Hawaii Warriors Football

It’s not a panic time where we have to shift anything. We believe in what we do. Maybe play a little more zone. Maybe throw the ball around a bit better. Maybe spread it out some. But we’re not going to [do a] wholesale change. You’re never going to see us flinch.

—Hawaii head coach Norm Chow (UH Athletics channel on YouTube.com)

When a team is 1-7 and 0-5 in its conference, returning home to play a game is usually a good thing. For Hawaii, returning home is a big plus—it’s this week's opponent that is worrisome.

Ranked 122nd in points against, the Warriors will face a Boise State team that comes in boasting a 7-2 record, and a 4-1 mark in the Mountain West Conference. Broncos quarterback Joe Southwick (169-of-258, 1,842 yards) will look to exploit the Hawaii pass defense, while running backs D.J. Harper (794 yards, 12 TDs) and Jay Ajayi (369 yards, three TDs) will provide the power on the ground.

"They’re what you’d like to be like," said Hawaii head coach Norm Chow regarding the Broncos (UH Athletics channel on YouTube.com). "They’re awfully, awfully good."

Hawaii quarterback Sean Schroeder (142-of-275, 1,446 yards) will have his work cut out for him against Boise State's defense, which surrenders an average of less than 15 points a game. The junior QB has already been sacked 25 times this season, and has thrown nine interceptions.

Much of the difficulty for Schroeder this year has been due to the spotty protection from the offensive line.

"We're still making too many mistakes," Chow said regarding his team's overall performance (UH Athletics channel on YouTube.com). "We're not lacking for effort."

Despite Schoeder's QB rating of 100.1, Chow's continued support of him as the team's starting quarterback has come under question in recent weeks. But, during his weekly press conference following the loss to Fresno State, the Warriors' head coach reaffirmed his belief in Schroeder.

"This is a good player, and I know everybody’s yelping about change and all that," said Chow in defense of Schroeder (UH Athletics channel on YouTube.com). "He gives us our best chance to win.”

Boise State's defense will tax the Warriors' backfield, and if Hawaii cannot get the run established, it could make for a long afternoon for Sean Schroeder. Chow has hinted at making some offensive adjustments, and even indicated in his press conference that the no-huddle offense is a possibility.

While Hawaii is clearly heading towards a losing record this year, Chow insists (UH Athletics channel on YouTube.com), "We're not giving up on this season by any means." 

Game Time: 7 p.m. ET; 4 p.m.  PT; 1 p.m. local; Saturday Nov. 10. Television: NBC Sports Network

Jeremy Higgins ran the ball in from five yards out with 3:06 remaining in the game, providing Hawaii with its only visit to the end zone all afternoon as Fresno State thoroughly dominated the Warriors, 45-10.

The loss drops Hawaii to 1-7 on the season, and 0-5 in the Mountain West Conference.

The sixth straight loss by the Warriors came as their defense surrendered 480 total yards to Fresno State, 329 of which came by way of the Bulldogs' passing attack. Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr (15-for-23) threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns in the game with an incredible passer rating of 233.6. Nine receivers caught passes for the Bulldogs, with no fewer than four different TD recipients.

Sophomore running back Joey Iosefa, who had a standout game last week for Hawaii, was held to just 50 yards on 15 attempts. Similarly, Will Gregory could manage but 27 yards on the ground with 10 rushing attempts, with his longest run of the day just six yards.

The lack of a running attack caused Hawaii to turn to the pass as they played from behind for the entire game, trailing 21-0 after one quarter and 42-3 by halftime.

Junior QB Sean Schroeder (16-for-30, 162 yards) was constantly under pressure in the game, being sacked five times and throwing one interception.

By the fourth quarter, head coach Norm Chow even turned to sophomore QB Jeremy Higgins as well as junior QB Cayman Shutter in an effort to provide a spark for the team. Despite the late-game substitutions at quarterback, Hawaii head coach Norm Chow again confirmed that Sean Schroeder would remain the starting quarterback.

