During the third quarter against San Jose State last week, Hawaii strongside linebacker Art Laurel looked at his right hand. A thumb and three fingers were facing north; his pinkie was in a south-east direction.

“The pinkie almost touched the side,” Laurel said. “I guess I sprained it.”

Laurel went to the sideline, where the pinkie and ring finger were taped together. Then he went back into the game.

“I felt the team still needed me,” Laurel said. “I wanted to do what I could to help.”

Head coach Greg McMackin describes pain-enduring players as “tough mothers.”

For Laurel, every game is “tough mother’s day.”

He played the entire training camp with a sprained left AC (shoulder) joint. In last month’s game against Nevada-Las Vegas, he suffered a sprained right ankle. He finished the game.

“It hurt a little bit,” Laurel said of the sprained ankle. “When it comes to game time, the adrenaline rushes. I don’t think about pain too much.”

No surprise, Laurel, who practiced Wednesday, has declared himself ready for Saturday’s game against New Mexico State.

“Nothing will keep me out of this game,” Laurel said.

Another start for OL pair

Right guard David Lefotu and center London Sapolu are set to make their second consecutive starts. They are at opposite sides of their UH careers. Lefotu is a second-year freshman. Sapolu is a fifth-year senior.

“The more I play, the more experience and the more confidence I get,” Lefotu said.

Matagisila Lefiti, who started the first five games at center, will split reps at right guard. Lefotu said he considers Lefiti to be a mentor. Both take turns sharing information and observations.

“We work together,” Lefiti said. “Our goal is to keep the defense off our quarterback.”

Offensive line coach Gordy Shaw said Lefotu’s talents were apparent in June 2009, when Lefotu attended a UH football clinic.

“He had a good solid base,” Shaw recalled. “He was a physical player who loved the game of football. He had the perfect body for a guard.”

Shaw said Andrew Faaumu, who started the first five games at right guard, will move to left guard to be Brett Leonard’s primary backup. Faaumu did not play last week because of a sprained ankle.

Shaw said if Sapolu needs a break, then Lefiti would slide over to center.

Sapolu said he felt no stress making his first UH start in the Bay Area, where his father, Jesse Sapolu, was a standout lineman with the San Francisco 49ers.

“I didn’t really have any pressure,” Sapolu said. “I don’t let that stuff get to me, like, ‘He’s Jesse’s son,’ or ‘He’s in the Bay Area, where people know his father’s face.’ I just try to do my job.”

Brown back at practice

Weakside linebacker Aaron Brown said he will resume practicing today.

He did not practice the past two days because of a sprained right ankle suffered against SJSU. He did not miss any plays after suffering the injury.

“It wasn’t over yet,” Brown said of his decision to keep playing. “The game was still going on.”

He added: “If you’re a linebacker, you’re going to have some bumps and bruises. You have to play through it. It’s a physical position.”