Hawaii wide receiver Zion Bowens has added a jolt to the offense

This week, University of Hawaii football players have gathered to hear wideout Zion Bowens’ breathtaking stories.

Ahead of Saturday’s road game against Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo., Bowens has warned about the effects of the Rocky Mountain’s high altitude. Fort Collins is 5,008 feet above sea level.

“Colorado is a beautiful place, but the air is definitely going to be thinner there,” said Bowens, who spent two years at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. “They’re going to know as soon as they get off the plane, this is a different type of air.”

In thin air, the footballs sail farther, players’ hands de-moisturize, and breathing becomes labored. “When I first got there,” Bowens said of joining Air Force in 2017, “it was definitely tough. Even going up a flight of stairs, you feel like you’re out of breath.”

To prepare, the Rainbow Warriors have been running gassers — 55-yard sprints the width of the field — at the start and end of practices.

“For three hours or so (on Saturday), we have to lock in so the thin air shouldn’t be a problem,” Bowens said.

Bowens welcomes another matchup against Colorado State. In last year’s meeting, Bowens caught six passes for 172 yards, including a 93-yard, catch-and-dash that was the second-longest pass play in the program’s history.

In his first two UH seasons after a year at Long Beach City College, Bowens relied on his speed — sub-4.4 seconds over 40 yards — to create separation on routes.

This season, Bowens suffered a meniscus injury on the first series of the opener against Vanderbilt. He missed the next four games. He activation during a bye week coincided with the Warriors’ infusion of run-and-shoot concepts. Bowens was quick to learn how to choose routes based on the defensive coverage.

In the two games since being medically cleared, Bowens caught scoring passes of 66 yards against San Diego State and 48 against Nevada. On 20 targets, he has 14 receptions and no drops. He also has learned to run patterns to draw defenders away from other receivers, and deliver some blocks on bubble screens to the backs.

“Speed is one thing, but definitely being able to block is something I’ve been trying to do to elevate my game,” Bowens said. “You want to be a well-rounded, more complete receiver.”

Head coach Timmy Chang said: “He’s smart and fast. That’s a good combination. He’s receiving all the rewards for being smart and fast. And he works hard. He has sense of urgency that he’s a senior and he knows how short his time is here. He doesn’t waste any time.”

Bowens said he tries to catch 200 passes each day from the JUGS machine. He cranks the setting to medium-high, as well as fluctuate the angles. “I try to get all the angles I might get in a game,” Bowens said.

Bowens strengthens his forearms by burrowing his hands into a barrel of uncooked rice. He also does that technique with sand on the beach. To improve his grip, Bowens catches a 10-pound dumbbell. He also spends hours studying videos of opponents.

“This offense gives the receiver a lot of liberty to whatever is right based on the defense,” Bowens said. “The reason the receiver is able to be successful starts with the O-line. They give us good protection. … Everybody plays a role in the success of the offense.”