Warriors' Peters remains questionable for game

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

A handful of injured Hawai'i players were held out of practice yesterday.

Linebacker Chris Brown (sprained left ankle) and defensive lineman Travis Laboy (right body muscle pull) are expected to play in Wednesday's ConAgra Foods Hawai'i Bowl.

Strong safety Hyrum Peters (sprained left knee) will be evaluated tomorrow, according to UH defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa.

"He just hasn't tested it in practice. Whether he can run well enough to play, that's what we'll find out on, probably on Sunday."

Wide receiver Nate Ilaoa (sore hamstring) sat out Thursday and yesterday, according to Hawai'i coach June Jones. Running back Mike Bass (left knee) is "iffy" for the game, Jones said.

• Wary of Tulane: Coaches say don't be fooled by Tulane's 7-5 record. The Green Wave have defeated quality teams such as Southern Miss, UAB and Cincinnati this season.

"They have the best running back (Mewelde Moore) in their conference," Lempa said. "He was drafted by the (Major League Baseball's San Diego) Padres, so he's a real good athlete. And they got a real good quarterback (J.P. Losman) who transferred from UCLA. A lot of people think: 'oh yeah, you'll just kill (Tulane).' Not so."

Jones said Tulane can be explosive on offense.

"They can move the ball, and they moved it against every team they played this season," Jones said.

Added Brown: "Their running back is awesome. He's the leading receiver. He's a good runner and he's got nice hands. The quarterback is really accurate. On the turf, I think their speed is going to be a real big factor."

• Back to defense: Offensive lineman Wayne Hunter played right defensive end on the scout team yesterday to rest his sore lower back. He said the injury is similar to the one that hampered him last season on the defensive line. He believes he aggravated the injury after his body was weakened by a minor flu. Hunter said he expects to play in the Hawai'i Bowl.

• Jumbo-sized race: Defensive lineman Tala Esera (6-3, 265) and offensive lineman Brandon Eaton (6-3, 301) brought some holiday cheer yesterday at the end of practice. At the request of Jones, the two linemen spun around 15 times, got dizzy and ran a 40-yard dash. Eaton won the race.

"We've been working hard the past several days," Brown said. "Coach Jones just wanted to mix it up. It was pretty fun."