Colt iffy for Nevada

Concussion a delicate matter

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Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan won't practice today and possibly tomorrow, UH coach June Jones said yesterday, and he might not play Friday at Nevada.

Brennan suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of UH's 37-30 victory over Fresno State on Saturday at Aloha Stadium. He was knocked unconscious by a hard hit from Bulldogs linebacker Marcus Riley. After 5 minutes on the stadium floor, Brennan got up and walked off the field.

Brennan said yesterday that he hasn't suffered headaches or nausea, but he doesn't know if he'll be able to play against the Wolf Pack in Reno.

"We'll probably hold him out a couple of days," Jones said. "It's possible he'll practice Tuesday, we'll wait and see how he reacts."

No. 13-ranked Hawaii is 16th in the BCS standings and UH (9-0, 6-0 WAC) is one of just two remaining unbeaten teams.

Brennan tied Ty Detmer's national career record for touchdown passes on Saturday, throwing two to run his total to 121. Brennan, a senior team captain, was sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting last year and holds numerous team, league and NCAA records.

He rested yesterday and said his neck was sore after the hit but felt better.

"I do feel a lot better," Brennan said yesterday, after meeting with the UH medical staff. "They told me to just rest, no heavy physical work or labor, just rest and keep hydrated."

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Like all veteran football coaches, June Jones has had to adapt in many ways. One of them is dealing with injuries to the head.

After Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan's concussion during Saturday's 37-30 victory over Fresno State, Jones quickly said Brennan would be able to practice this week and play Friday at Nevada.

But Jones backed up a little in his comments yesterday. He said Brennan would not practice today, and probably not tomorrow. The 13th-ranked Warriors (9-0, 6-0 WAC) head to Nevada (5-4, 3-2) on Wednesday for the season's final road game Friday.

As for Brennan's availability for the game? No one knows yet.

"Everything's changed," said Jones, who suffered concussions as an NFL quarterback. "When I was playing you just got the smelling salts and went back in. Now it's a little more conservative. We have to see how he reacts. We've got to be smart about it."

While UH officials describe the concussion as "mild," Brennan must be monitored, especially since the hit from Fresno State's Marcus Riley rendered him unconscious.

Jones said he doesn't want to risk Brennan's future as a professional. But he must also do what's right for his team, assuming Brennan gets medical clearance.

"Coach Jones is doing research right now," Brennan said. "He knows for 48 hours the best thing is to not do anything. It's day-by-day and see how practice goes. I know Coach Jones is concerned for me and wants to make the right decision for Friday."

Brennan said he had a sore neck after the hit, but that he felt "a lot better" yesterday and he slept well Saturday night. He said he experienced no nausea or headaches, which are common occurrences after concussions.

"That's a good sign," Jones said. "Maybe it's not too severe."

Brennan said he feels no anger toward Riley. After the game Saturday, Riley said he was worried about Brennan after the hit and Fresno State coach Pat Hill checked on Brennan.

Jones, at least at first, didn't think the play was illegal.

"At the time I looked at the replay on the scoreboard, I thought it was just a clean, hard, fast play," Jones said. "That was my initial reaction."

But Jones also said yesterday that hard, high shots are a growing trend. Also on Saturday, Washington quarterback Jake Locker absorbed a similar blow from Oregon State safety Al Afalava, a former Kahuku star.

"Ultimately, the conference commissioners are going to have to look at the tapes and decide whether these were flagrant fouls and suspend kids for a game," Jones told the New York Times yesterday. "Otherwise, I don't think that it's going to stop."

Brennan said this isn't his first concussion.

"Yeah, I got hit pretty hard before, in Pop Warner," he said. "It's just part of the game. I'll bounce back and be fine."

Status quo in BCS

UH remained at No. 16 in the Bowl Championship Series standings released yesterday.

Hawaii is No. 12 in the coaches poll, same as last week. The Warriors moved up one spot to 13th in the Associated Press media poll and fell one to No. 11 in the Harris poll.

The coaches and Harris polls are used along with computer rankings to determine the BCS standings and which teams play in the top bowl games.

UH must finish in the top 12 to get a spot in one of the five BCS games, unless they finish ranked ahead of a champion from the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10, Big East, SEC or Big 12 (in that case, the Warriors would have to finish in the top 16). This would be a possibility if Michigan (21st in the BCS) beats Ohio State in their regular-season finale Saturday.

