In a rare security breach, two Hawaii running backs lost fumbles in last Saturday’s season-opening victory over Arizona.

What were the odds? Dayton Furuta, Fred Holly III and Miles Reed had fumbled just once every 83 carries entering the game.

“The fumbles in that game were uncharacteristic,” running backs coach Brian Smith said of the back-to-back turnovers in the third quarter.

Furuta’s 17-yard gain was sabotaged when Arizona’s Christian Young used his helmet to knock free the football. Young also stripped the ball from Holly at the end of a 9-yard run.

“Neither of those guys put the ball on the ground the entire camp, so it was uncharacteristic of them,” Smith said. “But it’s something we have to continue to emphasize, and something we have to continue to coach, and drill. Whenever that happens, nobody feels worse than the kid who did it. And they understand that, and it’s their job not to let it happen again.”

Furuta had gone seven games and 56 carries since his previous lost fumble. “I know, for me, it was a little more emotional game because I was thinking about Schey,” Furuta said of linebacker Scheyenne Sanitoa, who died in July. “And just having him in my thoughts throughout the game, I was a little more emotional and not aware of my ball security.”

But Furuta said he is focusing on “keeping that back elbow tight” in congested areas.

Holly’s lost fumble was his first in 121 carries spanning three seasons. Reed, a third-year sophomore, has lost one fumble during his 10-game career.

“What Coach Smitty preaches is unconscious confidence in yourself,” Reed said. “It’s such a thing we’re trying to drill in. Holding onto the ball is natural. And fighting for it is knowing when to tuck that other arm over it when you’re coming into contact, or just keeping it high and tight, and trying to eliminate the swing of the ball. When we’re in open field, not to be looser, but have a little swing with the ball. It’s kind of knowing when to and when not to do certain things.”

Smith said the backs are implored to push for extra yards. In the past five games, Furuta, Holly and Reed have combined for only five negative-yard rushes in 69 carries.

“We want to make the running game as productive as possible,” Holly said of yards after contact. “We’re always taught to fall forward. That’s the easiest way to put it.”

The forward thinking is exhorted in drills. “That’s a big thing for me as a coach is eliminating negative plays,” Smith said. “That’s something we look at in every game, and evaluate at the end of the year. How many negative runs did we have and what was causing them? … If there’s anything wrong, we’re not going to get tackled in the backfield. That’s one of our goals.”

Reed said: “You have to at least get back to the line of scrimmage. We’re always thinking first down first, and then touchdown. We’re thinking when we get to that first down, we’re going to fight for those extra yards. But that also goes along with ball security. We’re going to need to protect the ball for those extra yards.”