LIHUE » It was supposed to be a day full of positives, a nice little interisland day trip, a feel-good event for Kauai.

After all, when a football team scrimmages itself, it can't lose, right? When it visits fans who rarely get to see them other than on TV, it's supposed to be all warm and fuzzy, or at least as much as football can be that way.

And that's what it was for the most part as the University of Hawaii brought the gridiron show to Vidinha Stadium, visiting here for the first time in 20 years. After a successful similar trip to Maui last year, athletic director Jim Donovan and football coach Greg McMackin said they'd do the same with Kauai, eventually.

With several Garden Isle players seniors in 2011, it looked like that might be the time to do it. But Kauai mayor Bernard Carvalho—Donovan's UH offensive linemate three decades ago—mobilized the island and got it on the fast track.

Why wait?

“;I told my good friend Jim Donovan to just get the team here and we'd take care of everything else,”; said an overjoyed Carvalho.

The weather cooperated and the field was beautiful too. Lots of hard hitting, a few touchdown passes. It was all good—almost.

Just one thing missing.

The starting quarterback.

No. 17 in orange, junior Bryant Moniz, didn't make the trip.

And his status is like one of the 14 touchdown passes he threw for UH last year ... up in the air.

“;All I'm going to say is he is taking care of personal business,”; McMackin said.

THE REASON for Moniz's absence is very personal. But the fact that he's not with the team has to be addressed, because he's the UH quarterback, and the reason could have long-term implications for the Warriors.

The “;personal business”; is not about grades, injury, illness or lawbreaking. It is, however, definitely not something McMackin and offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich or anyone on the team wanted to have to deal with while preparing for the 2010 season.

“;And things were going so good,”; Rolo said, shaking his head.

WE DON'T know when Moniz will be back. But we did see three other quarterbacks throw touchdown passes to three different receivers yesterday. And yet another QB, freshman David Graves, drew a compliment from McMackin for his playmaking ability.

“;Perfect. That feels great that Coach Mack would say that,”; said Graves, as he signed autographs for a long line of Kauai fans. “;There's great competition every day, and I'm just trying to get better.”;

Shane Austin and Brent Rausch have the most experience. But Graves and fellow frosh Cayman Shutter and Corey Nielsen get more snaps and coaching attention with Moniz out, too.

Did the starting quarterback's absence mean distraction or opportunity?

“;Opportunity, for sure,”; Graves said. “;I honestly don't know (why Moniz was gone). Rolo just told me Moniz isn't coming today. In the long run, it can bring us together. It hurts to lose a starter. He was the guy. Now someone else has to step up, and I want to be that guy.”;

Reach Star-Bulletin sports columnist Dave Reardon at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), his “;Quick Reads”; blog at starbulletin.com, and twitter.com/davereardon.