ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. >> For practices on Thursday and Friday, the Hawaii football team brought black shades to cover the lenses of four permanent video cameras affixed at Nusenda Community Stadium.
While the precaution guarded against revealing available personnel and strategy for today’s road game against New Mexico, there was one aspect that was not a secret.
“I’m really focused on these guys putting all three phases together,” UH coach Timmy Chang said. “We’re talking about it. We’re being accountable about it. We’re talking about offense, defense, special teams putting it all together. Eliminate the errors. Eliminate the mistakes. Do your job. Get your fundamentals correct. When they start to do it, when they start to see it, they can get a win under their belt.”
Each team is seeking to end an inauspicious streak. Under Chang, who was hired in January 2022, the Rainbow Warriors are winless in nine road games. Four losses were against Power Five opponents, and two others were one-possession outcomes.
New Mexico has not defeated a Mountain West opponent at University Stadium since Sept. 30, 2017. Since then, the Lobos are 0-20 in conference home games. Today’s game is UNM’s homecoming.
In advance of the 26th meeting between the teams, the Warriors practiced on Monday and Tuesday at their grass field, used Wednesday as a travel day, and worked on fundamentals — such as route precision, ball security and defensive positioning — during workouts at Nusenda.
The Warriors also continued to address their problematic slow starts. In their opening drives this year, the Warriors are averaging 1.2 yards per play and 4.4 yards a possession. They have amassed 255 yards in their first three drives of games this season, an average of 12.1 yards per possession. Their first three drives have resulted in a touchdown, a field goal, 16 punts, two interceptions and a failed fourth down.
“What it comes down to is early execution,” Chang said. “We’re not executing early. We’re executing further down the road, like drive five, six, seven, eight, all those drives. We’re executing later but not the first drives. The plays are the plays. The defense is the defense. It really comes down to executing and taking every play and just doing your job.”
New Mexico offers a base defense that has similarities to the one UH faced last week. The common thread is Rocky Long, who installed a 3-3-5 scheme as San Diego State’s head coach and then in his second stint with the Lobos. Long is now with Syracuse.
“First of all, they’re good defenses, they’re tough defenses,” Chang said of the Long-inspired 3-3-5. “But there are similarities in what they do. Being able to see it back-to-back should help us. But you’ve got to execute. That’s the biggest thing.”
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Kickoff: noon, Albuquerque, N.M.
TBV: Pay-per-view
Radio: KKEA, 1420-am
Line: UNM – 1
