Warriors going retro for homecoming

For Saturday’s homecoming football game against Nevada, the Rainbow Warriors are bringing back retro green uniforms and a ground-and-pound attack.

"Or we have to open it up," said coach Norm Chow, clouding the game plan from spying eyes.

The Warriors have developed a four-player rotation at running back.

Steven Lakalaka is durable (22 carries per game in his five starts). Diocemy Saint Juste is the breakaway threat (7.2 yard per rush the past two games). Justin Vele is the bruiser. Pereese Joas, a 5-foot-6,170-pound walk-on, is the enigma. Two weeks ago, Joas’ first UH rush went for 14 yards. Against San Diego State last week, Joas, who was aligned as a slotback, ran a curl pattern into the heart of the defense on a third-and-goal play.

Last week, the Warriors essentially ran seven-blocker schemes the majority of plays, often pairing a tight end and fullback. A few times, tight end Jordan Pu’u-Robinson became the fullback.

The strategy, it appears, is to ease the burden on quarterback Ikaika Woolsey, counter Nevada’s menacing defense led by end Brock Hekking, and limit the Wolf Pack’s possessions.

"We need to be a lot more aggressive offensively," Chow said.

A competitive matchup will be between Hekking and left tackle Ben Clarke. Hekking has 21 sacks the past three years. Clarke, a converted center, has relinquished one sack in 281 pass plays this season.

The Warriors will be bracing for quarterback Cody Fajardo and the Pack’s late-game charge.

"I don’t think there’s any question he’s the top quarterback in the conference right now," Chow said of Fajardo, a senior dual threat. "He’s a very confident young man. He keeps things alive with his feet. He’s going to be a real chore to defend."

UH defensive coordinator Kevin Clune said of Fajardo: "The kid’s a winner. I’ve known him since his days back at Servite (High). I’ve watched him play a number of times in high school. Whatever you want to say about him — he may not be the best arm or may not be the fastest guy, whatever it is — he’s a winner and finds ways to win. You see that in the fourth quarter of games."

Against FBS opponents, Nevada leads the nation with an average of 14.0 fourth-quarter points per game. On the road against Brigham Young last week, Nevada scored 22 points in the fourth quarter to rally from a 13-point deficit. Chow implored his players not to make careless mistakes against an opponent with offensive firepower.

"All the sayings, the coachspeak, everybody makes fun of those things," Chow said. "They’re all applicable. They really are. Like I said after the last game, they didn’t beat us, we lost it ourselves. We lost opportunities. We can’t do that against good football teams."