Randall Joyner and Garrett Scott share a 250-square-foot studio apartment, a University of Hawaii football office and, for the past week, the mind-set of Colorado offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren.
Joyner and Scott are UH graduate assistants in charge of assembling and leading the scout team that is portraying Colorado’s offense in practices. The Rainbow Warriors open the season Thursday against the Buffaloes at Aloha Stadium.
"We take pride in making sure we give our defense the best look possible," Scott said.
Joyner and Scott have spent weeks assembling intel on the Buffaloes, poring through videos, charting plays and tendencies, and crunching statistics.
"It’s our job to get what Colorado’s doing," Joyner said.
After scripting plays to run against UH’s defense, Joyner and Scott begin the casting process. From a pool of redshirts and developing players, they try to find players who match the physical characteristics of Colorado’s offensive starters.
"If a Colorado receiver is fast, we try to get one of our fastest receivers out there," Joyner said. "If somebody’s a power back, we’ll try to get a power back out there."
UH starting quarterback Max Wittek was on the scout team last year while redshirting after transferring from USC. Ikaika Woolsey, the No. 2 quarterback, was on the scout offense in 2012 and 2013. This week, Aaron Zwahlen, who completed a two-year church mission in May, is portraying Colorado quarterback Sefu Liufau in practices. Zwahlen has a strong right arm and swift feet.
The scouts, who are in yellow, are given jersey numbers corresponding to their Colorado counterparts.
"We have to make sure we get a guy who’s going to replicate the guy we want him to be," Scott said. "By the time we play Colorado — or any other team on our schedule this year — there will be no change in tempo, no change in the speed of the game."
Joyner said: "We expect no dropoff. We want them to play (in practices) as if they’re playing in a game."
Defensive coordinator Tom Mason said he gives Joyner and Scott freedom to prepare the scout offense.
"My job is to mentor them, get them to be as good as (a full-time assistant) coach," Mason said. "When I’m ready to give them to another coach or get them a full-time job, I want those guys to be able to coach. I want it to be, ‘If this guy recommends them, they must be pretty good.’"
Scott was a graduate assistant at Northern Iowa last year. Joyner was a volunteer assistant at Southern Methodist, where Mason was defensive coordinator and interim head coach.
"Randall is a little bit more fiery, more amped up than I am," Scott said. "He takes it to another level. … We’re around each other 24/7. He’s my best friend out here, and I’m his best friend. We enjoying coming to work every day, putting in the hours, respecting the grind."
Joyner said Mason and Chow are not "peeking over our shoulders. They expect you to get the job done at a high level. You appreciate that as a young coach because you can find yourself. It’s not necessarily a certain style. It’s just making sure to get the job done."
