Live football blog: Hawaii vs. Wyoming

Wyoming ran often and then ran away to a 31-7 victory over Hawaii at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyo.

The Cowboys’ ground game accounted for 281 of their 393 yards.

Xazavian Valladay rushed 163 yards and Trey Smith gained 89 yards. They each scored two touchdowns.

The Cowboys controlled the clock for 38 minutes, 15 seconds.

UH quarterback Chevan Cordeiro was 11 of 26 for 110 yards. He was sacked five times.

Both teams are now 1-1.

UH plays host to New Mexico next week Saturday.

* * * * *

Trey Smith ran 2 yards for a Wyoming touchdown to end the suspense.

The Cowboys now lead, 31-7, and are set to reclaim the Paniolo Trophy.

* * * * *

Hawaii had the momentum but not the good fortune — a pass ricocheted off Jonah Panoke and into the air, where Charles Hicks intercepted and raced 45 yards to the UH 15.

Four plays later, Xazavian Valladay barrels 6 yards for his second TD and a 24-7 Wyoming lead with 8:19 to play.

* * * * *

The Cowboys are using the running game to control the clock. Through three quarters, the Cowboys have gained 213 of their 325 yards on rushes. They also have held possession more than twice than UH — 30:14 to 14:46.

Wyoming leads 17-7, and has the ball, entering the final quarter.

* * * * *

Wyoming grinds out an 11-play scoring drive — 10 on rushes — to take a 17-7 lead with 4:22 remaining in the third quarter.

Trey Smith, who began his career at Louisville, went the final yard for the TD to cap the 75-yard drive.

* * * * *

Matthew Shipley is wide right from 44 yards on a potential game-tying FG. Wyoming still leads, 10-7, with 12:16 left in the third quarter.

* * * * *

Wyoming takes a 10-7 lead into the intermission.

And UH safety Kai Kaneshiro, who was inactive for the first half because of a targeting penalty last week, is eligible to play in the second half.

* * * * *

Dae Dae Hunter, aligned as a right wideout, takes the handoff on a jet sweep to the left and goes 3 yards for the touchdown. Matthew Shipley’s point-after kick closes UH to 10-7 with 1:04 left in the first half.

* * * * *

The Warriors’ goal line stand — and corner blitz — prevented Wyoming from adding to a 10-0 lead.

The Cowboys advance to the 4. But then cornerback Cortez Davis blitzed, knocking the ball free from quarterback Levi Williams on third down. John Hoyland was then just wide right on a 36-yard FG attempt. It was his first miss after four consecutive fGs.


* * * * *

The Warriors are struggling to establish a passing attack. Chevan Cordeiro is 2-for-8 for … minus-2 yards.

* * * * *

The first quarter is in the books, and it’s been all Wyoming so far. The Cowboys have the advantage in offense (122 yards to 33) and the scoreboard (10-0).

* * * * *

Another tough series for the Warriors. Once again, the Warriors committed a pre-snap procedure penalty.

* * * * *

UH linebacker Darius Muasau makes big leg tackle on Xazavian Valladay on third-and-2 to stall Wyoming’s drive. Following a punt, the Warriors take over at their 20, down 10-0 with 4:11 left in the first quarter.

* * * * *

Linebacker Chad Muma stops Chevan Cordeiro’s scramble a yard short of the line to gain. The Warriors punted. The Cowboys take over at their 20 with a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.

* * * * *

The Cowboys parlay the Warriors’ turnover into freshman John Hoyland’s 30-yard field goal.

Hoyland is a walk-on freshman who earned the kicking job a week ago when the No. 1 kicker suffered a leg strain.

Wyoming leads 10-0 with 9:55 left in the first quarter.

* * * *

UH turns the ball over when ball slips out of Chevan Cordeiro’s right hand while attempting to pass.

* * * * *

Wyoming needs only 2 minutes, 7 seconds to take a 7-0 lead. Xazavian Valladay’s 18-yard run capped a five play drive. Valladay had four touches on that drive.

* * * * *

Safety Eugene Ford is assisted off the field after being shaken up on a Wyoming run. Ford had two picks for UH last week.

* * * * *

Despite arctic forecasts, it is relatively balmy in Laramie, Wyo. — site of tonight’s Mountain West game between Hawaii and Wyoming.

