Lopina starter and might see PT increase

KEVIN LOPINA WILL retain his starting position and might well see his playing time increase against Hawaii, Paul Wulff said a few minutes ago.

Wulff said Tuesday morning that he felt Lopina managed the game better in Saturday's 39-13 season-opening loss against Stanford than Marshall Lobbestael.

Lopina, who completed 10 of 15 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown, could see a lot more playing time if he performs well against Hawaii on Saturday, added Wulff. The Warriors are a 2 1/2-point favorite in that 4 pm showdown at Seattle's Qwest Field.

Wulff said, however, "we don't want to close the door" on Lobbestael. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 78 yards against the Cardinal. Wulff said he believes the sophomore was hampered at times by poor pass protection, but liked what he saw when Lobbestael had time to throw.

"Marshall made some nice, impressive throws at times," Wulff said.

He also noted that Lobbestael is coming off major surgery on his left knee, while Lopina started eight games last season and is more experienced.