No fewer than 11 different Warriors were on the receiving end of passes, with mainstay Billy Ray Stutzmann (four receptions for 57 yards) leading all Hawaii receivers. For the season, Stutzman has 24 receptions for 292 yards, and trails team leader Jeremiah Ostrowski (26 receptions) by two.

"We got beat by a very good football team," said Norm Chow to reporters immediately (UH Athletics Channel on YouTube.com) after the game. "That's the heck of a football team."

The Warriors will return home and prepare to host Boise State (7-2), who is coming off a tough 21-19 loss against San Diego State.

The long first season for Norm Chow continues this week as the Hawaii Warriors head east to California in hopes of turning around a difficult season. The Hawaii-Fresno State series is very close all-time, with the Bulldogs holding a slight edge, 22-21-1. At home, however, Fresno State is 11-7-1.

The Warriors have had a trying season, currently at 1-6 overall, and 0-4 in the Mountain West. With the defeat last week, Hawaii has now lost seven straight conference games (extending back to last season), but can begin the turnaround this week with a much-needed victory over Fresno State.

Despite losing last week, there were signs of life in the Warriors against the Colorado State Rams. One bright note was last week's quick start, wherein the Warriors scored 14 first quarter points. This may not seem like a significant amount, but given the fact that they had previously scored but 10 points in the first quarter all season long, there was reason to take notice.

The Warriors also caused five turnovers against the Rams, which, unfortunately, were cancelled out by their own five miscues in the game. That said, the standout performances of running backs Joey Iosefa (106 yards) and Will Gregory (84 yards) showed that Hawaii could control the ball and provide some relief for QB Sean Schroeder, who has shouldered much of the offensive load this season.

Schroeder (126-of-245, 1,284 yards and nine TDs) has been the starter for all seven previous games this season. Much of his difficulty this year has stemmed from spotty protection in the pocket, and play execution that often leaves him in problematic third-down passing situations.

Fresno State comes in as the 14th-ranked passing attack in the nation, with QB Derek Carr (251-of-367 for 2,766 yards and 26 TDs) lighting up the Mountain West conference. Add to that a rushing attack that features RB Robbie Rouse (999 yards and nine TDs), and that spells big trouble for the Hawaii defense, which now ranks 121st in points against.

Game Time: Saturday, Nov. 3, 4pm PT, 7pm ET. Television; Oceanic Pay Per View Channel 255.

The Warriors appeared to be putting things back together this weekend when a defensive fumble recovery for a touchdown and a Sean Schroeder touchdown pass put Hawaii up, 14-7, in the first quarter against Colorado State. But the Rams' offense woke up and scored the next three touchdowns, giving them a lead they would never relinquish.

Despite 393 yards of total offense, 25 first downs, more than 36 minutes of possession time and five Colorado State turnovers, the Warriors could not manage more than 27 points. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they committed five turnovers of their own, including two fourth-quarter interception returns for touchdowns after Hawaii had closed the score 28-27.

Quarterback Sean Schroeder (19-of-46) threw for 200 yards, but also fired three picks while being sacked four times in the game. His 19 completions were spread around to seven different receivers, but the two interceptions late in the game turned out to be the Warriors' undoing.

The 10 combined turnovers between the two teams made for a sloppy game and spoiled the exceptional rushing performances of Hawaii's Joey Iosefa (22 carries for 106 yards) and Will Gregory (16 carries for 84 yards). Gregory's recent performance brings the freshman running back to 534 yards for the year.

The Warriors dropped to 1-6 on the season, placing them in the basement of the Mountain West Conference at 0-4. With five games left to play, the best Norm Chow's team can achieve is a .500 record for the regular season, which seems unlikely with opponents like Fresno State, Boise State and Air Force on the horizon.

By comparison, Colorado State improved to 2-6 on the season and 1-3 in the Mountain West Conference. The Rams have four games left this season, facing Wyoming next week, followed by UNLV, Boise State and New Mexico. For Colorado State's first-year head coach Jim McElwain, the victory over Hawaii was a building block as he maps out the future of Rams' football.

“I want to say how excited I am for our guys,” declared McElwain (as reported by Kelly Lyell on Coloradoan.com). “It’s something we really needed as a program.”