At stake, of course, is the Paniolo Trophy. But this game also has significance in this eight-game sprint of a season. A UH victory would mean going 2-0 on the season-opening road trip. The Warriors will have for of their final six regular-season games at Aloha Stadium. The Cowboys are 0-1, having suffering an upset loss to Nevada in overtime last week.

Storylines:

> Quarterback Levi Williams gets the start in place of Sean Chambers, who suffered a season-ending injury on last week’s third play. Williams is a big guy (6-5, 240 pounds), who can run, pass, and run physically. It’s dicey after him. The next two backups are freshmen.


> The Warriors broke out a diverse running game last week. Miles Reed, Dae Dae Hunter and Calvin Turner bring different looks. But the passing attack, directed by QB Chevan Cordeiro, might be unleashed. The Warriors threw only 10 second-half passes last week.

> The Warriors’ depth in the secondary will be tested today. Safety Kai Kaneshiro is ineligible for the first half after being caleld for targeting last week.

COMMENTS

  1. azwarrior22 October 30, 2020 3:27 pm

    Go Warriors !


  2. Matt October 30, 2020 3:39 pm

    It’s not just a 2-0 start that UH could be facing for the 3rd straight season in a row, but it could also mean the 4th time Hawaii has won in Laramie, and first in the 2000s era (Wins came in 1981, 1985, and 1991).

    AND, also would mean to retain the Paniolo Trophy once again.

    Hawaii shouldn’t underestimate the Cowboys in this game. Even though they lost their starting QB already one game into the season, I would not sell them short. Plus, if you include losing 5 defensive linemen, in which 3 were projected to be starters, that could be interesting to see how Hawaii’s O-Line adapts on the fly.

    I’m expecting this to be wire-to-wire. Now, unless the UH defense can match and mirror the same success they did against Fresno, watch for the game to be a potential blowout, if necessary.

    LET’S DO THIS!!!


  3. H-Man October 30, 2020 3:49 pm

    Looks like telecast will be late. NASCAR broadcast still running with 22 laps still to go, so maybe FS1 will pick up the game by the 2nd Qtr.


  4. Matt October 30, 2020 3:54 pm

    3

    Last I looked, it’s now 14 laps and counting.


  5. SteveM October 30, 2020 3:56 pm

    If the race runs long, the game start at 4:00 pm might be shown on FS2. They will shift back to FS1 after the race ends.


  6. UH Fan October 30, 2020 3:57 pm

    Spectrum 1241


  7. SteveM October 30, 2020 3:59 pm

    Yep… on FS2 for now.


  8. Matt October 30, 2020 4:00 pm

    5

    Just checked FS2, and yeah…it is showing the introduction there.


  9. izzy October 30, 2020 4:04 pm

    FS1 still has truck racing not the game. 5 laps to go. I am tired and frustrated of listening to KKEA’s “We don’t have Play-by-Play talent so, here’s our Here’s-What-Just-Happened, maybe” coverage. I downloaded TuneIn (It’s Free) and searched for “University of Wyoming.” . . . Going to give this broadcast a try.


  10. sackkabooya October 30, 2020 4:35 pm

    The KKEA play by play is a lot better than a lot than a lot of the MW highlight package play by play form other teams in the “This week in the Mountain West” show. Any broadcast with Petros Papadakis is going to be entertaining though. Curran and Veneri are just fine. C’mon now. UH right now, not so much. They can adjust I think.


  11. Dan Nakamura October 30, 2020 4:50 pm

    Why does the Todd Graham wear Arizona State colors wrist band during the game?


  12. NorthShoreFan October 30, 2020 4:52 pm

    Why did Stovall try to field that punt inside the 10?…Cannot shoot yourself in the foot when you away in enemy territory..


  13. sackkabooya October 30, 2020 4:53 pm

    -8 yards passing for first quarter. Lucky Wyoming is not so good. Boise would be up 28-0. Open receivers in single coverage for Corderio. Just got to make some plays here and there. Warm up quarter.


  14. lifelong UH fan October 30, 2020 5:03 pm

    I’m very disappointed in our team.


  15. H-Man October 30, 2020 5:15 pm

    I switched back to the Maryland – Minnesota game which the Terrapins won in OT, 45-44, when the Gophers missed their extra point kick. Taulia passed for 394 yds. Good game. Now back to the Hawaii game. Oh boy, still goose egg.


