Jones, Singletary
upset about EIU’s
chop block

Fuga could miss the rest
of the season after taking
a helmet to his left ankle

Stats

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By Dave Reardon
dreardon@starbulletin.com

Hawaii's 61-36 season-opening victory Saturday against Eastern Illinois was a costly one for the Warriors.

Starting junior defensive tackle Lui Fuga will undergo surgery on his left ankle and is expected to be sidelined two to three months. He will miss the bulk of this season, if not all of it. It's especially ominous news for UH as it leaves tomorrow for a game at Brigham Young on Friday.

Fuga was hurt on the seventh play of the season, while trying to put pressure on EIU quarterback Tony Romo.

Warrior defensive line coach Vantz Singletary said Panthers starting right tackle Frank Castagnoli "chopped (Fuga) with his helmet right in the ankle."

Hawaii coach June Jones said a penalty should have been called.

"That play was probably the cheapest I ever saw anyone make," Jones said. "If that happened in the NFL the guy would be fined $50,000 or $100,000."

Singletary said UH plans to send a film clip of the play and a letter to the NCAA protesting the play.

Several messages were left at the team hotel, but Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Jones has complained in the past about chop blocking, most notably three years ago after Hawaii played Texas Christian, which was coached by Dennis Franchione.

"It was a flagrant play. That's all I will say," Jones said. "The most disgusting thing about it is to know what (Fuga's) been through and worked his way back and then have that kind of foul end the guy's year."

Fuga played 11 games despite injuries in 2000, and missed all of last season because of surgery to both shoulders. The 6-foot-1, 302-pound Waipahu High School product was considered one of the keys to UH's success on defense this fall.

Singletary said he cried when he saw the extent of Fuga's injury.

"He's like my own son," Singletary said. "And we've all seen a lot of tape and there's no question that was an intentional, blatant, nasty shot to take a guy out of the game. They tried the same thing on Isaac (Sopoaga) and I don't know why we didn't lose him, too."

Sopoaga will replace Fuga in the starting lineup.

"We have some depth, fortunately," Jones said. "We have a couple more guys we can use there."

Abu Ma'afala, a true freshman from Kamehameha Schools, is one of them. He scored on a 32-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.

Another true freshman, Tala Esera from Kahuku High School, will play if needed, Jones said.

"Tala's ready right now," he said. "We want to redshirt him, but now he's one injury away from playing."

Defensive end Travis Laboy did not play because of a one-game suspension. Jones said it was an internal matter and declined to discuss it. Laboy is expected to make the 60-player traveling roster to Provo, Utah.

The Cougars are dealing with injury problems of their own. Starting cornerback Jernaro Gilford will probably miss a second-straight game with a knee injury and starting safety Michael Madsen might be out with a shoulder injury he suffered against Syracuse last week.

BYU earlier lost starting offensive tackle Ben Archibald (broken leg) and starting defensive end C.J. Ah You (knee) for the season and first-team snapper John Denny has a neck injury.

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TEAM STATISTICS

	HAWAII	OPP
FIRST DOWN	23	28
Rushing	5	10
Passing	16	18
Penalty	2	0
RUSHING YARDAGE	125	156
Yards gained rushing	136	195
Yards lost rushing	11	39
Rushing attempts	23	39
Average per rush	5.4	4.0
Average per game	125.0	156.0
Touchdowns rushing	2	1
PASSING YARDAGE	453	319
Att-Comp-Int	40-24-1	55-30-2
Average per pass	11.3	5.8
Average per catch	18.9	10.6
Average per game	453.0	319.0
Touchdowns passing	4	4
TOTAL OFFENSE	578	475
Total plays	63	94
Average per play	9.2	5.1
Average per game	578.0	475.0
KICK RETURNS: No-Yds	6-174	7-170
PUNT RETURNS: No-Yds	1-33	0-0
INT. RETURNS: No-Yds	2-60	1-18
FUMBLES-LOST	1-1	1-1
PENALTIES-YARDS	5-46	6-52
PUNTS-AVG	2-38.5	5-34.4
TIME OF POSSESSION/GAME	22:20	37:40
3RD-DOWN CONVERSIONS	6/12	12/23
4TH-DOWN CONVERSIONS	0/2	1/2