Just five days after Norm Chow's program secured wide receiver prospect Marcus Kemp from the state of Utah, Hawaii drew a second commitment from the Beehive State when it secured linebacker prospect Drake Miller. While neither Rivals.com nor Scout.com give a star-rating for Miller, he becomes the sixth recruit to declare for the 2013 Warriors.

The 6'2", 210-pound Miller reportedly runs the 40 in 4.7 seconds and has been a MaxPreps.com Player of the Game three times this season. Miller had interest in BYU, Colorado, Utah and Utah State, but jumped at the opportunity to join the Warriors.

"I committed to Hawaii," said Miller, succinctly (as reported by Brandon Huffman of Scout.com). "It's pretty awesome."

Miller was recruited as an outside linebacker, a position that will find a vacancy after this season when senior LB Darryl McBride graduates. While he plans to make his official visit to the campus after the football season concludes, the Bingham High School senior cited several reasons (as reported by Brandon Huffman of Scout.com) why he chose Hawaii, including "the coaching staff, the location and the education the school provides."

While two recruits do not point to a trend, it is possible that seeing Kemp and Miller commit to Hawaii's program may spark additional Utah high school talent to head west for their college careers. Other prospects from the state of Utah reportedly on Hawaii's wish list include: DT Ofa Hautau (2-star), LB Albert Tai (2-star), DB Kyle Tarter (no rating), WR Ammon Barker (2-star), and DT Lowell Lotulelei (3-star).

Currently bearing the heavy yoke of a four-game losing streak, the Hawaii Warriors may not have a better opportunity than they have this week to get back into the winning habit.

Hawaii travels to the campus of Colorado State to face a 1-6 Rams team that hasn't won since opening day against in-state rival Colorado.

“Both teams need a win very, very  badly for their programs,” Hawaii head coach Norm Chow explained in his weekly press conference (UH Athletics Channel on YouTube.com) as he made an assessment of this weekend's battle with Colorado State. “But only one can win.”

Rams starting quarterback Garrett Grayson (75-of-129 for 885 yards and seven TDs) was hopeful that he could return from his previous clavicle surgery for the game against Hawaii, but he is most likely not going to be active. Also hopeful for a return against the Warriors is backup quarterback M.J. McPeek.

McPeek (43-of-76, 533 yards and four TDs) filled in for Grayson until he also went down with an injury, but may be available as the second-stringer this weekend. “We’re hopeful, as we are with all of these guys, that we can get [McPeek] back sooner than later,” head coach Jim McElwain explained (as reported by Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post). “Hopefully we can get him in a backup role, is what we’re trying to look for, as we move forward.”

As neither Grayson nor McPeek are fully healed, the Rams announced that redshirt freshman Connor Smith (18-of-22 for 165 yards) is the confirmed starter. The third-string QB was pressed into service in the loss to San Diego State when McPeek went down with a shoulder injury.

Smith's inexperience may cause the Rams to run the ball, but their rushing attack has been averaging fewer than 100 yards a game this season. Often-injured leading rusher Chris Nwoke (62 carries for 221 yards) has most recently fallen victim to an ankle sprain, and will probably be a game-time decision by the Rams' coaching staff.

Other injuries for Colorado State include DBs Kevin Pierre-Louis and Austin Gray, as well as DLs Curtis Wilson and Zach Tiedgen. All are questionable for Saturday.

The Warriors, too, have had difficulties with injuries this season, in addition to their uneven play and a brutal travel schedule. Despite the hardships, Norm Chow is hopeful that the Warriors can make improvements to turn the balance of this year around.

“We’re making this the second half of the season,” Chow declared in his weekly press conference (UH Athletics Channel on YouTube.com) “and we need to do well, obviously, this weekend.”

Game Time: Saturday, Oct. 27, Hughes Stadium, Fort Collins, Colorado, 7pm ET; 5pm MT. Television: Root Sports

It is a bye week for the Hawaii Warriors, and while Norm Chow has had his troubles with the on-field performance of his team this season, his well-known reputation for offense continues to work for him. Despite the fact that Chow's team is mired in a three-game losing streak, the program picked up its fifth recruiting commitment this week.

