AIR FORCE ACADEMY, COLO. >> Norm Chow’s first team meeting as Hawaii’s coach was show and tell.

Chow brought a football.

He stated his golden goals for each game. The first was to play solid defense. The second was to secure the football. He then held up the football.

Eleven months later, No. 2 appeared to be written in pencil. Out of 120 FBS schools, the Warriors are ranked No. 117 in turnovers lost (28 in nine games) and No. 119 in fumbles lost (17).

Quarterback Sean Schroeder has fumbled 12 times, losing eight. Four of Schroeder’s 10 interceptions have been run back for touchdowns.

“We have not done a good job of protecting the ball,” Chow said. “That’s our fault as coaches. We have to do a better job of emphasizing that.”

Quarterbacks, running backs and receivers are required to carry a football while going through warm-up exercises. There also is a drill where each player has to hold onto a football while running past a lane of teammates swinging pads.

Chow has made it a point for players to show more awareness. Two lost fumbles were created when players tried to run with the ball held away from the body. “High and tight” is the mantra.

“Just because you’re hit, it doesn’t mean you have to fumble,” Chow said.

HAWAII OFFENSE

Outlook: Higgins will make his first start since 2009, when he was a Saint Louis School quarterback (playing ahead of Marcus Mariota, now at Oregon). Like Sean Schroeder, who started the first nine games, Higgins is left-handed and skilled on play-action plays. But Higgins is a little more mobile in the pocket, which should allow him to extend plays and avoid hits. The line is healthier — Chauncy Winchester-Makainai is back, enabling Milovale to go back to right tackle — but the Warriors’ offense still is depleted. Will Gregory, the speed back, did not make the trip after allegedly twice punching a Boise State player on a punt return last week. John Lister, a tough inside-zone runner, has been bothered by bursitis. Because Iosefa can’t get all of the carries, look for Sterling Jackson, who has recovered from a groin injury, to get some work. It’s thin at the receiver spots, too. Trevor Davis is recovering from a whiplash-like condition and Darius Bright did not travel because of an ankle injury. Gant learned on Wednesday night that his grandfather died. A surprising option is Evans, who is proving to be better as a slot receiver than tight end. He’s a big target who can get deep.

HAWAII DEFENSE

Outlook: For a change, the Warriors will go mostly with a nickel. That means relying on safeties to serve as linebackers, and linebackers to shorten the perimeters. The Warriors’ sub-schemes can look like 3-3-5 or 4-2-5 or 4-4-3 alignments. Whatever the appearance, the intent is to stop Air Force’s dive, mid-line option and not lose footing. The Falcons are excellent cut blockers. For the defensive linemen, that means to move at the snap before the blockers attack. For the edge defenders, the key is to force the action inside. The Falcons have more options — pitches, keepers, reverses — when they are on the move. Also, the Warriors have worked on not being lured into a soft coverage, enabling the Falcons to throw deep. “You have to have eye discipline,” UH defensive coordinator Thom Kaumeyer said. “They like to act like they’re going after you (for a block), then they go vertical and throw the ball.” With Brenden Daley not available after being tardy to practice, weakside linebacker Laurel or freshman Benny Fonua will play middle linebacker.

HAWAII SPECIAL TEAMS

Outlook: The Warriors have converted on three fake-punt plays, tactics that were designed on Luppatatong Avenue in Keyport, N.J. “Back in the day, we used to play sandlot football, sometimes on the street in New Jersey,” said Chris Demarest, UH’s special teams coordinator. “We’d make things up and make them happen.” Some of those ideas, on a wider scale, were brought to Manoa. Demarest said he has several fakes in the playbook. “You have to practice them over and over again in case the situation arises in a game,” Demarest said. “And you have to have multiple ones, in case the other team prepares for one.” Then again, the Warriors do well on real punts. Against Boise State last week, Dunnachie averaged 53.4 yards on five punts

AIR FORCE OFFENSE

Outlook: It is appropriate that Dietz’s post-academy assignment will be in logistics. Dietz is in charge of coordinating and maintaining the Falcons’ complex option offense. He first checks the defensive formation, turns to the sideline to get his orders, and then the controlled chaos begins. There are plays in which backs, receivers or slots are in motion; there are double reverses; there is a reverse going in one direction with a pitch to back going the other way. If defenses camp on the edge, Cobb or Dietz can run up the gut. Getz is a threat on the pitch, averaging 6.7 yards per carry and gaining 1,006 yards for the season. But Jon Lee actually is a quicker back. Strickland has scored two touchdowns on end-around runs. Dietz, who averages 5.2 yards per rush, occasionally throws the ball forward. He has completed 62.5 percent of his passes, and has been sacked only three times in 107 pass plays. “I’ve run this offense for a long time,” Dietz said. “The other guys make it easy for me to do my job. It’s one of those things where we all have to be on the same page.”

AIR FORCE DEFENSE

Outlook: Attrice remembers his first “survival session.” After a week of training, the doolies are grouped into sixes, then sent into the Colorado wilderness for six days. Each group is given a rabbit and two chickens. “You have to live off the land,” Attrice said. “It’s pretty intense.” At first, the group was reluctant to kill the rabbit and chickens. “When you’re hungry, and you haven’t eaten in a couple of days, you can’t wait to kill it,” he said. “When you have a full stomach, you’re not really worried about anything in life. If you haven’t eaten, everything starts to look good. You might take a bite out of a tree.” Attrice survived, but a different sort of hunger endures. He graduates next month. “Nobody wants to hang up their cleats,” Attrice said. This game “is another opportunity to go out there and hit somebody in the face.” The Falcons, who attack out of a 3-4, are a scrappy bunch. Cody Miller is an agile nose tackle. Niklas averages 9.8 tackles per game. Lindsay coordinates the pass defense. Attrice is the inspiration. “After all of the classes, football just makes everything right,” Attrice said.

AIR FORCE SPECIAL TEAMS

RESULTS