Believe it or not?

When it comes to Brent Rausch's remarkable biography, most would answer: "Not."

The University of Hawai'i football team's No. 1 quarterback never started a Pop Warner game, played in an eight-man-to-a-side high school football league and, two years ago, quit his junior-college football team to work in construction.

Nine days ago, he was third on the Warriors' three-quarterback depth chart.

But now Rausch's future is as shiny as the top of his shaved-to-the-pores head.

After earning the highest ratings for six consecutive three-hour practices through this past Thursday, Rausch was named the successor to 2007 Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan.

Rausch, a third-year sophomore who has never played in a game attended by more than 9,800 fans, will be the starting quarterback in the Warriors' season opener against fifth-ranked Florida.

But head coach Greg McMackin and quarterback coach Nick Rolovich said Rausch has all of the tools — accuracy, arm strength, intelligence and no-fear confidence — to lead the offense.

Rausch continues to work hard. After yesterday's practice, he spent 30 minutes discussing his play with Rolovich. Rausch said he goes unrecognized in public, a low-key profile that should change in the next two weeks.

Meet Rausch:

On being named the No. 1 quarterback:

"I was surprised. Very surprised."

On the reaction from his friends and family in Palm Springs:

"Everybody is happy for me. I've gotten a lot of phone calls. People are saying, 'Good job' and 'We'll be watching you on TV.' A couple of old girlfriends, (and) all of my aunts and uncles called me. A couple of my old friends called. One old friend I haven't talked to in three years called: 'Hey, man, I just saw an article on you. You're starting.' Yeah, dude. I played Pop Warner with him. I saw him one time in high school, and that was it."

On growing up in Palm Springs:

"It was cool. It's not a bad little place. It's a good city; good neighborhoods I grew up in. It's not bad at all. It's just hot. That's the only downside to it.

"I tried to have fun. I was a little kid doing whatever. I rode my dirt bike, played football. I played all of the sports. I was pretty much an active kid. School wasn't my priority back then. I kind of had to pick it up in high school. But I was a good little kid."

On his first dirt bike:

"I got it when I was, like, 8, on Christmas morning. My dad said, 'Hey, Brent, go out and get the paper.' I opened the front door and (the bike is) leaning against the wall right there. It was a YZ 125. It was a red one. I didn't even know how to ride yet. I had to learn. I was happy about it, but it was sitting in the garage for a couple of weeks. My dad taught me. He put it on me. He said: 'Here's the clutch. Here are the gears. Here's the gas. Go.' I got used to it, and I got better and better at it."

On his off-road truck:

"I got it three years ago, and I started putting money into it. Every paycheck I got, I pretty much put it straight into it. I got tons of suspension on it. The tires would drop down and pick up, so I could hit jumps, do whatever. I've got, like, 10 grand in suspension. It's made to hit the dirt. There's a place called Glamis (Sand Dunes). It's like 100 square miles of sand dunes. I take it out there.

"The highest I've gotten is 6 feet (of air). It was cool. You're all strapped in. You're not going anywhere."

On playing eight-man football:

"It's full pads. It's like regular football except with three fewer guys. It was fun. It's a lot different. There's more scoring. I liked it. I liked running around. There wasn't a playbook. ... it was pretty simple. The offense wasn't like this, where it's pretty complex. It's pretty much double out, double slant, stuff like that. It wasn't real complicated."

On Desert Chapel High School:

"It was real small. I think there were 250 people there. There were 40 something in my graduating class. Everybody knew each other. It was a Christian school. It's a pretty good school. ... (But) I didn't go to my senior prom. I'm not into that."

On the crowds:

"The biggest we had was two grand for one of our home games, the CIF championship game. It seemed like a lot back then. For our (junior college) bowl game, I think we got 9,800 people. That's the most I've ever played in front of. That was an experience."

On his accuracy as a passer:

"I pitched. I think that's where I got my arm strength. I was a backup quarterback all through Pop Warner. I think I threw two passes ... until I got to high school. Nobody taught me or anything like that. I got in at quarterback and started throwing. ... I don't like baseball anymore. My junior year, I played baseball. My senior year, I played golf."

On his hair style, which went from dying his light-colored hair black and spiking it to shaving it all off:

"My family hates (the bald look). They want me to go back. But nobody else has the spikes around here, and (the bald look is) comfortable. ... I've been rocking the spikes for a couple of years. I don't know when I started doing it, but I liked it. I just grow it out, gel it up. I mess around. You can't keep your hair the same all of the time."

On his two tattoos:

"I got this one (near his spine) a couple of days after I turned 18. And I got this one (on the right shoulder) six months later. I've been planning on it since I was 15 years old. I can't really draw. I told the tattoo artist, who drew it up for me. I said, 'Go ahead and do it.' I wanted it to look like someone took a razor blade, cut the skin, peeled it off, and you'd see the spine, you'd see the ribs, you'd see everything. It'll look pretty good when it's done. Right now it looks pretty crappy. It'll get there."

On choosing UH:

"I'd never been here before. I really did not know a lot (about the Warriors). I loved their offense. The offense is one thing that brought me here. I saw them play at midnight (on television) a couple of times last year. Never ever did I imagine (being recruited by UH). One guy on my team called it last year. I was like, 'No way. But that would be awesome.' "

On adjusting to life in Hawai'i, particularly the cuisine:

"I eat everything. There's not a food on this Earth that I don't like. I eat whatever comes. I've been eating in the caf for a while now. If I go out, I'll eat anything. I had never had sushi before. I got introduced to that last Saturday night. It was pretty good."

On his social life:

"Not too good. No girlfriend or anything. I'm just kicking it, trying to keep my mind on football. Why not? Football is pretty important to me."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051. Visit Tsai's blog at warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com.

TICKETS ON SALE

Individual tickets for the seven University of Hawai'i football home games go on sale tomorrow.

Tickets are priced between $38 for a sideline ticket to $22 for a seat in the North end zone.

There also are discounts for students, faculty and seniors, as well as packages for the four Western Athletic Conference games and family zone.

Tickets may be purchased at the Stan Sheriff Center Box Office or other UH ticket outlets, or by going to www.HawaiiAthletics.com.

Ticket buyers also may call 944-2697. Group rates for select games are available by calling (808) 956-9630.

GEORGIA NO. 1

Georgia, which closed last season with a demolition of Hawai'i in the Sugar Bowl, opened this season atop The Associated Press preseason Top 25 for the first time.

The Bulldogs, seeking their first national championship in 28 years, received 22 first-place votes and 1,528 points from a panel of 65 media members.

Hawai'i received one point.