Hawaii football switching focus to its first opponent, UCLA

Aug. 15—The University of Hawaii football team is in a deep-sky-blue state.

After 14 practices, including Saturday's full-length scrimmage, the Rainbow Warriors broke training camp and tunnel-visioned the Aug. 28 season opener against UCLA in the Rose Bowl.

The UH coaches used spring training and training camp to evaluate and then set a two-deep playing rotation. Head coach Todd Graham said scout players, who will simulate UCLA's schemes in practices, will be selected today. "On Monday, " said Graham, who is in his second year at UH, "we'll be getting ready for UCLA. That'll give us two full weeks to get ready for UCLA and, obviously, get healed up. It's been very, very physical (in training camp )."

Graham said Thursday's practice was the offense's breakout session of training camp. The Warriors have been trying to replicate the quick tempo that Graham's run-and-gun offenses operated successfully at Tulsa and Arizona State. "They scored a bunch of touchdowns, " Graham said of this week's offensive output.

Graham said the multiple-look defense also has been impressive in 11-on-11 sessions.

"A sign of a good team is the offense will win, and then the defense will win, and it'll go back and forth, " Graham said. "If it's one-sided, you usually don't have that good of a team."

Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro and running back /receiver Calvin Turner, who topped the Warriors with 11 touchdowns in nine games last year, have led the offense in training camp. But the Warriors also received boosts from James Phillips and Dior Scott—both of whom moved from receiver to running back—and the addition of tight ends Caleb Phillips, a Stanford transfer, and Solo Turner, who relocated from Baylor. Kohl Levao, who missed most of the 2020 season because of ailments, has provided a bruising presence at center. Micah Vanterpool, the dean of the offensive line, has seized the left guard's spot following Michael Eletise's medical retirement.

"If you ask me who's had a good a camp as anybody out here, I'd tell you, Brayden, " Graham said of freshman Brayden Schager, who is the top understudy to Cordeiro. "He's a special quarterback."

Schager is smart (as a 10-year-old, he had the top bracket out of 8.5 million entries in ESPN's 2013 NCAA Tournament basketball pool ) and tough (he continued to play in this year's Texas state playoffs after suffering a broken jaw and three chipped teeth ).

"He's exceeded our expectations big time, " Graham said. "He's a guy who's learning. We wish he could have been here all spring long. We have a lot of confidence in him. He makes all the throws, all the checks, he's throwing hot (against all-out blitzes ) like a veteran quarterback."

Graham said the Warriors entered training camp fit following a complete offseason program. It was in contrast to last year, when the pandemic led to the cancellation of spring training and reduced training camp to three weeks. Through the 2020 season, the players could not use the locker room, with equipment dropped off at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex, and several meetings were conducted in small groups at Les Murakami Stadium to ensure proper social distancing. With players and coaches required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the locker rooms now are accessible and players can gather for team meetings.

Wideout Nick Mardner said it was "complicated and weird " last year to have "groups here and groups there." Having access to the locker room, Mardner said, "it's just a good vibe. ... It's like a little clubhouse for the guys. We can be ourselves, just talk amongst ourselves, play music, whatever."

Hybrid defender Quentin Frazier said of the easing of restrictions : "I feel that was definitely an element we were missing last year, just being able to be together as a team. COVID was such a big challenge. It created that separation just having everyone apart trying to avoid the sickness. Having everyone together has allowed us to grow as a team. It gave us that chemistry. It allowed us to bond. I feel it'll definitely show out there on the field."—For more Hawaii football, visit the.