  16. sackkabooya October 30, 2020 5:21 pm

    We would kill Wyoming here. Temp here was 91 degrees when they left last week. Lucky they had a week to acclimate. Would be worse if they had to play straight from here. Will be better second half I think.


  17. sackkabooya October 30, 2020 5:24 pm

    Our O line has to play better to get back in this game. They have the experience. They can do this.


  18. Hi tide October 30, 2020 5:44 pm

    Didn’t like it last week and this week is even worst. I’m talking about the piped in crowd noise. I can’t heard what the commentators are saying. Lose the pipe noise!!


  19. NorthShoreFan October 30, 2020 5:47 pm

    Defense keeping us in the game…despite being outweighed by a “few” pounds……but we can’t let them play the whole game or else the fourth qtr will be nasty.
    Offense coming alive…..
    Random thoughts…If Mardner can develop “hands” like Hoy Hoy Trap A Roach…he would be a mean weapon….a scary offensive weapon.

    This game is so winnable…..Let’s go Boys!


  20. Hilo-Warrior October 30, 2020 6:05 pm

    Any word on Eugene Ford?


  21. sackkabooya October 30, 2020 6:35 pm

    The should sell out on the run blitz gap attacks and make this QB beat them with his arm. I could live with that. Especially with the offensive struggles


  22. NorthShoreFan October 30, 2020 6:56 pm

    Cowboys O line too much for our D line…plain and simple. Domination at the line of scrimmage.
    Got some Lobos next up….


  23. Maddog50 October 30, 2020 6:59 pm

    Right now Warriors getting pushed around missing tackles low energy. Complete 360 from last week-


  24. H-Man October 30, 2020 7:06 pm

    Maybe Hawaii can take away some positives from this whipping.


  25. Season ticket holder October 30, 2020 7:11 pm

    Can someone please get our coach an undershirt that is UH colors.


  26. winning October 30, 2020 7:22 pm

    Super Sport CHEVY HAS NEVER PLAYED WELL ON THE ROAD. GOTTA SHAPE UP. ALSO, THE WHOLE TEAM PLAYED LIKE THEY WERE STUCK IN SNOW SAND!! CRAPPY!! WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR AIR RAID/RUN N SHOOT OFFENSE??? WHATS UP!!


  27. Maddog50 October 30, 2020 7:23 pm

    Did not see this coming-nothing positive about this at all and the missed tackles over pursuit on D still remain a factor. No excuses as Coach Graham football is a tough game for tough people. Come back healthy and right the ship. This was bad all the way around/


  28. One Sr. October 30, 2020 7:23 pm

    Disappointing game. I Hope Eugene Ford is ok. Offense never got into any type of rhythm. Didn’t seem as focused this week. Wyoming’s oline is big and just wore the defense down. Looks as though Wyoming was more physical than we were. Don’t think the weather had anything to do with it. Well time to lick our wounds and regroup and get ready for the next game.
    Go bows.


  29. H-Man October 30, 2020 7:47 pm

    Tomorrow, watch Dillon.


  30. One Sr. October 30, 2020 8:01 pm

    I am still optimistic about this season. I suppose 1 and 1 is better than 0 and 2, 2 and 0 obviously would’ve been much better. Just need to learn from this game take both the positives and the negatives. The team needs to remember this loss and use this as motivation for the remainder of the season.
    Go Bows.


  31. sackkabooya October 30, 2020 8:59 pm

    UH’s offense did get in a rhythm using wildcat. More wildcat on the road I think. Chevan didn’t trust his arm tonight. We’ve seen that before especially on the road. Couldn’t even throw intermediate to the slots because the throw was either too far (outside routes) or the passing lanes were clogged by the d-line. Going to have to get more creative play calling, especially the protection packages (like moving pocket).

    Not going to worry about this game. Clearly a tough place to play for them unless UH can play there in August/Sept, The defensive effort was impressive. Just need one more playmaker on the d-line.


  32. RB October 30, 2020 9:30 pm

    Funny how the commentators said coach Graham wearing Arizona at color wristbands lol


  33. RB October 30, 2020 9:31 pm

    *arizona st


  34. sackkabooya October 30, 2020 10:50 pm

    That offensive PI pick was lolo. So obvious. Was a nice second level run block though.


