Injuries, Profiles, SJSU, Cincy, Samson

Lots of news today!

Stephen Tsai reports that Colt Brennan is good to go for Friday.

Showing no adverse effects of a sprained right ankle, Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan yesterday practiced and then reiterated his pledge to start in Friday's nationally televised road game against San Jose State.

"I'm determined," Brennan said, noting the Warriors have a bye the following weekend. That will give Brennan 15 days to prepare for the Oct. 27 game against New Mexico State. "It's just one week and then I can rest it up. It's all out this week."

Right on. Also from the article:

• Michael Lafaele is also good to go, but Ryan Mouton will sit out again.


• Dane Porlas practiced at first-team left safety in the nickel package.


• Solomon Elimimian talks about sustaining a mild concussion in the 3rd quarter.


• Details of Keala Watson giving a speech from "Rudy" to his teammates while balancing on a chair

Dave Reardon writes that Solomon was not entirely satisfied with his 20-tackle performance.

But Elimimian said he played far from a perfect game Saturday. He said he missed three or four tackles, and he also dropped a possible interception that he could have run all the way back for a score.

"I was thinking about the plays I should've made all morning Sunday," he said. "The thing about football is you can always get better."

Dave also talks to Dane Porlas about playing for the Warriors.

Porlas grew up in San Diego, but his father, Thad, is Hawaiian and the family roots are in Kalihi. Dane spent time as a youngster visiting relatives in the islands and developing an affection for UH football.

"It's always been kind of a dream, to play for Hawaii," he said. "I was a fan of two schools, the other school ... Notre Dame."

Porlas laughed again when it was pointed out the Fighting Irish aren't enjoying much success this season.

"That's not nice," Porlas said. "I still like them."

Jeff Faraudo of Inside Bay Area writes a great, in-depth profile on Davone Bess. Here are the opening paragraphs:

Moments after quarterback Colt Brennan takes the snap in the University of Hawaii's pass-happy run-and-shoot offense, slot receiver Davone Bess finds himself manuevering through a human traffic jam in the opponent's secondary.

It's a delicate process run at warp speed, with Bess trying to avoid three teammates executing their own pass routes along with seven or eight defenders waiting to exact a painful toll.

But the junior from Oakland is well-equipped for the assignment, starting with "unbelievably gifted hands," to use coach June Jones' words. He also has acceleration, strength, leaping ability, focused concentration.

Laurence Miedema of the San Jose Mercury News has a preview of Friday's game, discussing Colt's ankle, as well as injuries to the Spartans.

• Tomey said that tailback Yonus Davis aggravated his sprained ankle during the victory over Idaho on Saturday and is expected to miss at least the next two games. Davis failed to gain a yard on either of his two carries.

"We've just got to see if he can get well," Tomey said.

• Linebacker Ryno Gonzalez likely is out for the season because of a foot injury he suffered against Idaho, but safety Duke Ihenacho is expected back in the lineup after missing last week with a leg injury.

Too bad Yonus Davis can't play. I remember him and Davone participating in some friendly smack-talk last year, which somehow turned into motivation for the UH defense, haha.

Paul Arnett has another column about the big test that the second half of the season brings to the Warriors, and how UH needs to improve to continue winning.

Ferd Lewis writes that Hawaii's first nationally televised game of the season is a big opportunity to show the nation and the naysayers what UH is all about.

UPDATE: Here's an article from Jon Wilner of the Mercury News on how this is a big game for SJSU.

Josh Katzowitz of the Cincinnati Post writes about next year's UH vs Cincinnati matchup, in which Big East officials will be used, and looks back at the ugliness of the 2002 matchup. But as Herman Frazier says at the end of the article, it's all about looking forward.

If that's the case, UC - which will receive a $400,000 guaranteed payday from Hawaii - and its fans can enjoy the trip, and the Warriors will enjoy having the Bearcats. Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier wants to forget that little bit of history.

"I'm sorry the fans are upset, but the fact is you never want to look back on things of that nature," said Frazier, who added that in the past six years, his football team, because of TV contracts, has been featured on ESPN or ESPN2 during that last weekend of games.

"The NCAA talks about sportsmanship, and we're looking forward to a good college football game."

And finally, good news for Samson Satele.

Coach Cam Cameron didn't update the condition of starting rookie center Samson Satele, who missed the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss with a neck injury. However, Satele's agent, Leo Goeas confirmed that an MRI was negative and "it's no big deal."

Goeas said he didn't know the timetable for Satele's return to practice.