When the shuffling and maneuvering stopped, cornerback C.J. Hawthorne had a spot in the University of Hawai'i football team's starting lineup.

Hawthorne, who started the Warriors' first two games but not last week's 41-34 loss to Boise State, will open at right cornerback in tomorrow's game against Eastern Illinois at Aloha Stadium.

Kenny Patton will be the left cornerback.

A.J. Martinez, who started the first three games, Gerard Lewis, Myron Newberry and Ryan Keomaka are in the reserve pool.

Rich Miano, who coaches the defensive backs, said Hawthorne is "a responsible guy who has a lot of character and integrity. He's going to do what we tell him to do. He flies around, too. We've been alternating guys, and it's C.J.'s turn to go in there and show what he can do."

In UH's blitzing defense, head coach June Jones said, the cornerbacks are required to be sure tacklers.

"We're looking for consistency," Miano said. "'Consistently good' is better than 'occasionally great.' C.J. will be given the opportunity to be more consistent than the guy last week."

Miano and defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville agree that Patton has been the most effective cornerback this season. They said Hawthorne was the best of the rest this week.

Miano said: "Would you like to have four (defensive backs) who play every down? Yes. But at the same time, if there's a guy who's second string or third string and he could be just as good, you have to wait over time. It's hard to (make a final evaluation) in practice. Some people play better in games. Some people play better in practices. You really don't know until the lights go on."

Hawthorne welcomed a return to the lineup, but said, "We're all first team. I'm no better than A.J. or Kenny. We're all players who love to be out there playing."

Miano said there is no set order among the reserves.

"It's going to be Jerry's call," Miano said.

Glanville said: "The best players will play. I like that No. 9. He's been playing very well."

Glanville was referring to Keomaka, who was dismissed and then reinstated to the team during a 24-hour period last week. It was mistakenly believed Keomaka failed to attend mandatory study sessions. Keomaka, in fact, went to study hall, but not the nightly sessions monitored by the football coaches.

Dennis McKnight, a graduate assistant who coaches the offensive linemen, helped clear up the misunderstanding.

"I want to thank him," Keomaka said. "He talked to me, and told me what to do. He was concerned about me. That's someone special. I'm glad to be back."

In the past year, the coaches have warned Keomaka about his study habits.

"The easiest thing is to be a student, go to class, sit there, participate," McKnight said. "You're going to get the benefit of the doubt with the teacher. If you act like a baby, that's the way you'll be treated. I told Ryan, 'Coach is tired of the bull crap that is going on. He's going to make guys more accountable now. You guys have been abusing him, and he's tired of it.'"

McKnight encouraged Keomaka to write a letter of apology to Jones. The athletic department's academic officers also sent a letter confirming the mix-up.

"I told him to wise up and quit looking for an easy way out," McKnight said. "It's a privilege to be able to play. It's not a rite of passage because you can run 4.4 or you're 6-5, 300. What they should do every year for the first team meeting is bring back guys like Matt Wright, Jonathan Kauka, La'anui Correa, Joe Correia. Have them talk about what it's like to not be able to play anymore, and then hopefully it sinks in."

CUT OUT THE COMPLAINTS

In the 2002 game, UH defensive tackle Lui Fuga suffered a season-ending leg injury when he was chop-blocked by an Eastern Illinois player. Another UH lineman, Isa'ako Sopoaga, avoided serious injury from a chop-block.

Since then, Eastern Illinois has changed offensive coordinators. And UH's Glanville said: "I've seen every game they've played this year (on videotape), and they haven't chop-blocked anybody. But I also saw every game Boise played, and they didn't chop-block . . . "

Glanville stopped short of complaining about Boise State's blocking techniques last week, but a video replay of the game showed some eyebrow-raising plays.

"A couple of times they did some things, in my opinion, aren't the way the game is supposed to be played," UH defensive line coach Jeff Reinebold said. "They were disrespectful to the game. That's going to happen in games, so you don't make a big deal about it. You just go on."

A cut block involves a block below the knees. A chop block, which is against the rules, is a double-team in which one offensive lineman engages with a defender while a second offensive lineman makes a cut block.

Reinebold said his defensive linemen are prepared to face cut blocks.

"Getting cut is part of the game," Reinebold said. "There are two things I say to our guys all of the time. No. 1, don't ever come to the sideline and say he's holding you because I'm not interested in hearing about that. And two, don't tell me he's cutting you. I'm not interested in hearing that, either. Guys who get cut aren't disciplined with their eyes and their hands."

Reinebold said the key is to go one step at a time. Fight off a block first, then chase the ball-carrier.

"If I'm looking at the ball-carrier instead of playing the block — boom — I'm getting cut," Reinebold said. "That's one of the things we have to get better at, and one of the things I talk to (defensive end) Ikaika (Alama-Francis) about in particular. When he's pass-rushing, he has to beat the blocker first, and then get to the quarterback. Sometimes he sees the quarterback through the blocker, and then he never effectively pass rushes."

Reinebold likened it to a hurdler focusing on the finish line instead of the hurdles.

"That's a good way to trip over the hurdle," Reinebold said.

NOTES AND UPDATES