Wide receiver Marcus Kemp, a 6'4" recruit from Layton, Utah made his verbal commitment to Norm Chow's program on Oct. 16. Kemp was clocked at 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash, with a 32.7-inch vertical jump. Along with guard John Wa'a and quarterback Aaron Zwahlen, Kemp is the third offensive recruit to commit to Hawaii.

"I really like the coaches and the program," explained Kemp (as reported by Stephen Tsai of the Star Advertiser on StarAdvertiserBlogs.com) in speaking of his decision to join the Warriors. After previously receiving offers from Hawaii on two occasions, the Warriors came calling again a third (and possibly final) time this past weekend, and Kemp accepted on Tuesday.

"The coaching staff is great," Kemp said in explaining his decision to join the Warriors (per Brandon Huffman's article on Scout.com). "And who wouldn't want to go to Hawaii?"

According to Huffman, Norm Chow had noticed Kemp while he was still an offensive coordinator at Utah. Now, as the head coach the Warriors, Chow has secured Kemp, and while he can play other positions, the Hawaii has him tabbed as a wide receiver.

"I'm pretty positive they want me just as a receiver, but we'll see when I get out there," mused Kemp (as quoted in Huffman's article) about his future college career. "I can't wait to play football at the next level."

Norm Chow stepped out for his weekly press conference and—after his team had suffered its fourth straight loss—the normally open and affable head coach of Hawaii had noticeably shorter answers to questions that, in past weeks, would have elicited lengthy, thoughtful replies.

Chow enumerated (on UH Athletics YouTube channel) the shortcomings and mistakes made by the Warriors during their 35-23 loss to New Mexico, and concluded in summation, "We need to be technically better." Better needs to include stopping the run, as the Lobos cut through the Warriors' defense for 332 yards in the game, going 9-for17 on third down conversions and 3-for-4 on fourth down.

While the loss was closer than the blowout defeats that Hawaii fans have endured in the past three weeks, the dominance by New Mexico included an overwhelming 17-minute time of possession advantage, fewer penalty yards, a higher pass completion percentage, more yards per pass and plus-3 in turnovers. The Lobos staked themselves to a 21-0 lead before the Warriors finally got on the board when quarterback Sean Schroeder hit Scott Harding with a 51-yard touchdown pass with just 5:55 left in the first half.

During his press conference, Chow had been asked about making a change in quarterback to possibly spark the team. The head coach dismissed the question out-of-hand and left no doubt regarding his loyalty to the junior quarterback.

“Sean Schroeder’s my quarterback," Chow said simply in response (on UH Athletics YouTube channel). "Sean Schroeder’s my quarterback.”

Schroeder went 20-for-42 in the game for 272 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, but Hawaii did not get its second touchdown until junior cornerback Mike Edwards ran back a third quarter kickoff 100 yards to close the score to 28-17. A final 1-yard touchdown run by running back John Lister brought the score to 28-23 with 9:49 left to play, but the Hawaii defense could not keep the Lobos out of the end zone and surrendered the touchdown that sealed the victory for New Mexico with 3:49 left to play.

“We need to fight some more," Chow said, at the weekly press conference (on UH Athletics YouTube channel). "We really need to fight some more.”

The Warriors had notable performances from running back Will Gregory (13 carries for 99 yards) and receiver Billy Ray Stutzman (six receptions for 73 yards), but will need more such performances when they travel to Colorado to face the Rams on Oct. 27. Currently, the Colorado State Rams are 1-6 on the season, averaging 15.7 points per game. The Rams have lost their last five games.

"Kids are young, people are very resilient. We're going to get it back going. Now is it going to be next week? Is it going to be next month? Is it going to be six months? I don't know, but we're going to get this thing going.”—head coach Norm Chow, in his Oct. 8 press conference (UH Athletics YouTube channel).

In his Oct. 8 press conference following the loss to San Diego State, head coach Norm Chow enumerated the problems with his team. The loss was particularly difficult following on the heels of a 47-0 loss at the hands of BYU. At 1-4, the Warriors need to find solutions to the problems plaguing their team, but a return to Oahu affords them the opportunity to gain their footing again and make something of the season.

