With top receiver Royce Pollard’s availabiity in question, freshman wideout Trevor Davis might be activated for Saturday’s homecoming game against New Mexico State.
Pollard, a senior co-captain, is suffering from a “tight” hamstring, according to UH head coach Greg McMackin. Pollard is expected to practice sparingly, if at all, this week.
If Pollard cannot play, then there is a strong likelihood his apprentice, Davis, will start at right wideout.
Although Davis has been on the Warriors’ three road trips this year, he has been withheld from games to preserve his redshirt status.
“Trevor is ready to come out of redshirt,” McMackin said. “If he did come out, he would start.”
A player forfeits a chance to redshirt if he appears in any game. A player can only apply for a medical redshirt if an injury keeps him from participating in more than three games in the season’s first six weeks. The upcoming game marks the eighth week of the Warriors’ season.
“He’s learned,” McMackin said of Davis. “He knows what’s going on. He’s outstanding. If we had the ability to (use him), we’ll try to do that. We have some games to win.”
With the return of Miah Ostrowski, who missed three games because of a dislocated joint in his right foot, the Warriors now have three at two slotback positions. McMackin said UH is exploring the possibility of moving left slotback Billy Ray Stutzmann to wideout. Stutzmann was a wideout as a second-year freshman in 2010. He moved to slotback during spring training.
“We have some movement we can do,” McMackin said.
Starting LBs getting rest
McMackin said his three starting linebackers will be held out of most practice drills this week.
Middle linebacker Corey Paredes, who played every defensive snap against San Jose State, has a sprained knee.
Weakside linebacker Aaron Brown suffered a sprained ankle.
Strongside linebacker Art Laurel has a hand injury.
“I’m not sure if he broke it or what happened,” McMackin said. “He won’t be practicing for a little bit. All three will play.”
McMackin defends punting decision
McMackin defended his decision to punt on fourth and 1 at the UH 44 with 1:31 remaining against San Jose State.
Alex Dunnachie’s punt went out of bounds at the SJSU 13 with 1:24 to play. The Spartans, without any timeouts, drove for the go-ahead touchdown.
McMackin said UH’s defense had played well to that point — six turnovers and a defensive stand in the Spartans’ first seven possessions of the second half — and that it would have been dicey to run for the first down against a stacked defensive front.
“If they can put up an eight- or nine-man front, with our inexperienced line, I would rather punt it,” McMackin said.
He also acknowledged he should have considered challenging the previous play.
The fourth and 1 was set up when the officials ruled UH running back Joey Iosefa was stopped short of the first-down marker. On the ESPN telecast, it appeared the ball had reached the yellow-line graphic super-imposed to show the first down.
“I watched the game from behind the offense because I can see the whole thing,” McMackin said. “Guys were saying we got a bad spot. It wasn’t until I saw it on TV (later that night), and it looked like it was on the yellow line. You don’t know where the knee goes down, or if you’re just hearing that. I didn’t see the spot, but I heard it was a bad spot.”
