With an assist from Mother Nature, the Hawaii football team yesterday received a needed element — rain — in preparation for Saturday’s road game against second-ranked Boise State.

The forecast calls for chilly rain this weekend in Boise. The Warriors departed yesterday afternoon.

"Love the ua," UH safety Richard Torres said of the rain that drenched the 2-hour practice. "It’s supposed to bring us good luck."

Quarterback Bryant Moniz, who had little difficulty throwing passes, said: "Tuahine rain. That’s what they call Manoa rain, right? It doesn’t make a difference. We played in the rain in Utah State (two weeks ago). It’s not a big deal for us. Rain, snow, storm. We’ll play in anything except lightning."

When he was a Leilehua High quarterback, Moniz recalled, most of the home games were played in Wahiawa’s rain.

"And we didn’t have turf then," Moniz said. "We had the mud. It was real football, like the kind you see on TV."

Head coach Greg McMackin said the Warriors will not be affected by the weather conditions in Boise.

"The good thing is we prepared for that in Utah," McMackin said. "Our guys need to be focused, and weather is one of the factors. This is football. You play in whatever the situation is."

Besides, McMackin added, "I lived in Oregon. The weather doesn’t bother me."

Pilares misses practice

Right slotback Kealoha Pilares did not participate in his second consecutive practice because of a "tweaked" left hamstring.

But Pilares said he expects to start against Boise State.

"I’ll be good," said Pilares, who has 64 catches for 945 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns.

Pilares said he suffered the injury while warming up before the start of the second half of the 45-10 victory over Idaho on Saturday.

He was practicing his two-step, post-catch move when he felt discomfort in his left hamstring.

"I told the trainers and coaches," Pilares said, noting the Warriors were ahead 31-3 at the intermission. "There was no need for me to go back in. We knew this game (against Boise State) would be bigger, and we were ahead. They didn’t want to push anything."

He has received twice-daily treatment on the hamstring.

He said he hopes to be used as a punt returner. Against Idaho, he had two returns for 28 yards, including a 17-yarder that he fielded at the 3.

The punt returners are instructed not to return any punt that lands inside the 10.

"I didn’t feel threatened at all," Pilares said of his decision to attempt a return. "I caught it on the 3, and must have gone back into the end zone. It’s all about trust. You have to trust that your teammates are going to block. I trusted they would cover their man, and they did."

Green’s mom to attend

The UH coaches were happy to learn that running back Alex Green’s mother would be attending the Boise State game. In the two UH games Phyllis Smith has attended this season, Green has rushed for a combined 279 yards and seven touchdowns.

Smith averaged 10.33 yards per carry in those games.

"She’ll be there," Green said, smiling.

Green said he welcomes playing in the rain.

As a Portland resident, Green is either used to running in the rain, or the wet conditions lead to more running plays being called.

"Either way, I’ll be ready," Green said.