SAN JOSE, Calif. — This past week, Hawai'i's football practices were closed to the public.

It was a way of keeping the Warriors' game plan secret from sympathizers of today's opponent, San Jose State.

In a twist, the Warriors also were kept in suspense about the availability of starting quarterback Bryant Moniz and left slotback Greg Salas.

Moniz, who has started six consecutive games, has been suffering from bruised right ribs. He did not participate in team drills during full practices this week.

Although Moniz will play, if he is healthy, Shane Austin has been taking the No. 1 quarterback's reps. Brent Rausch has been No. 2.

Quarterbacks coach Nick Rolovich said Moniz has developed into a complete passer.

"I love how he prepares," Rolovich said. "I love his personality. I love the way he attacks the situation, and continues to attack it. He strives for greatness."

Salas, who also has not participated in team drills, has a sprained right foot. He has been able to run the past couple of days, and is expected to start. Salas leads the nation in receiving yards, averaging 136.0 per game.

On the slight chance Salas is not available to play, left wideout Kealoha Pilares or backup slotback Ryan Henry would open at left slotback.

Here's a look at today's game:

HAWAI'I OFFENSE

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.
LWO—21 Kealoha Pilares 5-11 200 Jr.
LSB—1 Greg Salas 6-2 200 Jr.
LT—77 Aaron Kia 6-5 290 Sr.
LG—64 Ray Hisatake 6-3 315 Sr.
C—55 John Estes 6-3 300 Sr.
RG—74 Raphael Ieru 6-2 315 Sr.
RT—51 Austin Hansen 6-4 285 So.
RSB—2 Jon Medeiros 5-9 185 Jr.
RWO—7 Jovonte Taylor 5-9 170 Jr.
QB—17 Bryant Moniz 6-0 190 So.
RB—23 Leon Wright-Jackson 6-1 215 Sr.
RB—25 Alex Green 6-2 220 Jr.

Outlook: It started as a simple on-air suggestion from radio color commentator Robert Kekaula: Why not throw more to the backs? Before a road practice, head coach Greg McMackin mockingly brought Kekaula to the middle of the huddle to announce the suggestion. And then, beginning a couple of weeks ago, the Warriors started throwing to the lone back on screens and swing patterns. Both swing passes and all three screens were completed — to Wright-Jackson or Green — for a yards-after-catch (YAC) average of 14.0. Each of the five completions resulted in a first down. "We've tried to expand our screen game to give us another option," said Nick Rolovich, who calls the offensive plays. In UH's four-wide offense, in which the two slots and two wideouts spread the field, the toss to the lone back is a perfect false crack to an aggressive defense. The best way to sell the play is for the running back to appear to try to block a pass-rusher, then slide away into the flats for the pass. What makes the play work, though, is the quarterback's patience and skill. "It's a tough throw," Rolovich said. "The distance and the angle are so different from anything a quarterback usually throws."

There also is another version — the screen to Salas. Last week, a quarter of Salas' school-record 16 catches came on screens. Salas uses a move popularized by the Los Angeles Lakers' go-to guy, Kobe Bryant. Salas takes a quick step forward, forcing the defender to retreat, then backs up two steps to catch the inside screen. Salas downplays the move, saying, "That's part of the screen. You have to get yourself open." Salas also is effective on the sail route — a diagonal pattern to the outside — that is created when Pilares and Taylor draw away defenders.

HAWAI'I DEFENSE

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.
LE—98 Liko Satele 6-2 260 So.
LT—49 Tuika Tufaga 6-2 285 Sr.
RT—95 Vaughn Meatoga 6-2 290 So.
RE—58 Fetaiagogo Fonoti 6-2 255 Sr.
OLB—53 Blaze Soares 6-1 245 Sr.
MLB—5 Jake Heun 6-2 240 Jr.
OLB—59 R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane
5-11 225 Sr.
LCB—2 Lametrius Davis 6-0 190 Jr.
SS/NB—9 Spencer Smith 5-11 205 Jr.
FS/NB—19 Richard Torres 5-8 175 So.
FS—43 Mana Silva 6-1 203 Jr.
RCB—10 Kawika Ornellas 5-9 170 Fr.
RCB—18 Jeramy Bryant 5-10 180 Jr.

Outlook: Bryant, who missed the past three games because of a tear in his left biceps, has been cleared to play, creating a nice problem for the Warriors. Before the injury, Bryant was considered to be the Warriors' best open-field tackler among the defensive backs. In his absence, Ornellas, a walk-on who was not even invited to training camp because of tendinitis in both knees, has played superbly. Ornellas has not received a double-negative grade despite averaging 63.3 plays per game. A double-negative is a mistake that leads to a score, third-down conversion, or missed tackle.

There also is a crowd at safety, where Silva has rejoined the mix after two weeks of big plays. "Mana has always been pretty good in reading the quarterback and reading route progression and breaking on the ball," said Chris Tormey, who coaches the safeties. "He's getting better, I think, in his angles in the run game." The skinny on Silva? He's back in shape. During the early part of the season, he gained nearly 20 pounds, ballooning to 220. "I kept eating the wrong stuff," he said. With help from his wife, who now prepares his meals, he has replaced white rice with salads. He also runs extra after practice. Now Silva weighs 203. And his recent dinner? "Turkey chili with brown rice," he said.

