UH vs CSU Game Notes, Coach Mack Show, Other News

HawaiiAthletics.com has game notes and info for this Saturday's UH vs Charleston Southern game.

HawaiiNewsNow.com has this week's Coach Mack Show up online.

Stephen Tsai wrote about the return of Matagisila Lefiti.

Lefiti suffered a fracture in his left foot during the Warriors' spring scrimmage, then underwent surgery. Lefiti, who began working out a few weeks ago, received approval to compete in this morning's practice.

"I'm ready to put on the pads and crack some heads," he said.

Also from the article, Tsai writes that there may be a smaller rotation on the defensive line and notes that Darius Bright will most likely redshirt this year.

Tsai has some observations from today's practice.

It appears, for now, Paipai Falemalu and Elliott Purcell are the No. 1 defensive ends. That could change, of course.

• Aaron Brown, George Daily-Lyles and Corey Paredes will be the starting linebackers.

• John Hardy-Tuliau and Lewis Walker are competing for the job as No. 1 nickelback.

Tsai profiles Corey Paredes, who has played every snap this season.

"Rest is all fine and dandy, but I'm trying to help my team," Paredes said. "The best thing I can do is stay on the field and make plays."

Paredes averages 13.0 tackles per game.

He also plays on the punt team, as the right guard.

Despite the workload, according to defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, "We haven't had a play where he's been cruising or anything. He plays hard all of the time."

Yesterday, Tsai wrote about Dave Aranda's response to the play of the defense.

Hawaii defensive coordinator Dave Aranda vowed to "fix" the defensive problems incurred in Saturday's 31-13 football loss to Colorado.

The Warriors (1-2) returned early yesterday from a 12-day road trip during which they defeated Army in West Point, N.Y., but lost in the mile-high elevation in Boulder, Colo.

After reviewing video of Saturday's game, Aranda said: "What really puts a bad taste in my mouth is, one, losing the game and, two, the last two touchdowns that were given up. Those were really kind of inexcusable things."

And Ferd Lewis wrote that UH got a taste of life as an independent.

Worn by the travel, weary from criss-crossing time zones and tired of sharing practices with parachutists and romping buffaloes?

Well, welcome to a taste of life as the University of Hawaii football team will likely know it should the Warriors choose to go independent in football.

Only instead of one set of back-to-back games on the mainland a season, buckle up and get ready for the possibility of doing it twice a year.