UH adjusts to road roster limit

BOWIE, Md. » The Hawaii football team knows its limits.

It’s 64.

To save money and minimize travel fatigue, the Rainbow Warriors remained on the mainland between road games against Utah State last week and Navy on Saturday.

That meant having four full practices without a scout team culled from redshirts and developing players. Mountain West Conference rules limited the Warriors’ travel roster to 64 players for the league game against Utah State. The Warriors’ austere finances kept them from adding players ahead of the inter-conference Navy game.

Without true scout teams, the Warriors improvised, using second-team players to face the No. 1 offensive and defensive units.

"That worked out," coach Norm Chow said, noting the second-team players provided quick and active looks. "We’ve had good practices."

There was some creativity. Backup quarterback Jeremy Higgins aligned as a wideout. He caught three scoring passes. Ikaika Woolsey had little rest time. He was the full-time scout quarterback, as well as getting several reps with the No. 1 offense.

Tight end Clark Evans was used on the "hands" team in receiving on-side kicks. Evans sprawled to secure a squibbed kickoff, drawing praise from coaches and teammates. But unfamiliar with that new role, Evans cradled the football before Chow yelled: "Now get up already."

To be sure, there were obstacles in using rotation players as scouts. To avoid injuries, the slotbacks were prohibited from using cut blocks that are key to Navy’s triple-option offense. Running back Diocemy Saint Juste received a warning after he pancake-blocked a linebacker.

For practices in Manoa, the top offense and defense can practice simultaneously against scout teams. This week, the offense and defense took turns, reducing each unit’s overall reps. Chow said that might not have been so bad.

"It’s better to get 20 good reps than 40 reps," Chow said. "Every rep was good this week."

Practice at Bowie State

The Warriors practiced for 90 minutes at Bowie State on Thursday morning.

Daronte’ Jones, who coaches the defensive backs, is a former Bowie State assistant.

Bowie State, nestled in a former railroad town, offers modest facilities. But there is FieldTurf and the Bowie State coaches were helpful in providing accommodations.

"They did a real nice job," said Chow, who decided to hold today’s walk-through session at BSU rather than on the Navy campus.

A word from Leftwich

Former NFL quarterback Byron Leftwich attended Thursday’s practice. Leftwich, who was raised in Washington, D.C., wanted to meet with line coach Chris Naeole, a former Jacksonville Jaguars teammate.

After practice, Leftwich gave a pep talk to the Rainbow Warriors.

When told UH has an opening for an offensive coordinator, Leftwich praised Chow.

"You don’t need an offensive coordinator," Leftwich said. "You’ve got the man. You’ve got the OC of all OCs."