Sports Notebook
Star-Bulletin staff
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WARRIOR FOOTBALL
GEORGE "F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Brad Kalilimoku wrapped up Charleston Southern's Ryan Ard during last night's game.
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Galdeira has a special night on special teams
How many tackles did Guyton Galdeira have on kickoffs last night? Hawaii's special teams ace had no idea, afterward. He didn't care. But it was a good night, he knew that much.
"Just another day at work," he said. Big smile.
It was. Perhaps what was most impressive about Galdeira's effort on kick coverage is that it was nothing unusual.
"That's pretty standard," UH kicker Dan Kelly said. "When Guyton doesn't have five or six tackles, that's when I notice. What, is he hurt?"
"He's a spark plug," Hawaii offensive line and special teams coach Dennis McKnight said.
Kelly said, "He and Timo (Paepule) are like the two golden geese."
Time after time it was Galdeira, often taking on two blockers, holding his ground, somehow getting a piece of the tackle, after having sprinted for 40 yards, then throwing his body into opponents much bigger than he.
No. 18 always seemed to be on the bottom of the pile. A pile he'd created.
"I just do my responsibility," he said. "It all depends where they run. It's either going to be me or the guy next to me."
Officially, he had two solo special teams tackles. But there is no official stat for "piles created."
"He has a knack for it," McKnight said.
It's how he -- listed at 5-foot-7, 165 -- has not only made his way onto the field, but has found a way to make big plays.
He plays kick return, too -- as a blocker. He was called for holding on a punt return.
But he and his teammates had a big night covering kicks.
"We're just trying to -- every kickoff from the beginning (of the game) to the end, we're trying to get it on film. That way, when the next team looks at it, they know we come hard," he said.
Catching on
UH receiver
Jason Rivers didn't start after missing most of the week with a bad back. He entered the game on UH's second offensive series and split time with sophomore
Malcolm Lane, who started in his place.
Rivers caught three passes for 46 yards in the first half, but had his pads off when the Warriors came out of the tunnel at halftime. Lane finished with four catches for 54 yards in his first career start.
C.J. Hawthorne led the Warriors receivers for the second straight week, racking up 91 yards and two touchdowns.
"It was nothing they were doing that was stopping us, it was us stopping ourselves," Hawthorne said in reference to UH's stop-and-go first half.
"I believe every game is progressively getting better for me. So I'm excited."
Shows of support
Linebacker
Adam Leonard said he was "disappointed" in some of the Aloha Stadium fans.
Some of the 34,101 in the house chanted "We want Colt" when backup quarterback Tyler Graunke was struggling in the first half. Graunke silenced them by completing a pass to Rivers, but some fans also booed as the Warriors left the field with a 21-10 first-half lead.
"That's just doing what they do," said Colt Brennan, the first-string quarterback, who sat out as a precaution to protect his sprained ankle. "Tyler stepped up and did a great job."
Graunke said he didn't hear anything.
"I was in the zone," he said.
And he got nothing but encouragement from teammates, especially Brennan and former slotback Jason Ferguson.
"He told me just be me," Graunke said of Ferguson. "It's great having him on our sideline."
Big South boss
Charleston Southern senior linebacker
Jada Ross became the all-time Big South tackles leader.
Ross came into the game against the Warriors needing eight tackles to get to the magic number of 365 for his career, and he ended up with 10 stops last night to boost his career total to 367. He passed the 364 tackles by Jamar Leath of Coastal Carolina.
Few Warriors dinged up
Three Warriors had minor injuries after the game, but none appear to be serious.
Starting linebacker Adam Leonard suffered a right ankle injury and defensive tackle Keala Watson aggravated his left calf that had been bothering him in practice.
Cornerback Ryan Mouton hurt his right knee in the second half.
"I just had someone roll up on it," Mouton said. "It's not a big deal."