On a rainy afternoon, Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan announced his retirement.

"I'm officially retired from school," said Brennan, who completed his thesis and the school work needed to earn a bachelor's degree.

Brennan is one of seven Warriors who will participate in Sunday's graduation ceremony.

"It's a great feeling," said Brennan, who is majoring in communications. "It's been a lot of years. But I'm excited to graduate, that's for sure."

Brennan met the final requirements when he completed a video project that he used as his thesis.

"I'm just glad to be done," Brennan said. "Now I can focus just on football."

Defensive ends Karl Noa and Amani Purcell, defensive tackle Siave Seti, linebacker Rustin Saole, right guard Larry Sauafea and right wideout C.J. Hawthorne also will graduate.

It will be a joint ceremony for Saole and his wife, Ku'ulei (Karratti), a former UH track star.

"We're going out together — Mr. and Mrs. Saole," he said.

"It's really great," Ku'ulei said.

It hasn't been easy. They had to mix school with parenthood. Their daughter, Ku'upuamaikalani, is 6 months.

It also has been a busy time for left wideout Jason Rivers, who is getting married tomorrow.

"It's been kind of crazy," Rivers said. "She's doing most of the work. Her sister has been a big help. I'm excited."

Rivers and Rachel Runnels are planning a small wedding and reception.

"It's something personal," he said.

His brother, former UH wideout Frank Rivers, is the best man.

"We do a lot together," Rivers said of his older brother. "Nobody knows me better than him."

'BACK TO THE GROOVE'

The Warriors yesterday began preparations for the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl with a 75-minute practice followed by 30 minutes of conditioning drills.

"It felt real good to get everybody back together and see the faces we saw every day for the past six months," left slotback Davone Bess said. "It was great to be with the boys, to see the coaches, to smell the grass again."

Bess and right slotback Ryan Grice-Mullins were restricted to running pass routes. They did not participate in the conditioning drills.

"I'm just resting up a little longer so I'll be closer to 100 percent," Grice-Mullins said. "I could have done more stuff. But I'm resting up from the whole year. I'm a little beat up."

Bess said: "I'm not injured. I'm taking the easy transition back to the groove."

Today is the last day of the fall semester. Jones said he scheduled practices yesterday and today to help his players "get back into it."

The Warriors did not run any of the plays they will use against Georgia.

"We took two weeks off," Jones said. "We need to get into football condition again."

The Warriors will not practice tomorrow or Sunday.

"Then we'll start up again," Jones said.

The conditioning drills, which were set up on the neighboring soccer field, involved sprints and lateral running. When the players maneuvered past a series of orange traffic cones, Grice-Mullins joked: "Duck, duck, goose."

"It's tiring, exhausting," linebacker Adam Leonard said. "It makes you want to go to my comfortable bed and go to sleep.

"I was kind of loving life away from football after a long season," Leonard added. "It was good to get away and relax. My body is feeling a lot better. I'm happy we're not wearing pads yet."

Kicker Dan Kelly, who jogged but did not practice because of a tender right foot, said he enjoyed being on the grass field again.

"It was getting boring," Kelly said. "I got paler sitting around my room. I didn't even leave. I had nothing to do. It was nice to be out here again."

For the first time in Jones' nine seasons at UH head coach, a home practice was closed to the public.

A guard was posted at the entrance to the driveway leading to the grass practice field. There were two campus security guards in front of the field.

Visit Tsai's blog at www.HawaiiWarriorBeat.com.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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