Chow, team look forward to challenging road trip

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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii head coach Norm Chow claps on the sideline during the first half of a college football game between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Thursday

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Hours after completing yet another crisp practice, the University of Hawaii football team departed Wednesday afternoon for the most challenging trip in the program’s history.

The Rainbow Warriors had an overnight stay in Los Angeles, and were set to arrive in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday evening ahead of Saturday’s game against top-ranked and defending national champion Ohio State.

This is the first leg in the Big Ten tour. The Warriors will return to the Midwest to play Wisconsin on Sept. 26. UH coach Norm Chow and his staff were binge-watching college football’s opening weekend.

"You watch Wisconsin (play Alabama) on Saturday, and you saw a good team," Chow said. "But you watch (Ohio State on Monday) night, and you say, ‘Wow.’ (The Buckeyes) have a lot of nice players, a lot of nice schemes."

Chow said his players are enthused about the opportunity to play the country’s best team.

"That’s why you play the game," Chow said. "These guys are excited to do that. They’re excited to show we belong playing Division I football."

After opening with a 28-20 victory over Colorado a week ago, the Warriors resumed practicing on Sunday. The Warriors will not have any physical workouts today, adhering to the NCAA rules requiring a break from practicing each week.

"We practiced on Sunday because we knew we were going to miss Thursday because of the way the travel schedule breaks," Chow said.

There are no travel-roster restrictions for nonconference games. But because of budget constraints, the Warriors are adhering to the 68-player travel limit imposed for games between Mountain West Conference teams.

The Warriors had planned to bring four quarterbacks — senior Max Wittek, junior Ikaika Woolsey, second-year freshman Beau Reilly, and true freshman Aaron Zwahlen. Three players who were limited after the Colorado game — tight end Harold Moleni and linebackers Julian Gener and Jerrol Garcia-Williams — are healthy and on the travel roster.

"I still enjoy the road because it’s us-against-the-world," Chow said. "It’s 68 guys and 12, 15 coaches. It’s us. We have to stick together if we want to get anything done."