Freshmen battling
for kicking duties

Becoming Hawaii's regular kicker would suit freshman Dan Kelly to a tee -- or, rather, the lack of one.

High school kickers are allowed to use a tee on field goals and extra points. Kelly did not, though, last year as a senior at Linfield Christian in Temecula, Calif.

Dan Kelly: The freshman kicker is vying for a starting position

"I was fortunate enough to go to a school with a lot of money, and they put some of it into FieldTurf, the exact same surface they have at Aloha Stadium," Kelly said. "I kicked off it the entire year. That makes it a little easier here."

The 6-foot-3, 199-pound Kelly has displayed a strong leg, and his accuracy has improved since a shaky start of camp for him and another walk-on freshman, Jeremy Shibata.

"Like anything it takes time," said Kelly, who kicked a 45-yard field goal in high school. "I'm joining a very well-developed special teams group that takes pride in what it does. So coming in here I'm definitely filling big shoes in Justin Ayat. It's been tough, but I feel the special teams are coming together. We're starting to get things done."

The competition steps up Monday when school starts and junior Nolan Miranda arrives. Miranda made three of five field goals and 21 of 22 extra points in 2003 when he replaced a slumping Ayat.

Ilaoa on the mend: Oft-injured senior slot/running back Nate Ilaoa has run routes in individual drills the past two days and he said his strained right hamstring is healing.

"It's coming along slowly, but it's getting better every day," he said.

Will he be ready for the Sept. 3 opener against USC?

"Yeah, I'll be ready by then," Ilaoa said. "Definitely."

The talented runner will still have to prove to coach June Jones he deserves a chance. Jones told reporters he was disappointed in Ilaoa for reporting to fall camp at 248 pounds.

Another slotback, Jason Ferguson, has had an outstanding camp stalled by a back strain. Ferguson aggravated an old injury Monday. He said he was good to go yesterday, but Jones held the shifty sophomore out as a precaution.

"He was going to play today. I told him to wait two or three days," Jones said.

"Old Man" Brennan: Quarterback Colt Brennan turned 22 yesterday. His birthday present from Jones was some new pages for the playbook.

"We put in a bunch of new plays, they're fun," Brennan said. "We get to show more of our athleticism."

Brennan and fellow starting contender Tyler Graunke ran some option plays and threw mostly short passes against the second- and third-team defenses yesterday, as most of the starters in green watched from the side. The Warriors went with helmets and shoulder pads yesterday, so hitting was limited.

True freshman receiver Michael Washington continued to impress all with his speed, and his hands look to be pretty decent.

"After two days with him, I'm very, very impressed with what he brings to the table," Brennan said. "He has unbelievable quickness. The best thing about him is his football mind and how he's adapted to the system compared to some guys who've been here all summer, and they're still having trouble. He's making good plays and good adjustments."

Jones said Washington might start at wide receiver against USC. He will probably be the kickoff returner.

Curnan thrives on work: Linebacker Ikaika Curnan was in for 12 plays in a row yesterday. And he loved it.

"That's going to help me get my conditioning back. I'm usually in only four or five plays," said Curnan, who came to camp weighing 242 pounds and wants to be down to 230 when the season starts.

Curnan said he's regaining his quickness after a severe ankle sprain limited his effectiveness last season, following a 2003 season in which he led UH in tackles.

KHON-TV gets coach's show: The 2005 June Jones Television Show will be produced and telecast by KHON-TV (Ch. 2) this fall. The show will air at 10:30 p.m. on 14 Sundays this season.

Sports director Kanoa Leahey and weekend sports anchor John Veneri, a former UH slotback, will co-host the show.

Charge dropped against Spartan: An assault charge against Michigan State running back Jason Teague has been dismissed. Teague had been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from an October incident involving a woman. He pleaded not guilty in July and the case was dismissed this week.

Teague, who pleaded not guilty to the charge in July, remained with the Spartans while the case was pending and is still with the team. Teague gained 688 yards and scored eight touchdowns on 150 carries last season. He caught 28 passes for 219 yards and two TDs.

Three of Teague's rushing touchdowns came in Hawaii's 41-38 win over MSU last year. The Warriors visit the Spartans on Sept. 10.

Short yardage: Wide receiver Dylan Linkner took some team reps yesterday. He'd been sidelined with a concussion for nearly a week. ... There was no diagnosis available yet on offensive lineman Raphael Ieru's knee strain from Monday. He was scheduled for an MRI yesterday.