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Election Day will be decision time for the University of Hawaii football team.
After Saturday’s full-contact scrimmage, the UH coaches will begin solidifying the playing rotation ahead of the Aug. 27 season opener against Vanderbilt at the Ching Complex.
Beginning next week, coach Timmy Chang said, “we’re going to limit our reps (in practice) to some of those guys who will take the majority of reps during the game.”
Chang said it also might mean narrowing the quarterback competition. Brayden Schager, Joey Yellen, Cammon Cooper and Jake Farrell have shared the bulk of the quarterback reps the past week. The indication is the UH coaches will not announce a starting quarterback until game day.
“I think we might keep it to ourselves and let the guy go out there and become the guy,” Chang said.
Chang noted that each of the quarterbacks has the potential to lead.
“We’ve got some valuable ones,” Chang said. “If you were to look at them coming out of high school, they were high-quality recruits. … We’re fortunate to be in a position where we have a couple guys who can sling it. The best guy should put us in position to win.”
For next week’s practices, the Warriors will establish scout teams that will simulate Vanderbilt’s offense and defense. Chang said redshirts and developing players will form the scout units. “Guys who may be on scout, they will add value in the weeks to come and the years to come,” Chang said. “We take that responsibility (as a scout member) as great as a starter. They’ve got to mimic and become our opponents. That’s where you learn a lot of good-value football lessons. We expect them to do a good job to get us ready.”
Saturday’s practice will begin at 4:30 p.m., the same time as the kickoff for the Vanderbilt game. It is expected to be the final full-contact scrimmage of training camp.
“They’ve been going at it for a long time,” Chang said. “They’ve been getting a lot of reps. It’s time to get their legs back, their bodies back, their mental back. We’re getting them ready for that first game on the 27th.”
The Warriors will not practice today, and they also will have their usual off day on Sunday.
On Thursday, the Warriors spent the final sessions going over different dire scenarios, such as having to defend a lead or overcome a deficit in the final seconds.
“They’ve got to be prepared for whether it’s the end of the game, down-and-distance situations, clock-management situations,” Chang said. “They all play a part. You’ve got to cover your bases. You never know when these things pop up. You have to make sure you’re ready for any situation.”
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