Sopoaga may
play SaturdayThe defensive tackle, who
has been out with a knee injury,
participated in practice yesterday
Hawaii could be either very deep or very thin at left defensive tackle when the Warriors play at Louisiana Tech on Saturday.
Senior starter Isaac Sopoaga, a dominant force when healthy, missed the last two games with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. But Sopoaga participated in some light drills and ran with teammates yesterday (there was little contact, as UH didn't practice in pads).
"It's feeling better. I'm trying to do some things to get it to be a little more comfortable," he said.
"I'm not sure, but I'll try," Sopoaga said when asked if he would be on the plane when the Warriors leave for Houston today.
Sopoaga's backup, Lui Fuga, was diagnosed with a tear of the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. It's possible to play through a PCL injury, and that's what Fuga hopes to do.
"I just tore it a little," he said after jogging and observing drills yesterday. "There's a lot of pain right now and it's tight, but I'll practice tomorrow. It's just a little thing. I just got to keep pushing."
Senior Keali'i Aguiar plays if Sopoaga and Fuga can't.
Homecoming I: Senior Jeremiah Cockheran still leads the team in receiving yardage with 428 despite missing the last two games with an ankle sprain. He was able to run routes effectively yesterday for the first time since aggravating the injury in the Rice game Sept. 27.
"I'm not 100 percent but I felt great. I was able to make cuts and be mobile," he said.
Starting left wide receiver Britton Komine moved to Cockheran's starting spot on the right last week, with true freshman Jason Rivers taking over Komine's spot.
Cockheran was born in New Orleans and lived there until he was four, so he hopes to make the trip.
"My mom makes jambalaya all the time. Most of my family's from New Orleans and my dad still lives in Louisiana," he said. "I have kind of a blank about memories of my time there. Maybe I can make some new ones."
Homecoming II: Sophomore defensive end Nkeruwem "Tony" Akpan said he will be going to Louisiana for the game, not Nigeria, this week.
Akpan was trying to figure out a way to get to his home country because the funeral of his father, Robert Akpan, is scheduled for Friday. Robert Akpan died of a stroke last month.
He said he is now trying to have the funeral service rescheduled to sometime after the end of the fall semester so he can be there. Tony was Robert's only son.
"There's a lot of regrets," said Akpan, who came to the United States without his family while in high school. "I'm his only son and I didn't see him for six years and he died."
Akpan made a huge play in last Saturday's 55-28 victory over Fresno State, blocking a field goal to change the game's momentum.
"That was a big play. That excited the crowd, that excited everybody," Hawaii coach June Jones said. "I think it excited his teammates because it was Tony, more than anything. Tony's a good guy and the guys love him. Him having that success and helping the team really energized everybody."
Homecoming III: Saturday's game will be homecoming for Louisiana Tech.
The Bulldogs are 56-18-2 in homecoming games, and have won the last seven in a row.
