For today’s homecoming game against San Jose State, the Hawaii football team would like to bring back its mojo.

The Rainbow Warriors have not won since defeating FCS member Western Carolina at Aloha Stadium on Sept. 2, a span of 42 days and four losses. They are 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Mountain West Conference.

The Warriors have struggled to make stops, avoid penalties and solve the two-sided riddle of third down. In the first two games, the Warriors converted 42.3 percent of third-down plays; opponents converted at 45.5 percent. Since then, the Warriors are at 37.3 percent on third down while opponents convert at 56.5 percent.

In the past four games, opposing quarterbacks have combined for 74 percent accuracy while being intercepted once in 96 pass plays. In the past two games, the Warriors have no sacks and hit the quarterback five times in 46 pass plays.

“The best way for us to get better is to affect the guy who’s throwing the ball,” said defensive coordinator Legi Suiaunoa, referring to UH’s 13 sacks in the first three games and two thereafter. “We have to affect the guy who’s making decisions in terms of the offense we face. We’re putting a lot of emphasis, not just necessarily making sure we’re doing our jobs, but we’re doing it during the course of the week so on Saturday it becomes natural.”

The Warriors have playmakers on offense. Running back Diocemy Saint Juste is third nationally with 148.7 rushing yards per game. He needs 45 rushing yards to pass Michael Carter for No. 2 on the school’s career rushing list. Carter, who is expected to attend today’s game as part of the 1992 team’s induction into the UH Circle of Honor, was a dual-threat quarterback who rushed for 2,528 yards.

Leading the nation

Slotback John Ursua is the nation’s leader with 130.6 receiving yards per game. Ursua has caught a scoring pass in each of the five games he played. (He missed a game because of an ankle injury.)

But the Warriors’ attack has been short-circuited because of penalties. The offense has committed 39 of the 56 penalties. Six of the offense’s infractions have been on fourth down.

While UH coach Nick Rolovich has stressed minimizing penalties, he also emphasized livening practices this week. Rolovich incorporated one-on-one competitions into the practices. Of that tactic, Rolovich said, “We’ll see how we play on Saturday.”

Quarterback Dru Brown said the players understand the importance of this Mountain West game, noting the Warriors wish to “get off this losing streak.”

“This week we’re really preaching consistency and doing your job,” right guard J.R. Hensley said. “Plain and simple: Do your job. If you do your job, things will get done. It’s all controllable.”

Spartans’ losing streak

The Spartans (1-6, 0-3 in Mountain West) have lost five in a row since beating Cal Poly on Sept. 2. The Spartans have played a challenging nonconference schedule featuring South Florida, Texas and Utah.

“We are back to the drawing board, trying to get our team ready to play a good Hawaii team on the road,” said Brent Brennan, SJSU’s first-year head coach and a former UH graduate assistant in charge of receivers.

Brennan, the cousin of former UH quarterback Colt Brennan, added: “I’m sure (the Warriors are) bent out of shape about the loss at Nevada last week. So they’re going to be breathing fire. We’d better have our big-boy pants on and be ready for a real fight.”

SAN JOSE STATE OFFENSE

WR—9 Justin Holmes 6-2 211 Jr.

TE—89 Josh Oliver 6-5 253 Jr.

LT—79 Troy Kowalski 6-5 295 So.

LG—54 Charles Nelson 6-4 305 Jr.

C—66 Dominic Fredrickson 6-3 297 So.

RG—74 Chris Gonzalez 6-4 310 Sr.

RT—75 Nate Velichko 6-7 301 Sr.

SB—11 JaQuan Blackwell 6-0 198 Fr.

WR—84 Bailey Gaither 6-1 183 So.

QB—12 Josh Love 6-2 205 So.

RB—34 Zamore Zigler 5-10 171 So.

