COLLEGE FOOTBALL REPORT: MOVING TO TOP OF LIST HERBERT GIVEN GOOD CHANCE TO SHINE AT HAWAII.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

Clifton Herbert wasn't sure if returning kicks was going to be his calling on the Hawaii football team.

The Warriors lost three receiver standouts from last season - Craig Stutzmann, Channon Colbert and NFL first-round draft pick Ashley Lelie - and usually start four wideouts in coach June Jones' passing offense. Even with so much talent to replace, Herbert (Quartz Hill High) wasn't listed high on the depth chart prior to preseason practice.

But Herbert, now a junior who was primarily a kick and punt returner his first two seasons at Hawaii, has become a starter and productive inside receiver.

He made his first collegiate catch, a 49-yarder from quarterback Tim Chang, in the Warriors' season opener against Eastern Illinois. The next week at Brigham Young, he hooked up with Chang on a 2-point conversion in the waning seconds of a game Hawaii lost to the Cougars 35-32.

Herbert's biggest strides were in an improvement with both his hands and running more crisp routes, a key asset in Jones' intricate schemes. He has five receptions for 117 yards and made two rushes for 8 yards.

``Consistency was important for me. I knew coming in I couldn't have an up-and-down camp,'' Herbert told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. ``That's not going to get me there. Either be consistent or get a little better each day. If I did have a little setback, next practice come back and do what I didn't do. Either run better routes, make better reads, or catch the ball.''

Herbert has done a little of all the above for Hawaii (1-1), which plays its Western Athletic Conference opener at Texas-El Paso tonight.

--Interception or nothing: Stanford defensive lineman Matt Leonard (Palmdale) had a peculiar final statistics line for the Cardinal last week against San Jose State. Leonard wasn't credited with any tackles in the game. But somehow, the 6-foot-4, 299-pounder managed two interceptions and gained 18 yards on returns.

On both picks, Leonard basically used his big hands to deflect passes that he grabbed and held onto.

--Watts power: Utah State's 44-13 loss to Nebraska this season wasn't the fault of Aggies' sophomore Robert Watts (Paraclete), who has become one of the team's most active defenders from his outside-linebacker spot.

The Aggies, 1-2 entering today's matchup at Iowa, got a big performance from Watts at Lincoln, Neb. The 6-3, 220-pounder made nine tackles against the Cornhuskers. Included was a crushing sack combined with John Chick that knocked the ball from Nebraska quarterback Jammal Lord.

Watts was a part-time starter in 2001 but has become one of the leaders among a linebacking corps that is a USU defensive strength.

``Watts brings power to the game,'' Aggies linebacker coach David Reeves told the Logan Herald-Journal. ``He is bigger and can bang. He's a load to handle.''

--No redshirt for Hagan: Arizona State freshman Derek Hagan (Palmdale) hasn't done the redshirt thing so many newcomers endure. Hagan is making a nice transition from the Golden League to the Pacific-10 Conference.

He's caught at least one pass in each game for the Sun Devils (3-1). He's started the past two weeks, against Central Florida in Tempe, Ariz., and at San Diego State. Hagan has nine receptions for 96 yards. The Sun Devils are idle this week before opening Pac-10 play next Saturday against Stanford.