Game Week: Fresno State - Monday News

Jason Kaneshiro writes that Inoke Funaki will be the starting quarterback against Fresno State.

Hawaii will stick with Inoke Funaki as its starting quarterback as the Warriors prepare for this week's game at No. 22 Fresno State, UH coach Greg McMackin said last night.

"We're going to go with Inoke and we'll have to figure out who our backup's going to be," McMackin said.

McMackin said Graunke's still-tender throwing hand factored into the decision and Funaki will get the first-team repetitions in practice this week. Graunke went 5-for-9 and also threw an interception, the last of UH's turnovers in the 20-17 loss to the Spartans.

The article also has injury news about Kealoha Pilares, Malcolm Lane, Adam Leonard, Rocky Savaiigaea and Ryan Mouton.

Stephen Tsai writes that Savaiigaea may be out for the season.

The extent of Hawai'i defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea's triceps injury will not be known until after he undergoes an MRI tomorrow.

But Savaiigaea is braced for the reality that he will not play again this season.

"It's killing me," said Savaiigaea, a fourth-year junior.

And Mack will be sending video to the league office regarding the personal fouls.

The Warriors were whistled for five personal fouls against San Jose State.

"We've never had that all season," McMackin said. "We've been a disciplined team. There are going to be some of those (calls) sent to the league office ... and a majority that we think should have been called."

Dave Reardon takes a look at five key plays from the SJSU game in his Warrior Replay.

Ferd Lewis writes that booing the players is just wrong.

And, how was Funaki to distinguish which boos were directed his way and which were not? Are they, like dog whistles, to be discerned only by coaches?

Not that either Funaki or Kelly would lament displeasure, publicly at least. For that is just who they are: solid, proud players dedicated to the task who demand even more of themselves.

Beyond the feelings of Funaki and Kelly, you also wonder what the prospective recruits at the game thought of the whole episode. What message did they take home Saturday night? Hearing Funaki booed like that could hardly have been encouragement to stay home and follow in his footsteps in front of some of the same fans.

Reardon has a Further Review column discussing some of the injuries, penalties and problems on offense.

"We've been scrambling at quarterback ever since I got here," UH coach Greg McMackin said, probably not intending the double meaning. "Everybody's thinking we can't make a decision. But there's always a problem."

There's not enough space here to document the mess the four-man QB situation has devolved into from fall camp and there's no sign of it getting better as long as one guy can't grab the job and stay healthy and effective enough to keep it.

As for the receivers, Malcolm Lane looked like he was headed for a good game, and then got knocked out of it with a concussion. There went the Warriors' best deep threat.

"We don't have the guys to make a catch and score," McMackin said. "We're going to have to recruit to that, get some guys who are really fast."

Well, the best football player on the field Saturday was UH cornerback Ryan Mouton. Maybe it's time to get him a white practice jersey, as McMackin talked about doing in the summer. There's no reason not to try him at slot or wideout.

And Jason Kaneshiro looks ahead to the Fresno State game.

After one team exacted a measure of payback against Hawaii, another will be looking for more of the same this weekend.

Smarting from a turnover-plagued 20-17 loss to San Jose State - the Spartans' first victory in the series since 2000 - the Warriors next head to California to face a nationally ranked Fresno State team brimming with motivation for Hawaii's visit.

Hawaii has won the last two meetings, including a 68-37 blowout in 2006 in which the Warriors set a Bulldog Stadium record for points by a visiting team.

Awaiting the Warriors in Central California will be a 3-1 Bulldogs team looking to kick-start its run at a Western Athletic Conference title against the defending league champions.