UH coaches irate over 'cheap shot' to lineman
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By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
University of Hawai'i football coaches are furious at Eastern Illinois over what they claim is a "cheap shot" that led to UH defensive tackle Lui Fuga suffering a possible season-ending injury in Saturday's 61-36 victory at Aloha Stadium.
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| UH defensive lineman Lui Fuga will miss eight to 12 weeks after fracturing his left fibula against Eastern Illinois on Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.
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Television replays showed Fuga was engaged in a block with an Eastern Illinois guard when right tackle Frank Castognelli lunged helmet-first toward the back of Fuga's left leg.
"That's illegal," UH defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said. "That's a penalty. It should be a personal foul. He should be out of the game."
UH coach June Jones criticized the technique, charging, "That was as cheap and as flagrant a shot as I've ever seen."
Fuga was assisted off the field, and no penalty was called — further angering UH coaches.
"Losing a guy to an injury is part of football, you expect it," UH assistant coach Rich Miano said. "When you lose a guy to a cheap shot of that magnitude, something so flagrant ..."
Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo did not return messages left at his Waikiki hotel room yesterday morning.
The UH coaches claimed that videotapes of the game showed chop blocks — in which a defender is struck low while engaged in a block — were applied to Warrior defensive tackles Lance Samuseva and Isaac Sopoaga.
"If that was a one-shot deal ... if the kid just did that, it's one thing," Lempa said. "But there were other ones where other guys could have gotten hurt, and they didn't, with the same kind of block."
Lempa said if "they're coaching that, that's upsetting. ... I mean, poor Lui. I don't know how long he'll be out. He could be out for the year, for something so stupid."
Miano said UH has no appeal process.
"In the NFL, the commissioner would review that, and that player would be fined and suspended," Miano said. "There are no ramifications in the NCAA. ... He should be suspended for one game. I mean, that cost Lui Fuga the year. It could have cost Isaac the year. It could have cost Lance. We could have lost all of our defensive tackles. There's no place for that in football."
Jones said: "Those guys have to live with themselves."
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The Warriors, already short-handed at defensive tackle, will go to Plan B. Sopoaga, who replaces Fuga, and Samuseva will be the starting defensive tackles. Freshman Abu Ma'afala, who was scheduled to redshirt, becomes the top backup. Ma'afala scored a touchdown on an interception return Saturday.
UH coach Kevin Lempa said Panthers right tackle "should be out of the game" after he lunged at Lui Fuga's leg.
"We told Abu he was one player away from redshirting, and when Lui got hurt, he played," Jones said.
UH will rotate those three at defensive tackle, with defensive end Houston Ala shifting over in some situations. Tala Esera, a freshman from Kahuku High, will play only if there is another serious injury. If not, the coaches would like Esera to redshirt.
Inside linebacker Ikaika Curnan, who missed the opener because of a sprained knee, is listed as "probable" for Friday night's game at Brigham Young. Chad Kalilimoku, who was scheduled to redshirt before Curnan suffered the injury, also will play.
Jones said defensive end Travis Laboy, who was suspended for the Eastern Illinois game, has been reinstated and will travel with the team to BYU.
