The money quote came after a few typical softball questions and answers at Norm Chow’s 33rd post-loss news conference in three-plus seasons Saturday.

Reporter: “Where do you go from here?”

You could see this one coming a mile away.

Chow: “Albuquerque.”

What else could he say?

Now, many of you don’t think that should be so. You wish Chow’s next destination would be anywhere other than where the University of Hawaii football team (2-4) he remains head coach of is headed. This week that happens to be University Stadium, owned and operated by the University of New Mexico.

You want him to resign, now. That ain’t gonna happen.

You want him to be fired, now. Good luck with that one, too.

I don’t blame you after Saturday’s 28-14 home loss to a San Diego State team that is the very definition of mediocrity (even with stellar running back Donnel Pumphrey). It’s just the latest in a long list of disappointments going back to 2012, Chow’s first of three losing seasons. And now it looks very much like it will soon be four.

Why is this team not winning? Where do you want to start?

Receivers don’t get separation. Efforts to slow blitzes (screens, quick passes) are too few and mostly ineffective.

That — combined with sketchy protection — leads to constant pressure on the quarterback, which leads to sacks, and inaccurate passes. Receivers get called out for alligator arms and drops. But so many passes are off-target, especially high, and thrown with no touch.

I’m from the old school of if you can touch it you should catch it. But when you get hung out to dry so often, any sane human’s reflex becomes to protect your ribs. You can call it meek or weak on the receiver’s part. But it’s on the quarterback and the line as much as the receiver.

And then defense … UH blamed the inability to stop Donnel Pumphrey on having no one that fast on its scout team. He simply made the Rainbow Warriors look silly and was the difference in the game.

The Warriors looked like they weren’t ready for speed. That’s not just their physical limitations, that’s about coaching, too. They looked to be suffering a hangover from that 55-0 debacle at Boise State.

I could go on, but this piece is already getting too long.

I’ll give quarterback Max Wittek credit for toughness (he re-entered the game late despite a nasty looking knee injury).

As for relieving the head coach right now? That’s crazy. UH is headed into back-to-back road games. It would create a logistical nightmare. Immediate back-to-back road ventures are too much logistically for someone to jump into right away combined with everything else.

Nobody’s buying the no-money-to-buyout thing. It was BS last year and it’s BS now.

With that being said, here’s a reality check: You can’t install the run-and-shoot in midseason. Think things are bad now? Remember when Timmy Chang would throw the ball one way and the receiver had gone the other way? That happened with guys who practiced the sight-adjusted routes every day, for years. It takes a lot of time to make that thing to work. Guys who try to switch to it in a few days won’t stand a chance.

Yes, it certainly looks like a change needs to be made, soon. Not quite yet. June Jones? Maybe, if we can hear what really happened with him at SMU out in the open. If it gets to the point of a midseason change, it should be an interim head coach from within the current staff.

Athletic director David Matlin is smart enough to know that he shouldn’t provide the kiss of death endorsement of the current coach. He also knows he should publicly address the situation and not look like he’s hiding. Here’s what he told me Sunday when I asked for his assessment.

“I appreciate the passion of our fans and I understand their frustration. Saturday’s game was disappointing. I know that everyone on the team is giving it their all and striving to get better. We still have a lot to play for and need to stay focused for our game at Albuquerque.”

Chow said all he and the team can do is take things day-by-day. “The only (game) that matters is the next one,” he said Saturday.

And the one after New Mexico, at Nevada. If Hawaii doesn’t win one of these road games, the magic number is down to one — one more loss in five remaining games and there’s no winning season, no bowl game; for the fifth year in a row and fourth under Chow.

Why do the fans keep coming? Tailgating.

“Leaving the party and going into the game is the hardest thing,” said one parking lot denizen.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.