Hawaii’s injury list
continues to grow

The injuries keep piling up around Hawaii head coach Fred vonAppen like an ambulance driver patrolling the Pali Highway.

"As a staff, we feel like a car wreck," vonAppen said yesterday evening. "And to make matters worse, some of our players look like they've been in one."

The latest casualty is offensive left tackle Adrian Klemm, who sprained his knee and is doubtful for this Saturday's road game with Texas-El Paso.

Freshman Aaron Leverenz will likely get the start if Klemm, who is wearing a knee brace, can't play. The only other offensive player injured is Calvin Mims. He is out with a sprained knee.

VonAppen wishes he could say the same thing for the defense. Already out of the lineup are linebackers Rinda Brooks (concussion), Steve Dietschy (knee), and Jeff Ulbrich (knee).

Defensive back Phil Austin (knee) is also out. Listed as questionable are linebackers Yaphet Warren (knee) and Joaquin Avila (ankle), nose tackle Tony Tuioti (back) and cornerback Quincy LeJay (shoulder).

"To say we're banged up would be stating the obvious," vonAppen said. "Hopefully, we can get Quincy and Tony healed up in time to play, but I think Adrian making it back is a long shot."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Wide receiver Wesley Morris moved into the top 50 nationally in kickoff returns, and is just off the pace in three other categories as well.

Morris is averaging 23.9 yards on 11 returns, good enough for No. 35 nationally. The Los Angeles resident is also close to national rankings in receiving yards, receptions a game and all-purpose yards.

Morris is averaging five receptions a game, good enough for fourth in the Western Athletic Conference. He's also fourth in receiving yards, averaging 69.9, and is 12th in all-purpose yards (107.4). In this category, he is only 16 yards a game shy of being nationally ranked.

"That's good and all, but I'm more interested in winning games," Morris said after yesterday's practice. "If I can help us win by putting up some good numbers, then great."

Hawaii remains last in the nation in scoring with a 9.9-point average, but did move into the top 50 in several other categories, including total defense.

Hawaii is ranked No. 48 in turnover margin at zero, and No. 49 in punt returns (9.7 yards). But for vonAppen, the defensive numbers are still the key.

The Rainbows are yielding 345.6 yards a game, good enough for No. 48 in the country. Despite the 0-7 record, the Rainbows are yielding only 24 more yards a game than last year's group that finished No. 20 nationally.

"The problem is points," UH defensive coordinator Tom Williams said. Hawaii is rated No. 83 nationally, yielding 28.7 points a game. "But a lot of those scores came off turnovers and bad field position.

"We've given up 28 or more points in our last four games, which isn't good. Overall, we play fairly well, but there are always three or four plays where we makes mistakes that cost us big."

In Saturday's 30-20 loss to New Mexico, freshman linebacker Houdini Jackson was guilty twice of taking the wrong man on the option. Both times, New Mexico scored touchdowns.

Cornerback Jovon Jiles was guilty on two other plays. First, he missed an interception that went right through his hands. He then compounded the miscue several plays later by letting receiver Kirk Robbins get behind him deep for a touchdown.

IT WAS A CATCH: After further review, UH receivers coach Tim Green is convinced Morris caught a Dan Robinson pass in the end zone for a touchdown.

"I watched that piece of film over and over, and Wesley caught that ball in the fourth quarter," Green said. "If we score there, we're right back in the game."

Morris said the same thing after the loss, and is even more convinced after watching the film.

"I think when I tried to show him I had picked the football clean before it hit the turf, I lost it on my leg and dropped it," Morris said. "That's when he signaled. But I had that ball all the way."

UH DOWN TO 153: Hawaii's ranking in the Scripps-Howard computer poll dropped to a season-low No. 153 with a power rating of 69.8. This poll rates the 233 Division I and Division I-AA teams.

The only two Division I teams with a lower rating are from the Mid-American Conference. They are No. 157-ranked Eastern Michigan with a 68.6 power rating and No. 171 Kent State at 63.5.

By comparison, this week's top-rated team is UCLA with a power rating of 118.3. That means on a neutral field, the Bruins would be a seven-touchdown favorite over the Rainbows.

Fortunately for vonAppen, Hawaii plays a less formidable team this weekend. The UTEP Miners are ranked No. 94 with an 83.9 rating. Factoring in the four points for being the home team, UTEP should be an 18-point favorite to extend Hawaii's losing streaks to 14 overall and 23 in league road games.

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By Paul Arnett, Star-Bulletin