Spring Practice Day 3

Chawan Cut compiles the news of yesterday's first practice in pads. KGMB, KITV and KHNL have highlights and interviews with Inoke Funaki, Kealoha Pilares, Greg Alexander and Greg McMackin.



Here are some Day 3 notes and observations from...

Stephen Tsai:

• Greg Salas worked out exclusively as the left slotback. He gives Greg Alexander a nice target.
• With Salas at slotback, Joe Avery was the No. 1 left wideout.
• Kealoha Pilares really looks at home at slotback. He made some nice plays. And he even worked on his post-catch running.

Jason Kaneshiro:

>> Cornerback Chris Black appeared to turn an ankle in a drill early in practice. Melvin Hopkins moved in with the first unit in the 7-on-7 and team periods with Richard Torres also stepping in.

>> Jake Heun played middle linebacker with the third unit. He had been working with the defensive ends in the first two practices.

kapakahi:

JC transfer Rodney Bradley is just a speed burner. He's definitely built for speed....all legs. Meanwhile, Jon Medeiros showed good hands in making consistent...while not spectacular...plays.

The most noticeable thing about this morning's practice was new Assistant Coach Chris Tormey. His voice was heard loud and clear throughout the 7-on-7s giving instructions to the DBs....and he wasn't even necessarily yelling. No doubt...Coach Tormey brings intensity to practice.

rbaloha:

- Brashton and Kiesel-Kauhane are playing fast and loose. Brashton made a few interceptions. Lost weight. IMO a better tandem than Eliminiam and Leonard. More fluid and explosive.
- O-line starters: Kia, Hisatake, Estes, Ieru, Letuli.
- Coach Shaw changed hand placement by having lineman having their hands on their knees during presnap stance. Major problems with pad level being too high. Continually being reminded. The poor pad level resulted in a penetrating d-line.

Jason Kaneshiro talks to Greg McMackin about the first practice in pads.

"They hustled around and I thought for the first day they were completing passes and (the defensive players were) in position to make plays on passes. I thought they really practiced well," UH head coach Greg McMackin said.

"For our first padded practice, we've got a lot of things we have to continue to get better on, but we're miles ahead of where we were last spring."

Stephen Tsai writes about Kealoha Pilares and Greg Salas getting comfortable at slot and Inoke Funaki adjusting to running back:

On one play, Funaki ran into a streetcar named Satele.

"I went up the middle and — boom! — Brashton pushed me right back," Funaki said.

Satele said: "It's two-hand touch, and I two-hand-touched him pretty good."

In all, Funaki appears to be adjusting to running back. His blocking has improved and, despite fumbling a shovel pass, he is making better decisions.

Kaneshiro has some news and notes about Pilares, Salas, Chris Black and the quarterbacks.

Four quarterbacks combined to complete 18 of 21 throws, including two shovel passes, in the team period. Alexander was 7-for-10, including a drop. Brent Rausch, Shane Austin and Bryant Moniz rotated in behind Alexander.

"Compared to last spring, we're way ahead," quarterbacks coach Nick Rolovich said. "It's a great place to be. We still have room to grow, but it's a great feeling on offense."

Kaneshiro writes that after eight years in Utah, the All-Poly Camp will be held in Hawaii this summer.

And Kaneshiro profiles defensive end John Fonoti.

"Last year he struggled at times as he adjusted to the speed of things and playing with technique and not playing street ball," defensive line coach Dave Aranda said. "I thought the turning point was the Nevada game. John was a completely different player. If you look at (games against) Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Idaho, John really dominated a lot of times. We need him to be that type of player."

Aranda said Fonoti graded out the highest among the defensive linemen in yesterday's practice -- the Warriors' first in pads this spring -- as the senior now finds himself surrounded by familiar faces in new roles on the first-string defense.