Rankings, Colt's Ankle, A. Leonard

Dave Reardon writes about the significance in school history of the national rankings released yesterday.

UH achieved its highest rankings ever in the USA Today/Coaches (15th), Associated Press (16th) and Harris Interactive (16th) polls.

The Warriors improved to 5-0 and 2-0 in the WAC with Saturday's 48-20 victory at Idaho. They were ranked 16th in the UPI poll (coaches) and 17th in the AP rankings in 1981.

Here's RGM's reaction to it:

"That's a great honor. I'm not going to lie and say it's not. It's definitely cool and all that," he said. "But we've still gotta work. It's only five games and our journey's not over yet.

"We're definitely not going to take any team lightly. From the first week of college football to yesterday, five top teams losing, you can see anything goes," he added. "Now people will really be gunning for us."

At the bottom of that page is Reardon's Warriors Replay, which breaks down five key plays fromt he game. Here's #2:

2. Broken Colt

The Setup: Hawaii 7, Idaho 7, around 6:00 remaining, first quarter, Hawaii ball, second and 10 at Hawaii 39.
The Play: DT Siua Musika sacks Brennan for a 5-yard loss, hurting Brennan's previously sprained right ankle.
The Impact: CB Breyon Williams intercepts Brennan on the next play. It is the first of five interceptions thrown by Brennan in the game. He had never had more than two in a game before. Two are on long passes where Brennan can't get enough push off the hurt ankle.
Brennan: "I tweaked it in the first quarter on the sack. Adrenaline subdued the pain for today."

Speaking of the ankle, Dave has an update on it.

Hawaii football coach June Jones said there are no plans to rest starting quarterback Colt Brennan and the most famous sprained ankle in the state this Saturday against Utah State at Aloha Stadium.

So barring a major setback, Brennan starts?

"Exactly," Jones answered.

Ferd Lewis profiles Adam Leonard, who's been playing great despite his continued recovery from knee surgery and criticism from, and I wish they weren't so vague, a "Web site" (not this one!)

As he worked his way back into playing shape from the June arthroscopic surgery he had to contend with public criticism of his performance from a slow start. One local Web site particularly dogged Leonard. Questions about his fitness and effort stung him and riled those who knew what he was going through, though he wouldn't say much about it publicly.

"The knee isn't yet 100 percent. I feel it every day," Leonard said. "I continue to push myself to work and get to 100 percent and I'm getting more comfortable with (the knee) every week."

Leonard says even when there is pain, "it isn't while I'm playing football. When I'm out there, I feel good."

And finally, instead of making a new "Warriors in the Pros" post, it's all here in this Advertiser article, including updates on Ikaika Alama-Francis, Jason Elam, Isaac Sopoaga, Mat McBriar, Reagan Mauia and Pisa Tinoisamoa. One thing the article doesn't mention is that Ashley Lelie did not catch any passes again this week, despite the 49ers increasingly horrible offense.