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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, November 12, 2007

Hawaii quarterback Brennan says he's OK

 •  Hit on UH's Colt 'legal,' WAC says

By Stephen Tsai
HawaiiWarriorBeat.Com Editor

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Colt Brennan

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University of Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan said he "feels fine" after suffering a concussion in Saturday's 37-30 victory over Fresno State, and is hopeful of playing in Friday's nationally televised road game against Nevada.

But Brennan has been told he will be held out of practices this morning and tomorrow. He said UH head coach June Jones and the team's athletic trainers will decide whether he will play Friday.

Jones said Brennan will be evaluated tomorrow night.

"We want to wait 48 hours to see what the deal is," Jones said, referring to UH's standard monitoring period for a concussion.

Brennan said he does not have a headache or nausea, usual symptoms of a concussion.

He experienced soreness to his body and neck Saturday night, and was given a padded neck brace to help him sleep peacefully.

He was told he will not need a CT scan.

Brennan suffered the injury at the end of a run in the fourth quarter Saturday night. After eluding a would-be tackler in the backfield, Brennan scrambled upfield along the left sideline. Fresno State linebacker Marcus Riley raced across and floored Brennan.

UH's two video angles of the play show that Riley's right shoulder pad and then helmet struck Brennan, leaving the Heisman Trophy candidate in a dazed heap. Jones and offensive line coach Dennis McKnight said Brennan was knocked unconscious for a few seconds.

After being down on the FieldTurf for about four minutes, Brennan was escorted to the Aloha Stadium training room.

"There was a lot of fuzziness," Brennan said. "When I really came back to my full coherent self, I was already in the locker room. It's a fuzzy memory. There's stuff I remember, stuff I don't remember."

He said the play in which he suffered the injury "was one of the things I have trouble remembering. I have trouble remembering the incident and what transpired."

After reviewing two angles of the play, at regular speed and in slow motion, McKnight said Riley "took off in a trajectory to go for (Brennan's) head."

"It looks like it was helmet to helmet," McKnight added. "It looked like the forearm was led. ... He was going for his head, and I think the film concurs that. ... I don't know if he was intentionally trying to hurt or whatever, but I think he went to (Brennan's) head."

Fresno State did not make Riley available for a post-game interview.

After the game, Fresno State coach Pat Hill went to the training area to check on Brennan. Hill also apologized for his players' initial celebration of the hit. The Bulldogs were somber after realizing that Brennan was hurt.

But Brennan said it was "a good hit."

"That's just the game," Brennan added. "That's the nature of the game we play. I've got no hard feelings. I don't think there was anything cheap about it. I took a nice shot."

Brennan also said "it definitely was not Keith AhSoon's fault. Not at all. He had nothing to do with it."

AhSoon, UH's offensive left tackle, said he blamed himself for missing a block that forced Brennan to scramble out of the pocket on third-and-7 from the UH 24.

But Brennan said he probably could have avoided injury by throwing away the football or running out of bounds.

"I was the one who put myself at risk by trying to make something happen," Brennan said. "It's my fault."

Jones said he believes Brennan "will play" Friday, but "we'll evaluate it."

An insufficient rest period could make a person recovering from a concussion more susceptible to incurring a second one.

"That's why you have to be careful," said Jones, who suffered six concussions as a National Football League quarterback.

Brennan said: "He's looking out for my health. He wants to make sure the best decision will be made Friday. I feel fine. I'll have to wait and see."

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

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.