Rushing

	G	Att	Net	Avg	TD	Long
Bass	1	4	35	8.8	0	18
Chang	1	1	27	27.0	0	27
Brewster	1	6	25	4.2	0	18
Whieldon	1	4	15	3.8	0	9
Ilaoa	1	2	11	5.5	0	8
Herbert	1	1	10	10.0	0	10
Mitchell	1	4	4	1.0	2	3
Team	1	1	-2	-2.0	0	0
Total	1	23	125	5.4	2	27

Passing

	G	Att	Comp	Int	Yds	TD	Long
Chang	1	30	19	1	374	3	59
Whieldon	1	10	5	0	79	1	24
Total	1	40	24	1	453	4	59

Receiving

	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Long
Owens	1	5	56	11.2	0	22
Ilaoa	1	4	38	9.5	1	17
Colbert	1	3	76	25.3	2	59
Gossett	1	3	53	17.7	0	25
Komine	1	3	47	15.7	1	24
Herbert	1	2	55	27.5	0	49
Cockheran	1	2	32	16.0	0	23
Mitchell	1	1	50	50.0	0	50
Bass	1	1	46	46.0	0	46
Total	1	24	453	18.9	4	59

Total Offense

	G	Plays	Rush	Pass	Tot	Avg
Chang	1	31	27	374	401	401.0
Whieldon	1	14	15	79	94	94.0
Bass	1	4	35	0	35	35.0
Brewster	1	6	25	0	25	25.0
Ilaoa	1	2	11	0	11	11.0
Herbert	1	1	10	0	10	10.0
Mitchell	1	4	4	0	4	4.0
Team	1	1	-2	0	-2	-2.0
Total	1	63	125	453	578	578

Scoring

	TD	FG	1XP	2XP	Tot
Ayat	0	2-2	7-7	0	13
Colbert	2	0-0	0-0	0	12
Mitchell	2	0-0	0-0	0	12
Maafala	1	0-0	0-0	0	6
Ilaoa	1	0-0	0-0	0	6
Peters	1	0-0	0-0	0	6
Komine	1	0-0	0-0	0	6
Withy-Allen	0	0-0	0-0	0	0
Total	8	2-2	7-7	0	61

Punting

	No.	Yds	Avg	Long
McBriar	2	77	38.5	50
Total	2	77	38.5	50

Punt Returns

	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Long
Herbert	1	33	33.0	0	33
Total	1	33	33.0	0	33

Kick Returns

	No.	Yds	Avg	TD	Long
Brewster	3	125	41.7	0	60
West	1	18	18.0	0	18
Kauka	1	6	6.0	0	6
Owens	1	25	25.0	0	25
Total	6	174	29.0	0	60

Interceptions

	No.	Yds	Avg	Td	Long
Maafala	1	32	32.0	1	32
Peters	1	28	28.0	1	28
Total	2	60	30.0	2	32

TACKLES

	G	UT	AT	Tot
Tinoisamoa	1	8	5	10.5
Millhouse	1	8	2	9.0
Peters	1	9	-	9.0
Elimimian	1	3	3	5.5
Butts	1	4	1	4.5
Samuseva	1	4	-	4.0
Correa	1	4	-	4.0
Brown	1	2	3	3.5
Sopoaga	1	3	1	3.5
Wright	1	2	2	3.0
Ala	1	2	1	2.5
Gilmore	1	1	2	2.0
Kalilimoku	1	1	2	2.0
Bhonapha	1	2	-	2.0
Wills	1	2	-	2.0
Alapa	1	2	-	2.0
Jackson	1	-	3	1.5
Harley	1	1	-	1.0
Gossett	1	1	-	1.0
Ayat	1	1	-	1.0
Hollingsworth	1	1	-	1.0
Broadway	1	1	-	1.0
Kapanui	1	1	-	1.0
Moenoa	1	1	-	1.0
Noa	1	1	-	1.0
Fuga	1	-	1	0.5
Maafala	1	-	1	0.5
Kamakawiwoole	1	-	1	0.5
West	1	-	-	-
Total	1	66	28	80.0

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UH Athletics