After six consecutive weekends of play, punctuated with Saturday’s upset of then 18th-ranked Fresno State, the Hawaii football team is even — 3-3 overall, 1-1 Mountain West — entering the bye week.
Here’s a recap:
Reserve power
UH volleyball coach Charlie Wade often notes that it is only depth if you use it. This football season, the Warriors have successfully tapped the reserves. During the offseason, left guard Michael Eletise medically retired and linebacker Jeremiah Pritchard suffered significant injuries in an auto accident. Micah Vanterpool, who was experienced as a tackle, moved into the left guard’s spot. Isaiah Tufaga, who transferred from Oregon State a couple years ago, joined the linebacker rotation.
The Warriors have been without right guard Solo Vaipulu and safety Chima Azunna for three full games. Eliki Tanuvasa has played right guard and Kai Kaneshiro moved into the starting secondary.
Cornerback Cameron Lockridge suffered an apparent leg injury on Saturday’s opening kickoff. Hugh Nelson II replaced Lockridge. When Nelson was sidelined for a series, Von Killins played wide-side corner. Nelson ended Fresno State’s final drive with an interception.
Against New Mexico State, quarterback Chevan Cordeiro suffered an injury on a tackle. He played the rest of the way, and attended practices leading to the Fresno State game. But the team was notified Cordeiro would not be available against the Bulldogs. Brayden Schager, a freshman from Dallas, was summoned for his first start. Schager had scrambles that Cordeiro would have extended; did not feel the pressure on a sack, and endured a 3-for-15 mid-game slump. But Schager showed moxie in leading three scoring drives in the fourth quarter for the comeback victory. The performance backed head coach Todd Graham’s months-long insistence that Schager is capable of guiding the Warriors’ run-and-gun offense.
Defense
After UH lost to Oregon State to fall to 1-2, Graham clarified that he was the defensive coordinator responsible for planning and play calling. He also vowed to correct the lapses that contributed to a leaky run defense and inconsistent harassment of opposing quarterbacks.
During the 1-2 start, opponents rushed for 192.3 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry. Since then, the Warriors are yielding 81.3 rushing yards per game and 3.0 yards per carry.
In 30-plus years of coaching, Graham has established a tried-and-true formula of safeties in an umbrella coverage and the corners pressing the receivers. The elastic scheme might give up yards, but is feisty near the end zone. In the first four games, opponents scored touchdowns on 64.3% of red-zone drives; the next two teams produced red-zone touchdowns at 33%.
The Warriors increased the heat on the last three opponents. In the first three games, the Warriors amassed 39 “pressures” — tackles, sacks, hurries, batted passes — on the opposing quarterback. The next three games, the pressure point was up to 73. New Mexico State’s quarterback was pressured on 36 of 47 pass plays. Fresno State’s quarterback accounted for five of the Bulldogs’ six turnovers — four interceptions and a fumble on a sack.
Break time
The Warriors will use the bye week to begin prep work for the Oct. 16 game against Nevada, their fourth of seven regular-season road games; work on recruiting (the early-signing period begins Dec. 15), and heal.
The Warriors are hopeful Cordeiro will be back in action. UH also will learn the status of Lockridge.