  35. sackkabooya October 30, 2020 11:19 pm

    I would rather see Blessman in a position to penetrate and schemed for his isolation rather than always taking on two blockers “eating space” all the time. They need a second space eater in the rotation, especially when anticipating runs. He made more plays in Batoon’s scheme.

    A lot of runs attacked the run lanes in between the tackles. In space UH made some nice plays behind the line of scrimmage but when clustered, the pile was almost always forced forward by Wyoming. So more plays have to be made behind the line of scrimmage if possible. Got to scheme it. Rotating a second space eater getting Blessman in a playmaking position can help I think. Borrow Sunia or Mose maybe? IDK. Just my opinion. The defense was tough and pretty solid tonight. Just the lack of physicality in the trenches second half.


  36. sackkabooya October 30, 2020 11:41 pm

    I love that the deep pass is a frequent part of the game plan but it needs to be set up better. It also needs to be abandoned and then reassessed when 1) the corner coverage is pretty good, 2) the offensive line struggles to execute, 3) the QB physically (because of moisture?) cannot execute either, and 4) the power and finesse run game is operating pretty good.

    This game was winnable (unbelievably) if not for the constant insistence to go deep so often and early in the drive causing unmanageable 3rd and longs. Papadakis even eluded to the play calling “problem”. I think this staff will figure it out. I really think UH could have matched Wyoming’s play style and won this game some way……..We need MW condensed games for 2020.


  37. sackkabooya October 31, 2020 12:59 am

    I don’t remember such a game from a UH team that couldn’t attack with intermediate and short passing game. Even Norm Chow did. There was one game vs BYU 2018 where the lack of execution was caused by the physicality of the BYU secondary. Plus the Hawaii slots were undersized for that kind of “pounding” (“alligator arm” game). But the execution in this game was as bad in a different way.

    There was a screen pass was easily read. That “QB sweep” pass did not fool or isolate the receiver correctly. That pick play was vs tight man and had a nice design for that coverage but failed. So did a seam pass that isolated Reed where he was open intermediate but the route was schemed deep, so incomplete. There was one drag route to Smart that a d-lineman messed the timing up so the gain was minimal. There were several sideline throws that were either defended perfectly or UH receivers caught it but couldn’t get a foot inbounds. And then there’s the “over” underthrow that resulted in the ricochet interception.

    Ultimately it is Corderio that will have to execute better. When he watches the film he will adjust and “suck it up”. Trust his skillset. If he is physically unable to execute some packages then the coaches need to adjust. But Wyoming’s pass defense was pretty good. Very disruptive up front. Hard for Chevan to throw over and through on timing plays. They need to figure some stuff out. Plus Graham said that the entire offense is not fully installed yet. We’ll see next week. It’s vs New Mexico.


  38. sackkabooya October 31, 2020 1:20 am

    @ #26 Winning

    LAST WEEKS GAME WAS ON THE ROAD. CHEVAN WAS TERIFFIC.

    @ #28 One Sr.

    I think the weather affected their preparation mostly. They had time to acclimate and adjust to weather by kickoff. Ended up not as cold on gameday. Lucky. The forecast was terrible early in the week. It looked like climate did affect Chevan when he fumbled. I don’t know what else could cause that. I do think this loss will motivate Graham.


  39. One Sr. October 31, 2020 2:05 am

    @ #38 sackakkabooya, In thinking about what you said I have to agree with you. The weather did play a part. Not the main reason but, it looks like it did affect Cheven’s fumble in the 1st qtr. But as Coach said this is a tough game, for tough people.
    Go Bows.


  40. Buffoman October 31, 2020 5:54 am

    I don’t understand why our tackler make the decision to try to blow up opposing runners as opposed to wrapping up to bring a runner down. We look pretty silly when that “technique” causes our defender to bounce off the opponent, making them look stronger than our guy. Is attempting to blow up an opponent a technique taught by coaches? I always thought that tackling was taught as the proper technique.


  41. Maddog50 October 31, 2020 6:14 am

    No sugar coat missed assignments on O, dropped balls warrants passes penalties. D missed tackles over penetration poor angles got pushed around. All that being said extreme travel issues planes buses hotels practice logistics nightmare. Won’t see anything like this again. Need to find a rythm to the offense commit to passing game out of the box. Counter with run game- 2 more away 4 more at home. Away is San Jose and SDSU. Much closer no hassle trips. Need to find 4 wins at least-


  42. Old School Dave October 31, 2020 8:45 am

    OL coach Mark Weber going to WSU was a big loss, than more people realize.

