Hawai'i running back David Farmer will remain as the short-snapper on field-goal and point-after attempts for Saturday's game against Nevada, UH coach June Jones announced yesterday.

Farmer was summoned to replace Jake Ingram after the Warriors failed to convert a PAT in the second quarter. It was the fourth malfunction in the snap-to-hold connection in the past two games. In the opener, punter Kurt Milne dropped a long snap, leading to a safety.

Of Saturday's problem, Jones said, "The snap was low. It wasn't a bad snap, it was just low."

Jones said Ingram will remain as the long-snapper on punt attempts.

Jones made the switch because "it's time to get the job done. ... It better get right or we'll have problems."

Farmer said: "I think he was kind of upset. He came on the sideline and told me I'm snapping now, and walked away."

It was an opportunity Farmer nervously welcomed.

"It's a high-pressure job," Farmer said. "A lot of people were upset with the long-snapping and the whole operation, but there's a lot of pressure. Kurt dropped one punt snap, and look at all of the outrage that caused. But no one gets upset when a receiver drops a ball. There's a double standard for kickers and snappers."

Farmer said he was introduced to the position by his cousin, Danny Farmer, a former UCLA player.

"I did a little (snapping) in high school, but I wasn't really good at it," Farmer said. "I used to snap to my stairs in my house."

Farmer joined UH as a bottom-of-the-depth-chart running back in 2004.

"I started snapping as job insurance because I was a walk-on," he said. "I figured if I gave them something else they wouldn't cut me."

He redshirted in 2004, and emerged as a blocking back last season. His plans of snapping ended when Ingram seized the job in the fifth game of last season.

Ingram did not have a bad snap until two weeks ago. The snap-to-hold problems led to backup quarterback Inoke Funaki replacing Milne as holder.

During pre-game warmups Saturday, Farmer volunteered to snap to Funaki. "That was the first time ever I (short-)snapped before a game," Farmer said. "I don't know why. I guess I had a deep gut feeling or something I might be used."

Farmer said his first snap in the game was "actually pretty terrible, at least by my standards, even though the kick was good. The other snaps were good."

While Farmer practices punt snaps every day, he rarely gets to work on the more difficult short snaps.

"There's a completely different mechanic between a punt snap and a field-goal snap," Farmer said. "I mean, I don't even look (at the punter) when I punt snap, but I have to look at the holder when I short-snap. There are a whole lot of variables that make it a hard job — the whole pressure issue, the timing. There's absolutely no margin for error."

And little time to set up. He was the running back during a series that ended with a field-goal attempt.

"I had to hand my gloves to a teammate because I was already on the field," he said. "My palms were still sweaty, and I had to snap the ball. But I enjoyed the opportunity. I love being able to contribute."

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