TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Two nights ago, a loud storm rocked the area.

This evening, another sort of lightning-and-thunder show will be on display when Hawai'i and Alabama meet at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Kickoff is 1:05 p.m. Hawai'i time.

For decades, UH coach June Jones has gone against tradition. While others run to set up the pass, Jones prefers to pass to set up more passes. He is a rebel without a pause, using a four-wide offense to thin defenses, create mismatches in the passing lanes, and roll up yards.

"I've been on a treadmill all week because I know we're going to have to do a lot of running," Alabama cornerback Ramzee Robinson said. "It's going to be a high-tempo game, because they do a lot of passing. We've been trying to practice fast."

Mouse Davis, who coaches the UH running backs, owns the patent on the run-and-shoot offense, and Jones has borrowed pieces to create the four-wide attack — a read-and-attack system.

"They've been at this longer than most folks have shoes," Alabama defensive coordinator Joe Kines said.

Although Alabama coach Mike Shula was a quarterback at his alma mater, this is the South, and offenses are designed with the running attack in mind.

That's especially the case when the featured back is Kenneth Darby, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons.

"Their (offensive linemen are) big, and they're going to try and pound it down our throats," UH nose tackle Michael Lafaele said.

UH defensive end Ikaika Alama-Francis said: "It's no secret what they want to do. They like that straight-up-power attack. And we have to watch that guy (Darby). He's shifty. He's a wonderful player."

Here's a closer look at the game:

HAWAI'I OFFENSE

HT. WT. YR.

LWR—84 Jason Rivers 6-2 192 Jr.

LSB—7 Davone Bess 5-10 195 So.

LT—70 Tala Esera 6-4 308 Sr.

LG—65 Hercules Satele 6-2 288 Jr.

C—64 Samson Satele 6-3 298 Sr.

RG—55 John Estes 6-2 290 Fr.

RT—72 Dane Uperesa 6-4 305 Sr.

RSB—1 Ryan Grice-Mullins 5-11 179 So.

RWR—82 Ross Dickerson 5-10 198 Sr.

QB—15 Colt Brennan 6-3 196 Jr.

RB—4 Nate Ilaoa 5-9 252 Sr.

Outlook: The Warriors are so deep at receiver that few noticed wideouts Ian Sample and Chad Mock missed the team bus yesterday. Athletic director Herman Frazier drove Sample and Mock from Atlanta to Birmingham, where the team is staying through tomorrow morning.

In Jones' first seven seasons as UH head coach, the receivers were rarely substituted except for injuries. This year, Jones said he is willing to rotate Rivers and Mock on the left side, and Dickerson and Sample on the right. Brennan, who led the nation in passing yards and TD passes as a third-year sophomore last season, might be the most efficient quarterback in school history. He completed 21 of 21 bubble screens and swing passes last season, and connected on 41 percent of his deep throws. In comparison, Tim Chang, the NCAA's career leader in passing yards, was in the low 30s on long passes.

Guards Hercules Satele and John Estes are first-year starters, and Samson Satele, who perfected the lead block on pulls to the right, has moved from left guard to center. "Sam can handle that position," Jones said. "He can handle any position."

With so much focus on Ilaoa's health last season, his easy transition from slotback to running back was overlooked. "I grew up playing running back, since third grade, and I never played receiver until my junior year of high school," said Ilaoa, who averaged 7.6 yards per carry last season. "I've had 'running back' in me for a long time."

HAWAI'I DEFENSE

LE—98 Melila Purcell III 6-5 276 Sr.

NT—67 Michael Lafaele 6-0 302 Jr.

RE—91 Ikaika Alama-Francis 6-6 290 Sr.

LOLB—8 Tyson Kafentzis 6-1 230 So.

ILB—41 Solomon Elimimian 6-0 224 So.

ILB—44 Adam Leonard 6-0 236 So.

ROLB—33 C.J. Allen-Jones 6-1 224 So.

LCB—34 A.J. Martinez 5-10 179 Jr.

FS—42 Leonard Peters 6-1 217 Sr.

SS—31 Jake Patek 6-0 202 Jr.

RCB—19 C.J. Hawthorne 5-11 167 Jr.

Outlook: The Warriors had difficulty in switching from a 4-3 scheme, which UH played in the previous six seasons, to the 3-4 last year, Jerry Glanville's first as UH defensive coordinator. They appeared to be most vulnerable in defending the run, which they hope to correct physically and scheme-wise.

Deciding the ends were too light, Glanville ordered Purcell and Alama-Francis to gain weight. He also moved Keala Watson and Fale Laeli from nose tackle to defensive end. Purcell has gained 30 pounds during the offseason, and now weighs 276. Francis, who is 290, has added 75 pounds since moving from the UH basketball team three years ago.

Until early last week, Brashton Satele and Amani Purcell were the first-team outside linebackers. Both missed some practice time with nagging injuries, but each will be used in a rotation against Alabama. Because of the expected humidity, the Warriors had hoped to rotate the front seven every other play. The revised plan does not specify substitution times.

