Trying to find a takeaway from Hawaii’s 69-24 loss to Nevada on Saturday? The Warriors defense is still searching for one, too. It didn’t produce even one interception or fumble recovery, and that’s a big reason for the lopsided score.

Zero turnovers for Nevada, two for Hawaii. For UH to win a few more games in this rebuilding season, forcing mistakes by opposing offenses is a must.

Before Saturday’s game that set records for defensive futility by UH at Aloha Stadium, there were hopes that Warrior World might get to party like it’s 1999 in this, Norm Chow’s first season.

Of course, beating an FCS team like Lamar — even by 52 points — shouldn’t have raised expectations to unrealistic levels.

No, this team is not going to win nine games, like UH did in June Jones’ debut.

But it’s also too early to count this as a lost season. Nevada may very well be the best team in the Mountain West.

Yes, its defense isn’t very good. But if quarterback Cody Fajardo and running back Stefphon Jefferson remain healthy it might not matter.

And a pick six every now and then — like Khalid Wooten’s in the fourth quarter Saturday — helps, too.

But the game’s biggest defensive play was Calvin Garrett’s interception of UH quarterback Sean Schroeder in the second quarter when Hawaii was still keeping pace with Nevada.

As crazy as this may sound right now, a win at BYU on Friday is not impossible. Improbable, yes. Impossible, no.

The Cougars have lost two in a row — at Utah (24-21) and at Boise State (7-6).

Speaking of Utah vs. BYU, the Utes bombed the Cougars 54-10 in 2011.

Here’s a good omen for a Hawaii team in desperate need of one: The Utah offensive coordinator whose schemes generated 481 yards was Norm Chow.

But the biggest reason for Utah’s rout of its bitter rival, at Lavell Edwards Stadium?

Seven BYU turnovers.

And the Cougars had five giveaways last Thursday in the loss to the Broncos.

Hawaii has never won at Provo, and it probably won’t this time. But let’s just say Chow’s third "homecoming" game of the season (at USC and UH’s home opener were the others) isn’t Mission: Impossible if BYU continues to put the ball into the hands of opposing defenders.

»You can officially count out Dick Tomey as a candidate for UH athletic director.

The former Hawaii, Arizona and San Jose State head coach said he is happy doing consulting and occasional TV work.

"And I’ve got 11 grandchildren," said Tomey, who was the Warriors’ special teams coach last year. "I’d like to help UH in other ways, but I’m not a candidate for athletic director."

» Some very misleading statistics are commonly used in football. One of them is "Red-Zone Scores-Chances."

UH went 3-for-3 in this category Saturday, upping it to an impressive-sounding 12-for-13 for the season.

Not bad, you say. But what this metric doesn’t measure is how many times a team doesn’t get a touchdown from close range.

UH’s 12 red-zone scores include four field goals. So the Warriors have been stopped short of a TD nearly 40 percent of the time.

(Opponents have scored on all 11 trips to the Hawaii red zone, with 10 touchdowns.)

» Kahuku and Farrington tangle on Saturday.

No. 1 and No. 2 in the state. This is the high school regular-season game of the year.

It’s great that the powers-that-be have decided to put this game where it should be every year, at least while the Red Raiders and Governors attract the huge crowds only Aloha Stadium can adequately accommodate.

Roosevelt is a fine venue, but it doesn’t have enough restrooms, concession stands and parking.

» Will there be an overflow crowd at the state Capitol for the senate hearing on UH stemming from the Stevie Wonder concert debacle? Maybe not. A lot of the hard-working taxpayers outraged by UH’s irresponsibility will be busy working hard at 1 p.m.

———

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783 or follow him on Twitter at @dave_reardon.