Hawai'i quarterback Colt Brennan yesterday resumed practicing for the first time in 11 days, showing no ill effects from a sprained right ankle that kept him from playing last Saturday.

"My ankle is fine," Brennan said. "I'll definitely be ready by Saturday."

Quarterback coach Dan Morrison said Brennan was "his usual accurate self."

In three games this season, Brennan has completed 77.4 percent of his passes, even better than last year, when he finished with the best statistical season by a quarterback in NCAA history.

Yesterday, Brennan competed in team drills.

"He was moving around well," Morrison said. "His arm looked alive. He's back to where he was."

After practice, Brennan was wearing an ankle brace. Morrison said that was a preventive measure.

"He's trying to keep it stabilized," Morrison said. "You know how kids are. They can step off a sidewalk and turn it. He's trying to keep it straightened."

Meanwhile, cornerback/kick returner Ryan Mouton is healthy enough to play this week.

Mouton suffered an apparent injury to his left knee when two Charleston Southern players "rolled" on the back of his leg in Saturday's game.

Mouton said the results of an MRI were negative.

"It was a little bruise," he said. "I'm fine."

Mouton has emerged as one of the Warriors' top defensive backs. He also is a threat as kick returner. He is 11th nationally, averaging 31.3 yards per return.

In the first three games, teams kicked away from Jason Rivers and Malcolm Lane. After scoring on a 90-yard kickoff return against Charleston Southern, Mouton might be the one who is avoided.

"I hope I can keep getting a couple or more," Mouton said.

Mouton, who was once timed running 40 yards in 4.28 seconds, said the key to returning kicks is to "hit it at full speed. You can't be worried about getting hit. Your blockers are going to be there for you."

SPECIAL FORCES

They are the self-styled "Hit Men," the heat-seeking players who form the left side of the Warriors' kick-coverage unit.

"They do the job," said Dennis McKnight, who helps coordinate the kickoff coverage.

UH's strategy is to narrow the field, with Dan Kelly placing kickoffs to the return team's right.

The Warriors loaded their left side with two speedsters (Ryan Keomaka and Guyton Galdeira) along the sideline, and wedge-busters Rustin Saole, Francis Maka and John Fonoti between the numbers and the tee.

Galdeira and Keomaka are known as "Thunder" and "Lightning," respectively.

"They see Ryan, because he's flying down with his long hair," Galdeira said. "I'm the one making the noise, metaphorically, when I hit."

Their role is to occupy as many blockers.

"You don't want one for one," Galdeira said. "You want two or three guys to block you. You want to sacrifice yourself so the other guys can make the tackles."

The Warriors are second among Western Athletic Conference teams in kickoff defense, allowing an average of 20.48 yards per return. Most of the long gains were against the reserves.

The Warriors received a boost when defensive ends Maka and Fonoti were recruited to special teams. Maka was a late addition because he was awaiting certification of a summer-school grade. Fonoti only recently has fully recovered from a bruised left heel suffered in a household fall.

"I'm feeling good now," Fonoti said.

McKnight said Fonoti and Maka have "that combination of good size and good speed. When you've got a size-and-speed guy in kickoff coverage, you've got a good weapon. A lot of times you either have a fast guy or a power guy. In these two guys, we legitimately have both. They can power a guy if they're trying to block you, or they can run by a guy."

Maka, who has earned the un-PC nickname "The Terrorist" — "He terrorizes the other team," defensive end Karl Noa said — is learning to control his power.

"I used to try to hit the first person," Maka said. "I learned there's a lot more to it than that. Now you have to avoid the first group. When you get close enough (to the ballcarrier), then you blast them."

Even Kelly has joined the action. He made a touchdown-saving tackle Saturday night.

Asked if he was concerned about risking injury, Kelly said: "I might as well go out the right way. What was it with the kicker (Bill Gramatica) with the Arizona Cardinals (in 2001)? He jumped up and hurt himself. I might as well get tackled and hurt myself. It's more of a manly way to go out. I'll take that. I'll take a guy just to save our average. It's what I'm meant to do. I don't like that one-dimensional thing where kickers just kick and they don't tackle."

In UH's system, Kelly is considered the strong safety on return to the Warriors' left side.

"If anything pops through, that's my spot to fill," he said.

He said he participated in tackling drills last year. He also has learned techniques by watching teammates.

"I'm not perfect, but I do know how to wrap up and grab cloth," Kelly said. "I'm not strong enough to drive my legs and push him back. I grab cloth and fall over and drag him down."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.