Rainbows looking to snap road skid

BOULDER, Colo. » Of all the potential obstacles — thin air, long travel, time difference — the University of Hawaii football team was not going to be stopped by a 1,300-pound buffalo.

Because of problems at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, the Warriors did not arrive in Denver until about 5:30 p.m. Mountain time.

The delay created a potential scheduling conflict at Folsom Field in advance of today’s road game against Colorado. The Warriors’ walk-through session would be at the same time as the practice period for Ralphie, the buffalo that serves as Colorado’s mascot.

Ralphie’s handlers agreed to allow the Warriors to use the field first. The Warriors spent about 30 minutes getting acclimated to the field. After that, they visited the locker room and training facility. The players were upbeat, playing a makeshift rugby match (using a football), and playing catch.

None of the players appeared to be affected by the thin air from Boulder’s 5,440-foot elevation.

For the Warriors, a greater concern is their first road game of the season against their third Pac-12 opponent in four weeks.

"Don’t sell those guys short," UH coach Norm Chow said of the 1-2 Buffaloes. "There’s a huge commitment to football in Boulder. They return five (starters). They have an athletic quarterback. … They spread you out all over the field. You have to cover slots with safeties. … They play tough, hard-nosed defense."

The Warriors played well in high elevation last year. At Laramie, Wyo., which is 7,165 feet above sea level, the Warriors scored 56 points and rolled up 624 yards in an overtime loss to Wyoming. The Warriors insist they are physically fit, thanks to strength/conditioning coach Gary Beemer’s offseason program.

Defensive end Luke Shawley, a former Navy SEAL, said he "could barely run a gasser" — sprinting the width of the field — soon after joining the Warriors this past January.

"All that conditioning has really paid off," Shawley said. "I have to give credit to Coach Beemer."

UH wideout Marcus Kemp, who was raised in Utah, said he does not expect to be bothered by the thin air.

"I think my lungs are still used to it," Kemp said. "I’m not really worried about the altitude. I think I’m in pretty good shape, also."

The Warriors are seeking to win their first road game since Oct. 29, 2011, a span of 13 losses.

"This is definitely a big one," Kemp said. "We haven’t won a road game in a while. This is a huge opportunity to go out and get the first road victory in a couple years, and put this team on a right track."