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Elimimian, Moe
probable vs. Wildcats
But Curnan and Moenoa may not
play against Northwestern
Curious about the status of Hawaii's injured football players as the Warriors prepare for Saturday's game against Northwestern?
NORTHWESTERN AT HAWAII
Where: Aloha Stadium
When: Saturday, 6:05 p.m. Tickets: $17 to $35, $3 for UH students for this game. TV: Live, Pay-Per-View, call (808) 625-8100 or (808) 643-2337 on neighbor islands. Delayed, 10 p.m. on KFVE channel 5, Sunday, 10 a.m. Radio: Live, KKEA 1420-AM. Internet: KKEA1420AM.com
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Linebacker Tanuvasa Moe hasn't played in four games since pulling a hamstring early in the Oct. 23 game against San Jose State. He and cornerback Abraham Elimimian, who missed last Saturday's 52-21 victory over Idaho, also with a hamstring pull, will probably play, Jones said.
The probably-nots are linebacker Ikaika Curnan (ankle sprain) and offensive lineman Uriah Moenoa (knee). Curnan played sparingly in three games before sitting out completely against Idaho, and Moenoa has missed two of the past three games.
"I'd say they probably won't play," Jones said. "If you can't run, it's going to be hard to play against this team."
Curnan said he could play last week, and Moenoa said Saturday he would be ready this week, too.
If Moe plays, he will likely move to strongside linebacker, leaving true freshman Brad Kalilimoku at weakside, where he replaced Moe.
Kalilimoku, who was recently awarded a scholarship, had the best game of his young career Saturday. He led UH with seven tackles. He also forced a fumble and broke up a pass.
"He has speed and quickness you can't coach," Jones said. "But he still has a long way to go. He's still learning his assignments."
Ryan Keomaka, Kalilimoku's Roosevelt High School classmate, played well on special teams, finishing with three tackles.
"He can run," special teams coordinator Mouse Davis said. "We're working him in on punts now after he did a great job on kickoffs."
Keomaka walked on at UH at the encouragement of his brother-in-law, Warriors senior receiver Chad Owens.
Keomaka has six special teams tackles in six games.
"He's a talented kid," Owens said. "I knew he had the ability."
Keomaka was excited about getting in for three snaps at safety, but he knows special teams is where he can make his mark at this point.
"The main thing is wanting to be the guy to make the play," he said. "You can't wait for someone else to do it."
Jones said second-year freshman Hercules Satele was "very good, played very well," in his starting debut at left guard.
"And Samson played very well at center," he added, referring to sophomore Samson Satele, who moved over to center from left guard.
Bouncing back: With Jones as coach, Hawaii has recovered well from losses. The Warriors are 19-9 following a defeat since 1999; this year the mark is 4-1, with wins following a 69-3 loss at Boise State and a 70-14 setback at Fresno State.
"They're pretty resilient. Not too many teams can come back from two losses like that," Jones said.
Now, UH must beat Northwestern and then Michigan State for a three-game winning streak if it is to finish 7-5 and qualify for the Hawaii Bowl.
"If we were 100 percent physically ready we'd be the extreme underdog in both these games," Jones said. "(Northwestern is) big, fast and smart. We have to play our best game."
Fun and work: NU needs to win to become eligible for its third bowl in five years. But coach Randy Walker said the Wildcats won't be locked in their rooms when they arrive here tomorrow.
"As I told our players last night, I want them to experience Hawaii and enjoy the trip, but make no mistake about it -- at some point we're going to lock it down and get to that right place," Walker said yesterday at his weekly news conference. "But I'm not going to do it (tomorrow) when we get there. It is a unique place and maybe some of them will never get back there again."
Security meeting: Representatives from Aloha Stadium security, HPD and UH are meeting today to address issues of rowdiness in the crowd during Warriors games.
There was unruly behavior, including several fights in the stands Saturday, and some fans were escorted out of the stadium by police.
"The No. 1 concern of the stadium is the safety of the fans," Aloha Stadium spokesman Patrick Leonard said.
www.hawaiiathletics.com
