Freshman Davis to start for Warriors

LEWISTON, IDAHO » Five months after attending his high school prom, left wideout Trevor Davis is set to make his first start for the Hawaii football team.

And one of Davis’ primary supporters is his primary competition, junior Darius Bright.

During Thursday’s practice at Lewiston High, Bright stood on the sideline, offering tips to Davis.

“If I know something that somebody else doesn’t know, I’m going to help,” Bright said. “We’re a team.”

Davis was thrust into a starting role after Allen Sampson, who started four games this season, suffered a season-ending knee injury Saturday.

Bright, who has started three games, has been limited in practice because of injuries to both feet, his left wrist, his ribs and chest.

“I’m kind of banged up,” Bright said. “I’ll be better. I’m back, but I want to be 100 percent.”

There were high expectations for Bright, who transferred from City College of San Francisco in 2010. Bright redshirted last year, but impressed observers with his size (6 feet 4) and speed during spring drills. But a turf-toe injury suffered three weeks before the start of training camp has kept Bright from fulfilling expectations.

“Tell me about it,” Bright said. “I’m trying to figure it out, too. I’m working hard. All I can do is keep working.”

Bright weighed 237 pounds in training camp, but now is 225.

Bright said he hopes the setbacks have ended.

“It’s been a whole bunch of things,” Bright said. “Every time I feel something is going good, something else happens. But I feel I’m getting to a better place.”

Torres sets example

When most practices end, the Richard Torres program begins.

Torres, a senior co-captain, has led post-practice conditioning drills this season.

“That really helps,” free safety John Hardy-Tuliau said.

In Saturday’s 45-34 victory over New Mexico State, the four starting defensive backs — Torres, Hardy-Tuliau, Tank Hopkins and Mike Edwards — played all 69 defensive snaps. What’s more, all four are members of special-teams units.

Against Louisiana Tech four weeks ago, nickelback Mike Sellers participated in about 90 plays.

“I played the whole game, plus special teams,” Sellers said. “That first series, I was tired. I said, ‘This can’t happen.’ I’ve been conditioning myself so that when I get into the game, I don’t get tired.”

Sellers’ role is physically demanding. As the nickel — known as “quarter” in UH’s defense — he is used as a linebacker, cornerback, safety and blitzer.

“It’s a fun position,” Sellers said. “You learn a lot about the entire defense. It’s a physical position. I have to get off stock blocks from the linemen, and hit running backs.”

No room at inn for UH

UH head coach Greg McMackin said the Warriors are staying in Lewiston because there are not enough available rooms in hotels near Idaho’s Moscow campus. Lewiston is 30 miles from Moscow.

In Lewiston, the hotel has been turned into a UH athletic facility.

Two conference rooms are now “locker rooms.”

Another conference room has been turned into a study hall. Projectors are set up in two conference rooms to review videos.

“We like the way everything is working out,” McMackin said.