UCLA coach DeShaun Foster clapped and showed unabashed enthusiasm for the countdown to Saturday’s game against Hawaii at the Ching Complex.
The Bruins’ regular-season opener will be their first game as a member of the Big Ten.
“All right, game week,” Foster told reporters during Monday’s news conference. “I’m ready to go. Players are fired up. We’re excited for this game traveling to Hawaii.”
Foster said there are several Hawaii-reared Bruins who “are happy to get back and play on the island.” Assistant head coach Brian Norwood is a former UH player. Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe is a Kamehameha graduate who was the Rainbow Warriors’ special teams coordinator and defensive line coach in 2008. Foster has hinted at slightly curbing his players’ enthusiasm.
“You can say that a little bit,” Foster said. “But, you know, I still want them to have energy and stuff. You gotta be enthusiastic out here. You gotta be excited to be able to play the game. You know, it’s zero week, so I’m fired up. I know they are, and I’m not holding them back. So, if they want to let it out, let it out.”
The Bruins were able to review video of the Warriors’ 35-14 victory over Delaware State on Saturday. Foster said the Warriors have “some high-energy guys (who) play together offensively and defensively, just a team. So I told my guys, ‘no matter our opponent, we’ve got to go out there and play. You know, it really doesn’t matter who we’re going up against, just play our Bruin standard, and we should be good.’”
The Bruins are wary of UH quarterback Brayden Schager, who passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more. Schager averaged 5.1 yards on non-sack scrambles and keepers.
“He ran a lot more in this game than he did last season, I would assume — well, I would say, not assume,” Foster said. “He’s a good quarterback. We’re going to hopefully contain him and just continue to play good defense and cause havoc.”
Foster also did not appear to be concerned about the Ching Complex’s austere conditions. Ching is the Warriors’ temporary home facility until a replacement for Aloha Stadium is built. The Bruins will use a baseball locker room and cordoned area at Les Murakami Stadium.
“I’m not going to talk about their field,” Foster said. “I’m just glad that we’ll be able to play a game this weekend.”
Defensive tackle Jay Toia told Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times: “I mean (Ching has) two end zones, so we’ve got an opportunity to play football.”
