WARRIOR NOTEBOOK
Chang says earning players' respect an ongoing process

Although he is the undisputed starting quarterback, Tim Chang said it is his daily goal to earn his teammates' respect.

"As long as I'm still playing on this team, I'm going to have to win the hearts of every single guy on this team," said Chang, a third-year sophomore from St. Louis School. "It's a nonstop deal. As long as you're playing, it's a nonstop deal."

Chang said the leadership role goes along with being the starting quarterback.

"It's the profile," he said. "You have to fit the profile. If you're not up to it, then you have to move to another position. You cannot just take the reins. You have to want to take the reins."

Chang missed the final nine games of last season because of a wrist injury and he did not compete in spring practice after undergoing surgery. He missed nearly two weeks of preseason training after suffering a broken finger on his throwing hand.

"Definitely, I thought I had to win back the position, as well as my teammates, and do the things I need to do to have their support, and to have their love and motivation," he said. "It all comes part of the territory, being the quarterback and being the leader out there."

Line dance: The Warriors yesterday experimented with their defensive line by moving left end La'anui Correa to right end, right ends Travis Laboy and Kevin Jackson to the left side, and flip-flopping left tackle Isaac Sopoaga and right tackle Lance Samuseva.

Vantz Singletary, who coaches the defensive line, said the moves help build depth and create matchup advantages.

"We'll continue to do that to find the best matchups," Singletary said.

One that might work in Saturday's game against Texas-El Paso is the alignment with Correa on the right side and Houston Ala opening at left end. Both are good run defenders, and the Miners' offense features several option runs.

Ala's role is expected to expand, anyway. In the first two games, he played defensive tackle when UH used five defensive backs and nose guard when six defensive backs were in the game. He also was the top backup at both defensive end positions.

"He's, by far, the most versatile player we have," defensive coordinator Kevin Lempa said.

The 6-foot-1, 250-pound Ala is both strong (he can bench press 450 pounds) and quick. And, according to linebacker Chris Brown, "he's an animal. ... I think he's a little bit nuts in the head."

During plays, "you can hear him grunting and growling," Brown said. "If I were an offensive guy, I wouldn't want to play against him. He's a psycho. ... Off the field, he's a gentle giant. On the field, he talks to himself. ... Sometimes you'll ask him a question and he'll zone out and the answer will be a minute later. You're like, 'Oh, buddy, what are you thinking in that head of yours?' "

Health report: Free safety Sean Butts appears to have recovered from a sprained ankle. But safety Leonard Peters, who is recovering from tears to his spleen and a kidney, has not been medically cleared to play against UTEP. Peters is scheduled to undergo a CAT scan next Wednesday. Peters, who did not wear shoulder pads yesterday, competed in noncontact drills.

Roster update: Defensive tackle Tala Esera, a freshman from Kahuku High, will be included on the 60-player travel roster to El Paso. Lempa said plans to redshirt Esera only will change in an emergency situation.

"We don't want to waste him," Lempa said. "We'll play him if he's going to play (extensively)."