    Gotta regroup and get ready for NW, who is spending the week in Vegas after their game at SJSU to avoid the 14-day quarantine in their home state.


  43. lifelong UH fan October 31, 2020 9:37 am

    cordeiro just hasn’t been very good so far in the graham system. yeah he ran for a bunch of yards against fresno, but the passing game is completely out of sync for the past two games. he’s putting up nfl tebow type numbers with tebow level accuracy. it’s looking just all kinds of bad

    UH scored a td by basically running the ball with the wildcat/option qb, and then in the second half, they abandoned the run and started throwing for some reason and it really hurt them

    idk if it’s scheme or poor decision making but it looked like the only passing play they were running was four verticals at that point. Kudos to the defense: they played really well especially considering injuries and the amount of time they were on the field. Hopefully the warriors can regroup now that they’ll be playing at home


  44. Inyoface October 31, 2020 9:52 am

    I don’t get all the long fade routes by the out of bounds marker.what happen to the quick slant routes.


  45. Inyoface October 31, 2020 9:54 am

    Graham was always talking about a quick offense but it seemed like they took forever to call a play.


  46. azwarrior22 October 31, 2020 10:28 am

    It’s only been 2 games and we have all these bandwagon fans crying wolf. Yes, the game was very disappointing, but consider the adversity they have faced in this Covid environment. I believe this is just a blip on this arduous road and they will bounce back next week with a vengeance. The team has a lot of heart and made no excuses for the loss. The Wyoming game was the back end of back-to-back road games…that’s tough. The team won’t use it as an excuse, but the weather was a factor. The team continued to play hard and will learn from this and bounce back. Looking forward to game #3.

    I do agree with an earlier comment about how the offensive line should be the strength of this team but it gives us like 5 sacks, which is uncharacteristic for a veteran o-line. The Wyoming defense dominated the Hawaii offense. Hawaii couldn’t sustain anything on the ground, and the few passes that Chevan managed to get off without being hurried were not caught, probably because the weather played a major factor. This can be corrected. Hawaii defense played well enough to win but always played with short fields because of offensive turnovers. Even the interception was an unlucky bad tip.

    Look for the Hawaii team to bounce back and take it out on the New Mexico Lobos. Go Warriors !


  47. Whats Up October 31, 2020 2:19 pm

    Way to early to tell how Graham Run-n-Gun offense will work at Hawaii. For some odd reason coach Victor Santa Cruz has the Hawaii defense way ahead of coach G.J. Kinne Hawaii offense that is limping along. With a such short season 3 or 4 wins might be lucky and this team has some really-really good talent and since the season is severely shortened, it might be difficult to get superior clean execution on offense.

    So as the saying goes sometimes its better to be lucky and than really good. Graham first season is a wash in my opinion, if things get back to pre-COVID-19 normal next season I expect an improvement to maybe 5 or 6 wins. Year 3 a seasoned veteran head coach like Graham should be getting Hawaii Bowl invite.


  48. One Sr. October 31, 2020 3:11 pm

    Have to agree with #46 azwarrior22, just second game of the season. These are really, when you think about it,18 – 21/22 yr olds? Even NFL teams at times fall flat the following week after a big win.
    Just watched Cheven’s post game interview, to his credit he made no excuses, he said they just need to work harder and remain focused each week. I may be wrong but, perhaps they weren’t mentally prepared for this game as they should’ve been. That the big win at Fresno caused them to relax? What ever the case I’m sure that this is a lesson learned and the Warriors will be ready for the Lobo’s this week.
    Go Bows!


  49. sackkabooya October 31, 2020 4:33 pm

    I think Coach Rolovich struggled with Corderio in trying to keep him in the pocket. You could tell it frustrated him. Rolo forced him to throw from there at the expense of some effectiveness. And then later, when in desperation, he would allow Chevan to ad-lib and it would end up being “magical”. Coach Graham is going to face the same dilemma soon I think.

    So far after these two games you can see Chevan is the same player with the same instincts but in a different system (so less route adjusted quick throws now). Chevan’s feet, just like last year “flutter” within the pocket’s integrity in an untrusting way. I think that’s why the edge pass blocking looks more terrible than it might actually be. Plus they (Pryor and Manning) seem much slower than last year (maybe because Padello kept them sharp?) That’s easy to fix. But fixing Chevan’s trust in the pocket will take more time.

