CORVALLIS, ORE. >> In its self diagnosis, the University of Hawaii football team does not have time for the pain.
“Conference play starts now,” said head coach Todd Graham, whose Rainbow Warriors host San Jose State in this Saturday’s Mountain West opener at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Complex. “We have to get to work.”
After suffering its second road loss to a Pac-12 team — 45-27 to Oregon State at Reser Stadium — the Warriors have compiled a to-do list that includes jump-starting the offense and playing more disciplined defense.
In a script pilfered from the season-opening loss to UCLA, the Warriors struggled early before finding their offensive mojo against OSU. While the Beavers scored on their three first-quarter possessions to race to a 21-0 lead, UH averaged 3.3 yards per play. Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro was 0-for-3 in the first quarter. But the Warriors rebounded to amass 418 yards in the next three quarters. Cordeiro finished with 336 passing yards and two touchdown throws. Cordeiro averaged 15.3 yards on his 24 completions.
“That first quarter, with all those (OSU) scores, set us back,” said wideout Nick Mardner, who led the Warriors with 110 receiving yards. “Once we got rolling, we were rolling. I feel that first quarter is what did it to us.”
Cordeiro said: “We have to get going from the jump. We have to learn from it.”
The Warriors unveiled some innovative concepts. Defensive tackle Foi Shaw was added to the power formation as a fullback. Running back/receiver Calvin Turner, who almost exclusively runs as a wildcat quarterback, showed arm strength on a pass to Jared Smart. Smart was out of bounds when he caught the pass, but now defenses cannot pack the tackle box when Turner is behind center.
“I wish I could have completed it,” Turner said. “It’s all good.”
The Warriors’ first two drives of the second half ended in interceptions. Cordeiro said he will analyze videos to figure out what led to the “miscommunication” of the first pick. The second one was the byproduct of a deflection of a fourth-down pass.
UH also will have to patch a defense that yielded 558 yards to a fast-tempo opponent.
The Beavers racked up 256 rushing yards, led by B.J. Baylor’s 171.
The Warriors were without defensive end Jonah Laulu, who did not make the trip because of an injury. Laulu is an aggressive edge setter and, at 6 feet 6, an obstacle on passes into the flats. DJuan Matthews, who was splitting reps with O’tay Baker at rush end, filled in for Laulu. Baker led the Warriors with seven tackles.
Graham praised Hugh Nelson II and Jalen Perdue for their pass coverage. They filled in for cornerback Cameron Lockridge, who had to miss the first half as punishment for a helmet-to-helmet hit the previous week. Against San Jose State, UH’s leading tackler — Darius Muasau — will be inactive for the first half because of a targeting penalty on Saturday. Isaiah Tufaga, who has been in the linebacker rotation, will have an expanded role.
For the Warriors, the focus has shifted to the Mountain West.
“The (league) games coming up are the games that really matter,” Turner said. “We have to dial in, and fix the things that didn’t work in the first three games, so we can get rolling in Mountain West play.”
Cordeiro added: “Our goal is to win the Mountain West championship. Next week is one step.”