As it prepares to host San Jose State tonight, the University of Hawaii football team’s record is 2-4. But it could easily be 1-5 or 3-3. It might even be 4-2 if just a couple of plays had gone the other way.

The only two games where Hawaii was clearly overmatched were against Colorado State and at UCLA.

First, here’s why the Rainbow Warriors could have just one win (and that against an FCS team) at the midway point of the season.

UH needed a late drive to win 38-35 at UMass in the season opener Aug. 26. That victory looks less impressive every week. The Minutemen have never been defeated by more than 10 points, but they’ve lost every game and are now 0-6.

Regardless, that win five time zones from home was a fine start to the season for Hawaii. The last time UH started with a road nonconference win was in 1992. And that team is being honored tonight as one of the best — if not the best — in school history.

Hawaii had many chances to win in its 28-21 overtime loss at Wyoming — a team that is 3-2, with the losses coming against Iowa and Oregon, both decent Power 5 conference teams.

If not for the rash of untimely penalties at Nevada last week, the Warriors could have gone into halftime with a lead and won that one, too, instead of losing 35-21.

Yes, that’s a lot of “could haves.”

What it all means is UH has the talent to be a winning team.

But something is wrong, and it’s easy to see for anyone.

Penalties and defense.

Too many of the former and too little of the latter.

You know that old one about offensive linemen only being noticed when they make mistakes? Well, that’s the Rainbow Warriors this year. They don’t receive the credit they deserve for opening those holes for Diocemy Saint Juste. And when they do, it’s overshadowed by all those penalties for holding, hands to the face and unsportsmanlike conduct.

They’ve lost their position coach as Chris Naeole quit. But there should be no excuses from here on out.

As for the defense, with the exception of linebacker Jahlani Tavai and few others, the Warriors have been missing in action: missing assignments and missing tackles.

At the midway point of the season some of the stats lead to this conclusion: The Rainbow Warriors are a team of extremes.

If they can clean up what ails them, they can be extremely good. If they don’t they can be extremely bad.

People talk about a team’s identity. This squad has a split personality.

UH has the nation’s No. 3 rusher in Saint Juste and No. 3 receiver in John Ursua (both in total yards). If Ursua hadn’t missed a game due to injury, it’s quite possible he’d have entered this week at No. 1.

It’s true that UH’s offensive yardage numbers could be inflated because it covered much of the same ground more than once due to so many penalties. But it works the other way, too: When Saint Juste’s 84-yard touchdown was called back Saturday at Nevada, Hawaii was forced to punt before it could make up the yards.

Whether or not some of it is duplicated work, a lot of those yards have been negated by penalties, too. With 523 yards in penalties, Hawaii is second only to Oregon (562) in a stat where you don’t want to be near the top.

This offense has weapons, but not enough of them to afford so many mistakes.

Dru Brown is getting criticism, and that almost always happens to the quarterback of a 2-4 team. But here’s an interesting fact: Brown has completed 65 percent of his passes to put him 27th nationally. What makes it more interesting is he is two spots ahead of UCLA’s Josh Rosen (remember him?) and four above USC’s Sam Darnold.

Special teams have been a mixed bag of the good, the bad and the ugly. But the good includes leading the country in blocked kicks, tied with Utah State at 4. Individually, Meffy Koloamatangi is tied with seven other players at the top with 2.

Among the most important numbers are those for third-down efficiency, where UH is 126th out of 129 on defense. It’s better than most on offense, though, at 69th. But that is negated by being just five from the bottom of the list in scoring from the red zone.

For UH so far this season, the bad has often canceled out the good. Even if it continues to get in its own way, Hawaii might beat 1-5 San Jose State. But don’t count on it — remember, Nevada was winless before it played the ’Bows.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.