    I think Graham will find out soon that Chevan is more effective (exactly like McKenzie Milton) when he is allowed to extend separation for his targets by “floating” and not “fluttering”. I believe that this ability will be schemed into the offense somehow. That kind of ability is rare and should be coaxed as opposed to inhibited, especially if deep passes are going to be a focal point of your offensive strategy. Plus he can make plays with his running ability much better than last year. Allow him to “roam the pasture”.


  50. sackkabooya October 31, 2020 5:12 pm

    Anytime Turner is part of the 4 wide package you could easily use Wildcat at any point of the drive, especially when in pace. Chevan would just need to line up wide as a decoy (or precise route runner? he has nice feet if Turner has any accuracy). I think they did that once in yesterdays game. But the key would be to remain in the same package without substituting into Wildcat.

    Additionally, they need to install a more deliberate read option to the Wildcat package of plays for Turner. A lot of times when running plays were ran by UH, the DE/OLB would 100% sell out on tackling the RB. Several TFL’s for Wyoming. But you could see the running lane for Corderio had he kept it (I don’t think that it was an option for him yesterday). For Turner however, he could run it like McDonald ran it against New Mexico last year. Would mess up any defense. Especially in pace. I hope the coaching staff can see that. It will be visible on film.


  51. sackkabooya October 31, 2020 5:23 pm

    Triple option with Turner in Wildcat would be an unbelievable fantasy if it were somehow possible down the road. Rolovich did run some version of an option pitch play last season, especially on short yardage but it was usually always pitched and was rarely ran. I don’t remember this years wildcat where Turner wasn’t the ball carrier. I could be wrong on that. But expand the role of the Wildcat was my point. If possible. Turner has the experience.


  52. sackkabooya October 31, 2020 5:38 pm

    The way you can tell what the reaction might be with Graham coming off a loss is by the fact that Lincoln Victor is still in the dog house. Might be a good week of preparation here…..

    New Mexico looked pretty fast on both sides when I watched the game vs San Jose that just ended. Not so physical though. A real contrast as opposed to a game vs Wyoming at Laramie. Night and day. Graham will have them prepared I think…..

    A lot of deep passes from Boise when I watched them today. From Nevada too so far in their game vs UNLV. I guess deep passing is a normal thing. RNS was a lot of intermediate or short then YAC. I gotta adjust my expectations I guess.


  53. Maddog50 November 1, 2020 5:18 am

    Saw every game of every opponent yesterday. No gimmes here. Every team played hard all game long. Gonna have to play better than we did first game with improvement over that effort to win most games. Play like we did Friday it’s gonna be a long 6 games. I have confidence we will show up Saturday heads in right place-


  54. H-Man November 1, 2020 10:09 am

    A sports writer from Nevada wrote prior to the start of the season, that he thought the two best teams in the West Division were San Diego St and Nevada. I pooh-pooh the review, but after watching the MW games yesterday, I think he might be right. San Jose St and Nevada also looked real good. I agree with you MD50 that there won’t be any easy games for Hawaii. New Mexico’s Poly QB in Tevaka Tuioti poses a dual threat. Warriors will have to be at their best to win.


  55. sackkabooya November 1, 2020 2:51 pm

    I think that this offense is still in it’s “trying to establish an identity” phase heading into game 3. I feel like Graham came in selling us fans (and Matlin) an offensive philosophy of which would categorize his as a more exciting, more versatile, less methodical and very compelling successor to our “beloved” (and semi-legendary frankly) Hawaii version of the Run and Shoot. Graham is quite a charming, smiley, (not glib though), and affable salesman. After two games however, it is clear that the play calling has a different perception from what your eyes see.

    Certain aggressive play calls have been inserted at odd times in the two games so far. Almost feels like it’s previous planned or scripted. Weird to see because it’s so unconventional (especially opposed to RNS). It does make this offense in a way less predictable though. Maybe that’s the identity Graham is trying to project? IDK. But you can see the potential for this offense to be “fabulous” once things get straightened out (more conventional?). It’s there. You can see it.

