NCAA football odds: Hawaii may be looking for a QB

By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook

It looks to be a rebuilding year in Hawaii.

The Warriors crashed the BCS last year, reaching the Sugar Bowl as an unbeaten. Things have gone downhill from there, as they were routed by Georgia, Heisman finalist and all-time NCAA TD leader Colt Brennan graduated, and coach/offensive guru June Jones left for SMU.

The Warriors figured to have Brennan’s replacement ready in Tyler Graunke, who had waited for the past three seasons and played well when he filled in. Graunke, however, has been held out of the start of fall camp while he resolves academic issues. It's unknown when the senior will rejoin the team, putting his status for the season opener at Florida in jeopardy.

First-year Warriors coach Greg McMackin said Graunke's absence has not and will not affect the team.

"We've just moved on," he said. "If somebody's not here, we just move on. If somebody gets hurt, we move on."

Graunke said he needs to finish incomplete classwork and that he has been given an opportunity to do so, and if everything works out, he is hopeful of joining the Warriors "by Monday, at the latest."

Graunke has not officially been suspended by the team, as he was earlier this year. He appeared in 10 games last year, throwing for 1,234 yards and 10 touchdowns. In two starts, he threw for 358 yards and two TDs to lead Hawaii to a come-from-behind victory over Nevada. He also passed for 285 yards and three TDs against Charleston Southern.

He even outperformed Brennan in the Sugar Bowl, throwing Hawaii's lone touchdown. He was 13-of-19 for 142 yards.

While holding a roster spot for Graunke, the Warriors have decided not to put the competition on hold. Fourth-year junior Inoke Funaki and junior-college transfers Greg Alexander and Brent Rausch are competing for the starting quarterback's job.

McMackin said a starter will be selected about two weeks before the opener and will get about 75 percent of the reps in practice.

 

“All three guys have been throwing good," said McMackin, "we've been equally rotating them, and in another week we're going down to two quarterbacks and in another half week we'll go down to the first guy getting three-quarters of the reps."

Funaki entered training camp atop the depth chart.

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