Stepping to the fore

A week off helped Trevor Davis make up for some lost time.

The sophomore wide receiver was sidelined for much of Hawaii’s fall camp with an injury. He got back to full speed in time to contribute during the Warriors’ season opener at USC, but the ensuing bye week gave him some added time to prepare for a possible starting assignment this weekend.

"It helped a lot; also it wasn’t all full-speed stuff, it was more mental-rep-type things, learning the offense better, so that helped a lot too during the bye week," Davis said.

With junior Billy Ray Stutzmann out of action with a broken hand, Davis took the first-team reps in Tuesday’s practice as the Warriors work toward Saturday’s home opener against Lamar.

Davis, who ended last season as a starting wideout, came off the bench against USC and is a leading contender to fill Stutzmann’s spot in the starting unit on Saturday.

"All the X’s on our side are just fighting for the position really," said Davis, referring to the position on the side of the formation with a single receiver. "We all know the offense pretty well now. We’ve been working at it hard. But I feel pretty confident trying to fill that role."

The last time Davis played in Aloha Stadium he posted the highest yardage total of his freshman year. He snagged six passes for 111 yards, highlighted by a 79-yard touchdown on a wide receiver screen, UH’s longest play from scrimmage last season.

He ended the season averaging 13.1 yards on his 28 receptions with three touchdowns even though he’d expected to redshirt when he arrived on campus.

"They had me working with Royce (Pollard) the whole time, so I was watching him so I sort of knew what I was supposed to do right when I got in there," Davis said. "They prepped me for that."

In turn, the knowledge he gleaned from Pollard — UH’s leader in receiving yards last season — and the experience playing at game speed prepared him for a chance to step forward this season.

Davis said the transition from the run-and-shoot to Norm Chow’s pro-style offense was tough during spring practice, but he felt more comfortable with the system early in the summer.

He stayed in Hawaii and worked on his game over the summer, but his progress was slowed by a sore hip flexor during fall camp.

"I tried to go out there once and got hurt more from doing that," he said. "So I knew I had to sit it out until I felt completely ready to go back in."

Davis got back into the mix about two weeks before the trip to USC and came off the bench in the third quarter against the Trojans.

He caught one pass for 16 yards in the third quarter. The reception from Sean Schroeder came with UH facing a third and 9 and extended a drive that eventually resulted in a field goal in the 49-10 loss.

"It’s all football," Davis said. "Same thing in practice, same thing in the game. Run the route, catch the ball, no matter who’s guarding you."

Davis, a standout at Alhambra (Calif.) High School, was recruited to UH by former offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich. He’ll be on the opposite side of the field from Rolovich, now part of Nevada’s coaching staff, next week when the Wolf Pack visit for UH’s Mountain West Conference opener.

As for his on-field mentor last season, Davis said he keeps in touch with Pollard, who is a member of the New York Jets practice squad.

"It’s real cool," Davis said. "He tells me a lot about the NFL and gets me excited to work harder to get there myself."