Hawaii head coach Todd Graham promises his football team will display a hard-hitting, heat-seeking approach.

“Hit in practice?” Graham said. “We’re going to be physical. I believe you have to play the game with physicality. You can’t do that if you don’t practice with physicality.”

Graham was hired as Nick Rolovich’s successor in January. While the Rainbow Warriors went through conditioning drills for two months, the pandemic led to the cancellation of the 14 spring practices and the spring game. With no in-person contact among coaches and players the past seven weeks, instruction has been through Zoom meetings, FaceTime chats and video sessions.

Graham said the absence of practices has forced the Warriors to become creative in honing tackling techniques.

“The biggest thing we’re doing is sending them film about tracking,” Graham said. “What tracking means is taking the proper angle to the football. We want to eliminate the two-way cut of a running back, so he’ll only be able to go one way. Tracking and taking the right angle are what make you a great tackler. We’re sending them film showing great tracking, great tackling, striking in the strike zone. There are a lot of angles and mathematics involved in it.”

Graham said he remains hopeful the Warriors will be permitted to open training camp in late July. Whatever the starting date, Graham indicated every player but the quarterbacks will be eligible for contact in drills.

“When we go into training camp, we want to establish our mind-set in how we play the game,” Graham said.

During the season, there will be physical practices on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with lighter workouts on the Thursdays and Fridays ahead of game night.

“Once we start practicing, (the players) are going to go, ‘wow, that is physical,’ ” Graham said. “There’s nothing finesse about it. If you’re going to be a physical football team on Saturday, you’ve got to be a physical football team on Tuesday and Wednesday. … I believe in simulation. You’ve got to simulate playing fast and playing physical. If you don’t, you’re not going to play that way on Saturday.”

Graham acknowledged the Warriors have the DNA that fits his schemes.

“Our players have a blue-collar, hard-edged toughness about them that I love,” Graham said. “I like these players. What I don’t like is entitlement. I don’t like softness. I don’t like people who are soft. Our guys are the opposite of that. I think it’s a great fit. … You look at our offensive line. You look at our interior defensive line. We’ve got powerful, physical people. There’s a lot you can do with that.”

Graham said many of the defensive fundamentals — not leading with the helmet, not looking down — need more than video sessions to be perfected.

“There are things we can show on film, and teach it, teach it, teach it,” Graham said. “But we’ve got to simulate it in practice. And that’s why we’re hoping to get back on the field soon. … I love being around these guys. I was so pumped to get out there for spring ball and start teaching them. That’s what’s tough being away from them. I’m ready to get out there and start coaching them again. That’s a big deal.”