In two days, University of Hawai'i football player Brad Kalilimoku has gone from limbo to starting inside linebacker.

Kalilimoku yesterday practiced at buck linebacker in the likelihood he will start in the Sept. 16 game against Nevada-Las Vegas. The Warriors have a bye this weekend.

The usual starting buck linebacker, Solomon Elimimian, has not practiced this week because of a sprained right knee.

Last night, Elimimian was awaiting results of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a procedure that uses magnetic fields to create a picture of the body's interior. He underwent the MRI Wednesday afternoon.

"When they take my starter out of a meeting to do an MRI, I have to find a way to replace him," defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville said.

Glanville's search took him to last year's depth chart.

UH's 3-4 defensive scheme employs two inside linebackers — the buck, who usually aligns on the left side, and the middle. The positions are interchangeable, although the buck usually calls the defensive plays. Kalilimoku started all 12 games at middle linebacker last season, finishing third on the team with 71 tackles.

At the request of the coaches, Kalilimoku moved to strong safety during spring practice. He suffered a pulled hamstring midway through spring practice.

He was the No. 1 strong safety in training camp before aggravating the hamstring injury.

On Tuesday, Kalilimoku was moved to outside linebacker, a position he played as a freshman in 2004, when the Warriors used a 4-3 defensive scheme.

On Wednesday night, Glanville asked — and received — permission from head coach June Jones to move Kalilimoku back to inside linebacker.

"He's a hell of a player," Glanville said. "When I put him right back (at inside linebacker), he had a grin from ear to ear. He doesn't have to learn the outside anymore. On the inside, he's a starter. I had an easy job. I replaced one starter (Elimimian) with another starter (Kalilimoku)."

At 5 feet 10 and 213 pounds, Kalilimoku is undersized compared to Elimimian (6 feet, 224 pounds) and middle linebacker Adam Leonard (6 feet, 236 pounds).

But Kalilimoku can bench press 430 pounds and sprint 40 yards in 4.56 seconds.

In the first hour of UH's 110-minute practice yesterday, Kalilimoku played exclusively on the first team. Glanville said Kalilimoku is ahead of Blaze Soares, who was Elimimian's immediate backup in last week's season opener against Alabama.

"We were trying to find a place to get (Kalilimoku) on the field, and that's what we did," Glanville said. "Hopefully, he can fall back into playing how he played last year. We'll see what happens."

UH SCOUTS HONORED

With no game this weekend and the starters needing to rest nagging injuries, Jones abbreviated the regular practice to stage the Scouts Bowl, a full-contact scrimmage involving reserves and redshirts.

Points were awarded according to certain plays. Jones, who devised the format and served as scorekeeper, declared the defense to be a 50-46 winner.

"It was a chance to look at the scout team live," Jones said. "We usually find a couple of players."

Jones praised safety Josh Berry, linebacker Sebastian Siaki, and defensive end Nathan Russell.

"It was my chance to play," said Berry, who has been nicknamed "Hanks" because of a very slight resemblance to actor Tom Hanks. "As scouts, we don't really get to go full speed. We have to stay off people like Davone (Bess) and Jason (Rivers). It was time to go full speed, so why not bring it? It's the only chance to showcase what you've got."

Russell, a 2003 Wai'anae High School graduate who played two years at a California junior college, ended the scrimmage with a sack.

"It felt good," said Russell, who was a tight end at Wai'anae. "The coaches really coached me up."

Running back Jazen Anderson appeared to suffer an injury to his left shoulder, which later was wrapped with an ice pack. But Anderson said he is not hurt, and insisted he will not miss the UNLV game.

Perhaps the most entertaining sideshow was between cornerback Keenan Jones and the wideouts.

Jones would align breath-to-breath, then use what appeared to be a boxer's jab to disrupt the receiver's start.

"Over the years in football, you learn a few things that help you out," Jones said. "That was one of the techniques you pick up. You're only allowed one shot (on a receiver). You take that shot, you make sure you land it, mostly on the numbers. I want to give a good punch to knock him off balance."

Wideout Tua Mahaley was not ready to award the decision to Jones.

"He was offsides," Mahaley said. "Not a little, but big time. I had to take a step off the ball so he wouldn't be all in my face."

Wideout Greg Salas said: "(Jones) helped us. He helped us work on our moves, and we helped him work on his moves."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.