By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

Yes, Tim Chang has completed just 37 percent of his passes over the last two games and the University of Hawai'i quarterback's interceptions outnumber touchdowns 5-1 so far.

But, can we put all this "crisis" talk aside for a moment and just take a deep breath?

Now, before the panic button gets worn out — and remember it is just three games into a 13-game season — step back and take a look at the big picture. Let's remember where Chang was a year ago and, even more important, where he hasn't been most of these past 12 months.

It was a year ago this Saturday when Chang, who was leading the NCAA in total offense at the time, suffered a torn ligament in his right (throwing) wrist against Rice at Aloha Stadium.

The injury resulted in Chang missing the final nine games of the season and all of spring practice.

Even before the injury, the growing pains of the position were evident in the predictable up-and-down performances of a sophomore. Brilliant one game and rocky the next, Chang could throw a bunch of touchdowns and then turn around and get stung by a handful of interceptions. His youth and on-the-job training were reflected in his 4-8 record as a starter.

Fast forward to the present where, between the wrist injury of last season and the fractured pinkie two weeks before this season's opening game, Chang has spent more time in casts, splints and doctor's offices than on the field. Over the past year, he's been more of an observer of the intricate offense than a healthy, hands-on participant.

While this has resulted in a keen appreciation in the area of scaphoid and lunate bones and more knowledge of the 5th proximal phalanx than he ever imagined, it hasn't been the ideal way to prepare for a season unless you're planning to be a student trainer.

For a quarterback — in this case a 20-year-old whose focus can wander between social life, school and football — it can be a problem, especially when you are in a hurry to make up for lost time and touchdowns.

Not surprisingly perhaps, Chang has struggled in his first three outings, two of them on the road. He has struggled with his execution, with his decisions and, you suspect, his confidence.

To see Chang dejectedly on his knees on the sidelines in the waning seconds at Brigham Young and, head buried in his hands, in the locker room at Texas-El Paso is to glimpse the weight of his disappointment.

What Chang has experienced to date has been a two-game setback and maybe not an altogether surprising one given the circumstances. The only way it becomes a "crisis" is if everybody starts treating it like one.