Sports Notebook
Star-Bulletin staff
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Dooley at a loss on how to stop Hawaii
How does new Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley intend to deal with Hawaii's high-powered offense this weekend in Ruston?
"They need to petition to the commissioner to see if we can play with 12, it might help us a little bit," Dooley joked on the Western Athletic Conference coaches' weekly teleconference. "I'm not sure how you slow it down. I don't think anybody's really found the answer. Somehow, you gotta find a way to affect the rhythm of Colt (Brennan); it all starts there."
Brennan was named the offensive player of the week yesterday by the WAC. Bulldog cornerback Tony Moss and punter Chris Keagle were named the WAC's defensive and special teams players of the week. Moss had three interceptions in a 28-7 win over Central Arkansas, and Keagle's punts pinned the Bears inside their 20-yard line three times.
Hawaii coach June Jones said he expects the Bulldogs to run the ball extensively (the style of Dooley's father, Vince Dooley, a former head coach and athletic director at Georgia).
"You gotta play real good in the red zone," Dooley said. "If you can try to keep 'em out of the end zone, and make 'em kick field goals, that will have a lot to do with slowing 'em down. Now ... how you do it, if you got any answers on that, let me know."
UH healthy
At his weekly press conference, Jones said he was "glad nobody got hurt," in the 63-6 win over Northern Colorado, and isn't anticipating anyone missing this week's road trip. But a few players took Labor Day off, notably running back
David Farmer, who rode the exercise bike, and linebacker
Timo Paepule, who wore a boot on his right foot.
Farmer nursed a bruised foot from the game.
"Honestly, I can't even tell you (how I got it), I didn't even know it hurt (until the next morning)." The junior said he was fine.
Paepule looked worse -- limping around the practice field -- but insisted he won't miss any games.
Projected starting linebacker Blaze Soares was still recovering from a hamstring pull that forced him out of the opener, but Jones confirmed Soares would make the two-week road trip.
Quarterback Tyler Graunke -- who left the game after throwing two interceptions and injuring his left hand -- was participating in full drills yesterday. Jones said, "He's OK," when asked of Graunke's status as Brennan's backup.
Patience pays off
When
Inoke Funaki threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to
Greg Salas in the fourth quarter of the win over UNC, it was more than just the Kahuku graduate's first career passing score and the first career TD reception for Salas.
Funaki, a sophomore, worked all the way through his progressions of the Warriors' second-team receivers on the play and found Salas as his fourth and final option. His newfound patience in the pocket was a surprise to ... himself.
"I was happy I made it all the way back (to Salas); normally I go, 'One, two ... uh-oh' and just kind of take off," Funaki said, grinning. "So I was happy I was able to hang in there and it just kind of shows how far I've come along and how much Colt and Tyler have helped me."
Robinson wants in
Backup safety
Erik Robinson sat in the stands while his Warrior teammates pounded on the UNC Bears over the weekend. It remains to be seen if he'll sit out UH's 11-day road trip.
An NCAA paperwork snafu prevented Robinson, a Navarro Community College (Texas) transfer, from playing, although he still practiced with the team yesterday. He found out last week, and hopes to get it resolved today so he can possibly make UH's traveling roster.
"I was really disappointed, but everything happens for a reason," he said.
The Star-Bulletin's Kalani Simpson contributed to this report