    One thing I think Graham didn’t expect (like many of us) is that he hasn’t got the YAC production from the short passing game, On paper the playmakers should be able to “make” more plays. That hasn’t happened. YET. I think play design has to improve in that area, Maybe more of that (short YAC plays) should be scripted in instead of the so many long incompletions, I also don’t think he expected his O-line to be better at run blocking than at pass protection. Easy to fix and not really a problem unless it changes your “identity” plan.

    I think there is a lot to look forward to over the next 6 weeks. One thing in my opinion is for sure, this offensive package is exceptional. Quite possibly superior even to our RNS. You can imagine the possibilities with it. Way more versatile in comparison. Just got to figure out the “Identity” part and play call accordingly. We’ll see.


  56. sackkabooya November 1, 2020 4:03 pm

    I think it’s difficult for the average fan (like most of us here) to conceive that somebody who is pretty good is just so unusable in a certain system. Its hard to wrap your head around it sometimes. Weird, but we’ve seen it happen often over the past few seasons. Even now.

    Kalakaua Timoteo was somebody who I thought would be pretty good. He might have been a victim of the improper fit for the “improvised” scheme Rolovich used 2016 (pre snap difficulties?). When Dylan Collie was more effective it surprised me. Timoteo was so superior athletically.

    Jeremy Moussa comes to mind as well. He had such a pretty release and threw such a nice deep ball. At the time (after seeing him in mop up vs Fresno St. 2018) I was hoping that Rolo could move McDonald to WR/Flex TE 2019 but in the end Moussa wasn’t a RNS fit. Too bad. Imagine he and Corderio as a tandem in this deep passing system. Not stoppable?

    Trevor Davis also comes to mind. Just deemed so unusable by Norm Chow. I can’t imagine how you can’t fit a talent like that into your system. IDK. Terrible.

    Keala Santiago was someone who made some pretty good plays and seemed like he hadn’t reached his “ceiling” coming off a good soph season, Didn’t really seem to fit in Batoon’s elaborate personnel packages so he left too.

    Guys like Derek Thomas, Mason Vega and maybe Kahahawai-Welch and Ritner looks like scheme casualties as of now. Hopefully they can change body type or something. Padello was almost overlooked until Suianoa got desperate vs BYU 2016. I hope they all get a chance (Thomas seems to have a role). Good luck to them.


  57. sackkabooya November 1, 2020 4:41 pm

    I remember playing pick up basketball with Ikaika Alama-Francis in Kailua way back when. He told us he was quitting basketball (he was on the Men’s BB roster at the time) and it was the last time we would see him playing with us. When he told us he was going on a weight gaining program to play Football we thought he was joking (he was skinny). But he put on weight pretty fast. First LB weight, then 4-3 DE weight, then 3-4 DT weight. Then 2nd round NFL draft pick. Changing your body is possible. Hard to believe but totally possible.


  58. Bulla November 5, 2020 4:21 am

    What a challenging season for the team this year. IMUA LANAKILA and let’s support our Warriors


  59. Maddog50 November 5, 2020 6:30 am

    This must be a signature victory-


  60. H-Man November 6, 2020 9:36 am

    Well, according to the betting oddsmakers, Warriors are a clear favorite (-15.5). Not saying Warriors won’t win, but they need to be ready for a battle. Only downer is I’ll be listening on KKEA 1420.


  61. islandman November 6, 2020 3:53 pm

    A Run play option offense , per Graham.
    Cephus supposed to be available per the coach


  62. sackkabooya November 6, 2020 7:04 pm

    BYU is so physical up front both sides. Legit. Hawaii should be as dominant at least on paper. Real perplexing, especially with the UH O-line. Going to have to step it up starting tomorrow. Can do.


  63. H-Man November 7, 2020 10:31 am

    Anyone watch the Liberty – Va Tech game? With the game tied 35-35, Liberty’s field goal attempt was blocked and returned by Va Tech for an apparent TD with just seconds left in the game. Hold on, TD called back. Va Tech called time out before the snap, Liberty retains possession and make their field goal attempt from around 50 yards for a 38 -35 win and a 7-0 record. BTW, this is Liberty’s second season in the FBS.


  64. turfwar November 7, 2020 11:55 am

    Also ASU lost to USC today but Sun Devil RB Rachaad White was very impressive. We lost a tight recruiting battle for him when ASU came in with a late offer. He certainly would have been a difference maker.


  65. H-Man November 7, 2020 2:39 pm

    I missed most of the second half and was surprised to learn the Sun Devils lost. They were in control of the game.


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