How the Hawaii and Nevada football teams match up this weekend

Oct. 14—The Air Raid was sent packing when Jay Norvell resigned as head coach last December to join Colorado State. Head coach Ken Wilson, who has spent 19 years of his 28-year coaching career at Nevada, has reloaded the Pistol offense.

The Air Raid was sent packing when Jay Norvell resigned as head coach last December to join Colorado State. Head coach Ken Wilson, who has spent 19 years of his 28-year coaching career at Nevada, has reloaded the Pistol offense. Wilson worked under Chris Ault, who created the run-oriented, shotgun /single-back scheme in 2004. Offensive coordinator Derek Sage was a grad assistant for the scheme's unveiling, and associate head coach Vai Taua and O-line coach Jeff Nady played in the Pistol. Quarterback Nate Cox takes the shotgun snap 4 yards from the line of scrimmage and 3 yards in front of the lone back. At 6-foot-9, Cox provides cover for 5-9 running backs Toa Taua and Devonte Lee. Cox, whose favorite targets are B.J. Casteel and Jamaal Bell, averages 6.1 yards on non-sack scrambles and keepers. Nevada spreads defenses with three-receiver sets or blasts openings with two tight ends that often motion in pre-snap tandem. Taua has tormented the Warriors in four meetings, amassing 413 yards and four TDs. In games played in Hawaii, Taua averages 128.5 yards and 6.8 yards per carry. Taua traces his leg strength to "a lot of hill work. That's one thing my dad instilled in us as kids." Taua and his three older brothers ran the "Mission Hills Stairs " and Beattie Park hills in Lompoc, Calif. "We would run in full pads, " Taua said. "I was like 6 years old, 7 years old, running on those hills." Taua said he now sprints the hills on the McQueen High campus in Reno. "I'll bring my little speaker, and get about 15, 20 (reps ), " Taua said. "It's a great workout."

Mike Bethea and Kwame Agyeman are the co-coordinators, and Wilson, who was Oregon's co-DC last year, has more than a little input in the play-calling. "Head coach makes the final decision, " the head coach said at the Mountain West media day. Dom Peterson, who plays the 3-technique, is a low-leverage dozer who is difficult to block. Marcel Walker is a stand-up rush end. Situational linebacker Drue Watts has perfected the defensive version of the pick-and-roll, in which he jams a running back or slot, then spins into quarterback-hunting mode. Although the Pack have been generous against the rush—4.52 yards on first down, 61.1 % conversions on third-and-short carries—they have forced 14 turnovers, including safety Bentlee Sanders' five picks. "I'm like a receiver at heart, " Sanders said. "It's always been a natural instinct to catch the ball." Even at 5-9 and 179 pounds, Sanders believes he is more of a natural safety than corner. Sanders, who joined Nevada as a graduate transfer from South Florida last year, tries to model his game after safety Tyrann "Honey Badger " Mathieu of the New Orleans Saints. "We're not the biggest on the field, but we have to play like we're the biggest, " said Sanders. "Safety was always the best spot for me, " Sanders said. "I get to read the quarterback, read the offense, and see what's coming, and alert my guys on the field about the routes."

Prior to the Sept. 23 game against Air Force, it was announced place-kicker Brandon Talton would not be available because of an undisclosed injury. Talton converted on his first six field-goal attempts this season before missing from 57 yards against Iowa. The Pack have gone three games in a row without a trey, and kickoff specialist Matthew Killam missed a 28-yarder during that stretch. Returner Jamaal Bell is one of Nevada's fastest (4.43 seconds over 40 yards ) and most elusive players (post-catch average of 5.4 yards as a receiver ).

In 2008, the season after June Jones departed as UH head coach, new offensive coordinator Ron Lee tinkered with the run-and-shoot, often requiring the quarterback to take snaps from under center. Lee's successor, Nick Rolovich, was planning to add a tight end to the mix, but those plans were scrapped when the staff was not retained after the 2011 season. In 2018, with Rolovich as head coach, the run-and-shoot was brought back to complement the run /pass-option schemes. Three weeks ago, head coach Timmy Chang and offensive coordinator Ian Shoemaker began incorporating run-and-shoot concepts—with a twist. In this four-wide version, tight end Caleb Phillips aligns as a slot, H-back or line-attached blocker. Phillips, a converted linebacker, leads UH starters with 13.4 yards per reception. After being hired in January, Chang, a former record-setting UH quarterback, delayed adding a receivers coach for two months. That enabled Chang to be available to offer defense-decoding tips to the receivers during the spring semester. Wideout Zion Bowens said the tutorials have been helpful in the retro scheme, which requires receivers to choose routes based on the defensive coverage. After missing four games because of a meniscus injury, Bowens made catches on nine of 11 targets for 108 yards last week. Koali Nishigaya and Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala are precise route-runners at the other slot position. Brayden Schager, who has secured the top quarterback's job, has improved in reading the all-11 coverages and, when pressured, scrambling or stepping into the pocket. Schager has been sacked only once in 145 pass plays, and has not been intercepted in his past 86 throws.

Growing up in the Yoro household, game nights became family feuds in checkers or Monopoly. That competitive spirit endures for Jacob Yoro as defensive coordinator. "He brings a lot of fire to the defense, " nickelback Malik Hausman said of Yoro. "We try to match his intensity in practices and games." After New Mexico State ran for 438 yards, Yoro drew up a defensive plan to limit San Diego State to 2.7 yards per rush. Yoro added Noah Kema to the edge to create a five-man front and bracket the perimeter attack. Peter Manuma and Meki Pei have excelled as hard-hitting safeties. The back of the 4-2-5 defense was reinforced with last week's return of safety Leonard Lee. This week, Matagi Thompson, who can play safety or nickel, has been medically cleared to play. Hausman, an Arizona transfer who prepped at football power Bishop Gorman High, has displayed toughness in coverage and run-stopping support. "This defense fits my playing style, " Hausman said. He grew up in a single-mother home, and "football was a way to deal with issues. Football gave me that escape, that sense of brotherhood and leadership." Near the end of his junior year at Bishop Gorman, Hausman, who already pledged to Arizona, went on an unofficial visit to Tucson. That night, he was struck by a car, suffering a torn ACL. "I didn't see it or remember it, " he said. "I just woke up in a hospital." While recuperating the next two years, he "kept grinding."

After missing last week's game, kickoff returner Jalen Perdue is available to play this week. But it appears the Warriors will give another shot to Chuuky Hines, who averages 20.2 yards on six kickoff returns. In team testing, Hines' prorated speed is 22.7 mph. Cenacle, a freshman who grew up in Montreal, was rated as Canada's No. 1 receiver prospect.