Instead of playing with a stiff upper lip, University of Hawai'i strong safety Jacob Patek played with a swollen and stitched one — but with the same results.

The junior recorded four tackles and had two quarterback hurries in UH's 61-17 win over Louisiana Tech last night at Aloha Stadium in a Western Athletic Conference game.

Midway through the first quarter, Patek tackled a Louisiana Tech player whose feet hit Patek in the face. It split his upper lip in two, about a quarter of an inch off center on his right.

"I'm alright," Patek said. "I was just trying to make a tackle and I slid down and the guy kicked me with his feet."

He received 17 stitches, and "was back out within 15 minutes," he said. "At first I didn't know how bad my lip was, until I got a look at it and it was split in two. It's all good, but it hurts a little right now. The Novocain is wearing off."

The stitches curled from the top of his upper lip to the inside of his mouth. Blood that seeped from the stitches dotted his lower lip after the game. Tomorrow he will undergo plastic surgery to fix the gash.

"It was gross, man," free safety Leonard Peters said. "I thought he was done for the game. It shows how much he wants to play. It was very bloody. I thought he broke his teeth or something. The blood was coming from everywhere. By that time we were up a little bit and had a safety who could come in, but it showed how much he wants to play. He's a tough kid."

Patek held a bloody Gatorade towel to his mouth after the game, and said he had no doubts he would re-enter the game.

The injury didn't affect his performance. He was the "same old Jacob," according to defensive backs coach Rich Miano. "He makes plays all the time, and sometimes he's just not credited with the tackles."

Miano called him "probably one of the most valuable guys on defense."

Even after being kicked in the face, Patek was not afraid to get in the face of Louisiana Tech quarterback Zac Champion, putting on the pressure and forcing two quarterback hurries in the third quarter.

"He's probably the guy who hustles the most in this defense," Miano said. "He's always around the football and he's played really well the past few weeks."

Patek is fifth on the team with 40 tackles. He has started every game this season after transferring from Blinn Junior College in Texas, where he played two all-conference seasons at linebacker.

He is grateful for being a part of a program that has won seven straight games and is playing in a bowl game.

"I just want to play for my teammates and God," Patek said. "I give all the glory to God. It's just a blessing to be out here in Hawai'i with 90-something guys and be a family with them."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.