The Spartans have used four quarterbacks this season, including all of them in a game against Utah. Josh Love, who entered the season as the only SJSU QB to have played in an NCAA game, opened in the first two games and then regained the job four weeks ago after freshman Montel Aaron suffered a knee injury. Love, a former walk-on, has five TDs against seven interceptions. The Spartans usually attack out of one-back spread formation. They can align in three-, four- and five-wide sets. The routes are short to intermediate — 79 percent of the completions went for 14 yards or fewer — but detailed. The Spartans run a stack in which one receiver steps back for the hitch pass while the other blocks a corner. In another, a lone receiver on the left side will motion to the right to create a three-weave monte on the right side. The wild card is Josh Oliver, who sets up as a hand-on-the-turf tight end. Oliver is an aggressive edge blocker and effective check-down receiver (71.4 percent of his third-down catches resulted in first downs). The O-line has combined for 155 starts, most among FBS schools. But left guard Jeremiah Kolone, who has 42 career starts, including 36 in a row, is iffy after hobbling off the field last week. Love has displayed toughness when pressured. “That’s what great quarterbacks do,” head coach Brent Brennan said. “They take some shots, and they keep on playing.”

SAN JOSE STATE DEFENSE

DE—67 Nico Aimonetti 6-5 278 Sr.

NT—98 Sailosi Latu 6-2 310 Jr.

DE—8 Owen Roberts 6-2 285 Jr.

OLB—11 William Ossai 6-2 235 Sr.

ILB—31 Ethan Aguayo 6-2 220 So.

ILB—5 Frank Ginda 6-0 245 Jr.

OLB—42 Jamal Scott 6-2 237 Jr.

LCB—21 Andre Chachere 6-0 200 Sr.

FS—10 Maurice McKnight 6-0 200 Sr.

SS—25 Chandler Hawkins 5-11 203 Jr.

RCB—3 Jermaine Kelly 6-1 195 Sr.

A year ago, inside linebacker Frank Ginda led the Spartans with 99 tackles in 12 games. In seven games this season, Ginda has an NCAA-leading 106 tackles, an average of 15.1 per game. He is on track to finish with 196 tackles in 13 games, which would surpass Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly’s NCAA record of 191 in 12 games. “Frank is a special guy,” coach Brent Brennan said of Ginda, who also averages 8.4 solo tackles per game. “He is a really tough player who plays hard every snap. He takes it very seriously.” Ginda has made an easy transition from last year’s 4-3 to new defensive coordinator Derrick Odum’s 3-4. “I blitz a little bit more than I would in the previous years,” said Ginda, who has six backfield tackles. In addition to the team’s conditioning program, Ginda works on his speed (joining teammates on sprints up a stadium ramp) and weight training (he can bench 405 pounds and squat 585). Ginda and linebacker Ethan Aguayo (65) are aligned side by side on the inside. They usually feed off Sailosi Latu, a one-gap nose tackle who attracts double blocks. Starting defensive end Bryson Bridges appeared to suffer a knee injury last week. Outside linebacker Jamal Scott often moves up as a stand-up end to create a four-man line. Linebacker William Ossai can play on the edge or in coverage. The Spartans can go with two deep or four-across coverages in the secondary.

SAN JOSE STATE SPECIALISTS

PK—38 Bryce Crawford 6-3 223 Jr.

KO/P/H—17 Michael Carrizosa 5-10 225 Sr.

LS—50 Harrison Hoffman 6-4 225 Jr.

KR—8 Rahshead Johnson 5-10 178 Jr.

PR—22 Thai Cottrell 5-7 176 Jr.

Bryce Crawford is skilled at placements. When he was 12, he had a hole-in-one. The past two seasons, he has converted 24-of-27 field-goal attempts, with two of the misses from 50 and 52 yards. This season, he has three conversions from 50-plus yards. Michael Carrizosa is averaging 44.4 yards per punt, and only three of his 24 kickoffs have been returned (for an average of 15.7 yards).

HAWAII OFFENSE

LWO—12 Keelan Ewaliko 5-11 200 Sr.

TE—45 Dakota Torres 6-2 245 Jr.

LT—50 Dejon Allen 6-3 295 Sr.

LG—51 John Wa‘a 6-4 315 Sr.

C—65 Asotui Eli 6-4 315 Jr.

RG—57 J.R. Hensley 6-5 310 So.

RT—60 Chris Posa 6-4 290 Sr.

SB—5 John Ursua 5-10 165 So.

RWO—80 Ammon Barker 6-4 215 Sr.

QB—2 Dru Brown 6-0 200 Jr.

