1,597 yards, 21 TDs) in action.

Local favorites on the defensive side of the ball for the West All-Stars include defensive back Jacob Patek and tackle Michael Lafaele. Patek, who finished the campaign with 38 unassisted stops, had three interceptions, including one in the ill-fated Sugar Bowl versus Georgia. Fellow WAC representatives include Jason Shirley of Fresno State and New Mexico State's Maurice Murray, the latter recording three of his seven solo tackles this season against the opposing quarterback. Also represented well in this contest are the Utah Utes, what with Steve Tate, Martail Burnett and Gabe Long all appearing on the defensive side of the ball. Burnett placed fifth in the Mountain West in sacks with just over one-half per game and was sixth in TFLs with 1.15 per outing. Tate was second on the Utah tackles for loss list with 0.81 per game and was first on the team with close to eight stops per game overall. First in the Big 12 and second in the entire nation in terms of total tackles per game with an average of 12.46 per outing, Jordon Dizon is in to give Colorado some recognition. Fellow linebackers include USC's Thomas Williams, Joey LaRocque of Oregon State and Iowa's Mike Humpal, the latter placing first on the Hawkeyes tackles list with more than 10 per game and second with three picks. Air Force heavy hitter Jon Rabold brings along three solo sacks and five assists, leading to a loss of 45 yards, as well as three forced fumbles. Biermann, the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP, totaled 15 sacks, 18 TFLs and forced five fumbles.

The outcome of these games is never the important part of the event, rather an opportunity for players to get on the field one last time. Considering the high number of Hawaii Warriors on the squad and the excitement that both Rivers and Hawthorne can bring to a game, they will probably put their stamp on this outing as they try to get the West All-Stars into the win column.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Hula-West (Kai) 28, Hula-East (Aina) 17