Daniel Libre was in Kealoha Pilares' shoes—or boot, as it were—not that long ago.

Back in the second week of the season, it was Libre hobbling around the Hawaii practice field, his sore ankle keeping him out of drills with the Warriors running backs.

The senior's injury in the season opener at Florida led the Warriors coaches to shift Pilares from slotback to running back, where he flourished in the following weeks.

But football's sometimes painful cycle turned on Pilares last week at Boise State, when he went out with a sprained foot that could keep him out for the next three games.

Now Libre is among those looking to fill the void in the backfield.

“;You hate to see somebody go down like that, especially with how hard he worked in the offseason,”; Libre said. “;The rest of us have to pick up where he left off.

“;I always want to carry the ball more, but never at the cost of somebody getting hurt.”;

Pilares started the last four games at running back and Hawaii head coach Greg McMackin said the staff hadn't decided on a starter when the Warriors (3-4, 2-2 Western Athletic Conference) face Nevada (4-3, 2-1) on Saturday at Aloha Stadium. But he said the position will be filled by a combination of Libre, Leon Wright-Jackson and David Farmer.

“;The next guy has to step up and I think we have three good players in those guys,”; McMackin said.

Injuries have been a running theme for the backs this season with Farmer (knee), Libre (ankle), Wright-Jackson (foot) and now Pilares dealing with various ailments.

Libre's breakout performance against Fresno State last season came while filling in for Pilares, who was out with a sprained knee that week.

He was off to a fast start to his senior season, picking up 35 yards on four carries against Florida, when he suffered a sprained ankle.

Libre missed the following week's game against Weber State and reinjured the ankle in his comeback against Oregon State. He's managed to play in every game since and scored his first career touchdown on a 3-yard run in UH's 27-7 loss at Boise State last Saturday.

“;It was really easy with what the line did. There was just a great big hole,”; said Libre, who had a hard time recalling the last time he'd visited the end zone.

“;It hit me when I got in there and I really had to humble myself again because we were still down at that point, couldn't really celebrate too much.”;

Libre enters the week as the Warriors' second leading rusher with 204 yards on 45 carries. Though his ankle still isn't quite where it was at the start of the season, “;it's definitely not anything that's going to stop me from playing,”; he said.

Pilares, meanwhile, is walking in a protective boot and getting treatment in hopes of shortening the initial prognosis for a return to action. Pilares leads the Warriors with five touchdowns and had been playing slotback when not in the backfield.

“;I just try to take care of it as best I can,”; Pilares said yesterday. “;We're still working on the swelling. When that goes down then we're going to start doing some rehab work, strengthening the muscles.”;

It's a process Libre knows all too well.

“;That was the hardest thing I ever had in regards to football,”; Libre said. “;I feel for him, I know he's dying right now just to practice.”;