Do not adjust the calendar — or your eyeglass prescription.
That was indeed 38-year-old coach Nick Rolovich sizzling passes during Saturday’s sixth University of Hawaii football practice of spring training. Wearing a warm-up jacket but not warming up, Rolovich fired passes to the flats and a touch throw on a fade route.
“If you were just to take a video of the ball coming out of the pocket, I mean, shoot, he’s probably one of the top guys out here,” quarterbacks coach Craig Stutzmann said.
Rolovich, a record-setting UH quarterback in 2001, conceded he misses “throwing the ball every now and then. Some guys are blessed with good looks. Some guys are blessed with great dancing abilities. Some guys are incredible at art. I can throw the ball. Someday, it’s going to rust up and lock up on me. I want to get (the passes) out before that happens.”
Rolovich said he wanted to demonstrate techniques to the quarterbacks — and to answer a challenge. “(Cornerback) Zach Wilson was talking trash to me on the walk over (to practice),” Rolovich said. “I wanted to get him. (But) we didn’t complete the pass.”
Instead, Rolovich passed forward a challenge. In a critique that was partially a motivational tool on Thursday, Rolovich expressed disappointment that the top backup quarterbacks — Cole McDonald and Cole Brownholtz — had not closed the gap on No. 1 Dru Brown. Rolovich threatened to bring in more quarterbacks if their efficiency in grasping the offense did not improve.
On Saturday, Rolovich said, “they did respond … because we made them ‘live.’”
In practices and scrimmages, the quarterbacks wear orange jerseys and are not allowed to be hit. But during a situational scrimmage-like session, Rolovich noticed the quarterbacks were dropping too far back, creating a wider area for the tackles to block. Rolovich yelled: “The QBs are live!” That opened the way for defenders to tackle quarterbacks and for Rolovich to stress a point.
“Maybe if you get hit because you’re too deep on your drops, maybe then you listen,” Rolovich said.
Brownholtz then threw a 23-yard completion to tight end Metuisela ‘Unga. On the next play, Brownholtz scrambled 47 yards for a touchdown.
“When stuff breaks down, I run,” said Brownholtz, who is capable of running 40 yards in sub-4.7 seconds. “But that’s not ideal. Ideally, you want to be a pass-first guy. I have to trust my arm.”
Rolovich said Brownholtz is a “playmaker, but the majority he’s made are off-script. He needs to play within the offense more.”
Stutzmann indicated more reps are the antidote. “We can rewind it 10 months ago, and Dru Brown struggled with the same thing,” Stutzmann said. “It takes trust in the offense. It’ll come.”
In the scrimmage-like session, Brownholtz was 5-for-6 and scored on a 13-yard run.
McDonald also was sharp, going through his progressions and, once, ensuring a first down when he stiff-armed a defender during a scramble. After that, Rolovich made McDonald change into a white jersey, further emphasizing that quarterbacks are moving targets.
“I’m going to protect myself, but when it comes to it, I’m going to get as many yards as I can,” McDonald said.
Brownholtz and McDonald worked with the scout offense while redshirting in 2016. “They still are trying to grasp the offense,” Stutzmann said. “However, both of them can become really, really good once they get it. Those two are pretty special. (Backups) Kyle Gallup and Hunter (Hughes) have done a tremendous job being there every day and working hard. I love this group of guys.”
