In football practices this week, Hawaii’s defense was restless.

Adhering to defensive coordinator Legi Suiaunoa’s animated instructions, the Rainbow Warriors went through drills, repeated them when they erred, ferociously maneuvered through blocks, and bear-hugged ballcarriers. They also followed Suiaunoa’s mantra: celebrate when you make a play, fix it when you don’t.

This season, the Warriors’ defense has been under continuous repair. Opponents are averaging 474.2 yards and 37.2 points per game. The Warriors have struggled on first down (8.1 yards per play), on third down (52 percent conversions) and in the red zone (80 percent scoring). They have been burned for 43 big plays (of at least 20 yards), including 13 of 30-plus yards. The Warriors have yielded a touchdown or field goal on 32 of 68 full drives (47.1 percent). Starting quarterbacks have completed 68.9 percent of their passes against the UH coverage.

“We’re not executing, we’re not playing very well,” Suiaunoa said. “When those things happen, they score points, they get yards, and they win football games.”

There have been injuries in the secondary and unavailability on the defensive line this season. During the offseason, rush end Jamie Tago was dismissed from the program, defensive tackle Ka‘aumoana Gifford was suspended for the season, and defensive lineman Kennedy Tulimasealii did not meet the academic requirements to rejoin following last year’s suspension.

“That’s football,” Suiaunoa said. “At this point of the season, not everybody is playing with the right chips. Not everybody has the same roster as when the season started. To me, that’s just how it is. It doesn’t change the fact that we have to stick with what gives us the best chance to win football games.”

The Warriors had 13 sacks in the first three games, but two since then, including zip in the past two games. Cornerback Rojesterman Farris’ acrobatic interception last week ended a UH streak of three games without a takeaway.

The Warriors often play one-gap schemes that require quickness, discipline and teamwork. A missed assignment can lead to a big gain. “If it’s 70 plays in the game, we all have to do our job for 70 plays to be successful,” linebacker Russell Williams Jr. said.

Safety Daniel Lewis said each defender has to win his 1-on-1 battle. “It comes down to who it’s more important to, who wants it more,” Lewis said.

There are some schemes that overload an area. But even though a coverage might leave space in the middle, it should not be wide enough for a crossing receiver to be left alone.

“It comes down to just executing our jobs,” Suiaunoa said. “We haven’t been very good at execution. Again, that’s just not on the players. We have to make sure that we, as coaches, are preparing them well enough to execute on Saturday. And the other half has to come from them wanting to get it done and knowing how to get it done.”

Lewis said the defenders’ intensity has not waned and the lapses are correctable.

“I think a little success breeds energy on the sidelines,” Suiaunoa said. “Defensively, we’re not consistent enough to keep that energy going. When we make good plays, guys get excited. When we don’t, we don’t. Right now, we have to be able to get enough confidence in our defense to where, hey, one bad play doesn’t define who we are. It’s OK. We have to keep working. That’s where we are right now.”