Spring auditions complete

UH's fringe players made their final plea for playing time in yesterday's spring scrimmage

Yesterday was a big one for the boys on the bubble.

Hawaii football coach June Jones needs to clear out some locker space for fall camp, so the spring-practice-concluding scrimmage was one last chance for the guys on the cut list to catch the coaches' eyes.

About 500 fans lined the UH grass practice field for the 43-play tussle. They saw many Warriors for the first -- and last -- time.

The coaches won't be hasty in their decisions. Legend has it that a gangly walk-on wideout nearly got swept away during spring cleaning seven years ago. But after further review of the scrimmage tape, the coaching staff realized it would be a horrible mistake to send Ashley Lelie packing. Three years later, he was an NFL first-round draft choice.

"We got a look at a lot of the guys who normally don't get a chance. We have to make decisions on about 30 guys," Jones said. "But we're probably not going to do it until the middle of May. We'll evaluate the film and grade them."

Yesterday, for most of UH's returning starters, cheering on teammates and signing autographs was the most strenuous duty, as hopefuls lower on the depth chart did their best to make the team or try to get consideration for a starting spot in the fall.

Cornerback Marques Dailey may have eluded a visit from the Turk by making two stinging tackles and recovering a bad snap (the only turnover) within a stretch of five plays.

The 5-foot-10 junior college transfer walk-on from Mission Viejo, Calif., is among more than a dozen players auditioning at the most glaring hole on defense. To live up to their considerable potential as a team in 2006, the Warriors need to come up with a shutdown corner and at least two or three others good enough to play Division I.

Dailey hopes he can be among them.

"I just tried to go out there and work hard. There's a lot of competition and more coming, but I love competition. It makes you work harder and stay focused," he said. "I just came out here and did my job and had a pretty good day."

Quarterbacks Inoke Funaki and Will Brogan were sacked four times, but that didn't bother Jones, since the offense was mixing and matching O-linemen.

"I think we're going to have some good young offensive linemen and I like the intensity up front of the defense," Jones said.

Nose tackle Lawrence Wilson was in on two, and safety Mike Malala and outside linebacker Karl Noa bagged the other two sacks.

Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said he was disappointed overall, even though his unit allowed only one play longer than 32 yards -- a 75-yard touchdown pass from Funaki to Michael Washington.

"Well, what I saw is we all need to improve on defense. I was disappointed in a lot of people's hitting. We have to hit much better than that. I hope we hit like that because that was our teammates. We can't hit like that against Alabama (Sept. 2)," Glanville said. "It wasn't intense, the gang-tackling wasn't crisp. I only heard 13 (freshman linebacker Brashton Satele). You have to hear all 11 of 'em. I heard 13 a couple of times and that was it."

Glanville, the former NFL head coach with the Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons, did point out some positives on offense.

"That quarterback, No. 11, he can play some yard-ball," Glanville said, referring to Funaki's ability to improvise. "And the offensive line does a good job of sorting things out and blocking things."

Funaki completed 10 of 19 passes for 147 yards. He netted 1 yard rushing in six carries, including three of the sacks.

Jones said he expects Funaki will play quarterback at some point in 2006, even with NCAA passing-yardage leader Colt Brennan and No. 2 QB Tyler Graunke both returning.

"He's been really competitive. When the game starts, he competes well. He'll get a chance in a game before this season is over," Jones said.

At running back, a slimmed-down David Farmer carried twice for 23 yards, including a 20-yard jaunt. Junior college transfer Jazen Anderson broke away for a 32-yard run, and junior walk-on Alonzo Chopp rushed three times for 31 yards. As for the converted nose tackles, Siave Seti carried once for a yard, and Reagan Mauia did not play.