GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Quarterback Tyler Graunke led the Warriors in rushing during Saturday's 63-17 loss to USC on Saturday.

QBs hope silence
proves golden

UH signal-callers practice
hand signals to prepare for
the loud Michigan State crowd

Hawaii's quarterbacks may use the silent treatment in their attempt to quiet a rowdy crowd at Michigan State on Saturday.

Tyler Graunke and Colt Brennan spent part of yesterday's practice running the Warrior offense with a "silent count" in anticipation of the crowd noise generated at the 75,005-seat Spartan Stadium.

"If it's really loud we can't even hear ourselves talk or think," Graunke said after the Warriors' final workout before departing for their first road trip of the season. "So with just motions and signals we'll be able to be on the same page. It's not very hard, the whole offense just has to watch the ball and go off of that."

Michigan State has drawn at least 72,000 fans to its last 40 home games, often making it difficult for opposing quarterbacks to be heard by the rest of the offensive unit. So the Warriors are preparing for the possibility of having to use body language to communicate at the line of scrimmage.

"Their crowd noise is much like their basketball games," UH coach June Jones said. "Opposing teams have trouble with the snap count and different kinds of things. So communication is very important."

The Warriors had a few communications problems to iron out in the early moments of their 63-17 season-opening loss against USC last week. But both Graunke and Brennan said simply having their first Division I game behind them has them feeling more comfortable heading into this week's game against the Spartans of the Big Ten.

"Everybody says it's going to be a big crowd and they're going to be ripping us up," Brennan said. "I'm sure that it's going to be tough, but the best thing we can do is not get worried about it and just do what we do and worry about the X's and O's and provide the effort."

RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Junior college transfer Colt Brennan combined with Graunke on 33-of-49 passing for 377 yards and two touchdowns against USC on Saturday.

Jones said both Graunke and Brennan will play again this week after the duo split quarterbacking duties against USC, though he hadn't decided which would start.

The UH quarterbacks combined to complete 33 of 49 passes (67 percent) for 377 yards and each tossed a touchdown pass. Graunke was also the Warriors' leading rusher with 43 yards, most of those coming on option plays.

"We're still not where we need to be with the quarterbacks, the timing and getting the ball out," Jones said. "But we've got to go as fast as we can go because we're trying to win the game."

Jones indicated that he'd like to settle on one to run the offense in the coming weeks.

"We'll make the call and go with it," he said. "It might be (the Western Athletic Conference opener on Sept. 24 against) Idaho, it might not. ... We have two weeks before that game, so that gives us a little more time."

The combination of Graunke's running ability and Brennan's accuracy allowed the Warriors to move the ball effectively at times against the top-ranked Trojans. Graunke and Brennan said rotating into the game every few plays did make it harder to get into a rhythm, but the system had its advantages for the opener.

"There's some cool things about it, especially being a young quarterback," Brennan said. "You step back, take a break for a play and really calm down and see the defense. It helped in the first game."

Though the competition to replace Tim Chang as the Warriors' full-time signal-caller still isn't quite settled, Brennan and Graunke are focused on the bigger picture now that the season is under way.

"(Splitting snaps will) start to get tougher only because as you get more comfortable out there you want to stay out there longer and run a drive," Brennan said. "But it should be about winning football games. ... Hopefully me and him can just not worry about the starting job and we'll just worry about putting points on the board and putting the team in the best position to win."

Back to the start: UH's road trip will take Kainoa Akina back to the state where he began his college career.

Akina, the third quarterback on the traveling squad, played at Eastern Michigan his freshman year. He started seven games and passed for 1,504 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2001. He said he plans to meet up with his former EMU roommates this weekend.

"I'm very excited to be going there," Akina said of his return to Michigan. "The last time I was there I was looking at it in the rear-view mirror of my car."

Had Akina remained with the Eagles rather than transfer to UH in 2002, he might have faced Michigan State a lot sooner, as Eastern Michigan opened that season against the Spartans.

Akina has played in eight games with the Warriors, and wasn't invited to camp last month. He rejoined the team when school started and has worked his way back to the third spot.

"Last time I checked, if you had a bad attitude it never really did any good," he said. "So you have to just work harder, and when you fall on your back, keep your eyes up."

On the run: Andre Taylor still had a yellow scout-team jersey yesterday, but -- depending on the coin toss -- could be the first Warrior to handle the ball on Saturday.

Taylor will return kickoffs on Saturday after turning in two solid returns against USC. He had a 21-yard return in the third quarter, then broke loose for a 40-yarder on the final play of the game.

"It's a little surprising, but I always knew I'd get an opportunity sooner or later and the opportunity came quick," the junior-college transfer said.

Although he's moved up the depth chart on special teams, he doesn't mind his role on the scout team in practice.

"I doesn't matter to me. As long as I'm out here giving the starting D a look I'm going to make them better and I'm also making myself better by going against the first team," he said.

On the mend: Defensive end Melila Purcell spent his second practice on crutches with a protective boot on his bruised foot. "It's a concern, but I think that he'll be OK," Jones said.

Linebacker T.J. Moe also missed yesterday's practice. Jones said Moe may have been ill and he'll make the trip. Freshman Tyson Kafentzis practiced with the first team at outside linebacker.

Looking ahead: UH athletic director Herman Frazier said he is close to a contract with one of two remaining nonconference games for the 2006 schedule (he said it could be a I-A or I-AA school), and Washington is a possibility for the final spot. "I can't confirm it because we haven't talked about what would be included in the contract. As relates to a return game (at Washington), that would not be prior to 2010."

UH's nonconference schedule for 2006 already includes a game at Alabama on Sept. 2 and home games against UNLV (Sept. 16) and Purdue (Nov. 25).