On an overcast afternoon, Hawaii defensive coordinator Corey Batoon moved a meeting with defensive backs outdoors.

There were no pads, no helmets, no football. Up-ended garbage bins served as “offensive linemen.” Batoon portrayed a tight end in motion, then a cornerback in bump-and-run coverage, then a rush end maneuvering past a garbage bin.

The show-and-tell session was another step in aligning a publicly maligned defense.

This season, the Rainbow Warriors are relinquishing 445.9 yards and 36.0 points per game. Opponents have amassed at least 500 yards in four consecutive games. The past weekend, Fresno State scored 24 unanswered to take a 38-24 lead, then drove to set up the game-winning field goal as time expired.

“It’s about the process for me,” said Batoon, who is in his second season orchestrating the Warriors’ defense. “The results, from a statistical standpoint, you look at those things and you analyze those things in terms: How do you adjust your process? The process of continuing to get better, it gets back to understanding the ‘why.’ Is it lapses in understanding the scheme? Is it execution of fundamentals? Is it skill development with younger players? All those things come in to play in regards to how you look at the game.”

There have been strong defensive performances. Following UH’s season-opening upset of Arizona, head coach Nick Rolovich presented the game ball to Batoon. But there have been missed tackles, missed assignments and too many elusive opposing quarterbacks as well.

There also is the defensive responsibility of paying the tax for a run-and-shoot offense that scores fast and dares frequently. The Warriors have gone for it on 23 fourth-down situations, succeeding 14 times. Following a failed fourth-down play, the opposing offense’s average starting line is the 36.

“I think we take a lot of chances offensively,” Rolovich said. “There are a lot of defensive coordinators who want to play in a 12-personnel (one-back, two tight ends), run-the-ball, eat-the-clock offense. It takes a special person to understand the complete situation. You’re not just coaching defense. You’re coaching defense with this offense. There’s professionalism on that (defensive) side that is pretty high.”

Following turnovers, a UH opponent, on average, takes over at its 42. Opponents have parlayed UH turnovers into 104 points. Batoon said the defense readily accepts all situations.

“It’s part of what we do,” Batoon said. “It’s part of what our philosophy is here. Just like anything — turnovers, fourth down — you’ve got to go out there and put the fire out, regardless of the situation. Our guys don’t blink at that. It is what it is. … When your number is called, it doesn’t matter where it is. Our mentality has always been: ‘Let’s put the ball down and let’s go.’ We don’t worry about ‘that’s not where we want the ball to be.’ ”

Batoon said a defense’s top concerns are third-down situations, points per possession, and creating turnovers. This season, opponents have converted 37.5 percent on third down. Of the 112 third-down plays, 23 needed at least 7 yards to the line to gain. At that third-down distance, an offense becomes more predictable.

The Warriors are allowing 2.62 points per defensive possession. Batoon said the Warriors work throughout the week on emphasizing fundamentals and techniques, perfecting eye discipline, and recognizing formations and schemes.

“Those are the things we work on in practice,” Batoon said. “We don’t come here and hang out for two hours. We’re working on a daily basis: where my eyes are, where my keys are. When this happens, this is what I do. And get them to be where they’re more trained, and being able to respond to what they”re seeing. That’s the process every day of defensive football.”