The Hawai'i football team departed for San Jose, Calif., yesterday afternoon still unsure if it would have its quarterback and top receiver available for tomorrow's game against the Spartans.

Warriors head coach Greg McMackin maintains that it is a "game-time" decision if quarterback Bryant Moniz and slotback Greg Salas are deemed healthy enough to play.

Both Salas and Moniz dressed out for practice yesterday morning, although Moniz did not throw and Salas only participated in light warm-ups with the rest of the receivers. Neither participated in 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 drills.

Moniz suffered bruised ribs and Salas a sprained foot last week against New Mexico State. Both have been held out of practice all week, but X-rays determined no breaks for either player.

If there was ever a team prepared to handle this situation, it would be this year's Warriors, who already lost their No. 1 quarterback in Greg Alexander and one of their top receivers, Rodney Bradley, to season-ending injuries.

"We've been prepared for the next person to step up," McMackin said. "Really, it doesn't faze us anymore. Our guys have an attitude that the next guy's a player and will step up and we've been doing that on defense and offensively and on special teams. That's been our philosophy —that the next person will step up."

If the Warriors can make a positive out of the negative, it is that the injuries have allowed coaches to cultivate depth. Cornerback Jeramy Bryant and wideout Royce Pollard are both expected to play Saturday after missing several games.

"That's the positive side of it," McMackin said. "Jeramy's missed ball games and Kawika (Ornellas) has been playing well. So Jeramy will come back and work his way back in but it gives us depth at that position and allows us to play five and six defensive backs.

"Same thing with Royce Pollard. He's back now, and that helps us in Greg's situation. We also have Ryan Henry and Miah (Ostrowski) on the inside. It also allows us to move Kealoha Pilares from the outside to the inside, the way Royce is coming back. It's kind of like a chess match."

Ostrowski replaces Dustin Blount, who did not practice yesterday and is not making the trip.

Pollard's re-emergence allows for several scenarios that the coaches have ready if Salas doesn't play in Saturday's game.

"Royce will be the first one to go in," said offensive coordinator Ron Lee. That could trigger a move by Pilares back inside to take Salas' slotback position.

Bryant's return is timely for the Warriors, who will play "the best passing attack we've faced since Boise State," associate head coach/secondary coach Rich Miano said.

"This is a much sterner test in the passing game than the previous two weeks," Miano said. "It's a better quarterback in terms of passing offense; the last two weeks have been more of a running attack."

In Bryant's absence, Ornellas did a "great job," and the duo will split time at cornerback, Miano said. "It's going to be one of those deals where they'll each play and we'll see who's playing better and more consistant and that guy will probably finish the game."