Some outcomes have a lingering effect that even Febreze cannot rid.
Following the 35-24 clunker to San Jose State, according to Hawaii football coach Todd Graham, this week’s goal is “to redeem ourselves from last week. …The biggest motivation for this week is, what I call, ‘get the stink out of you.’”
Graham is hopeful that practices stressing the basics will be useful in preparing for Saturday’s season finale against 0-5 UNLV at Aloha Stadium. Then again, last week’s workouts were productive but did not prevent the Rainbow Warriors from missing tackles and assignments nor from adding to this year’s first-quarter deficit.
This season’s seven opening drives resulted in a touchdown, five punts and a lost fumble. Their average first possession spans 14 yards. Opponents have outscored the Warriors, 72-17, in the opening quarter. The Warriors average 3.5 yards per play in the game’s first 15 minutes, and 5.7 yards after that.
“I’m used to scoring the first time we get the ball,” said Graham, who was hired in January after four previous head coaching jobs. “I’m used to that type of production. As we tried to install what we were doing, I think maybe we tried to do too much, and then we pulled back too far.”
Graham’s goal is for the Warriors to mirror the quick offensive pace he employed at Tulsa and Arizona State. The Warriors’ tempo of 72 plays per game is shy of the 90-play mark that Graham would prefer. “When you’re supposed to be a tempo offense, and you don’t have any tempo, that’s hard, ” Graham said.
Graham said there have been times the Warriors’ attempt at acceleration led to false-starts.
Graham said the personnel is good enough to compete for a Mountain West title, and the mistakes are correctable with reps in practices, games and a full offseason training program. The pandemic led to the cancellation of spring training and a complete fall camp this year. Because of injuries and other circumstances, the Warriors have had few full-participation practices. On Tuesday, Graham noted, a “third-team offensive tackle” and “a fifth corner” were practicing on the No. 1 units. Wideout Zion Bowens, the fastest Warrior, was held out of the past weekend’s game because of an ailment, and is iffy for the UNLV game.
“We’ve just had different people playing every day, ” Graham said.
Graham indicated those glitches will be addressed — and resolved —during the offseason. The Warriors are 3-4.
“Sunday starts 2021,” Graham said of the day after the final game of the season. “We need to be 1-0 going into the offseason. We need to have some positive momentum with that in what’s been, obviously, a challenging year.”