RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii's Jeremiah Cockheran and Nevada's Marlon McLaughlin fought for the ball. The play was ruled a simultaneous reception.
Hawaii's 59-34 victory against Nevada last night kept the Warrior trainers busy, and UH might have lost one of its most productive and popular players for the season. Jones tired of losing
players to turf
Sophomore inside receiver Chad Owens had to be helped off the field after scoring on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tim Chang early in the game.
Afterward, Coach June Jones said it appears Owens may have torn his medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
"If that's what it is, he'll have to have surgery," Jones said.
UH's leading receiver going into the game hurt the knee as he was hit by a defender while diving into the end zone.
Running back Michael Brewster sprained his right ankle early in the game, and safety Hyrum Peters missed some plays with a stinger.
Special teams player Lono Manners sprained his left ankle, also in the first half.
They are day-to-day.
But now UH has its three top inside receivers -- Owens, Nate Ilaoa and Gerald Welch -- out with injury.
"It's scary," Jones said. "Fortunately we had a lot of guys step up. Omar (Bennett) stepped up, Britton (Komine) stepped up."
Jones said he feels the Aloha Stadium AstroTurf has caused or contributed to many of UH's injuries. He said cornerback Kenny Patton and quarterback Tim Chang have been slowed by infections caused by turf burns.
A softer artificial surface, Fieldturf, is scheduled to be installed after the season. That's too late as far as Jones is concerned.
"We've been talking about this for four years," Jones said. "It seems like the people downtown (think) they know best and they don't always know best. ... We've got a bunch of guys hurt now and we don't know if they're coming back and I think it's directly related to this AstroTurf.
Hit men: Hawaii's defense didn't have its best game of the season, but then it didn't have to.
Pisa Tinoisamoa was the leading tackler with seven stops. Isaac Sopoaga, Peters, David Gilmore, Houston Ala, Abraham Elimimian, Chad Kapanui, Lance Samuseva and Keani Alapa were all in on five tackles each.
Short yardage: UH receiver Justin Colbert and linebacker Chris Brown continued their team-leading start streaks at 30. Colbert also caught a pass in his 18th consecutive game. ... Josiah Cravalho downed a 50-yard Mat McBriar punt at the Nevada 2-yard line. ... Justin Ayat's 61-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter fell 8 yards short. ... UH's 42 points in one quarter is a school record. Houston holds the NCAA record with 49 in one period in a 1968 game. ... KHON TV-2 sports reporter and former UH slotback John Veneri sang the national anthem and "Hawai'i Pono'i." ... Isaac Hoopii, credited with rescuing several people at the Pentagon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack, was honored before the game. ... It was "homecoming" for a member of the Nevada party: Wolf Pack cornerbacks coach Kim McCloud played for UH from 1987 to 1990. He was a three-year starter for Hawaii and a WAC all-academic selection.
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