Running back Melvin Davis’ reward for losing 16 pounds was playing in his first NCAA football game.
"They wanted me to lose some weight before they put me in," said Davis, a junior college transfer who reported midway through camp, Aug. 17, at 251 pounds and dropped down to 235 this week.
The 6-foot, 2-inch Davis, hoping to fill the big back role vacated by Joey Iosefa, carried nine times for 35 yards, including an 11-yard burst, coming off the bench in Saturday’s 38-0 loss to Ohio State.
Coach Norm Chow said, "He’s a load. He’s not only big, but he knows how to run. He’ll help us, no doubt about it. He just needs to get in a little better shape and work on his stamina. We told him to get ready."
Davis said, "They told me I could hear my name called at anytime. (Still) it was excited to play in my first (major) college game."
Davis said, "I looked up (at the crowd of 107,145) once and automatically looked back down and tried to block it out. I just wanted to concentrate on doing my job."
Ohio State to play in Hawaii?
UH athletic director David Matlin tried a sweet approach in attempting to get his Ohio State counterpart, Gene Smith, to consider playing a game in Hawaii.
"I gave him a bunch of Big Island Candies from Hawaii," Matlin said. "And I told him, they’re really delicious. But when you come to Hawaii and eat them there are no calories."
Matlin said, "He was really appreciative but (non-committal). I plan to follow up later."
Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer said earlier in the week, "I’ve been there (to Hawaii) many times when I was at Colorado State and, actually, when I was at Notre Dame. I don’t get real involved in scheduling, but I’m always good for a trip to Honolulu."
The Buckeyes’ schedule shows openings in 2018, 2019 and beyond.
If the changes to the Hawaii Exemption proposed by UH and the Mountain West Conference are approved by the NCAA in April and the Rainbow Warriors are permitted to open their season a week before the rest of college football, "I think it would help our case with a lot of schools," Matlin said.
Wittek remains QB starter
Chow said Max Wittek remains his starting quarterback for the next game, Sept. 19 against UC Davis.
"Of course … of course," Chow said.
Wittek completed seven of 24 passes, with two interceptions for 67 yards. One of the interceptions came on a ricochet and five balls were dropped.
"We planned to bring in Ikaika (Woolsey) and give him some work anyway," Chow said of Woolsey’s appearance with 7 minutes, 48 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Woolsey completed one of two passes for 18 yards.
Wittek was sacked three times and Woolsey one.
"We don’t have the talent that the other side has, all those (quarterbacks) rotating in and out of the game. We don’t have the talent that the other side has (with) all those guys rotating in and out of the game," Chow said.
Gener tested for bleeding
Linebacker Julian Gener was still at a Columbus hospital for tests when the game finished Saturday, UH said.
He was expected to accompany the Rainbow Warriors back home.
Gener was dressed to play when he was taken to the hospital before the game for what were described as "precautionary tests" for bleeding.
"We’ll know more after we get home," Chow said as the team headed for the airport.
Chow said several players "were hobbling and hurting, but we’ll have better idea later."
