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With a long list of injuries lengthened following the Oregon State game there is good news for Hawaii heading with the week off. The nasty looking injury to linebacker Brenden Daley has been confirmed to not be as bad as it initially looked. Daley suffered a concussion but he will be available for the game against Nevada. Injuries to safety/long-snapper Kawika Borden and safety Trayvon Henderson will not keep them out of any games either.
In both games thus far the Warriors have been missing possibly their biggest receiving weapon in Billy Ray Stutzmann. Stutzmann, a senior, was injured in a one car collision back in July. He had to sit out all of training camp and the first two weeks of the season whilst recovering from a concussion. There is a growing hope that he will be available after the week off for the trip to Reno, Nevada. He will return to light practice with the team this week and there's an air of optimism.
Last year Stutzmann, a Honolulu native, was the teams leading receiver in receptions (35) and yards (447). He started seven and played in a total of 10 games (missing two to due injury) and ranked tenth in the mountain west in both receptions per game and receiving yards per game. Furthermore, he managed at least one reception in each of the 10 games he played a part in. In fact Stutzmann has caught a pass in 23 straight games dating back to his freshman year. Whilst the other receivers at UH have done their best to step up to the plate during these past two weeks there is no doubt the return of Stutzmann will be a welcome one.
After traveling with the team to Corvallis both running back Joey Iosefa and defensive tackle Kennedy Tulimasealii did not end up getting on the field. The bye week comes at a perfect time to give both of them more practice time and to get them 100 percent going into the Wolfpack game. Iosefa will be the number one running back on the depth chart on his return to the team and Tulimasealii will be a vital extra body to put into the interior defensive line rotation.
A player I have not yet touched on is tight end Jordan Pu‘u-Robinson. He too has been missing for the first 2 games and should be back for game three. Pu'u Robinson is another senior who has the ability to influence the Hawaii offense. Before he ended up with the Warriors he spent three years with the Washington State program, however he only actually played for one after red-shirting his first year and missing the entire second because of injury. He only participated in two games last year, also because of injury and spent some of his time on defense at defensive tackle. His comeback could have a big impact in the rushing attack with his history on the defense he could be a valuable blocker for Graham to utilize.
Another important announcement was made by head coach Norm Chow that Taylor Graham will remain the starter at quarterback. After being picked off four times and sacked seven times against USC, he was not picked off at all against OSU and was only sacked three times. He managed a stat line of 10 completions from 20 passes and a touchdown. Sean Schroeder did come in with around seven minutes left in the fourth quarter but Chow is adamant that there is no change at quarterback forthcoming.
Following the loss in Corvallis on saturday there has been a suspension handed down to special teams coordinator Chris Demarest. He was suspended for yelling at Oregon State running back Jovan Stevenson after his late hit on Hawaii's Trayvon Henderson on an Oregon State punt return. Demarest is suspended from coaching in the game in Nevada but is allowed to coach at practice. Stevenson will be suspended from the first half of the Beavers game against Utah.