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RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM UH quarterback Colt Brennan is battling for the Warriors' starting quarterback job.

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Brennan finally brings
the big gun to practice

The UH QB hopeful aired it out
after suffering from a sore arm
early in preseason camp

Colt Brennan's right arm rose from the dead yesterday.

"This is probably the first day I felt good about my throwing," the Hawaii quarterback hopeful said after the Warriors' fourth practice of preseason camp yesterday. "The ball came out real nice. I was kind of back to my old self."

Neither Brennan nor Tyler Graunke -- the top two candidates to start at quarterback Sept. 3 against USC -- have been overly impressive so far. Coach June Jones isn't too alarmed, though, since it is early in camp, they are learning the playbook, and they are working with many inexperienced receivers.

"When we trim down to the game plan against USC I think they'll be OK," Jones said.

Have the quarterbacks improved since last Friday?

"Every day they have because they're not mentally thinking as much and they're reacting," Jones said. "Their heads will start swimming again because tomorrow night we'll add about eight more routes. All in all it'll end up working itself out."

Brennan worked out a lot during the summer and impressed observers with his arm strength. But he said he didn't throw very much at all the week before camp started, which might have been a mistake.

"After day one and day two, I had a real sore arm," he said.

Before yesterday, Brennan had not been extending his arm on long throws because of the soreness.

"My arm is usually low, always low on (passes of) 20 yards (or less)," he said. "When I tried to go up top, my arm was tired, and I kept turning my wrist wrong and couldn't go deep. Today I had no problems throwing deep. I finally got my arm up. The first days it wasn't coming out the way it should've. Today made me feel a lot better about everything. I regained my confidence."

Brennan is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound transfer sophomore. He went into camp right behind Graunke, a 5-11, 175-pound second-year freshman. They have had most the repetitions with the offense.

Second-year freshman Inoke Funaki, senior Jeff Rhode and walk-on freshman Anthony Gardner are the other quarterbacks in camp.

Fa'avi fighting: They keep throwing them at Derek Fa'avi, and he keeps battling.

The senior center is not a prototype physical specimen at 6-foot-1 and 273 pounds, but his technique and smarts have kept him in the starting lineup since his freshman season in 2002. The only thing to knock him out was a knee injury that ended a string of 19 consecutive starts last year.

Every camp, Fa'avi has to fend off challenges for his starting spot. This year, the Warriors are considering moving their best lineman, left guard Samson Satele, to center. Fa'avi took the bulk of the reps yesterday, but Satele slid over for some, too.

"It's crazy. The recruiting is great here, so every guy who comes in comes in with a purpose," Fa'avi said. "And the competition is good. I just try to do my thing, take what the coaches are teaching me and just do it."

The Campbell High School alumnus got a head start on keeping his position by reporting to camp in great shape.

He pointed out that the offensive line arrived in outstanding condition overall.

"Dane (Uperesa), Marques (Kaonohi) and Tala (Esera), and the rest of the guys committed," Fa'avi said.

Green to white: Junior Chris Williams was a linebacker last spring. Now he's a running back.

The 6-foot-1, 226-pound McKinley and Fresno City College graduate never played the position before; he was a tight end with the Tigers when playing offense.

"I'm getting the hang of it. It's not that much different, just line up and hit somebody," Williams said. "It's a good opportunity for playing time."

Junior Bryan Maneafaiga is the No. 1 running back right now, but Jones wants to rotate two or three backs once the games start.

Short yardage: Slotback Jason Ferguson saw action on both sides yesterday, with right-side contenders Nate Ilaoa and Ryan Grice-Mullen both out with injuries. "When it comes down to Sept. 3, I want to be on the field. If I'm at the right, I'm at the right. If I'm at the left, I'm at the left," Ferguson said. ... Dylan Linkner handled the team reps at one of the wideouts, replacing Ian Sample, who was out for a second day with a sore back. ... Ross Dickerson continued his steady play on the other side. ... The biggest surprise yesterday was when slotback Davone Bess dropped a pass. It was the first time many of his teammates had seen one fall through his hands. ... JC transfer defensive tackle Reagan Mauia has been cleared and is practicing, but another DT, Lawrence Wilson, is among the players still awaiting paperwork.