The other day, Hawaii football coach Nick Rolovich embarked on a leisurely walk that turned into a 6.5-mile hike.

Rolovich’s Rainbow Warriors also have come a long way during spring training. Saturday’s practice, the 11th of the spring, emphasized the improvements made on offense and defense the past three weeks.

“It’s been a real productive spring,” Rolovich said.

After a collective mini slump, the Warriors had their best defensive outing on Saturday. They smothered the run in team drills, and found the pressure points with the pass rush and coverage.

Several ailments altered the defensive rotations in recent practices when, according to defensive coordinator Corey Batoon, there was “a little bit of a lull.”

“That’s not an excuse,” Batoon said. “You have to go through it. You have guys down, that’s more of an opportunity (for others). I was disappointed in the fact we lost focus in the things that matter in terms of playing with great effort, playing with emotion.”

But during Saturday’s two-hour practice, the Warriors made mouthpiece-loosening hits and swarmed to ball-carriers. Nose tackle Blessman Taala has controlled the point in the 4-2-5 base and the odd front in nickel coverages. Kai Kaneshiro, who kept his freshman status after playing in four games last season, has been an active defender at nickelback and strong safety. Cortez Davis, who transferred to UH in January after a year at Itawamba Community College, can play both sides in left/right or boundary/field schemes.

Afterward, Batoon noted, “it was good to get back and reset the standard. … That’s something that can’t be up and down. It’s something that has to be consistent. I think they got the message.”

There appears to be stability — and depth — on offense. In recent practices, the offensive line has been set, with right tackle Gene Pryor, who redshirted last year, joining the returning starters — left tackle Ilm Manning, left guard J.R. Hensley, center Kohl Levao and right guard Solo Vaipulu. Rolovich noted Pryor was a utility lineman last year. “It’s really helped him to dial into one position,” Rolovich said of Pryor. “He’s getting comfortable. He’s very determined.”

Quarterbacks Cole McDonald and Chevan Cordeiro also appear to have a firm grasp of the offense. In a scrimmage-like session, McDonald was 7-for-11 in a 75-yard scoring drive, with the last 24 yards on a toss to wideout Jared Smart. Smart has managed to gain space with speed cuts.

“Getting here for the spring has definitely helped,” said Smart, who transferred from Laney College in January. Laney head coach John Beam coached former UH slotback Davone Bess at Skyline High. Smart has worked on his receiving with video sessions, post-practice catching drills, and a rice-squeezing workout. He said he plunges his hands into a bucket of uncooked rice. “You squeeze it, get the forearms tight,” Smart said.