SAN DIEGO >> After four years, University of Hawaii quarterback Aaron Zwahlen finally received the call.

With the Rainbow Warriors down 27-0 to San Diego State at the intermission, Zwahlen was notified he would enter the game in the second half.

“It was kind of surreal,” Zwahlen said. “It was fun being out there with my teammates and my friends. I was waiting four years for that.”

It was during spring break of his junior year at Downey High when Zwahlen visited the UH campus during a family vacation. His father, Lynn Zwahlen, and Norm Chow, who was UH’s head coach at the time, had known each other since the 1970s, when both were affiliated with the Brigham Young football team. Chow eventually offered Aaron Zwahlen a scholarship. Zwahlen agreed on the condition that he enroll at UH after serving a two-year church mission.

Zwahlen, who was ranked in ESPN’s top 30o of college prospects as a senior, was assigned to Baltimore after his high school graduation. The mission work required a dawn-to-night schedule of studies, community service and proselytizing. Zwahlen managed to toss around a football during his rare free time.

After completing his mission in May 2015, Zwahlen moved to Hawaii and enrolled in UH’s summer session. While redshirting in 2015, he was the primary scout quarterback. Last spring, Zwahlen, Ikaika Woolsey and Beau Reilly were the only scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.

The Warriors added four quarterbacks during the summer. In training camp, Woolsey was named the starter, with Brown and Zwahlen as the top backups. Woolsey started the first four games before ceding the starter’s job to Brown.

After Brown struggled in the first half against Saturday, head coach Nick Rolovich decided to give Zwahlen a shot. Rolovich had considered using Zwahlen in relief situations twice earlier this season.

“I wanted to see what Aaron would do in a game situation, get him a few reps,” Rolovich said. “We could have gone with Ikaika. Aaron’s been pretty dialed in. We wanted to see how he’d react to the game time.”

Brown said he wanted to remain in the game, but “I wanted AZ to do well. I wasn’t praying he would do bad. He’s my brother, same as Ikaika and all the other guys on the team.”

Zwahlen said Brown, Woolsey and quarterbacks coach Craig Stutzmann provided tips and observations. He said they “helped calm me down and have fun out there.”

Zwahlen was 3-for-10 for 32 yards and was intercepted once.

“You want to be excited, but at the same time you want to keep your team and your attitude in reality and come back and try to produce yards and put some points up,” Zwahlen said. “I wasn’t able do that.”

Zwahlen said he will work on his accuracy “and try to get better for the next game or whatever chance that I get to go in.”

Zwahlen credited his family and teammates for being supportive while he waited for a turn. “I made great friends on the team,” Zwahlen said. “I want to do it for my teammates and my family and have fun while I’m doing it. Whatever the team needs, I’m here for them.”