Game Notes

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i Warrior football team and No. 14 Southern California will help kick-off the 2010 college football season as one of 18 games on Thursday, Sept. 2. Kick-off for the nationally televised game on ESPN is 5:00 p.m. HT at Aloha Stadium.

 

The Warriors and Trojans have met six previous times with USC winning each game, including a 63-17 victory in the last meeting in 2005 at Aloha Stadium. The teams also opened the 1999 season at Aloha Stadium with USC winning 62-7. Both of those games resulted in sold-out crowds in addition to the 1978 regular-season finale, won by the Trojans 21-5 at Aloha Stadium.

 

Head coach Greg McMackin begins his third season with the Warriors, who are coming off a 6-7 campaign in 2009. UH was plagued by the injury bug last season including at the quarterback position where third-stringer Bryant Moniz came off the bench to start eight of the final nine games of the season. In his first year of Division I action, Moniz led the Warrior passing offense which ranked third nationally at 337.0 yards per game and slot receiver Greg Salas ranked fourth nationally in receiving yards per game (122.3) and sixth in receptions per game (8.15).

 

The Warriors return five starters on offense and another seven on defense, including its entire two-deep secondary, which features safety Mana Silva, who ranked 11th nationally with six interceptions. Hawai'i's defensive line in anchored by junior tackle Vaughn Meatoga.

 

The 2010 season marks the debut for Lane Kiffin as USC head coach. Kiffin served as head coach at Tennessee in 2009, leading the Vols to a 7-6 record. Prior to that, Kiffin coached 20 games for the Oakland Raiders during the 2007 and '08 seasons and was an assistant coach at USC from 2001-06, the last two years as its offensive coordinator.

 

The Trojans finished 9-4 last season and suffered its most losses since 2001. USC tied for fifth in the Pac-10 with a 5-4 mark but defeated Boston College, 24-13 in the Emerald Bowl. USC is currently on probation by the NCAA until 2014 and cannot participate in a bowl game in 2010 and '11.