USC (0-0 overall) vs. Hawaii (0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 1, 4:30 p.m. PT
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
TV: FOX
Radio: ESPNLA 710am (pre-game show starts at noon)
Scouting Hawaii: New Mountain West Conference member Hawaii, which went 6-7 in 2011 in its 33rd and final season in the Western Athletic Conference, is guided by Norm Chow, the one-time Trojan assistant who is in his first year as a head coach after 40 years in the profession. UH returns 10 starters (6 on offense). Although the Warriors will be breaking in a new quarterback and will no longer employ the run-and-shoot offense, they return their leading rusher -- powerful RB Joey Iosefa (110 carries, 548 yards, 5.0 ypc, 7 TD in 2011, plus 20 receptions, 122 yds, 6.1 ypc, 1 TD receiving) -- and 4 of their top 5 pass catchers: WRs Billy Ray Stutzmann (78 rec, 910 yds, 11.7 avg, 4 TD in 2011), who led the team, along with Jeremiah Ostrowski (65 rec, 687 yds, 10.6 avg, 5 TD in 2011), Justin Clapp (38 rec, 356 yds, 9.4 avg, 4 TD in 2011) and Trevor Davis (28 rec, 366 yds, 13.1 avg, 3 TD in 2011). Hawaii’s top defenders include returning starters LB Art Laurel (61 tackles, 14.5 for loss, 9 sacks, 1 interception, 1 pass defensed, 1 fumble recovery, 3 forced fumbles in 2011), DL Paipai Falemalu (50 tkl, 6 for loss, 4.5 sack, 1 dfl in 2011) and DBs John Hardy-Tuliau (73 tkl, 1 sack, 3 int, 11 dfl, 3 FF, 4 blocked kicks in 2011) and ex-Tennessee Vol Mike Edwards (43 tkl, 1.5 for loss, 1 int, 11 dfl in 2011, plus 44 kickoff returns, 1086 yds, 24.7 ypr). WR Scott Harding (6 rec, 67 yds, 11.2 avg in 2011, plus 19 punt returns, 141 yds, 7.4 avg and 12 KOR, 253 yds, 21.1 avg), a onetime professional Australian Rules Football player, was a Freshman All-American as a punt returner.
courtesy USC sports information
