This week, Hawaii football coach Nick Rolovich has emphasized that all feel-good stories have expiration dates.

Rolovich said the Rainbow Warriors’ comeback victory over Massachusetts last week “showed we’re not good enough to take anybody lightly. You’re always happy when you come out with a win. But it’s not like we’re Alabama.”

Rolovich has a cautionary approach for today’s game against Western Carolina, an FCS school that offers 22 fewer football scholarships than an FBS team’s limit of 85.

“This could be a program-changing victory for this (WCU) team,” Rolovich said.

Five WCU coaches — including head coach Mark Speir, offensive coordinator Brad Glenn and defensive coordinator John Wiley — were part of the Appalachian State team that upset Michigan in 2007. Friday marked the 10th anniversary of that game.

“They’ve done it,” Rolovich said. “I’m sure they’re selling it. I would. ‘Guys, we’ve done it. It’s not Goliath.’”

Rolovich also recalled his first game as a UH quarterback in 2000.

“It almost ended my career because of Portland State,” Rolovich said of that season-opening loss to an FCS team. “It’s 11 players on the field for each team. Maybe I say it too much, but I think they’ve got good coaching. It’s hard to say on defense right now. But what they do on offense, the guy knows what he’s doing. The quarterback is another year older in the system. They’re going to have nothing to lose. We have to play our style of football.”

Speir said the Catamounts usually travel with up to 72 players. Because of financial constraints, this travel roster is 64.

“It added up to a lot of competition this preseason,” Speir said. “I didn’t have to do a lot of motivating for guys to get on special teams and fighting for depth-chart positions.”

Speir said he tried to keep the focus on the game instead of the trip.

“Our guys are smart enough, they know that,” Speir said. “This trip is 100 percent about opening the 2017 football season and playing the game of football. I let them know Saturday is going to be no different than being in Lexington, Va., when we’re playing VMI. Maybe the view out of the hotel room might look a little better. Other than that, it’s going to be what we do on a normal trip.”

The Catamounts employ a fast-tempo, read-option offense. The schemes’ architect, Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez, shared concepts with the Appalachian State coaches when he was at Virginia Tech. “When I came to Western Carolina from Appalachian State (in December 2011), three of our offensive coaches came with me,” Speir said. “We brought the same offense minus Armanti Edwards, our great quarterback. We spent a lot of time with Coach Rod. That’s where it all started.”