Right slotback Patrick Olchovy, who had practiced with the first-team offense the past two weeks, will be unavailable to the University of Hawai'i football team for up to eight weeks because of two broken back ribs.

"Poor guy," said Ron Lee, who coaches the UH receivers. "He really worked hard."

Olchovy, a 5-foot9, 169-pound sophomore from New York, suffered the injury when he was tackled at the end of a crossing pattern during Saturday's scrimmage at Aloha Stadium. He was treated on the field for about five minutes before going to The Queen's Medical Center for further tests. UH had announced Olchovy suffered a "back injury" and his availability was "day to day." But his recovery period was amended yesterday.

"It happens," Olchovy said. "I can't do anything about it. They said I need a lot of rest. I'm resting a lot, and I'll see how it goes. I'm a tough guy."

Olchovy remembered being hit "awkwardly. ... Something wasn't right. I got hit right under my right shoulder pads. It was weird. It's the back of the ribs, not the front ribs."

Olchovy had been practicing ahead of second-year freshman Ryan Grice-Mullen, who suffered a sprained right shoulder during the second practice of training camp, and senior Nate Ilaoa, who is recovering from a strained hamstring.

"I feel bad for (Olchovy)," quarterback Tyler Graunke said. "He had a big opportunity. He was up to starting when Ryan Grice was out. I felt really comfortable with him out there. He knew his routes. He knew how to get open. He's quick and hard to bring down."

Graunke predicted Olchovy will be back within six weeks. "He's a tough guy," Graunke said. "He learned the playbook really well. He was going to contribute this year, and he still can when he comes back."

Grice-Mullen, Ilaoa and left slotback Jason Ferguson, who is recovering from lower-back pain, competed in 6-on-7 passing drills yesterday.

"They've got a ways to go (because of) the injuries, but at least they're out there practicing," Lee said.

Meanwhile, wideout Dylan Linkner moved from the left side to the right side. "We've got two weeks to go," Lee said, referring to the Sept. 3 opener against two-time defending national champion Southern California. "We want to look at a lot of things."

Yesterday's afternoon practice — rescheduled after Friday's power outage canceled two practices and meetings — marked the official end to training camp. With today's start of UH's fall semester, the roster may expand and the Warriors will practice once a day. Quarterback Kainoa Akina, running back Jazen Anderson and kicker Nolan Miranda are among the players who will join this week.

Akina, a fifth-year senior, will be the sixth quarterback on the roster.

Miranda, who was a part-time starter in 2003, announced in June he was leaving the Warriors because of personal problems. He said he resolved those problems, and will be cleared to play pending approval of outstanding summer-school work.

Freshman running back Mario Cox also is expected to be cleared to practice this week. Willie Cox Sr. said his son's eligibility was delayed because his transcripts were incorrectly filed when he changed high schools after his junior year.

DAVIS MOVES TO OFFENSE

JoPierre Davis, a freshman from Balboa High in San Francisco, has moved from cornerback to running back.

"I was surprised, but the coaches feel it's the best move for me," said Davis, who is 6 feet and 205 pounds. "I trust the coaches. If they feel it's the best move, I'm going to go with them."

As a Balboa senior, Davis rushed for 1,639 yards and 23 touchdowns. He had 10 runs of at least 50 yards.

The San Francisco Chronicle named Davis as the San Francisco area's Player of the Year, and listed him in an elite group of players known as the "Fearsome Foursome."

At the 2003 San Francisco track finals, Davis ran 100 meters in 10.9 seconds, a time the judges ruled was not enhanced by the wind. He said he can run 40 yards in 4.5 seconds.

Davis was recruited by Arizona State, Nevada-Las Vegas, Utah and Washington State. But they lost interest when it appeared he would finish short of a math credit. But he attended night school to fulfill the math requirement, and the NCAA Clearinghouse approved his eligibility before the start of training camp.

Davis said he believes he will not have difficulty returning to running back.

"The running back has a lot of responsibility," he said. "It's a big role, but it's not too complex. It's not like moving to safety or something. It's way less complex than a lot of stuff we're doing on defense. Once I learn the running plays, I hope I can get into the passing game. I want them to feed me the ball."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.