Chang returns to starting unit

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Quarterback Tim Chang officially reclaimed control of the University of Hawai'i football team's offense yesterday morning, receiving the baton from a gracious Nick Rolovich.

"It's the coaches' decision," said Chang, who missed the past two games because of a sprained right wrist. "It doesn't matter who plays. We have to win."

Rolovich, a senior, guided the Warriors to victories in both of his starts. But UH coach June Jones announced Sunday that Chang will start in Saturday's road game against Tulsa.

Without complaining, Rolovich accepted his return to a backup role.

"There's no time to feel sorry for yourself," Rolovich said. "You have to make the best of it and move on."

Rolovich worked with the second offensive unit yesterday. He stayed after practice, working on his accuracy by trying to throw footballs into a garbage can 40 yards away.

"I'm all right with (the decision)," Rolovich said. "There's nothing I can do but try to get better. I feel really good. I feel I did my job when I got my shot. I did good enough for us to win. I appreciate that the team stuck by me. I have to keep working hard and not give up."

Chang said he does not feel added pressure in replacing Rolovich. "I know he can do the job," Chang said. "I have all the faith in him."

Chang declined to say whether his wrist is still sore. "I don't think about it," he said. "I try to block it out."

He also was the only player to wear game pants yesterday.

"We always wear shorts in practice, and I wanted to get used to dropping back while wearing pants. It's a different feeling wearing pads and the Spandex pants."

• I believe I can fly: Slotback Chad Owens still delighted in recalling his dive into the end zone at the end of a touchdown run in Saturday night's 66-7 victory over Texas-El Paso.

Owens took off just outside the UTEP 4. "When I was in the air," he said, "I was like, 'Whoa, I'm kind of high up.' It was like I was free-falling."

Owens, a redshirt freshman from Roosevelt High, said he always wanted to dive into the end zone. "A split second before I jumped, I said, 'I'm going to do it,'" he recalled. "It came to me and I took off."

But the officials did not share in Owens' enthusiasm, and penalized him for excessive celebration.

While styling is frowned upon — UH slotbacks Craig Stutzmann and Channon Harris had to run post-practice sprints for excessively celebrating touchdowns last year — the coaches showed a video clip of Owens' dive during Monday's team meeting.

"We were juiced after watching it," Stutzmann said. "It put a little giggle in us the rest of the day."

• Health report: Cornerback Hyrum Peters, who did not play against UTEP because of a pulled left hamstring, might be included on the 60-player travel roster.

If Peters is available, it will be decided Saturday whether he will start. If not, Kelvin Millhouse, who scored on an interception return against UTEP, will make his second consecutive start.

Safety Jacob Espiau aggravated a right shoulder injury when a joint popped out of the socket against UTEP. Espiau said it will be a recurring problem the rest of the season, but vowed not to miss any games.

Defensive end Wayne Hunter's lower-back pain is believed to be caused by a viral infection. Two weeks ago, Hunter was briefly hospitalized with a 104-degree fever. Soon after, he began suffering painful back spasms.

"I know I didn't do anything physical to hurt my back," he said.

Hunter said he hopes to play this week.

Defensive back Matt Manuma will not play because of a sprained left knee. He was scheduled to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging yesterday afternoon. Even if the results are negative, he has missed too much practice time to be ready for Tulsa, UH coach June Jones said.