RB—22 Diocemy Saint Juste 5-8 195 Sr.

Chris Naeole’s departure as offensive coordinator forced last week’s scramble in which head coach Nick Rolovich called the offensive plays, offensive coordinator Brian Smith was on the sidelines, and graduate assistant John Estes, who was assigned the offensive line, was in the coaches’ booth. Order will be restored this week with Smith back in the booth calling the plays and Estes coaching the line from the sidelines. Last week, the line committed five penalties for 58 yards, not including a a tight end’s personal foul for a chop block. But while the holds and hands-to-the-face penalties are no-nos, they have minimized the hits on quarterback Dru Brown. In the past two games, Brown has been hit seven times — five on sacks — on 79 pass plays. Unlike his predecessors, Brown is relatively healthy at the season’s halfway point. While the Warriors have struggled in the red zone, converting at 67 percent, they have scored touchdowns on 15 of 18 possessions (83 percent) inside the 10. With defenses using rover coverages to counter spread offenses, the Warriors are employing tight ends and fullbacks to create creases. San Diego State, Colorado State and Stanford are using that tactic successfully. Last week, off-set back Kaiwi Chung sealed the perimeter with crossover blocks. On Diocemy Saint Juste’s 75-yard scoring run, four blockers pulled to the right, left tackle Dejon Allen hooked the rush end, and Chung angle-blocked an interior lineman. Ammon Barker has complemented slotback John Ursua with 32 targets in three MWC games. Barker trains with the towel drill — teammates use towels to tug on his arms — to improve his pass-catching strength.

HAWAII DEFENSE

DE—97 Meffy Koloamatangi 6-5 240 Sr.

DT—98 Viane Moala 6-7 270 So.

NT—91 Samieula Akoteu 6-2 320 So.

DE—3 David Manoa 6-3 240 Sr.

LB—27 Solomon Matautia 6-1 230 So.

MLB—31 Jahlani Tavai 6-4 235 Jr.

LB—44 Russell Williams 6-1 230 Sr.

RCB—19 Eugene Ford 6-0 185 Jr.

FS—39 Trayvon Henderson 6-0 200 Sr.

SS—4 Daniel Lewis 5-11 180 Jr.

LCB—18 Rojesterman Farris 6-1 180 So.

Injuries and inconsistency have hindered the Warriors the past few weeks. After amassing 13 sacks in the first three games, they have two since then. In the past two games, they have no sacks and hit the quarterback five times in 46 pass plays. Those two starting quarterbacks combined on 78.6-percent accuracy, including 67 percent on out-of-pocket passes. The Warriors have missed 23 tackles the past two games, including three in the backfield. “It’s probably the little things, and there are a lot of little things in that category when it comes to little things off the field and on the field,” linebacker Russell Williams said. This week, the Warriors emphasized tackling and swarming to the ball-carrier. The Warriors have relinquished 474.2 yards and 37.2 points per game. Opponents are averaging 8.1 yards on first down and converting 52 percent of third-down plays. The Warriors appear to be willing to expand the playing rotation. Defensive tackle Viane Moala has been limited to five games, but 31 percent of his tackles have been for losses. At 6-7, Moala is the tallest starting interior defender in the program’s history. But he is able to play low, with his flexibility, according to conditioning specialists, traced to his sturdy ankles. Look for swift linebackers Dany Mulanga and Jeremiah Pritchard, and safeties Jay Dominique and Austin Gerard to get more reps.

HAWAII SPECIALISTS

PK/KO—94 Ryan Meskell 6-0 180 So.

PK—46 Alex Trifonovitch 6-1 180 So.

LS—1 Noah Borden 6-1 215 Jr.

P/H—Stan Gaudion 6-3 210 Fr.

KR—12 Keelan Ewaliko 5-11 200 Sr.

PR—5 John Ursua 5-10 165 So.

The Warriors have made one field goal this season, a 29-yarder in the Aug. 26 opener, and have unsuccessfully attempted three others since then. They have one FG attempt in three MWC games. But the snap-to-hold connection is ready for action. Snapper Noah Borden and holder/punter Stan Gaudion are roommates on the road and they often practice in their room or hotel hallway. “Until we get told off, anyway, or a maid needs to get past,” Gaudion said.