HOUSTON » For the University of Hawaii football team, Thursday’s practice had all the makings of home: Heat, humidity …
"Where’s the music?" an offensive lineman shouted.
A couple of minutes later, 1990s dance music blared from the speakers at Saint Thomas High’s Granger Stadium.
On their longest road trip of the season — 3,898 miles and five time zones — the Rainbow Warriors have found their groove in the South ahead of Saturday’s game against Rice. UH head coach Norm Chow declared the 90-minute practice as "very good" as he exited the field.
The Warriors usually practice through Thursday on the Manoa campus in advance of a road game. This time, they departed Wednesday evening on a non-stop, overnight flight to Houston.
Limited to a school-imposed, 64-player travel roster, the Warriors were forced to improvise without regular scout players. The second teams were used as the scouts portraying Rice’s players. The Warriors rotated, with the first-team offense running their plays for five minutes, followed by the No. 1 defense going through their plays for five minutes, and so forth.
That meant No. 2 quarterback Taylor Graham spent several reps portraying Rice quarterback Driphus Jackson. Beau Reilly, the No. 3 quarterback, was used as a scout receiver.
The practice also was held at a high school that uses the same FieldTurf as the one at Rice Stadium.
With three full practices during their bye week, and three more full workouts this week, the Warriors were able to taper off and practice without pads on Thursday.
For road games, the Warriors usually have a walk-through session at the opponent’s stadium on Fridays. Instead, the Warriors will have a more extensive afternoon workout today. The Warriors do not have to worry about altitude this weekend. Downtown Houston is roughly 50 feet above sea level. Rice Stadium, with a seating capacity of 70,000, is expected to be about a quarter filled for Saturday’s game.
"We’re never worried about that," Chow said of opposing crowds. "We worry about ourselves."
Chow gave the players free time to study and eat at a popular Mexican restaurant. The team dinner was at a barbecue restaurant.
For last year’s road game against Navy, the Warriors toured the Under Armour headquarters and Washington attractions, such as the U.S. Capitol. The Warriors will visit NASA Friday morning. Chow said he wants to include educational opportunities on extended road trips.