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Morris' Big First Half Leads Aina To 38-7 Hula Bowl Win

Marshall's Bernard Morris threw for 172 yards and a touchdown

Jan. 12, 2008

HONOLULU (AP) - With only a few days of preparation for the Hula Bowl, the Aina team had a simple game plan.
Marshall's Bernard Morris threw for 172 yards and a touchdown in the first half to lead the Aina to a 38-7 victory over the Kai in the Hula Bowl on Saturday.
"We just came out here to have fun and throw the ball around a little bit. And that's what we did," said Morris, who finished 11-of-22 and sat out most of the second half.
New Hampshire's Ricky Santos was 10-of-16 for 169 yards, and Tulsa's Paul Smith had 47 yards passing and ran for two short TDs for the Aina (East), which racked up 527 yards of total offense.
Aina's defense also stepped up, setting the tone in the lopsided all-star game. Aina held Kai (West) to 240 yards, including just 35 yards rushing, and forced six turnovers that led to 28 points.
Toledo's Jalen Parmele and Navy's Reggie Campbell each had a 1-yard TD runs in the fourth quarter for Aina. Parmele was the game's leading rusher with 46 yards.
The Aina took control early, forcing three turnovers and recording three sacks in the first half, including two by Cincinnati's Angelo Craig.
"We just tried to come out and show everyone what East Coast football is all about and I think we did that," he said.
Angelo now has his sights on the NFL and vows to return to Aloha Stadium one day.
"I'm coming back but next time it will be in a pro uniform," he said.
Fellow Bearcat Haruki Nakamura intercepted a long pass attempt by Washington State's Alex Brink that led to Morris' 3-yard TD pass to Bruce Hocker that made it 21-0 just before halftime.
Nakamura earlier recovered a fumble by Marcus Thomas near midfield. Six plays later, Smith scored on a 1-yard plunge.
Smith also scored on a 6-yard run to put Aina up 14-0 seconds after Tennessee's J.T. Mapu, who starred at nearby Kahuku High School, stripped Stanford's T.C. Ostrander.
"I thought we would win, but I was surprised that it was by that much," Mapu said. "We just did a good job on both sides of the ball."
Ostrander had a game he wishes the NFL scouts would soon forget. He was 3-of-8 for 52 yards and intercepted twice. San Diego State's Kevin O'Connell was one of the only bright spots for the Kai. He was 11-of-21 for 147 yards. California's Robert Jordan had four catches for 84 yards.
The Kai avoided a shutout when O'Connell connected with Jordan on a 15-yard TD pass play on fourth-and-long to cut the Aina's lead to 24-7 late in the third quarter.
O'Connell found the Hawaii connection on the 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive. He completed passes of 17 and 10 yards to Jason Rivers and a 15-yarder to C.J. Hawthorne.
Arthur Carmody's 38-yard field goal gave the Aina a 24-0 lead to start the second half. He missed a 32-yarder earlier in the game.
"They just played aggressive and they flew around the ball," said Amir Pinnix, who had four carries for 9 yards for the Kai. "I tip my hat to them because they are all-stars and they got some pretty good players over there."
The Aina was coached by Illinois' Ron Zook and Boston College's Jeff Zagodzinski. The Kai was led by UNLV's Mike Sanford and Oregon State's Mike Riley.
"The players were a joy to work with," Zook said. "They are good guys who wanted to help each other and they absolutely came together."
Once the jewel of college all-star games, with alumni including Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Mike Ditka and Fran Trakenton, the Hula Bowl this year appeared to be in trouble.
There were only a couple thousand fans in 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium. Some players complained about overcrowded hotel rooms. In the press box, there was no statistics crew, let alone a bowl representative.
It also was the first time in years the game was not televised by ESPN.



Sounds like I might be all alone. I payed to record it. Thats even funnier.
They need to move this game back to the main land in middle america. Hula bowl should be a regular bowl game of some kind or another.

"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins

hagan714

HULA BOWL PREVIEW
Here is a quick look at who scouts will be concentrating on at this week's Hula Bowl, plus a few side notes.
• The East roster features Virginia Tech wide receiver Josh Morgan, who has impressive speed, but must prove he can beat press coverage and catch the ball consistently. Connecticut cornerback/return man Tyvon Branch and offensive guard Donald Thomas are two of the most interesting players on the roster as both have gone from late round to potentially third- to fifth-round. A pair of MAC runners, Toledo's Jalen Parmalee and Ohio's Kalvin McRae will hope to stand out, but both are considered late-round choices. New Hampshire record-setting quarterback Ricky Santos hopes to prove he can make plays and that his average size will not be too much of a drawback. North Carolina pass rusher Hilee Taylor will work at both defensive end and outside linebacker. Arkansas State safety Tyrell Johnson is an underrated all-around defender who with a solid week of practice could move himself into the third round.
• The West roster has San Diego State quarterback Kevin O'Connell whose size, mobility and improved passing skills have helped raise his stock. Oregon State running back Yvenson Bernard is hoping to show scouts that his knee is 100 percent and that he has better straight-line speed than currently projected. He needs to come up with some big plays as a receiver or return man to up his grade. Montana pass rusher Kroy Biermann will draw a lot of notice in early practices, but has to show he can play at the tempo of the top-division prospects and flash the same closing burst he has on film. Nevada tight end/H-Back Adam Bishop is fairly athletic for his size and could see the ball come his way often both in the practices and game. Minnesota safety Dominique Barber, the younger brother of All-Pro running back Marion Barber, hopes to move up from a mid-round type prospect. San Diego State offensive tackle Will Robinson is a guy who could make a name for himself. He has good size (6-foot-6, 285-290 pounds) and has been timed at between 4.92 to 4.98 in the 40.
SIDELINE NOTES
• Both West Texas A&M tight end Kolo Kapanui (illness) and Northern Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Keith (personal/family) are not attending this week's game.
• Ohio State linebacker Larry Grant said he intends to fly out to the game following the BCS title game as long as he's healthy.
• Colorado linebacker Jordon Dizon, Arkansas offensive lineman Robert Felton, Virginia Tech wide receiver Eddie Royal were originally listed on the rosters, but have been invited to the Senior Bowl.
• Virginia Tech offensive tackle Duane Brown, Pittsburgh defensive end Joe Clermond and Arkansas defensive back Michael Grant have passed on their invites to concentrate on next week's East-West Shrine Game.
• West Virginia defensive lineman Johnny Dingle, a fourth-year junior, was unable to attend. NFL scouts are not permitted to speak or evaluate underclassmen until after Jan. 19.

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"We may have lost the game, but you'll be hurting tomorrow." Doug Atkins