This week sees the New Mexico Lobos (3-3) fly into Hawaii for the first time in 14 years. It is the 22nd meeting between the two teams, where Hawaii holds the edge in the series, 14-7. The game takes on more significance due to the fact that it is a Mountain West game, affording the Warriors an opportunity to improve not only their record, but their conference standing as well.

New Mexico head coach Bob Davie has an impressive résumé, and has brought a new discipline and stability to the Lobos' program. UNM had previously been on a three-year probation, and due to that, the team saw the slow exodus of scholarship players. Currently, the 2012 roster has returned to a high of 75 scholarship players.

Davie's new discipline extends to the field, as well. Nationally, the Lobos are currently averaging the fewest penalty yards at just 37.2 per game.

The big improvement for the Lobos this season is the running game, which is currently averaging 271.7 yards per game. After six games, New Mexico has rushed for 1,680 yards, where they had a total of 1,358 yards for all of 2011. Similarly, their 18 rushing touchdowns has already eclipsed last year's season total of 10. The Lobos rank No. 8 in the country in rushing offense, yet just No. 124 in passing.

Unquestionably, the Warriors will look to play a tough run defense and force the Lobos to beat them through the air. Senior quarterback B.R. Holbrook is 36-for-60 for 277 yards on the season, with just one touchdown.

For the Warriors, freshman Will Gregory provides the power on the ground with 351 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The Warriors have played from behind for most of the season, where opposing defenses can simply release an all-out rush while ignoring the run. For that reason, junior quarterback Sean Schroeder's numbers have been subpar, with just 812 passing yards and seven touchdowns.

The Warriors are coming off a 52-14 loss to San Diego State where they could scratch out just 12 first downs and 61 yards rushing while committing three turnovers. "We need to be better," said Chow in his press conference (UH Athletics YouTube channel). "We can't make dumb mistakes like we're making."

Hawaii is 1-1 this season at home, and a bid to a bowl game is still a possibility if they can start winning. However, Norm Chow knows that the current slide needs to stop now, and the team needs to put together a solid effort to beat the Lobos.

"The effort's there, and we're going to keep on trying," declared Chow (UH Athletics YouTube channel) about his Warriors. "It's going to take every ounce of energy from the coaching staff and we intend to do that."

Trevor Davis caught a touchdown pass from Sean Schroeder in the second quarter, and Will Gregory had a short touchdown run early in the third, but aside from that, offense was in short supply for the Hawaii Warriors in their 52-14 loss to San Diego State.

Norm Chow had expressed the desire earlier in the week [at his October 1 press conference on the University of Hawaii YouTube Channel] for the Warriors to keep sustained offensive drives going, and to keep his defense off the field. The offense could respond with only 173 yards of total offense, giving the ball away on three fumbles.

Able to collect but 12 first downs in the game, the Warriors' rushing attack was nearly non-existent, ending the game with just 61 total yards. Of that total, 22 came on a run by Gregory, who was the game's leading rusher with 81 yards.

While he did not throw an interception in the game, Hawaii quarterback Sean Schroeder was a mere 14-of-28 for 112 yards. He was sacked twice in the game.

Offensively, the Warriors were 2-of-11 on third down, and 0-for-2 on fourth down, posting 22:55 in possession time in the game.

San Diego State, meanwhile, jumped to a 21-0 lead and played from a position of dominance from that point forward. With 412 yards of total offense, the Aztecs got a two-touchdown passing performance from quarterback Ryan Katz, who also ran for three more scores.

The Aztecs compiled 27 first downs in the game, moving the ball at will with a 55 percent efficiency on third-down conversions, also benefiting from six penalties committed by the Warriors.

The loss dropped Hawaii to 1-4 on the year, and the urgency to turn the season around has reached a high pitch. The Warriors defense is currently ranked at 123rd in points against, surrendering an average of nearly 44 points per game.

After two road losses (including last week's 47-0 shutout at the hands of BYU), the Warriors will finally return home to face the New Mexico Lobos (3-3) on October 14.