SAN JOSE, Calif. - Mike MacIntyre is a realist when it comes to facing the University of Hawaii football team, but also an optimist.
The San Jose State coach has a defense ranked 92nd out of the 120 Bowl Subdivision teams, permitting an average of 414.5 yards per game.
The Warriors' passing offense, meanwhile, ranks eighth, averaging 343.4 yards. MacIntyre praised Bryant Moniz during a news conference this week, calling the UH quarterback "just a great player."
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Mike MacIntyre has coached San Jose State to a 2-4 record so far this year.
AP photo
Still, MacIntyre sounded like he feels the Spartans (2-4, 1-1 Western Athletic Conference) can at least slow down the Warriors (3-2, 1-0) when the teams line up today.
"It's a different challenge," MacIntyre said. "It's more of basketball on grass is what it is, really. It's a different challenge for us, but I think we're definitely talented enough and good enough to take advantage of it."
MacIntyre later said: "We're going to have to be better in the secondary than we've been. We're going to have to be better pass-rushing than we've been. And I think we will, because it's kind of a one-dimensional game, so you know what you're going to have to do. I think that allows you to do that. Now, with the speed-option added in, and the types of things they threw in there, that does change it a little bit, but you're in more of a pass-rush mode, more of a cover mode."
Fact Box
College Football
Thursday's Results
SOUTH
Alabama A&M 24, Texas Southern 21
FAR WEST
San Diego St. 41, Air Force 27
Southern Cal 30, California 9
College Football on TV
Today
3 p.m.-Hawaii at San Jose St., ESPN
Saturday
6 a.m.-South Carolina at Mississippi St., KFVE
6 a.m.-Michigan at Michigan St., ESPN
6 a.m.-Indiana at Wisconsin, ESPN2
6 a.m.-Utah at Pittsburgh, ESPNU
6 a.m.-Baylor at Texas A&M, FX
8 a.m.-UNLV at Wyoming, CBSSN
9 a.m.-Florida St. at Duke, FSW
9:30 a.m.-Oklahoma St. at Texas, ABC
9:30 a.m.-LSU at Tennessee, CBS
9:30 a.m.-Ohio St. at Illinois, ESPN
9:30 a.m.-Georgia Tech at Virginia, ESPNU
9:30 a.m.-Pennsylvania at Columbia, VERS
9:30 a.m.-C. Florida at SMU, FSWP
Noon-Alabama at Mississippi, ESPN2
1 p.m.-Florida at Auburn, ESPN
1 p.m.-Clemson at Maryland, ESPNU
1 p.m.-Kansas St. at Texas Tech, FSWP
1:30 p.m.-Stanford at Washington St., VERS
2 p.m.-UAB at Tulsa, CBSSN
3:15 p.m.-Oklahoma at Kansas, ESPN2
4 p.m.-Georgia at Vanderbilt, FSW
4:15 p.m.-Arizona St. at Oregon, ESPN
4:30 p.m.-Prairie View A&M at Alabama St., ESPNU
Moniz threw for a school-record 560 yards in a win over San Jose State last year.
He has passed for 834 yards and 11 touchdowns in his last two games, victories over UC Davis, a Championship Subdivision team, on Sept. 24 and Louisiana Tech on Oct. 1.
"We need to play tighter coverage, or they'll just pitch and catch," MacIntyre said. "Now, they're going to throw it 65 times, so they're going to make some completions, but you have to be tight, get them down, no big plays after they run."
The Warriors, who received one point in the latest coaches poll, did not get much down time during their bye week.
"We're playing for the championship and every game is important so we aren't going to get a lot of time off," UH coach Greg McMackin was quoted as saying last week on the school's website. "Some guys give the whole week off and we are not going to do that. I am going to give them Saturday and Sunday off. But we are going to have a "game plan Tuesday" on Friday, so we are going to get (two) extra days of practice before San Jose State. That is the only way I know how to do it and that is the best plan for us."
