As Tim Chang played his final games as quarterback for the University of Hawai'i in 2004, we were left to wonder how long it would be into 2005 before we really began to miss him.

How long would it be before the fans who had booed Chang saw the error of their ways? How long before fans were wishing there might be some NCAA loophole or exception, no matter how small, that could bring back college football's all-time career passing leader for just one more season?

The over-under was, what, three quarters?

Well, here we are one quarter through Year One A.C. — after Chang — and the plaintive cries have yet to rise. So far, there is no wailing to be heard.

If Colt Brennan hasn't made us forget his predecessor's impressive body of work — and nobody was asking him to — he sure has smoothed the transition of triggermen.

With back-to-back 300-yard-plus passing games and, now, a Western Athletic Conference offensive player of the week tribute for his performance at Idaho, Brennan has been everything we weren't expecting to see this early from Chang's replacement, whoever it turned out to be.

Whatever complaints there might be about UH at 1-2, quarterback isn't among them.

Michigan State coach John L. Smith, who dishes out the compliments to UH like they came out of his salary, couldn't praise Brennan or the reloading enough. And, you got the feeling the Idaho radio crew wanted to keep Brennan in the Kibbie Dome, so taken were they with his poise and execution.

To be sure, Brennan, a redshirt sophomore in his first season of Division I-A ball, is learning on the job and has much to polish up. And he will have some off-games. But the strides he has made and the knack he has shown for moving a team are considerable at this early stage.

Not to mention the sense of resilience. After Darnell Bing of USC took back an interception 63 yards for a touchdown on the fourth pass of Brennan's debut, not only was he not shaken, Brennan hasn't been picked off in 103 passes (six for touchdowns) since.

But if you want a little glimpse into the friskiness of the aptly-named "Colt," look at his scrambling. He's all about, as he puts it, "making plays." Four times in two games he's run for 12 or more yards.

The coaches, out of concern for his future, would like to see him practice a little more self-preservation, throwing a ball away, when necessary, or sliding. And Brennan has promised to.

But there is no doubt that along with firing up his teammates and aggravating opponents, his running brings an extra dimension to the position.

To this point, Brennan has shown the UH quarterback job, far from just being passed on, has landed in capable hands.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.