The University of Hawai'i football team yesterday activated a contingency plan to replenish a depleted defensive line.

Laupepa Letuli, a second-year freshman, was moved from offensive left guard to defensive end. Victor Clore, a freshman who was not enrolled in school last year, was told he would receive extended practice time.

The Warriors are seeking successors to backup defensive ends Keala Watson, Renolds Fruean and Amani Purcell. All three were injured in Saturday's 68-10 rout of Idaho. They will not play in this week's road game against Utah State, head coach June Jones confirmed yesterday.

The three were taking turns as injury replacements for starting right end Ikaika Alama-Francis, who did not play because of back spasms caused by a strained lumbar. Nose tackle Michael Lafaele and left end Melila Purcell III are the other starting defensive linemen in the 3-4 scheme.

Watson suffered a torn meniscus, an injury that might require arthroscopic surgery. He will miss at least four weeks.

Fruean suffered a high sprain in his right ankle. He incurred a similar injury last year. He said he will miss at least four weeks.

Amani Purcell has a partial ligament tear and a hyperextension in his right knee.

"I'll probably be out two weeks at least," Purcell said.

The Warriors, who usually rotate defensive linemen every five or six plays, will need to substitute more on Saturday because of the high altitude (4,400 feet) at Logan, Utah.

In scanning the roster for potential defensive linemen, Jones decided on Letuli, who played defensive tackle in high school.

"He's a pretty intense and physical guy," Jones said.

Jeff Reinebold, who coaches the defensive line, said: "We're going to see if he can handle playing (defensive) end. He has the body structure. His profile as a player is he's a hard-nosed kid who doesn't give up. You can see that when he was playing on the offensive line."

Reinebold said the move was made with the intention that Letuli will be able to contribute this week.

"I think you don't move a guy to another position unless you think there's a significant opportunity for him to play," Reinebold said. "With the injuries we have at end, and with the way we like to play a lot of players in the game, it certainly provides an opportunity for the kid if he can learn it fast enough."

Letuli said he welcomes any opportunity to play. He suffered a broken left hand in training camp, and he also missed three weeks because of a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Letuli, who is 6 feet 3 and 285 pounds, said he expects to be used at left end, backing up Melila Purcell.

"Coach Jones volunteered me, so I'm doing whatever I can to help out my team," Letuli said.

Jones said the move is temporary. "I'm going to move him back (to guard)," Jones said.

Jones said Letuli was the top backup to left guard Hercules Satele. He said if Satele were to leave the game, then center Samson Satele would move to left guard and Marques Kaonohi would play center.

Clore, who is 6-2 and 230 pounds, was a wideout and defensive end at Castle High School. He joined as a walk-on outside linebacker in January.

"They wanted to try me out as a pass rusher (in training camp)," Clore said. "They said it would help in getting playing time."

Clore is used to adjusting. Clore, whose mother was a missionary, was born in the Philippines. One of his brothers was born in Jamaica, another in the Virgin Islands. He has spent most of the past several years living in Kane'ohe.

He can bench press 395 pounds, and run 40 yards in 4.9 seconds.

LEFT WAS RIGHT MOVE

Ross Dickerson wouldn't have scored on a 100-yard kick return nor been named the Western Athletic Conference's top special teams player for the second consecutive week if not for a teammate's judgment call.

Before Saturday's opening kickoff, assistant coach Dennis McKnight lost the jan-ken-po.

"He left it up to us to decide which way to go with the return," said Timo Paepule, who plays left-center on the front line. "We usually go middle or right. We hardly go left. In the huddle, I said, 'Man, let's go left.' Fortunately, they came out stacked to the right. I knew they weren't ready for it. We don't practice left a lot."

A change of direction is not a simple task. It requires the two centers on the 50-yard line — Paepule and David Farmer — to drop back and block at different angles than usual.

But the return was set up because Dickerson, who fielded it on the goal line near the right hashmark, stutter-stepped toward the right, then broke to the left. The second returner, Malcolm Lane, joined David Veikune, Bully Fergerstrom and Amani Purcell to set the initial wedge, and then raced downfield to clear the left lane for Dickerson.

"I love those guys," Dickerson said. "They do their job. They take pride in the special teams. They take pride in our practices. They block their butt off every weekend."

It was Dickerson's only kick return of the game.

Paepule, Farmer, Dane Kealoha Porlas, Micah Lau, Rustin Saole and Michael Malala have bonded as the front-line blockers. Before every return, they yell, "Take it to the house" or "House call."

"It's all momentum and your bases," Paepule said of front-line blocking. "You can be one of the skinniest guys, but be one of the best blockers. It's all about the attitude."

On Friday night, McKnight told Lau, the starting right outside linebacker, "You're in for one return. We're going to return it to the house, and you're out of there."

McKnight proved to be prophetic.

"He didn't want me to go the whole year without a return for a touchdown," Lau said.

Jones praised Dickerson as "one of the best kickoff return guys in the country. He's done a great job."

Dickerson is set to earn a bachelor's degree in political science in December. As for pro football aspirations, he said, "If it comes, it comes. If it doesn't, I've got Plan B, C, D."

One option is to enroll in graduate classes in Indiana, where several family members live.

He also harbors a dream run.

"Eventually, I want to be president," he said.

BACK IN HIS CORNER

A.J. Martinez is poised to reclaim the starting job at left cornerback.

Martinez was the No. 1 left cornerback from spring practice through the first two weeks of the season. He moved to right cornerback when Kenny Patton earned the job on the left side. He eventually lost the starting job at right cornerback. When Patton suffered a broken collar bone, Gerard Lewis started at left cornerback.

But Lewis struggled early against Idaho, and Martinez played most of the second and third quarters.

Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said Martinez lost his starting job because he "missed tackles. That's the same reason he got back in. The guy in front of him missed tackles. If you don't tackle, you don't play. Period. That's the end of that tune."

HE HAS OUTSIDE CHANCE

Tyson Kafentzis, who played well against Idaho after missing four games because of a hairline fracture in his right ankle, also will challenge for a starting job at left outside linebacker.

"(Kafentzis) is hard not to have in the game," Glanville said.

Kafentzis played both outside linebacker positions against Idaho, serving effectively as a blitzer, run stopper and pass defender.

"He's mistake-free," Glanville said. "He's tenacious. He gets to the play when the play goes the other way. He's relentless in his pursuit on any play."

PATEK'S BIG ENOUGH

The incredible shrinking strong safety — Jake Patek — is making big plays.

Glanville gushed when recalling Patek's fumble-causing hit on Idaho quarterback Steve Wichman in the second half.

Wichman did not play after that, making him the sixth quarterback to leave a game this season after being hit by a Warrior defender. The Warriors have also forced out 10 running backs.

Patek, who is 6 feet, weighed nearly 210 pounds when he reported to UH this past summer. But he lost about 10 pounds because of food poisoning in training camp, and his busy schedule does not allow him to weight-train consistently. He is enrolled in four classes, and is auditing a Samoan language class for fun. He also is part of a study group.

"Hopefully, this spring I'll be able to take it up a notch and gain weight," said Patek, who is 191 pounds.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.