EL PASO, Texas — For Dan Kelly, football is a game of seconds, yards and, now especially, days.

The University of Hawai'i senior placekicker measures his world in the number of seconds it takes to get off kicks, the yards they travel and the days he has left to take a shot at one of his enduring targets, the school record for longest field goal.

So, when Kelly boomed, in succession, field goals of 54, 57 and 62 yards without a miss at the cessation of the Warriors' practice yesterday, it was a reminder to himself and, undoubtedly, head coach Greg McMackin that Saturday's game against New Mexico State might be his last best shot at the mark.

Jason Elam and Justin Ayat share the UH record of 56 yards and Kelly's bests are 54 and 52, both at Aloha Stadium.

Playing in the thin air of Las Cruces, N.M. Saturday, where the 4,000-foot elevation approximates what he was booming them at yesterday, presents a golden opportunity, under the right circumstances.

In his only other visit to Aggie Memorial Stadium, Kelly blasted seven of eight kickoffs into or out of the end zone in 2006, giving UH a huge edge in field position. It forced the Aggies to have to go 80 yards or more for each of their scores. A field position edge McMackin would like to enjoy against New Mexico State's passing game.

Though Kelly didn't have an opportunity to attempt a long-range field goal in the 49-30 UH win, it prompted an assistant coach to tell him he should have gone to school here.

"That's OK, I like UH," Kelly said at the time. "I just wish I could take the altitude back with me."

That was his sophomore year and while Kelly still yearns for a shot at the UH distance record he is realistic. "It is all about circumstances," he said.

Indeed, there was a fourth-down situation at Boise State last month that would have put him at 55 yards or more but UH needed more than three points at that juncture. "You have to have the right set of circumstances and when we have been in those situations we have needed touchdowns, not field goals," Kelly said. "Touchdowns are way more important. Winning is what it is all about."

But slamming balls that almost seemed they could carry to the nearby Franklin Mountains yesterday stirred hope that he might find the right situation in Las Cruces because, "I'm pretty sure this will be my last game in thin air (for UH)," Kelly said.

In addition to the distance, UH coaches were excited that Kelly was also getting his kicks aloft in 1.12 seconds, under the 1.3 seconds cutoff they say is critical.

The two field-goal attempts that were blocked at Utah State were, McMackin said, the result of blown protection assignments. "We have corrected that," McMackin said.

PILARES RETURNS

Kealoha Pilares, who will start at slotback, arrived at practice with his sore right foot in a boot but showed no ill effects of Tuesday's "tweaking."

He made some sharp cuts, took a good hit and even went acrobatic on a catch.

"Isn't that something," marveled McMackin said.

HANDS LIKE FEET

The 64-man travel roster limit means some interesting roles for players filling out the scout teams that simulate the NMSU offense and defense for UH's No. 1 units.

For example, backup quarterback Inoke Funaki was a defensive back and punter Tim Grasso played tight end.

When Grasso dropped a ball, a coach yelled, "catch it with your feet next time."

HAIL TO OBAMA

Who did many of the UH players pull for in the presidential election?

Any indication came at the end of practice when they met in the traditional circle and many ended it with an "Obama!" chant.