SEATTLE – It was the second quarter against USC and Manase Hopoi was on the punt-coverage team.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
UW’s Manase Hopoi, who leads the Pac-10 with eight sacks, tackles UCLA quarterback Drew Olson in a game earlier this season.
That the 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive tackle from the University of Washington should be quick and athletic enough to be part of one of the best punt-coverage teams in the Pacific-10 Conference is a story in itself, but it gets better.
Hopoi was chasing down Reggie Bush, the most dangerous return man in the nation when 180-pound Desmond Reed unloaded on Hopoi with a jarring block that Hopoi never saw coming. Hopoi and the turf became one.
Hesitation. Then the crowd went something that sounded like, “Owwwhhhhh.”
Except Hopoi didn’t stay there. Somehow, he gathered himself, shook out the cobwebs, chased Bush again and took him down.
Call it the Randy Hart School of Defensive Linemen, named after the Huskies’ defensive line coach.
“Coach Hart says you never see an NFL player on the ground, or he gets fired,” Hopoi said.
Truth be told, Hopoi isn’t on the ground much at all.
The stats speak for themselves.
Hopoi, a senior from Sacramento, Calif., leads the Pac-10 in both tackles for loss (19) and quarterback sacks (eight). Against the Trojans, Hopoi tied Jerry Jensen’s school record for tackles for loss in one game (six) and got all three Husky sacks.
So that’s the reason, when Hopoi’s brother called him after the game and flipped him grief for getting knocked down, Hopoi didn’t mind.
“Hey, I got back up and made the tackle,” he said, smiling. “The only thing that bothered me was getting hit like that on national TV.”
The USC game was Hopoi’s first at defensive tackle since end Mike Mapuolesega injured a knee in the second game of the season, against UCLA. Hopoi filled in for Mapuolesega.
While Hopoi was fine at end, Saturday showed that he can be a great defensive tackle.
“I’ve always thought Manase was a better inside player, with the quickness in his hands, than, say, an outside player, where a lot of that is footspeed,” UW coach Keith Gilbertson said. “He’s played well. He’s certainly having a nice couple of years.”
Yet, football certainly isn’t the only aspect of Hopoi’s life that’s important to him.
As a partial qualifier academically, Hopoi was forced to sit out his freshman year, in 2001, to accustom himself to the rigors of school.
“I slacked up a little bit in high school,” he said. “I didn’t do too great. Washington gave me an opportunity to come here to go to school and play football.”
Under partial-qualifier regulations, Hopoi must be on track to graduate at the end of this season to get back his fourth year of athletic eligibility.
An American Ethnic Studies major, Hopoi is on that path. He needs fewer that 20 credits to graduate after this quarter, a virtual slam dunk.
“I’ll be the first in my family to get a college degree,” Hopoi said. “I want to set a standard for my family and set a standard for myself. It’s been difficult at times, trying to balance school and practice and everything else, like trying to have a social life.”
It appears that Hopoi wants to continue that balance for another year. Although his numbers suggest he may be a candidate for the NFL Draft in May, Hopoi says he has much to work on.
“I don’t think I’m quite capable of going into the NFL right now,” he said. “I have a lot to work on before I go on to the next level, although it would be nice to hear what (NFL scouts) have to say. I hope I open some eyes. But I’ve got to work on my speed, strength and balance. A couple of times last weekend, I tripped and fell.”
Which means he’s likely back for another year at the Randy Hart School of Defensive Linemen.
Bonnell in mix: Quarterback Carl Bonnell, who aggravated a groin injury in Monday night’s practice, has improved after treatment and is in the running to start Saturday at Oregon.
It was thought earlier in the week that Isaiah Stanback and Casey Paus were the only ones in the running, but that is no longer the case.
Still, Gilbertson was not ready Wednesday to name a starter.
“Carl was the starter prior to his injury,” Gilbertson said. “I want to see if he’s all the way back.”
Short bursts: Defensive tackle Wilson Afoa likely will miss Saturday’s game because of a sprained foot … Tight end Jon Lyon has been missing gradually more practices per week with a swollen knee. Earlier, he would miss Mondays and Tuesdays, only to practice Wednesdays and Thursdays. Behind him are young tight ends in Dash Crutchley and Robert Lewis, which severely limits the Huskies’ two-tight-end offense … The placekicking competition between Michael Braunstein and Evan Knudson is about even, Gilbertson said … Wideout Charles Frederick hasn’t practiced this week because of a hamstring pull and may not play Saturday.
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