Dim Sum

Tip of the Day: Don't eat dim sum that's been in the fridge for nearly a week and then underheat it. You gotta throw it out or fully re-cook. There is no in-between. Nonetheless, it was delicious -- that is until this morning when it decided to leave my body in an untimely fashion and in different directions. But this has nothing to do with UH football, so on with the belated links.

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Stephen Tsai has more on recent commit Gabe Tuata.

Laau "Airplane" Tuata said his son "is committed to UH." Laau Tuata said he will attend UH's game against San Jose State next week, and "I'm going to go to every one next year."

Gabe Tuata said he received strong interest from Boise State, Arizona, Colorado and Brigham Young. But Tuata said he wanted to play in UH's four-wide offense and learn from quarterback Colt Brennan. He also praised point recruiter Rich Miano, who coaches the defensive backs.

Tuata said he was told he will compete at slotback.

"I'm fine with anything," he said.

Sounds more and more like he'll become a Warrior. That's excellent news. Especially reading the mad props from his coach.

"We used him as a punt returner and kick returner," Kealakehe coach Cliff Walters said. "He has scored quite a few touchdowns on returns. I'd say he's averaging about one a game. He certainly gives us field position."

Tuata, who is 5 feet 7 and 175 pounds, can run 40 yards in 4.49 seconds.

"And that's on grass," Walters said. "He's very quick. He has excellent hands. He's probably the best receiver I've seen, and certainly the best in the BIIF. He has a 42-inch vertical (jump). To some, size is important. But when he goes downfield for a pass, he'll come up with it. He plays as if he's 6-2."

Graunke to Tuata sounds great. So does Funaki to Tuata. In the second half of the article, Tsai has an update on who may be starting this week (Ryan Keomaka at corner and Tyson Kafentzis at OLB) as well as a funny exchange between injured corner A.J. Martinez and Keomaka.

Keomaka has emerged because of his consistent tackling, surprising for a defender who is 5 feet 9 and 170 pounds.

"See this?" Keomaka said, pointing to a patch on the back of his neck. "Titanium stuff. It's because of my muscles."

Martinez began to laugh as Keomaka flexed his biceps.

It is Keomaka's jovial personality that has confounded coaches, and led to him being dismissed from the team twice in the past year.

"Sometimes they don't take me seriously," said Keomaka, who has an interception in each of the past two games. "I always have a smile. I'm a happy guy. But when I'm playing, I'm serious. I don't smile. I'm mentally focused. Right?"

He then begins to laugh.

"Guys like Ryan, and sometimes even me, it may seem like we're joking all of the time, but we're not," said Martinez, who answers to the nickname Smiley. "When it comes down to it, we get the job done and are very focused, especially Ryan.

Ryan Keomaka's story, persevering through his academic and on-the-field struggles, is something to be written about when he emerges as a breakout player next year. Who knows, it could happen in these last five games. Right now he has a two-game interception streak and I have a feeling he'll make it three this Saturday!

Dave Reardon reprints his Tuata update from yesterday and writes that Leonard Peters is still the man, willing to play through injury.

Starting free safety Leonard Peters said he plans to play in UH's game Saturday against Louisiana Tech at Aloha Stadium despite a "loose" knee.

"I'm going to play," Peters said after yesterday's practice, while he rode the exercise bike. "Unless they hold me out."

"They" would have to be the training staff, because coach June Jones won't hold out Peters. "It's his decision," Jones said.

Peters missed all but the first game of last season with an ACL injury in the same knee. He has played most of this season with torn rib cartilage.

Peters said he plans to rest the knee again today and then see how it goes running on it tomorrow.

If he is unable to go, backup safety Mike Malala might start.

"Just in case," said Malala, who worked out with the first team at strong and free safety yesterday. "Some of the boys are kind of banged up. I've been waiting (for more play at safety), but I take pride in my special teams."

I think Coach Jones or the training staff should make Leonard rest it. We need him to be super healthy for the final games as the opponents get tougher and tougher. Leonard's not gonna take himself out because he loves the game too much. Oh well, let's hope his knee gets better quickly.

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Ferd Lewis writes about Louisiana Tech's football team needing to go on the road to play big teams for the big paychecks so their athletic department stays solvent, even if it means getting crushed.

Earlier this week, Dave Reardon spoke to June Jones, who hinted that Herman Frazier probably scheduled a few out-of-conference road games next year. I really hope Hawaii will play some BIG TIME teams on the road willing to give them some big checks. For one, I believe the athletic department is still in the red and needs all the money it can get. And for two(?) I think next year's team is gonna be awesome enough that we just might go into somebody's house and take their money as well as a frickin HUGE win or two. But I'm just speculating until there's an announcement. Come on Herman! You can do it!

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Jimmy Watson of the Shreveport Times has some quotes from La Tech head coach Jack Bicknell giving some love, tinged with dread, to the UH offense.

"I don't know if Hawaii is on pace to set some kind of scoring record but they have certainly gone nuts the last few weeks," Bicknell said. "We need to try to slow them down, but it's not like you'll hold them to seven points or something. Then we have to answer with our scores."

While Brennan is on pace to set an NCAA single season touchdown mark, Bicknell is particularly worried about Warrior running back Nate Ilaoa. The 5-foot-9, 248-pound senior is 19th in the country in all-purpose yards with 1,182 through nine games.

"Their running back is probably who I fear the most, as far as making plays," Bicknell said. "Little slip screens, little shovel passes. I don't know what he weighs -- I'm afraid to look -- but he's a big, thick guy who can really run. He bounces off people. To me, he's who really makes that offense go."

If you think the injuries plaguing the Warriors are bad, and they are, you should read this article by The News Star's Scott Beder about the injuries plaguing Louisana Tech.

Last spring the Bulldogs lost defensive end Thad Williams for the season with a knee injury. Williams, a converted tight end, was coming on strong.

Then this fall, during two-a-days, starting defensive end Jared Patron suffered a season-ending knee injury.Since the season has started, Tech has had five defensive starters miss time with various ailments, while another handful are playing with injuries that are limiting their ability.

"The only other time in my experience (injuries have been this bad) was Frank Solute's first year (at Nebraska) in 1998," said Tech defensive coordinator George Arlington, who is in his 32nd year as a college assistant. "That year we had 44 different starters by the end of the year. This is as bad and maybe worse."

I feel for them. They gotta travel all this way without a lot of their first team, get blown out, then travel all the way back to Louisiana. It would be better if it was a fair fight and UH was playing the La Tech team that blew them out last year. And the revenge would be much more satisfying. With this team, it's almost like you feel sorry for them. Let's hope they recover and become a force in the WAC next year. Not that I'm looking past this game! And neither definitely, are the Warriors.

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Speaking of WAC teams that are "playing up", here's an article on the rise of San Jose State, which UH plays in two weeks.

The Spartans' success has not gone unnoticed at WAC headquarters. San Jose is the largest market among the nine cities in the conference, with about twice as many inhabitants as second-place Fresno (approximately 1 million to 500,000).

"We anticipated that Dick Tomey was going to come into San Jose State and in a fairly short period of time turn the program around, and we're seeing that," Benson said. "We've been waiting for many years for San Jose State to have this type of success. We think it's important to the overall credibility of the WAC. It's obviously our largest television market, and it's important for the WAC, for San Jose State football to be successful. I think this is a real boost, not only for the Spartans but for the WAC as well."

Couldn't have said it better myself Karl. Now go make nice with ESPN!