Last week, the Warriors did not allow New Mexico State to score an offensive touchdown. The key is the coaches decided to simplify the schemes. "Now," Kiesel-Kauhane said, "it's just read and react."

HAWAI‘I SPECIAL TEAMS

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.
PK—20 Scott Enos 5-9 180 Jr.
LS—45 Luke Ingram 6-5 210 Fr.
H—11 Inoke Funaki 5-11 205 Sr.
P—31 Alex Dunnachie 6-3 235 Fr.
KR—7 Jovonte Taylor 5-9 170 Jr.
PR—88 Ryan Henry 5-9 170 Jr.

Outlook: During practices, Dunnachie can be seen talking to himself while bouncing a football on the ground. There is a method to this apparent madness. Dunnachie is working on his drops. His goal is to hold the ball with the laces up, drop it, and then have it bounce with the laces still sunnyside-up. "Every drop should bounce straight up exactly like I dropped it," he said. "Every time I do that, I give myself one point. If it doesn't, I take a point off. I try to get to 10, 20, or 50." He believes poor drops led to three shanks a few weeks ago. He also is working on perfecting a straight-way kicking motion. In Australian rules football, which he played in his native country, the kicking leg goes across the body. That style worked there because the Australian football was rounder than the American football.

SAN JOSE STATE OFFENSE

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.
WR—1 Josh Harrison 5-11 183 So.
LT—65 Fred Koloto 6-3 290 So.
LG—72 Isaac Leatiota 6-4 305 Jr.
C—70 Robbie Reed 6-3 290 Jr.
RG—71 Nathaniel Timo 6-0 310 Sr.
RT—78 Andres Vargas 6-4 305 So.
TE—82 Ryan Otten 6-5 230 Fr.
WR—88 Jalal Beauchman 6-4 220 Jr.
WR—6 Kevin Jurovich 6-0 190 Sr.
QB—12 Jordan LaSecla 6-3 198 Jr.
RB—22 Lamon Muldrow 5-9 210 Jr.
RB—15 Brandon Rutley 5-10 190 So.

Outlook: For the Spartans, the trenches have been a hole. In the past month, they have had to find injury replacements at center, right guard and right tackle. Losing center Ronnie Castillo, their most heralded blocker, hurt the most. Castillo called out the blocking assignments. Reid has been a functional center and right tackle John Konye, who did not play last week because of an injury, is available today.

LaSecla, who threw 21 passes in his first two seasons, beat out Kyle Reed for the starting quarterback's job. LaSecla is efficient on play-action throws, and there are certain plays in which he keeps the ball on bootlegs and options. Such craftiness helps him in short-yardage situations, in which he has completed 71.4 percent of his throws. Jurovich is the Spartans' career leader in receptions (156) and Harrison, whose recruiting trip to UH did not end with an offer, is the speedster (4.4 seconds over 40 yards). The Spartans receive a boost with the activation of wideout Marquis Avery, who was benched the past two games. Avery has sure hands (29 catches) and even better downfield-blocking skills.

Muldrow gets the most carries, but Rutley is a threat with the option pass. The most interesting Spartan back is Patrick Perry, who started the season-opener against USC. Perry, who is married and has two children, is a post-graduate student pursuing a master's in counseling and education. Once a week, even during the season, he is a substitute teacher.

SAN JOSE STATE DEFENSE

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.
DE—43Travis Johnson 6-3 235 Fr.
DT—92 Pablo Garcia 6-2 290 So.
DT—96 Adonis Davis 6-2 295 Sr.
DE—91 Joe Nigos 6-2 260 So.
LB—14 Travis Jones 6-1 230 Sr.
LB—93 Justin Cole 6-3 240 Sr.
CB—19 Peyton Thompson 5-11 180 So.
S—2 Duke Ihenacho 6-1 210 Jr.
S—40 Tiuke Tuipulotu 5-10 205 So.
S—17 Tanner Burns 6-1 185 So.
CB—25 Ronnie Yell 5-9 175 Fr.

Outlook: Few siblings rival the intensity of defensive end Carl Ihenacho and rover Duke Ihenacho, the Spartans' best defensive players. But symbolic of the Spartans' woes this season, Carl Ihenacho will not play today because of an injury. He was the team's best pass-rusher (four sacks) and relentless playmaker (three fumble recoveries). Duke Ihenacho is listed as a safety, but he is capable of aligning as a defensive end and an inside linebacker. Cole also is versatile, alternating between defensive end and inside linebacker, sometimes in the same series. Jones, the other linebacker in the 4-2-5 base scheme, is the only Spartan defensive lineman or linebacker to start every game this season. Yell, one of 10 freshmen to play significantly this year, beat out Devin Newsome, who was once the Spartans' best bump-and-run defender.

SJS SPECIAL TEAMS

Pos.—Player Ht. Wt. Cl.
PK—34 Tyler Cope 6-1 180 So.
LS—51 Matt Wigley 6-2 230 Sr.
P/H—35 Philip Zavala 6-1 200 Sr.
KR—15 Brandon Rutley 5-10 190 So.
PR—25 Ronnie Yell 5-9 175 Fr.

Outlook: Cope, a Colorado transfer, has struggled, connecting on four of seven field-goal attempts, and ceding the kickoff job to Zavala. Zavala's average kickoff is 60.42 yards. He's much better as a punter. Four of his punts have been downed at the 1 or 2.

Visit Tsai's blog at http://warriorbeat.honadvblogs.com.