WARRIORS FOOTBALL
Graunke cleared to practice
With the Western Athletic Conference season coming up, the Hawaii football team is getting closer to full strength.
Hawaii coach Greg McMackin said quarterback Tyler Graunke has been cleared by team trainers to return to practice tomorrow, when the Warriors resume preparations for Saturday's WAC opener against San Jose State at Aloha Stadium.
Graunke suffered a sprained wrist and thumb on his throwing hand in the Warriors' loss at Oregon State on Sept. 13 and didn't practice during the team's bye week. Inoke Funaki and Greg Alexander took most of the snaps in practice while Graunke rested the injury.
Defensive tackle Rocky Savaiigaea and linebacker Blaze Soares, both sidelined since the early stages of fall camp, are expected to soon rejoin the Warriors in practice as well. Savaiigaea's triceps healed enough for him to participate in individual drills last week. Soares is working back from a calf injury and McMackin said he'll find out the junior's status tomorrow.
The Warriors (1-2) begin defense of their WAC title against a San Jose State team that lost at Stanford 23-10 yesterday to fall to 2-2. Spartans quarterback Kyle Reed went 23-for-26 for 165 yards, but SJSU was shut out in the second half.