It has been a whirlwind week for David Graves, who is set to become the fifth starting quarterback in Greg McMackin’s four seasons as Hawaii head football coach.

There were interviews, extended meetings and the adjustment to the new role.

Graves said he felt fine — especially compared to last week, when he suffered from a stomach virus. Things are going swimmingly when part of Graves’ work includes throwing away passes. Graves is trying to reduce his sacks.

Changing quarterbacks is never easy, but Graves has bonded with the receivers and linemen through their time on scout team last year. There is no indication his cadence, different in pitch from Bryant Moniz’s bark, is a factor.

While the starting quarterback’s job belongs to Graves for the final two regular-season games, beginning with tonight’s meeting against Tulane, Shane Austin has been instructed to be ready.

Austin started last week in place of Moniz, whose career ended with a broken ankle, but was lifted after the Warriors fell behind 17-0. In Austin’s two series, he showed promise. He was 6-for-13, but two passes were dropped and two incompletions were catchable.

Outlook: With the first name Orleans, Darkwa was destined to play for the New Orleans school. He also is a natural fit in the Green Wave’s pro-set offense as a runner (853 yards, 11 TDs) and receiver (nine of 34 catches have exceeded 15 yards). Darkwa, who can run 40 yards in 4.53 seconds, has second-level speed; he has 20 rushes of double-digit yards. He is particularly effective on third down, when he averages 6.42 yards per carry. A pet play is for Darkwa to align as the wildcat quarterback and either keep the ball or pitch it to a receiver on a fly motion across the backfield. Griffin has completed passes to 19 receivers this season. His favorite target is Van Hooser, a Wes Welker-type possession receiver with quickness (4.43 seconds in the 40). Of Van Hooser’s 34 receptions, 68 percent resulted in first downs.

Outlook: The Wave’s defense is similar to the Warriors’ in concept, with a base 4-3 front and the secondary either in a four-across zone or the safeties in split coverage. Mackey, who started his NCAA career at Duke, has averaged 11.6 tackles per game the past two seasons, including 12.08 this year. Moses is a terror off the edge. He has 11 backfield tackles, including 8.5 sacks, and seven quarterback hurries. But he also can drop back into coverage; he has four pass breakups. Moses was at Iowa for two seasons before transferring to Tulane two years ago. Sullen, with 10 pass breakups, is regarded as the Wave’s best cover defender. Dominque Robertson, who has overcome knee issues, is a nickelback who serves as more of a safety/linebacker hybrid.

Outlook: As a freshman, Kelley already has set the school’s single-season record for kickoff-return yards with 1,243. Then again, opponents have kicked off 88 times, with the Wave leading the nation with 77 kickoff returns. Tulane is one of the most aggressive teams in trying to block punts.

Outlook: A sampling of Graves’ potential was found in an incomplete pass to Pollard last week. With eight defenders in zone coverage, Graves rolled to his right — forcing a linebacker to move up — while Pollard curled into the vacated area. The pass was short, but the long-term lesson was delivered: Graves’ footwork is a threat. Although Graves was sacked four times last week, he escaped danger four other times. In non-sack scrambles, he is averaging 10.5 yards after eluding a would-be tacker. Graves is smart with his passes (zero interceptions in 52 career throws). He said he will work on throwing away passes rather than absorbing sacks, and sliding rather than risking injury from an on-coming defender. Stutzmann has emerged as a better runner, with a post-catch average of 6.56 yards. The Warriors will start the same offensive line for the third consecutive game.

Outlook: One of the early drills of every practice is the defense sprinting from formation to specific points on the sideline. The drill emphasizes the Warriors’ belief in a swarming defense, a commitment that has waned in recent games. Too often, the Warriors were told, defenders were isolated, leading to missed tackles and big plays. “We have to gang tackle,” head coach Greg McMackin said. In the first eight games, the Warriors averaged 3.0 sacks per game. In the past three games, all losses, they have managed a total of five sacks. What’s more, they have had difficulty containing the quarterback. The past three games, opposing quarterbacks are averaging 5.7 yards per non-sack scramble. To keep fresh, the Warriors have expanded the rotation on the defensive line (Geordon Hanohano, above, Siasau Matagiese, Moses Samia, Liko Satele and Marcus Malepeai have increased their reps), and Dee Maggitt and Mike Sellers are splitting work as nickelbacks.

Outlook: With Bubba Poueu-Luna lost for the season because of an illness, look for backup safety Gus Cunningham (above) to have an expanded role on special teams. “He’s doing a great job in drill work,” special teams coordinator Dick Tomey said of Cunningham’s promotion. Cunningham has been busy. As an ROTC officer, Cunningham often goes from one workout to the next. Still, he is doing well academically, with a 3.4 GPA. A recent grade check showed Cunningham is earning an A in three classes and a B in a fourth.