The instruction period has ended for the University of Hawaii’s fall semester, but the football lessons continue.

The Rainbow Warriors’ participation in the Dec. 24 SoFi Hawaii Bowl gives them bonus practices to develop redshirts and inexperienced players.

During the regular season, scout members portray upcoming opponents in practices leading to a game. For this week’s practices, the scouts have been running UH’s schemes.

“We’re getting a chance to save some legs of the older kids, and work with some of the kids who have been on scout team and haven’t been doing live reps with (the top units),” said Brian Smith, UH’s offensive coordinator and associate head coach. “It’s good to develop your younger guys and evaluate guys you haven’t had a chance to see for a little bit.”

Defensive coordinator Corey Batoon said: “These young guys keep developing and getting ready for spring (training). It’s like an extra spring practice.”

Freshman quarterbacks Boone Abbott and Zach Daniel have taken several snaps with the top rotation. “It’s a process in this offense,” Smith said. “There’s a lot of learning. They’ve come a long way since fall camp. There’s been a lot of growth through meeting time and learning. But as soon as it gets live, everything speeds up for them. They need more and more of those reps.”

Starting quarterback Cole McDonald has served as a peer mentor.

“I was on scout team my first year out here,” said McDonald, a fourth-year junior. “I had some guys mentor me and teach me and take me under their wing. I’ve been trying to help out Boone and Zach as much as I can. They’ve been grinding on scout team all year. It’s fun to see them getting reps and running our offensive schemes.”

A two-year-old NCAA rule enables a player to appear in up to four games and still qualify for a redshirt year. The Warriors have eight potential redshirts who can play in the Hawaii Bowl, including wideouts Jonah Panoke and Mekel Ealey, and defensive backs Michael Washington and Tiger Peterson. Kohl Levao is a senior offensive lineman who has never redshirted in two years at City College of San Francisco and two at UH. Levao, who has played in three games this season, can play in the bowl game and still redshirt.

“We saved guys with the four-game deal,” Batoon said. “They’ll be activated for this week. They’ll have a little bigger role.”

Panoke and Ealey will expand the rotation at wideout, where JoJo Ward, Jared Smart and Nick Mardner have shared time the past several weeks. Freshman right guard Bubba Wa‘a, who has played in three games, starting two, has benefited from the four-game rule and the extra practices.

“He’ll be able to play in the bowl game if we need him to,” Smith said of Wa‘a. “That’s a huge experience for a player who happens to be a freshman.”