Arafiles, Jackson to start
in secondary for Hawaii

If this week's starting safeties for Hawaii don't roll off the tongue, don't feel too badly.

Damien Arafiles and Nate Jackson are better known on Cooke Field than they are at Aloha Stadium. But UH defensive coordinator Tom Williams believes this twosome will change all that this Saturday night against Brigham Young University.

"First of all, this isn't any kind of punishment for Anthony Smith, Donnell Williams or Daniel Ho-Ching," Williams said. "But we can't get any worse play back there than we already have.

"We needed to make some changes, and Nate and Damien have earned the right to start. Nate was making plays all over the field today and Damien is a big hitter.

"I think Nate will be a better walk-on player than Eddie Klaneski was, and that's saying a lot. He's not very big (5-11, 150), but he can play."

Arafiles had figured in the Rainbows' plans coming out of fall camp, but a serious ankle injury prior to the first game left him sidelined for a month.

Those aren't the only changes in the secondary. Quincy LeJay will remain at one corner, but Jovon Jiles will start at the other for the second time this season.

"Jovon is a big, aggressive guy we need to have on the field," Williams said. "Yeah, he got beat on that fade route against Arkansas State, but he has bounced back since then."

Former St. Louis School quarterback Joseph Correia continues to make a remarkable comeback in football. He will be the top right end, replacing Matt Elam, who had started every game this season.

On the offensive side of the ball, Chuck Thompson will get his second start at right guard. Dan Robinson, who was nicked up a bit last weekend at San Diego State, receives his fifth consecutive start.

HANNUM TO REDSHIRT: Place-kicker Eric Hannum will likely seek a medical hardship this season, clearing the way for Chad Shrout to handle all the kicking.

Hannum met with UH head coach Fred vonAppen on Tuesday to discuss his situation. The junior from Southern California has appeared in only the season opener and is eligible for a medical hardship.

"He came to me about it and we decided it was best for him," vonAppen said. "We needed some kind of decision there, and this is the best for all concerned."

HO-CHING DOWN AGAIN: Hawaii free safety Ho-Ching has the chicken pox and will miss this Saturday's game with BYU.

Team physician Andrew Nichols said Ho-Ching complained of flu-like symptoms after Tuesday's practice. He also had a skin rash.

"The incubation period for chicken pox is 10 to 21 days," Nichols said. "We are offering immunization shots to help reduce the risk of the football players, coaches and staff, who have not yet been exposed to chicken pox."

Ho-Ching already has missed significant playing time with a pulled hamstring, despite starting four of five games at free safety. The 21-year-old has 14 tackles and one pass breakup.

INJURY UPDATE: Linebacker Stephen Gonzales and running back Anthony DiIeso returned to practice this week and will play in this weekend's conference matchup with the Cougars.

DiIeso has been out several weeks with a stress fracture in his lower leg. He has only one carry for 4 yards, but gives the Rainbows some depth at fullback.

Calvin Mims will miss his second consecutive game at that spot with a knee injury. Also sidelined with a knee injury is top free safety Phil Austin. He could be back by the end of the month.

LAU BACK ON TEAM: Fred Lau left the team last week for several days for what Hawaii running backs coach Don Dillon said were personal reasons.

"We love Freddie to death, but after the SMU game, there was a misunderstanding," Dillon said. "We couldn't have predicted how well Derek Zoller was going to be at fullback.

"We had planned to use Fred in the SMU game, but Derek ended up getting his repetitions. So he left for a couple of days, but it was because he thought he had disappointed the team and wasn't good enough to be a Division I back."

Lau even went so far to ask if he could play defensive back, but Dillon didn't want to lose him.

"I just want to play," Lau said. "And I thought with all the defensive backs down, that I could go over there. But they told me they needed me to stay where I was."

With the return of DiIeso and Avion Weaver, Lau moved back to tailback where he is better suited. At 5-11, 186, Lau just wasn't a big enough load at fullback

ATUAIA BREAKS HAND: Former Kahuku High standout Donny Atuaia broke his hand during yesterday morning's practice, but still made the trip.

"If it had required surgery to repair, then he wouldn't have been able to play,'' BYU head coach LaVell Edwards said last night. "We think he'll be able to play.''

Atuaia -- whose older brother Mark had his state rushing record broken last week -- only has 12 yards on five carries. He has six receptions for 31 yards.

FALLING FAR: The Scripps-Howard computer poll dropped Hawaii to No. 145 in the nation out of a possible 232 Division I and Division I-AA teams.

The Rainbows' power rating is 71.1. The only team in the Western Athletic Conference with a lowering ranking is Nevada-Las Vegas.

BYU is ranked No. 67 by the computer with a power rating of 89.2. Based on the rating and that home-field advantage is worth four points, the Cougars should be a two-touchdown favorite. But according to the Nevada oddsmakers, BYU is favored by 24.

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By Paul Arnett, Star-Bulletin