The elevation at Fort Collins, Colo., is 5,003 feet above sea level. But Hawaii defensive line coach Lewis Powell says it’s all about "attitude, not altitude" Saturday when the Warriors visit the Colorado State Rams.

And despite a yield of 42.3 points (118th of 120 teams nationally) and 430.8 yards per game (87th), UH’s front four has somehow held its spirit together through a 1-5 first half of the season.

Bodies are another matter, as tackles Moses Samia and Geordon Hanohano were lost for the year early on, and just about everyone else has been in and out of the doctor’s office.

Injuries are central to football, and the defensive tackles are among the players most prone to them. They are in the biggest collisions with the largest opponents, play after play, without any let up. And they are put at the disadvantage of usually having to react to the initiative of the offensive players.

There have been other years where UH has had its defensive line depth decimated. But nothing like the carnage incurred early in the 2012 season, especially in the 47-0 loss at BYU last month.

Hanohano and Siasau Matagiese were carted off in the first quarter, a week after Samia was lost for the season. Hanohano is done because of recurring stinger injuries to his neck. Matagiese also suffered a stinger, but has returned to play. Defensive end Beau Yap has been called on to fill the void at tackle at times.

"The dog pound is to a minimum now and it doesn’t feel the same without my good friends," said senior Haku Correa, the lone survivor of the original four-tackle rotation, who has not missed a game.

One of the problems with numerous injuries on the defensive line is they often snowball, as the few players remaining are forced to stay in games with little relief. Tired players are more susceptible to getting hurt as strength and endurance wane and technique and leverage waver.

But Correa has remained healthy, despite rarely taking a play off.

"Three weeks in a row of at least 60 snaps," Powell said. "That’s something that’s unheard of."

Correa was already on his way to making himself a better player, but the injuries to his teammates forced him to take it up a notch.

"Since what happened at BYU I knew I was going to have to play a lot more. So during practice I try to run more than I used to. The team depends on us four in the front to attack, every play. I’ve been losing weight," said Correa, who is listed at 6 feet 2 and 305 pounds. "I feel quicker, feel better."

He appeared in the first 30 games of his UH career after starring at Damien. Then, three games into last season he was knocked out for the year with a broken ankle.

Before the injury, Correa developed into a playmaker, amassing 45 tackles in 2010, including five for loss. Now he’s more of a gap-plugger and O-line-occupier.

"He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do," Powell said. "Gotten so much better from spring and camp."

Correa said the experience of starting and playing a lot in the mountains at Colorado two years ago will help him this time.

Handling the thin, cold air will be a key for 7-point underdog Hawaii if it is to finally turn things around against 1-6 Colorado State.

It starts on defense for UH, which hopes Correa can continue his anonymous ironman act in the middle of it all, attitude over altitude.

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Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.