The first taste was a mixed plate.
There were moments, both good and not-so-hot, in the University of Hawaii football team’s first scrimmage of training camp. The ninth practice also was the first one at Aloha Stadium since spring training in April.
"That’s what you kind of hope for," coach Norm Chow said of the balanced scrimmage. "You want it both ways."
The Rainbow Warriors passed on 60 of the 79 official plays, which did not include three false-start penalties. The Warriors, who are seeking to increase the tempo, averaged 76.4 offensive plays per game in 2014.
But of the 19 rushes, two went for touchdowns. Diocemy Saint Juste, who has been slowed by a variety of ailments, scored on a 2-yard run. Paul Harris, a transfer from Ventura College, sprinted around right end for an 11-yard score. Harris rushed five times for 27 yards.
"I think we’re starting to understand when we need to throw and when we need to hand off," said Don Bailey, who was hired as offensive coordinator on March 1 after building a prolific attack at Idaho State. "I think we have some speed and quickness at running back."
Chow said: "You have to run. People can say what they want and you can throw it all you want, but you have to have a running game. I thought Paul (Harris) looked really nice running the ball."
Harris is a three-tool player who also can play receiver and returner. He showed toughness on inside runs and quickness to the perimeter.
"I was super impressed with Paul," quarterback Max Wittek said. "He definitely came to play, and he showed his explosiveness when he broke it to the outside and got around everybody. The more we can bring him along, the more depth we’re going to have, the more exciting we’re going to be."
Wittek was 11-for-26 for 135 yards against a blitzing and grasping defense.
"We brought the whole package," defensive coordinator Tom Mason said.
The secondary was particularly tough, mix-and-matching man and zone coverages.
Cornerback Jamal Mayo, who tracked wideout Marcus Kemp, had four pass breakups. Safety Marrell Jackson, obscured by a blitzing linebacker, made a red-zone interception. It was Wittek’s first interception in 11-on-11 sessions this training camp.
"The linebacker got on him, making it a harder throw, and I jumped on it," Jackson said.
Wittek said the aggressive secondary provided a good challenge.
"They were all over us, and that’s going to make our wideouts better," Wittek said. "Were there penalties that were missed? Maybe, maybe not. That’s how any game is going to go. I think our guys did a good job battling on the outside. They fought off some man coverages and got open a little bit."
Bailey also praised the secondary.
"A lot of those guys have played a lot of games," Bailey said. "It’s good for us to go against a veteran group like that. You have to earn every single thing you get."
Chow said the coaches were scheduled to review the videos deep into Friday night. The Warriors are scheduled to have their first double-day practices on Saturday.
"They’re going to get graded, and we’re going to make up our minds on some personnel decisions," Chow said.
