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The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Warriors lose dime linebacker Otis early in game due to injury
- Story byThe Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- Warriors lose dime linebacker Otis early in game due to injury
LARAMIE, Wyo. — It was an impressive first defensive series for Hawaii dime linebacker Jamih Otis .
Otis, a senior co-captain, made four tackles in Wyoming 's opening 11-play drive.
And then Otis was done for the afternoon.
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Associate head coach Chris Brown, who coaches the UH linebackers, noticed Otis appeared to be in discomfort.
"He tried to push through it, but he couldn't take a full breath," Brown said. "It was typical Jamih. He told me, 'Coach, I'm good. I'll push through it.' I was worried about him. I have to worry about his safety. The trainers came over, and he couldn't take a full breath. They said, 'It's better to get it checked.' Sure enough, he had a fracture on his rib."
Otis missed the final three quarters of what would be a 27-10 loss at War Memorial Stadium.
It was a disappointing setback for Otis, who had spent the offseason recovering from ACL and meniscus injuries suffered against UNLV on Nov. 21, 2025. He missed the 2025 season finale against Wyoming, an absence that factored in his motivation for Saturday's meeting. Otis took six months from the December surgeries to receive clearance to play football.
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"I feel for him more than anything," Brown said. "He put in all the work and time and something freaky happened to him the first (series) of the game."
But Otis and middle linebacker Wynden Ho'ohuli were helpful in guiding the younger dime linebackers.
Unfortunately, Otis' injury inadvertently led to a costly mistake against the Warriors. After forcing the Cowboys to punt from their 10, the Warriors, as is their usual pattern, left the defensive players on the field. But it went unnoticed that Otis' replacement, linebacker Matteus Ioane, wore the same jersey number as punt returner Tama Uiliata. UH was penalized 5 yards retroactive to the punt, and with a fresh set of downs, the Cowboys continued their 99-yard scoring drive.
Calls don't go UH's way
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For the third time in four games this season, the Warriors were on the losing side of key rulings.
In the opener, a Stanford receiver was credited with a catch even though it appeared he was not inbounds. The Cardinal went on to score the go-ahead touchdown.
A week later against UNLV, slotback Audric Harris appeared to catch a scoring pass in the end zone. But in a double rejection, the officials ruled Harris did not have full control of the ball that was hit free while he was on his back nor was he victim of a targeted hit.
On Saturday, UH safety Kona Moore knocked the football free from Wyoming tight end Jake Wilson after an apparent reception. UH's Jeremiah Hughes picked up the football and raced 50 yards to the end zone. But the officials ruled, nope, Wilson did not have possession, which meant there was no fumble for Hughes to recover.
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"There are some unfortunate things that are happening within the three losses that are hard to explain," UH head coach Timmy Chang said. "Those are crucial moments in a game that go against us."
RB Barfield back
After 11 quarters, UH co-captain Cam Barfield was back in the Warriors' backfield.
"It's a blessing to be out on the field again," said Barfield, who suffered a high-ankle sprain in the first quarter against Stanford on Aug. 29. "I missed three weeks. Being away from the game is hard."
Barfield was medically cleared this past week.
"It's always going to be a little nagging," Barfield said. "But today I felt good."
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Barfield had four carries for 17 yards.
"We didn't get the outcome I wanted," he said. "I wish we could get some of those plays back, some of those drives back. But it's on to the next game. … It's a long season. Anything can happen. We've got to go back to work. That's all it is."
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