‘Bows do what needs to be done for Boise State

BOISE, Idaho >> The University of Hawaii football team was on the go.

After spending the night in Los Angeles, where meetings and study hall were arranged, the Rainbow Warriors arrived in Treasure Valley on Friday afternoon ahead of today’s nationally televised game against Boise State.

Then several coaches helped the equipment workers unload bags and gear from a container. After that, a makeshift equipment area was set up in the hotel lobby.

The Warriors then stopped at Albertsons Stadium for a quick look at Boise State’s famed blue field before heading — by police escort — to Rocky Mountain High for a one-hour practice. While the Warriors worked out, strength/conditioning coordinator Gary Beemer met with NFL scouts to discuss UH’s pro prospects.

It was just another day in preparation for a road game.

"Everybody helps out," head coach Norm Chow said. "That’s how we do it around here."

After four nonconference games involving two trips to the Midwest, the Warriors open their Mountain West Conference schedule in a challenging venue.

Boise State has won 15 consecutive league openers since 1999. Since 2000, the Broncos have the nation’s best record at 170-20. During that period, the Broncos are 94-4 on the blue turf.

To accommodate ESPN2, kickoff is expected to be about 8:26 p.m. Mountain time. There is a possibility the final whistle will sound on Sunday.

"We do what we have to do," Chow said. "That’s the attitude we have. We don’t care where or what time. We just keep moving. The kids have done a nice job of buying into that theory."

Quarterback Max Wittek insisted Boise State, not the kickoff time nor the field’s hue, is the obstacle.

"No more concerns than if we played here or in Australia," Wittek said. "It doesn’t matter where we play. Everybody talks about the turf. If every field in the world were blue and theirs was green, we’d be talking about how theirs was green. At the end of the day, it’s just a different color, new opponent and a great team."

Defensive coordinator Tom Mason helped the Broncos transition into Division I in the 1990s, even serving as interim head coach in 1996. He acknowledged the Broncos are "hard to beat on that blue turf. Even when I coached there, that blue turf had a psychological advantage. Who knows why, but it did. They are tough on that blue turf."

Two weeks ago, the Broncos lost their starting quarterback, Ryan Finley, to a broken ankle. Thomas Stuart finished that game. Last week, freshman Brett Rypien made his first college start, completing 24 of 35 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of Virginia.

Jeremy McNichols, the most productive of the three tailbacks in the rotation, leads the nation with 10 touchdowns.

Against Virginia, the Broncos conjured five turnovers, including a pick-six on the Cavaliers’ first play. Afterward, BSU coach Bryan Harsin awarded the game ball to his defense.

"We had five turnovers, two touchdowns, one safety," Harsin said. "How can you not recognize the defense for that type of performance? That just doesn’t happen. Virginia was a good football team. Our guys went out there and got after it. … I thought that defensive unit was about as good as you could have asked for going into that game."

The Warriors decided to return to Honolulu between last week’s 28-0 loss to Wisconsin in Madison and the Boise State game. The 96-hour layover was used to attend classes and practice against the scout team, which was key because Boise State employs several personnel groups. The Warriors, who traveled with 65 players, had the starters and reserves take turns simulating the Broncos’ schemes during Friday’s practice.

The Broncos "play great team defense," Wittek said. "You watch them on film, and they’re very assignment sound. They play together, and they’ve got good chemistry. That shows up on the field for them."

In turn, Harsin praised the Warriors, saying, "They’re physical. They give you a lot of different things to work on. They have the capabilities on the offensive side, in my opinion. I like their quarterback, and they can hit you vertical. … We’re going into this game to start league play, we might be starting with one of the best teams in our league right out of the gate."