ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. >> This football season, the University of Hawaii has embraced the next-man-up approach to dealing with injuries.

On Friday night, it was quarterback Ikaika Woolsey who was summoned when the coaches yelled, "Next."

Max Wittek, who started the first six games, tested his aching knees during practices on the Manoa campus on Thursday and at Albuquerque’s Highland High on Friday. But the ailments, which required braces for both knees, limited Wittek’s mobility.

"They told me (Friday) night," Woolsey said. "They were waiting to see if Max was healed up or not."

Woolsey, who adopted the reliever’s mentality, added: "I was prepared all week to be the starter, which I do every week. Being the backup, I don’t know when I’m going to go in. I’m trying to be ready."

Teammates rallied around Woolsey. "He’s a talented quarterback," slotback Dylan Collie said. "He’s a dual threat. He can throw the ball and he can run."

Woolsey was 9-for-12 for 151 yards in the first half, and finished with 195 yards passing and a scoring pass to Collie. Woolsey used his elusiveness to escape manhunts, keep the football on zone-read plays and scramble for extra time.

On third-and-2 in the second quarter, Woolsey dodged would-be tackles, ran within inches of the line of scrimmage, and fired a 46-yard pass to Collie. Later, Woolsey eluded a blitzer and then fired 27 yards from the left hash to Collie in the right corner of the end zone.

"Ikaika brings something different to the table," running back Paul Harris said. "Ikaika did his job."

Don Bailey said last week’s practices were conducted with the strong possibility Woolsey would play.

"It wasn’t like we we’re planning on (Wittek) playing and he got hurt," Bailey said. "That wasn’t the situation. Ikaika took all the (first-team) reps (earlier in) the week. He’s played in plenty of college football games. He played like how we wanted him to play. He’ll keep the ball on the zone-read stuff. I thought he played pretty well. He did exactly what we wanted him to do, and we were in position to win the game."

Woolsey said he regretted not being able to lead a touchdown drive when the Rainbow Warriors advanced into the red zone late in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

"I take responsibility for that," Woolsey said. "We’re (near) the goal line. We have to put it in the end zone. A field goal is not enough. We have to do things to get into the end zone."

Woolsey said he felt at ease in the pocket.

"I guess that’s how I was raised," Woolsey said. "My dad always tells me to be cool, calm and collected, don’t make it bigger than it is. I started 12 games last year. I’m not trying to be arrogant, but I felt comfortable out there. It was another day playing ball out there with my boys. It was fun."