Cornerbacks come and go

Starting jobs are continually won and lost as the Warriors search for stability at the position

If A.J. Martinez needs a reminder of how fast things can change in the Hawaii secondary, all he has to do is look at Gerard Lewis, the player he replaced at left cornerback last week.

Or he could think about his own revolving-door situation. Martinez, expected to start this week as the Warriors travel to Utah State, started the first three games of the season and then began the next five on the sideline.

"You just gotta realize that's the way it is around here. You can't get mad about anything. You just got to be ready to go," the converted safety said. "We all know how it is. You can mess up only once, only twice, and get taken out just like that. We all back each other up 100 percent."

Lewis, like Martinez, a junior, started for the first time two weeks ago at New Mexico State, and responded with eight tackles and an interception. But he missed two tackles early in last week's 68-10 victory over Idaho, including one that led to the Vandals' only touchdown. He was quickly replaced by Martinez.

"A.J. played well. He tackled well and he didn't blow any assignments," defensive backs coach Rich Miano said.

Lewis spent the rest of the game appreciating the level of play by Martinez and the next day he got fired up.

"A.J. did play well. He played his butt off," Lewis said. "It was Sunday morning when it really hit me, that I didn't finish the game out. I knew I just had to come back this week and work hard."

He did that yesterday, with Miano loudly praising his intensity level during the team session. It's too late for Lewis to win the starting spot back this week, but he plans to be ready when needed.

"Even if you're not starting, you get an opportunity to practice hard. Today I practiced hard," Lewis said.

Martinez and Myron Newberry will be the fifth combination of starting cornerbacks in nine games for Hawaii this season. It's not that the Warriors don't want to develop stability in the secondary; although UH's defense is vastly improved from last year, it is 109th nationally with 250.75 passing yards allowed per game.

Miano and defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville try to find the best pair each week from a group of players close in talent.

"It's one of those deals that they're so close that you have to play well or you won't be there long and we have to give everyone a chance because they're that close," Miano said. "It's not Pop Warner where everyone has to play, but if a guy can play and someone else isn't doing the job, we owe it to him and the team to put him in. And it creates competition."

Newberry has been "flawless" and "very consistent" in his two starts, but Miano and Glanville have also touted walk-on Guyton Galdeira for his stellar special teams play and practices at corner in recent weeks. Ryan Keomaka came up with an interception and touchdown return Saturday, and he picked off a pass in team drills yesterday. C.J. Hawthorne will also probably resurface at some point after starting five of the first six games.

"In our secondary, we're deep," Lewis said. "Anybody can play at any given time. When your number's called, you just gotta go in and do your thing."

Short yardage:

The Warriors leave for the mainland tomorrow afternoon on an Aloha Airlines charter to Salt Lake City. They'll stay in Ogden, Utah. The game is at Romney Stadium in Logan. ... Hawaii is 0-2 in games against Utah State at Logan, losing 26-12 in 1957 and 31-12 in 1965. Recent history has been kinder to the Warriors. They beat the Aggies 50-23 at Aloha Stadium last year.