The Fresno State football team will be without sophomore cornerback and special teams player Kendall Edwards when it meets Hawaii at Aloha Stadium on Friday (4:06 p.m. HST). Fresno State’s Edwards
Avoiding turnovers was key
to miss game in HawaiiBy Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.comEdwards received a one-game suspension from the Western Athletic Conference yesterday for an illegal hit on Boise State punt returner Tim Gilligan in the Bulldogs' 35-30 loss to the Broncos last Friday.
After the game, Fresno State coach Pat Hill condemned the play by Edwards and said he will take him off the punt coverage team.
WAC commissioner Karl Benson made the ruling after reviewing tape of the play. Benson also warned Tulsa freshman defensive back Jermaine Hope for a similar play earlier in the season.
Edwards had also been penalized for an earlier violation of the "halo rule," which gives punt returners a two-yard cushion when preparing to catch the ball.
"A defender who makes no effort to avoid contact prior to the catch puts the return man in jeopardy and can cause a serious injury," Benson said in a news release.
Edwards (5-feet-11, 185 pounds) has played in all seven games and is listed as No. 2 on the Bulldogs' depth chart at one of the corners. He is 11th on the team in tackles with 19, and has intercepted two passes.
Jackson might play: Hawaii starting safety Nate Jackson did not practice yesterday after suffering a deep cut that required stitches on his lower-left leg in a traffic accident Monday.
"It hurts if you lose a veteran guy who's been there before," Hawaii coach June Jones said. "Fortunately we have a good replacement in Robert Grant."
No one knows if Jackson will be able to play Friday, but no one around UH is betting against it.
"Knowing him, he'll shrug this off, it's just a little scratch to him," fellow starting safety Jacob Espiau said. "If there's anyone who can get past something like this, it's Nate."
While Grant, who leads UH with two interceptions, will replace Jackson as a starter if needed, Leonard Peters can help fill in, Jones said.
"We like to play three safeties when we can," defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said. "(Jackson's) a big-play guy, a big hitter. He has his own fan club. If there's any way to play, he'll play."
Here come the 'Dogs: Fresno State arrives in Hawaii today. The Bulldogs will stay at the Turtle Bay Hilton on the North Shore.
FSU practices at Aloha Stadium tomorrow at 11 a.m.
Carr drives FSU: While Bulldog quarterback David Carr may have lost some votes in the Heisman race because Fresno State lost last week, his individual stats were still excellent against Boise State.
Carr completed 30 of 49 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once.
The 6-4, 225-pound senior is considered a lock to go in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Short yardage: Hawaii remains second in the nation in passing offense with 350.3 yards per game. ... UH wide receiver Ashley Lelie is now second in the nation and leads the WAC in receptions per game at 7.67. He also is sixth nationally and leads the league with 116.5 receiving yards per game. Lelie, a junior in eligibility, said he has no plans to leave Hawaii after this season for the NFL Draft, even though he is scheduled to graduate after next semester.