HAWAI'I SPECIALISTS

PK—86 Daniel Kelly 6-3 202 So.

P/H—25 Kurt Milne 6-0 205 Sr.

LS—57 Jake Ingram 6-4 268 So.

KR—82 Ross Dickerson 5-10 198 Sr.

KR—24 Kenny Patton 6-0 188 Sr.

PR—19 C.J. Hawthorne 5-11 167 Jr.

Outlook: The Warriors have shaken up special teams, beginning with the return of Dennis McKnight, who was a full-time UH coach in 1999 and 2000 but now is serving as a graduate assistant. The Warriors have experimented with several kick-return schemes, including one involving two deep returners instead of one. On punts, Milne will join the action as a would-be tackler, instead of staying back 30 yards as a safety.

ALABAMA OFFENSE

WR—81 Keith Brown 6-3 204 Jr.

LT—71 Andre Smith 6-4 348 Fr.

LG—50 Justin Britt 6-4 290 Jr.

C—59 Antoine Caldwell 6-4 288 So.

RG—61 B.J. Stabler 6-4 295 Fr.

RT—72 Chris Capps 6-7 283 Jr.

TE—83 Travis McCall 6-2 264 So.

WR—22 D.J. Hall 6-3 186 Jr.

QB—14 John Parker Wilson 6-2 209 So.

FB—33 Le'Ron McClain 6-1 257 Sr.

RB—34 Kenneth Darby 5-11 215 Sr.

Outlook: The lineup, but not the playbook, has undergone a drastic makeover. Wilson will make his first NCAA start. "I'm pretty excited," said Wilson, who completed 7-of-11 passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns in five games last season. His favorite target, Hall, may or may not be available. There are questions about Hall's eligibility that will be addressed today.

Last year's best blocker, Caldwell, moved from guard to center before the Cotton Bowl in January. Capps moved from left tackle to right, opening the way for Smith to become the first true freshman to start on the offensive line for Alabama since Dante Ellington in 1999.

The only constant is the Tide's reliance on Power-O, a pet running play. The play calls for the tackle and tight end to double team a defensive end, the neighboring guard to trap-block the nose tackle and the fullback, as a lead blocker, to take on the outside linebacker. That creates an off-tackle lane for Darby.

If the defense loads up on the tight end's side of the formation, the Tide runs a counter-play for Darby to the opposite side. And when defenses bring up an eighth defender into the tackle box — the imaginary rectangle near the line of scrimmage — the Tide will attempt play-action passes to the wideouts.

ALABAMA DEFENSE

LE—92 Wallace Gilberry 6-4 264 Jr.

LT—99 Jeremy Clark 6-3 306 Sr.

RT—96 Dominic Lee 6-2 289 Sr.

RE—94 Keith Saunders 6-3 248 Jr.

OLB—42 Juwan Simpson 6-3 226 Sr.

MLB—56 Matt Collins 6-1 245 Jr.

OLB—55 Terrance Jones 6-0 226 Sr.

LCB—1 Ramzee Robinson 5-10 196 Sr.

FS—20 Marcus Carter 6-0 200 Jr.

SS—3 Jeffrey Dukes 6-2 199 Sr.

RCB—2 Simeon Castille 6-1 189 Jr.

Outlook: There are two ways to counter-attack UH's four-wide offense: add more defensive backs or load up on the pass rush. In the first meeting between the teams in 2002, the Tide sent the pass rush from UH's right side so the right-handed quarterback could see the pressure, forcing him to release the pass too early. That plan failed in the rematch, when UH was able to stop the pass rush and find open receivers against the undermanned defensive secondary.

While defensive end Wallace Gilberry is a menacing pass rusher from either side, the Tide also has practiced with formations involving five defensive backs. During workouts, Robinson said, "we made our scouts (who portrayed the Warriors) run at full speed because Hawai'i's not going to play us at half speed. That's what we tried to stress."

Meanwhile, Gilberry said he has spent hours studying videotapes of UH's two starting tackles. "I've seen about five or six tendencies on both of them," Gilberry said. "There's no such thing as being too prepared."

The availability of Simpson, who had been involved in legal trouble, also will be resolved today.

ALABAMA SPECIALISTS

PK—86 Jamie Christensen 6-0 183 Jr.

P/H—11 P.J. Fitzgerald 5-11 188 Fr.

LS—51 Luke Spaulding 6-0 217 Sr.

KR—22 D.J. Hall 6-3 186 Jr.

KR/PR—28 Javier Arenas 5-8 176 Fr.

Outlook: Christensen's says he's sufficiently recovered from a groin injury suffered Aug. 14. His immediate backup is Leigh Tiffin, whose father Van Tiffin made all 135 of his PATs as an Alabama kicker from 1983 to 1986.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.