As usual, Jones said he isn't concerned about the rankings and polls.

"We're totally focused on Reno right now," he said.

Player of the Week nominees

UH nominated Brennan, Brad Kalilimoku and Dan Kelly for WAC Player of the Week honors.

Brennan completed 28 of 39 passes for 396 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He tied Ty Detmer's NCAA record of 121 career touchdown passes.

Kalilimoku was in on six tackles, including 2 1/2 sacks and a quarterback hurry.

Kelly made three field goals, including a 50-yarder as time ran out in the first half.

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Warrior Replay Five big plays from Hawaii's 37-30 win over Fresno State 1. That looked easy The Setup: Hawaii 0, Fresno State 0, around 13:50 remaining, first quarter, Hawaii ball, second and 10 at own 33. The Play: On the third play from scrimmage, Colt Brennan has all day to throw long to Jason Rivers, who slips behind the Fresno State defense, cradling a long pass from Brennan at the Fresno State 25. He easily covers the rest of the distance to the goal line. The Impact: The 67-yard touchdown play is the first of five scores on Hawaii's first five possessions. Rivers continues his nation-leading current streak with at least one catch in his last 46 games. It also ties the all-time WAC record. UH coach June Jones: "We took them out of their game plan early." 2. Action Jackson and Macho Libre The Setup: Hawaii 7, Fresno State 0, around 8:00 remaining, first quarter, Hawaii ball, first and 10 at Fresno State 33. The Play: RB Leon Wright-Jackson takes the ball on a draw play, quickly jets into the second level of the defense and breaks two tackles near the goal line for a 33-yard touchdown. It caps an eight-play, 83-yard drive that gives Hawaii a 14-0 lead. The Impact: Despite the absence of leading ground-gainer Kealoha Pilares, Hawaii puts forth its best rushing effort of the season with 137 yards on 24 carries. Wright-Jackson goes for 65 yards on six carries, and Daniel Libre debuts with 61 yards, also on six carries. Jones: "I knew the last four games we would have to run the football. Daniel Libre has some quickness and I'm happy to see Leon do well." 3. Tying Ty The Setup: Hawaii 24, Fresno State 7, around 5:00 remaining, second quarter, Hawaii ball, second and goal at Fresno State 5. The Play: Brennan finds SB Davone Bess in the end zone for a touchdown and Hawaii's fifth score in five possessions. The Impact: Brennan ties Ty Detmer's NCAA record of 121 career touchdown passes. Bess, with his 39th career touchdown scored, moves ahead of Chad Owens and Michael Carter for the UH career record. The 10-play, 80-yard drive is kept alive by a third-down face mask call on Fresno State's Chris Carter. Fresno State coach Pat Hill: "We had three dropped balls, a fumble and a late hit. We just didn't get it done." 4. Big turnover The Setup: Hawaii 34, Fresno State 16, 13:19 remaining, third quarter, Fresno State ball, first and 10 at Hawaii 29. The Play: RB Lonyae Miller carries to the Hawaii 22, but DT Keala Watson knocks the ball out and CB Myron Newberry scoops it up. Newberry tries to find running room, but is tackled at his own 17. The Impact: Fresno State had come out after halftime moving the ball quickly downfield with 46 yards on three plays. The Hawaii defense regained the momentum with the turnover. Linebacker Adam Leonard: "I feel our defense did a good job, especially in the first half, but Fresno did a few things in their running game we didn't see on film." 5. The Hit The Setup: Hawaii 37, Fresno State 16, 10:43 remaining, fourth quarter, Hawaii ball, third and 7 at own 24. The Play: Brennan scrambles to his left and is pinned near the sideline. He tries to make a move and is met by LB Marcus Riley, who deals a devastating blow, knocking Brennan down and out and silencing nearly 50,000 fans. After a few minutes, Brennan is able to walk off the field. The Impact: It won't really be known until it's determined if Brennan can play Friday at Nevada and the rest of the season. Brennan suffered a concussion, and did not return to the game. He said yesterday he felt better after a sore neck, but also that he will not practice today. Brennan: "I remember some stuff, some stuff is just fuzzy. Looking at the replay, I don't think I saw him coming." Chosen and described by the Star-Bulletin's Dave Reardon

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