Perhaps it will take two players to replace Tim Chang as the University of Hawai'i quarterback.

Despite a 63-17 loss to No. 1 Southern California yesterday at Aloha Stadium, new Warrior quarterbacks Colt Brennan and Tyler Graunke showed they could be a successful combination this season.

"I think we have two different roles for the same position," Brennan said. "He's more of the running quarterback and I'm more of the throwing guy. In the run-and-shoot (offense), you need to run the ball and throw the ball, so there's something there for both of us."

Brennan and Graunke combined to complete 33 of 49 passes for 377 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.

Brennan, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound sophomore, completed 21 of 32 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown. Graunke, a 5-11, 175-pound redshirt freshman, was 12 of 17 for 127 yards and a touchdown, and also led the team with 43 rushing yards in seven attempts.

For now, they are the replacements for Chang, who completed his eligibility last season as the career passing yardage leader in NCAA Division I.

Graunke started the game, but he and Brennan then rotated on virtually every play after that.

Hawai'i head coach June Jones said he decided to rotate the quarterbacks after the Warrior offense received two delay-of-game penalties in the opening moments of the game.

"When they were struggling with the signals and calling plays and stuff, I just started telling one guy the play and send him in," Jones said.

Both quarterbacks said they were satisfied with the format.

"To be honest, against a team like USC, it was kind of relieving to take a play or two off," Brennan said. "It gave me some time to rest and take a look at what their defense was doing."

In the first half, Graunke was in for most of the running plays — including several quarterback keepers that resulted in positive yards.

"Tyler runs those plays really well, and Colt is still learning the offense," Hawai'i quarterback coach Dan Morrison said. "The good thing is they're both athletic, so we're comfortable with both guys right now."

Brennan was in for most of the passing plays, but he got off to an inauspicious start when his fourth pass of the game was intercepted by safety Darnell Bing, who returned the ball 65 yards for a touchdown.

"You have to do everything right on every play, and I know I made too many mistakes," Brennan said. "That's why it's frustrating. I think I did a good job overall of finding open guys, but when you lose a game by such a lopsided score, it's hard to think that you had a good game."

Jones said he would eventually like to stick with one quarterback, although neither has the edge for now.

"I would think at some point, I'll settle on one of them," Jones said. "But right now, both guys kind of do some things good — a couple things better than the other."

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com.