It was 10 years ago when the Brigham Young and Hawaii football teams last met at Aloha Stadium.

Back then, the starting quarterbacks were BYU’s Brandon Doman and UH’s Nick Rolovich. Both are now offensive coordinators for their alma maters. And both have kept intact the schemes they ran as players.

The Cougars use a pro-set offense that is equally efficient with passes and rushes. The Warriors’ four-wide offense maintains a pass-first preference.

Each team can play polar-skilled quarterbacks. BYU’s Riley Nelson, who apparently has recovered from lung and rib injuries, is more mobile than Jake Heaps, a self-professed pocket passer.

David Graves, who makes his second consecutive start for the Warriors, is at his best on the move. Shane Austin, who has one non-sack scramble this year, is more comfortable throwing out of the pocket.

Outlook: It was five years ago, as a Utah State backup, but Nelson has painful reminders of his last game against UH. “I’ve never been more sore after a game as that one,” Nelson said. “There are very few specific hits or plays that I remember, but there are seven or eight from that game that still wake me up at night.” After serving a two-year church mission in Barcelona, an intrastate transfer, and time in the BYU system, Nelson is wiser, stronger and more elusive. Three weeks ago, he suffered lung and rib injuries. After sitting out one game and a bye last week, Nelson received medical clearance. For this reunion, Nelson has ample support. The line has wide splits (as much as 2 yards between blockers) and wide bodies. Matt Reynolds has first-round ability. Hoffman is a big target (15.2 yards per catch). Jacobson is a crafty receiver with deceptive quickness. Di Luigi is a dual threat (532 yards rushing, 251 receiving) who aligns as a running back or slotback. The Cougars prefer slants and out routes. They also have a variation of the double-out in which two receivers curl toward the same sideline. The twist is one of the receivers loops to the inside. Although the Cougars have only one designed running play for the quarterback — the draw — Nelson extends plays with his scrambling. Jake Heaps (No. 9, 6-1, 200, So.) is a pure pocket passer with a strong arm.

Outlook: Head coach Bronco Mendenhall, who coordinates the defense, has implemented a versatile system influenced by his playing days. At Oregon State, Mendenhall was a free safety, strong safety and linebacker. Best example is Van Noy. As a weakside linebacker, he starts off near the line of scrimmage, and either becomes a pass rusher or drops into coverage. He also can play on the strong side as a run defender. “Coach Mendenhall likes to mix it up and put me in different spots,” Van Noy said. “It’s not just me. Others line up at different positions. It’s a cool scheme.” The Cougars run a pro-style 3-4, with big-bodied ends and a linebacker often moving up to create a four-man front. Van Noy, who has five sacks and three interceptions, embraces the play-maker role. In the offseason, he gained 20 pounds, with a meal plan of chicken, steak, potatoes and otai (a Tongan drink blending water, coconut milk, watermelons and mangoes). The Cougars are ranked 17th in total defense (318.45 yards per game) and 24th in scoring defense (20.36).

Outlook: Mendenhall and Terry Vance were track teammates and roommates at Oregon State in the mid-1980s. A few years ago, Vance, now a teacher in Crescent City, Calif., recommended Hoffman, who had not received any Football Bowl Subdivision offers. Hoffman is averaging 25.10 yards per kickoff return this season, and has ascended to fifth on BYU’s career list for kickoff-return yards (1,158). With two games remaining, he needs 88 kickoff-return yards to set BYU’s single-season mark. Sorensen is one of 16 starting kickers nationally to convert all of his PATs this season.

Outlook: An electrolyte imbalance caused blurriness that led to Graves’ departure from last week’s victory over Tulane. What has left defenses in a blur is Graves’ sleight-of-handoff skills. Against Tulane, he scored on a 15-yard bootleg after faking to Iosefa. The mid-line option is the latest wrinkle in the four-wide passing offense. Graves honed the technique in high school, learning when to feed the running back or to pull back the football and sprint to the perimeter. “That’s the type of offense I ran in high school,” Graves said. “I was taught to ride it as long as possible.” Later in that game, with the Tulane defense spread to guard against the bootleg, Iosefa took the handoff and broke through the middle. Graves is averaging 10.07 yards after eluding a would-be tackler on non-sack runs. Bryant Moniz, who is out with a broken ankle, is the only UH quarterback to have a better yards-after-contact average since this offense was installed in 1999. Davis is developing into a better post-catch runner. Last week, his yards-after-catch average was 5.5.

Outlook: This past week, the defensive linemen went digital. “We’ve been studying (videos) of them all week,” Masch said. “We’ve been watching (videos) all day and all night. We’re looking for anything to get an edge.” BYU’s offensive tackles, in particular, are skilled in attacking defenders’ jerseys. The Warriors have worked on fighting off blocks. “It’s going to be a physical game,” Masch said. The Warriors also have worked on finding other means, besides the defensive ends, to pressure the quarterback. One tactic has been to accelerate the pace. This past week, the Warriors were implored to play at a quicker tempo during defensive drills. A key defender is Mike Sellers, a nickelback who has demonstrated the speed and aggressiveness to serve as a blitzer.

Outlook: As a slotback, Torres-Keohokapu has impressed coaches with his catching ability and first-step quickness. It is hoped those skills will transfer to punt returns, where Torres-Keohokapu is expected to replace ailing Scott Harding. Tank Hopkins also has been getting reps as a returner on punts and kickoffs. Edwards is averaging 24.90 yards per kickoff return, helping the Warriors place 21st nationally in that category.