The University of Hawai'i football team was scheduled to arrive early this morning in Houston to begin a two-game road trip that also will serve as an 11-day bonding experience.

"I think it's a great opportunity for us," head coach June Jones said. "There will be a bunch of things we'll have to go through during the year. Knowing everybody better works in our favor."

The Warriors will stay in Houston tonight, then travel to Monroe, La., tomorrow in preparation for Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech in Ruston.

After the game, they return to Houston, where they will remain until Sept. 14, when they travel to Las Vegas. They play Nevada-Las Vegas Sept. 15 at Sam Boyd Stadium.

"It's like part two of training camp," said guard Hercules Satele, referring to the two weeks the Warriors were sequestered on campus. "For two weeks, it's going to be nobody but us. It's going to make us come together."

Quarterback Colt Brennan said: "We're going to bond even more than in training camp because we're traveling, and we're all one unit when we travel. Instead of the team being 100-plus guys (as it was in training camp), it's only 60-something guys. You have to assume there will be a lot of bonding and chemistry built on this trip."

An academic counselor will accompany the team, setting up study sessions each day.

But Jones acknowledged that it is more difficult to conduct practices on the road.

"We won't have our scout players," Jones noted. Sixty-four of the 115 players on the roster made the trip.

For the first 90 minutes of each two-hour practice at home, the offense and defense work out separately — in drills and then against the scout players. For the final 30 minutes, the offense and defense face each other.

"Because you don't have the two scout teams on the road, you may only have an hour of practice because you have to break up the teams," Jones said. "It's more like a pro practice. It's a little bit hard. But you get a better look because the starters are running the scout team. (Starting slotbacks) Davone (Bess) and Ryan (Grice-Mullins) will be running the routes instead of scout receivers. The defense will get better looks."

Brennan said he looks forward to serving as a scout quarterback.

"That's always fun," Brennan said. "The road trips always are a good time."

Jones said he expects between 40 and 50 "NFL people" to attend the Warriors' practices in Houston, most focusing on Brennan. Jones said the attention should not be a distraction.

"That's the reason my practices are open," Jones said, noting that crowds "are the norm around here. We've had HBO, ESPN, everybody at our practice. Marvin Hagler, Rudy, they've been at practice. If you had closed practices all of the time and then (the scouts) attended on the road, it could be a distraction. It won't be a distraction to this team. They deal with it everyday."

Unlike Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley, who closes practices to the public and restricts the types of stories local reporters may write, Jones encourages his players to speak to reporters.

"I want them to be accountable," Jones said. "I believe that helps a person."

Last spring, cornerback Keenan Jones was suspended and stripped of his UH scholarship after repeatedly missing mandatory team meetings and workouts. June Jones told Keenan Jones to speak candidly when asked about his situation.

"It makes you a lot more responsible," Keenan Jones said. "He's helping you express yourself verbally."

Brennan said: "Coach Jones treats us like we're adults, like we're an NFL team, in a sense. That's where he came from. That's what he's used to. That's how he treats us. There are pros and cons from every way. From this standpoint, (Jones' policy) makes us grow up and understand the business side of football. He's helping to prepare us for the next level."

ON THE MEND

Starting center John Estes did not practice yesterday because of an infection in his right leg. He said the original cause was an in-grown hair.

"I didn't take care of it like I should have," Estes said. "It got infected, and then (Tuesday) they cut it open and drained it. It kind of spread. It's sore and tight."

He said he is being treated with antibiotics. He vowed to play against Louisiana Tech.

SICK FEELING

Strongside linebacker Blaze Soares expressed frustration over the pulled left hamstring that is forcing him to miss the road trip. On Tuesday, Soares aggravated the injury he originally suffered two weeks ago.

"It's hard that I'm not going to be playing, sickening, to be honest," Soares said. "I really want to play. But I can't. I don't know what to do with myself."

Visit Tsai's blog at www.hawaiiwarriorbeat.com.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.