EL PASO, Texas » Talk about cold turkey.

"It was the coldest sunny day I’ve ever been involved in," head coach Greg McMackin said of the Hawaii football team’s chilly 90-minute Thanksgiving Day practice at Burges High School.

Assistant coach Cal Lee, whose head was wrapped in a towel, estimated the wind-chill at 35 degrees.

Video coordinator Chris Williams, atop the roof of the coaches booth, yelled: "Turn off the AC!"

The key? "Wear more clothes," said quarterback Bryant Moniz, who had a long-sleeved undershirt and high socks. "And stay in huddles. I watched the ‘Survivorman’ on the History Channel, and I learned how to stay warm."

Linebacker Corey Paredes said he wore gloves. "I only use them when I have to use them," he said.

In preparation for tomorrow’s road game against New Mexico State, the Warriors are staying in El Paso. Burges High is a mile from the hotel. The Warriors will make the 1-hour drive to Las Cruces, N.M., today for a walk-through session in the Aggies’ stadium.

"We’re not concerned," Moniz said. They "have to play in the same weather as we do, so it’ll be fine."

The QB shuffle

As his UH playing career winds down, backup quarterback Brent Rausch has worked on scout teams during practices, giving the younger passers more reps with the top offensive units. This week, Rausch made another sacrifice, relinquishing a berth on the travel roster. He is working on a school project that is due Monday. Second-year freshman Cayman Shutter is Rausch’s replacement on this trip.

"Personally, I feel I’ve taken some good steps in the past couple of weeks," Shutter said. "I’m finally getting comfortable back there playing quarterback (in practice) and being in charge of the huddle, and kind of just managing the offense. That’s the quarterback’s job. It’s fun to learn that and practice as if you’re preparing for a game." 

The bird is the word

Instead of the usual menu of chicken and pasta, the Warriors ate turkey last night.

"You always wish to be with your real family," safety Mana Silva said, "but this was a good way to bond."

Middle linebacker George Daily-Lyles said this "business trip" takes priority over the holiday tradition. But he admitted to missing his family’s Thanksgiving meals.

"We had 60 people every year — big tables, saying grace," Daily-Lyles said. "You ate until you dropped. We always had fried turkey. None of the oven-baked, 7 hours basting. It was 45 minutes in the deep fryer. It’s better that way. The turkey is always moist, and you can inject whatever flavor you want. And you don’t have to wait 8 hours for it to be done. I have a big family — nine brothers and a sister. We fry seven turkeys. We don’t like to wait."