Stephen Tsai: Hawaii football was an interesting watch, even at 6-7

Here are five examples why the University of Hawaii football team’s year was more interesting than yours:

1. Eleven months ago, when renter’s protection appeared to be iron clad, Aloha Stadium officials, of course, found a rust-eaten loophole. The Rainbow Warriors were evicted from their football home of 45 years. Well, not total eviction. The Warriors had two options to stay: play without spectators or play in the parking lot.

After seeking several options — Maui? Las Vegas? The Waikiki Natatorium? — UH opted to retrofit the on-campus Ching Complex into a workable home stadium. Construction was so swift and efficient that a state Senate committee summoned UH officials to answer why construction was so swift and efficient. It was similar to the stink-eye coworkers give the new custodian for cleaning the jalousies.

It did not matter. The first three home games were played without spectators and the fourth with a 1,000-fan cap. By the time the capacity restrictions were lifted, Uncle and his neighbors were already too comfortable clinking green bottles while watching the telecasts.

2. The best gatherings are when the in-laws come over this year, and then you go to their place next year. Butterfly-patting goodbye hugs. Make sure you don’t leave with somebody else’s slippahs. For UH and New Mexico State to do a home-and-home series in the same year is just, as the late Robert Kekaula would say, whackadoodle.

To get to Las Cruces, the Warriors traveled 3,225 miles to El Paso, where they set up residence, then drove to the New Mexico State campus for the game. And that’s another annoyance. Three other road games involved long drives between the airport and hotel — Oregon State (110 miles between Portland and Eugene), Utah State (85 miles between Salt Lake City and Logan), Wyoming (103 miles between Denver and Cheyenne).

3. The deaths of former Warrior quarterback Colt Brennan and Kekaula, a colorful play-by-play announcer and noted local personality, stung the UH community. For all his personal problems, Brennan still represented our humanity for second chances, the determination of making the most with the barest, and that “One Love” is the anthem of hopefulness.

Kekaula was an influencer who connected with several communities — sports, media, music, law enforcement, politics. Nicknamed the “GM,” Kekaula was a behind-the-scenes negotiator who turned conflicts into collaborations. No tailgating at football games? Kekaula would have overturned that while allowing others to take the credit. He created more harmony than BTS.

4. When Todd Graham was hired as head coach in January 2020, he indicated his offenses would play with a defensive mentality. Translation: downhill run game behind a physical offensive line with complementary vertical passing played at a quick tempo. His son, Bo Graham, called most of the plays in 2020, then all of them this year after succeeding G.J. Kinne as offensive coordinator. Then quarterback Chevan Cordeiro missed three midseason starts because of an arm injury and was rusty in two games after returning … and UH failed to convert on third- and fourth-down rushes against UNLV … and suddenly the Grahams were smore’d on social media.

“We didn’t care about the outsiders — what they said about me or (No. 2 quarterback) Brayden (Schager) or Coach Bo or whatever,” Cordeiro said. “We knew it’s just us. We’re all we have. We tried to stay inside, focus on what we can do as an offense and as a team, and it worked out.”

The Warriors scored 50 points against Colorado State in the home finale and 38 against Wyoming on Saturday.

5, Transitions are not easy, and sometimes a player recruited to one scheme is not a natural fit for the new system.

Wideout Jared Smart went from 87 catches in the run-and-shoot in 2019, his first season at UH, to a team-high 36 receptions last year, to 26 this year. There were times he was targeted only twice. Smart ran hills during the summer, burrowed his fists into a barrel of uncooked rice to strengthen his hands and forearms, worked on leg drills to improve his hops, and was the last to leave practices. Even as a decoy, he ran every route at full speed.

“For me, coming from (junior college), I’m living what I dreamed of,” Smart said. “I’m on that field. There isn’t anything for me to complain about. I just take advantage of every opportunity.”

Cordeiro said: “For a lot of us, we really weren’t given an easy path to succeed. We had to work with it. That’s why we’re such a great group of people. All of us are grateful to be on this team. These are my brothers. I love them with all my heart. I have their back and they have my back. This is a special group and a special team.”