QBs Cole McDonald and Chevan Cordeiro are solid in their support of each other

Every day, the Hawaii quarterbacks meet in a room tucked in the football facility. The room is cool, bright and impenetrable to controversy.

If there is debate about the quarterback situation, it does not reach the participants. Cole McDonald, who has started all nine games this season, and Chevan Cordeiro have expressed support of each other.

“We complement each other very well,” McDonald said. “He has his strong suits. I have my strong suits. Regardless who’s in, the team’s going to be firing on all cylinders.”

Cordeiro said: “Whether I start or not, I’m just going to do me. Just be on the sideline, paying attention, helping Cole out, being behind Coach Stutz (quarterbacks coach Craig Stutzmann), watching the plays and the defense.”

Last Saturday against Fresno State, McDonald was 15-for-25 for 189 yards and a touchdown in leading the Warriors to a 24-14 advantage at the intermission. The Bulldogs then scored 24 unanswered points. In the middle of the Warriors’ fourth scoreless drive of the second half, McDonald was pulled. Cordeiro led the Warriors to touchdowns on two of three drives, tying it at 38 with 1:08 to play. The Bulldogs then drove for the game-winning field goal.

While McDonald is likely to make his 22nd career start, head coach Nick Rolovich hinted there will be roles for both quarterbacks in Saturday’s game against San Jose State. McDonald said the most important thing is a victory.

“Hopefully, the fans can see that, too,” McDonald said. “We want to win. We don’t care who’s playing, who’s in, how we have to do it, just as long as we get the win.”

Cordeiro said he is braced for any situation. “I’m very calm,” said Cordeiro, who was an understudy to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa before becoming the starter as a Saint Louis School senior in 2017. “It is what it is. God’s timing. When it’s my time, it’s my time. When it’s my time, I have to show I can do it.”

Of the drive when the quarterback change was made, Rolovich told reporters, he thought McDonald’s passes were not as crisp as they were in the first half. On Tuesday, McDonald said there were no physical issues.

“Some mishaps on my part in terms of thinking the receiver’s going to do one thing and he ends up doing another,” McDonald said, “and I’m already too far in my throwing motion to change it up. I tried to change it up too late, but it just came out wrong. It’s stuff I have to clear up in practice and getting it fired up on all cylinders.”

Rolovich noted the quarterbacks have been supportive of each other in practices, meetings and games.

“They have to be,” Rolovich said. “That’s the position. It’s a tribute to who they are as people. Obviously, there’s the cultivation from Coach Stutz and our offensive staff on what’s emphasized at that position. It’s more than just throwing an odd-shaped ball. There’s completeness to it that you can say is true at other positions, but I think it’s at a higher level at the quarterback position.”