University of Hawaii football building on early success

The University of Hawaii football team is hopeful that history will perform a hana hou.

After Saturday’s 42-21 victory over Duquesne, the Rainbow Warriors are 4-1, marking the eighth time in the past 40 years they have won four of their first five games. In those previous years — 1981, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1999 and 2007 — the Warriors finished the season with an average of 9.3 victories.

This year’s Warriors need to win three of their remaining eight regular-season games to qualify for an automatic berth in the Dec. 22 Hawaii Bowl. But if they continue to compile victories, they also would be contenders for a mainland bowl. With a prolific offense and developing defense, the nitpickers’ question is: Are the Warriors a good team, a team with a good record, or a good team with a good record?

Let’s break out the shirt-pocket calculators:

>> Comparative strength: A coach-of-the-year award usually goes to someone whose team does better than predicted. By that logic, the Warriors, who were underdogs in three of four games against FBS teams (there was no legal line on the Duquesne game) have exceeded early expectations. The first three opponents — Colorado State, Navy and Rice — have had uneven starts. CSU beat Arkansas, but lost to Illinois State. (Arkansas, an SEC member, is 0-3 against FBS opponents this season.) Navy won by one against Memphis, but lost by one to SMU. UH’s lone loss — 28-21 to Army — might have helped the most. Army lost to Oklahoma in overtime this past weekend. The Warriors had a strong chance to be 5-0. Then again, the oddsmakers predicted 2-3 at this point.

> Bullish or bearish: A week ago, head coach Nick Rolovich mused that the offense’s early success has triggered an outpouring of unsolicited suggestions. The expanded role of the run-and-shoot schemes has elevated the Warriors to their best numbers — 500.0 yards and 5.4 touchdowns per game — in several years. But after rolling up 617 yards in the opener against CSU, the Warriors’ output declined in the next three games to 522 yards, 481 yards and 362 yards. They amassed 518 against Duquesne. The downward trend was somewhat misleading because of the big numbers compiled in the opener. Wary of quarterback Cole McDonald’s elusiveness and quick release, Rice opted to clutter the passing lanes with an extra cover defender out of a three-man front. Army and Duquesne followed the same tactic, using stunts and shifts to affect UH’s timing. Against Duquesne, the Warriors resisted the urge to repeatedly challenge a clingy defense, and called for more runs and short passes against a thinned front. The result was a balanced attack — 273 yards passing, 245 yards rushing — and a reminder to take what is given.

“There’s so much speed and talent at receiver that you want to hit those shots down the field, you want to get those big plays,” offensive coordinator Brian Smith said. “I think it shows a little bit in the stat line (against Duquesne) we’re trying to be patient and get first downs. When you see you had (34) first downs, that’s a lot. I think that shows we’re trying to do a good job with trying to take what they’re giving us.”

> Stop gaps: Because the Earth’s rotation is at a fixed rate, defensive coordinator Corey Batoon did not have extra hours in a day this spring and summer to implement a 4-2-5 base and prepare the Warriors for two run-oriented, triple-option opponents (Navy and Army). In the first four games, UH faced four different offensive schemes. Navy and Army have different variations to their triple-option offense. CSU and Duquesne have similar concepts.

“At one point in time, we were working four different defenses getting ready for the option,” Batoon said.

Because of the different variables, it is difficult to measure the progress of UH’s defense. “I think we’re doing some good things as a team,” Batoon said, “and, obviously, there are things we continually need to work on.”

Batoon said work with the option will benefit next year’s returnees. Three option teams — Air Force, Army and New Mexico — are on the 2019 schedule.

Because of circumstances and injuries, defensive end Manly Williams and linebackers Penei Pavihi, Scheyenne Sanitoa and Kana‘i Picanco have been pressed into significant playing time. Batoon said there are other players on the cusp of entering the rotation.

“So many of the guys are playing meaningful snaps for the first time,” Batoon said. “There are a lot of new guys. Then again, five games into it, you’re not new anymore.”

Batoon added: “The way we practice, with the reps we give them, you’re starting to see some carryover. ‘I might not be the starter, but I’ve still got 40 to 50 snaps (in practice) of seeing this. There’s a comfort level of, ‘when I take the field, I can play fast.’ That’s all part of the way we prepare.”

Batoon said the Warriors need to improve on sudden-change situations and red-zone coverages. Two of the Warriors’ four turnovers have been parlayed into touchdowns. Opponents have scored touchdowns on 15 of 19 red-zone drives.

“I don’t care where they get the ball, our job as a defense is to get a stop,” Batoon said. “I don’t care if they get the ball on the 1-inch line, our job is to go out there and get a stop.”