Feed the offensive linemen, starve a pass rush.

It is a concept that Hawaii quarterback Sean Schroeder embraces.

"The other day he brought us some doughnuts," offensive tackle Mike Milovale said, much to the annoyance of line coach Chris Wiesehan. "Coach looked mad because he wants us to watch our weight. Everybody was like: ‘Do we go up and get some?’"

A bigger concern is the pass protection.

"A lot of people come up to me and say, ‘You’ve got one strong quarterback,’" Milovale said. "It’s a shock to us, too. He gets knocked down, but he keeps getting back up. Our job is to make sure he stops getting hit."

The Warriors are making some adjustments for Saturday’s road game against San Diego State.

Milovale, who started at left guard against Brigham Young, is moving to right tackle. Chauncey Winchester-Makainai and Kapua Sai are competing for the starting left guard job.

Head coach Norm Chow said Milovale, a junior-college transfer, is proficient in maintaining his blocks.

"He’s a stick-to-it guy," Chow said. "He stays with it."

Milovale, who also has played left tackle, said he is adjusting to the right side, where his right hand is down in a three-point stance.

"I like the left side because my right hand is the strong punch," Milovale said. "I can punch on the inside. I’m getting used to (the right side)."

At home on the strong side

It was evident that Jerrol Garcia-Williams‘ future would be at strong-side linebacker.

"It was better to go there now than learn it later on," Garcia-Williams said of his move from safety/weak-side linebacker.

On the strong side, Garcia-Williams is across from an offense’s tight end. He uses his quickness to elude blocks and his length (6 feet 4) to impede the passing lanes.

Garcia-Williams has rotated with the first team during practices this week. Chow said Garcia-Williams or TJ Taimatuia, who moved from middle linebacker, will start on the strong side. The position was vacated when Art Laurel moved to the weak side.

"Nothing is set in stone," said Garcia-Williams, a freshman. "I’m going to keep grinding."

Garcia-Williams is 210 pounds. He projects to gain at least 10 more pounds in the offseason.

"They want me to get bigger," he said. "That’s one of my goals."

Bulldog for life

"Do you know why he’s good?" Chow said, pointing at defensive tackle Hunter Thomson. "It’s because he’s a Waialua Bulldog."

Chow began his coaching career at Thomson’s alma mater. Now Thomson is helping to fill in at a depleted position.

It took a turn of events for Thomson to make it onto the Warriors’ roster.

Thomson accepted a scholarship offer from Weber State before going on a two-year church mission. When he returned, he was told his scholarship offer had lapsed.

"I talked to the coaches here, and it worked out," Thomson said. "I felt Hawaii was the place I needed to go. It kind of came along perfectly for me."

Thomson played well on the scout defense before suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee last month. He had arthroscopic surgery and was cleared to play on Monday.

"I try to play with good effort every play," Thomson said.