It was 35 years and five days ago when Todd Graham turned to the Norris Field scoreboard and noticed time was running out on a childhood dream.
“The clock had 16 seconds on it,” said Graham, who was an all-conference defensive back for East Central University at the time. “I was playing my last home game at Norris Field. I remember that feeling. My whole life I’d worked to do the things I’d done, and I was a football player, and it was such a big part of my life.”
Graham, who was hired as Hawaii’s head coach in January 2020, said this week’s goal was to ensure a fond farewell for 17 seniors in today’s home finale.
“It’s all about them and all about their experiences, and (figuring) out how to help them have a win on the way out,” Graham said. “And that’s all we can do is control what’s in front of us: go win.”
That part has been elusive this season. Entering tonight’s game against Colorado State, the 4-7 Warriors have lost three in a row, are last in the Mountain West’s West Division at 1-5, and are out of contention for a bowl berth, unless there are not enough teams that qualify. It also has been a season in which they were forced to relocate their home games after being evicted from Aloha Stadium, could not play host to full-capacity crowds until two weeks ago, and endured injuries to starting quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, running back Dae Dae Hunter, right guard Solo Vaipulu and field cornerback Cameron Lockridge.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a senior class, or been at a place, that’s been through what these guys have been through,” Graham said. “Going through COVID, going through no fans, going through no stadium. Going through all the things they’ve been through, and maintain the whole time a great attitude and a great love for this place, and for what we’re doing, we owe them a great gratitude. … I only got one chance to (have a senior night), and each of them only (gets) once chance to do it. … Obviously, we haven’t gotten it done this year, but life’s like that. You’ve got to learn to get back up.”
The run-and-gun offense is predicated on a downhill running game, with read-option and play-action plays that feature complementary deep routes. The key is to play with a quick tempo, according to Graham. In the three recent losses, the Warriors averaged 61.1 offensive snaps, well below the goal of 80 per game. In their four victories, the Warriors ran more than they passed.
Cordeiro has had three games to work out the rust from a four-week rehab break. Hunter returned to the lineup last week after missing three games with a shoulder injury.
Colorado State also has had its share of adversity and disappointments. The Rams, 3-7 and 2-4, were eliminated from bowl contention with last week’s loss to Air Force, their fourth setback in a row. Their linebacker group has sustained numerous injuries. Inside linebacker Dequan Jackson has been limited to nine snaps in each of the past two games. Injuries in the secondary have pushed freshmen Jack Howell and Robert Floyd into starting roles.
To offset the travel from the Rockies, the Rams had full practices on Tuesday and Wednesday. They departed Wednesday, arriving in Honolulu that night. “The thought is to get our heavy work in Tuesday, Wednesday in our environment where we’re comfortable,” CSU coach Steve Addazio told reporters in Monday’s Zoom conference.
Of the injuries, particularly at linebacker, Addazio said: “You can’t invent somebody and put him over there and think you’re going to function at any kind of real level, especially when you’re talking about the interior of your defense. It’s a lot. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to get it solved. (But) it’s creating a lot of disruption right now.”
Addazio said the goal is to play well tonight and then next week against Nevada.
“We’re not going to be bowl eligible,” Addazio said. “That’s not happening, and that’s devastating to me and to our players and to our coaches. We lost that opportunity, OK? Deal with it. The rest of it now? I just want to grow and develop.”
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Kickoff: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Ching Complex
TV: Spectrum PPV
Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM
