HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS (0-5, 0-3 IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST)

HAWAII OFFENSE

Quarterback Taylor Graham had his best three practices this week since suffering an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder that kept him from playing the past two games. Graham, who started the first three, is available, but the likely scenario is Sean Schroeder will start and Ikaika Woolsey will have an expanded role. In the past six quarters, Schroeder has completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 663 yards and six touchdowns. But during that time, Schroeder has been hit 21 times, including 17 by San Jose State last week. UH has tried to provide protection for Schroeder by using shotgun snaps, aligning Clark Evans in the backfield, and calling more rollouts. What would help is stability on the offensive line. The Rainbow Warriors opened the competition on the right side with Ben Dew and Dave Lefotu competing at right guard, and Sean Shigematsu, Frank Loyd Jr. and David Griffin at right tackle. Billy Ray Stutzmann, who did not play in the first three games while re-acclimating following a car accident, has scored a touchdown in each of the past two games. He leads the Warriors with a yards-after-catch average of 6.43. Stutzmann is expected to start. The Warriors are short-handed at receiver. Keith Kirkwood did not make the trip while recovering from a concussion, and Marcus Kemp is unlikely to play after suffering a foot injury in a mo-ped accident. Kwamane Bowens has moved from cornerback to receiver.

HAWAII DEFENSE

Facing good quarterbacks the past two games, the Rainbow Warriors countered with nickel and dime coverages. To flood the passing lanes with an extra DB or two, the Warriors had to pull a nose tackle. The result was an ineffective pass rush, wider gaps on the line of scrimmage for the running backs, and more time for the quarterbacks. Last week, three San Jose State freshman running backs combined for 230 rushing yards (5.1 yards per carry). The Spartans averaged 19.9 yards per completion. The Warriors used three down linemen on 93.3 percent of the defensive plays. The Spartans averaged 2.67 rushing yards against UH’s four-man front, and 4.6 yards against a three-lineman front. The Warriors are expected to use more of their 4-3 base defense today. They also plan to give more playing time to freshman lineman Kennedy Tulimasealii, who can play both end and tackle. Even in the base package, expect UH to have some schemes in which strong-side linebackers TJ Taimatuia and Jerrol Garcia-Williams are in the game at the same time. Garcia-Williams has played 70 and 65 snaps, respectively, the past two games. Safety Trayvon Henderson, who did well as the dime back the past two games, now will have an expanded role at safety. Henderson’s emergence allows John Hardy-Tuliau to play some downs at cornerback. Another freshman, Anthony Pierce, has ascended to third cornerback.

HAWAII SPECIAL TEAMS

UNLV (3-2, 1-0 IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST)

UNLV OFFENSE

The past couple of years, Caleb Herring was the backup plan. Herring was recruited for a spread offense that no longer existed. That opened the way for Nick Sherry, whose impressive freshman season in 2012 made him appear to be the quarterback of the future. But this year, new offensive coordinator Timm Rosenbach re-installed the spread, a scheme that did not fit Sherry’s pocket skills. Herring replaced Sherry as the starter in the third game, leading the Rebels to their first three-game winning streak since 2003. In those games, Herring has completed 79.5 percent of his passes (62 of 78) for 649 yards and eight touchdowns. He has not been intercepted in that span, resulting in an efficiency rating of 188.61. “It definitely was a little tough,” Herring said of his sideline time. “It took a lot of help from teammates to get through some of the things you go through.” Herring received a boost from wideouts Devante Davis, Anthony Williams and Marcus Sullivan. Despite operating out of a no-huddle, hurry-up offense, the Rebels are rooted in a ground game. Tim Cornett, who averages 99.6 rushing yards per game, needs 203 more yards to surpass Mike Thomas’ UNLV-record of 3,149 career rushing yards. Cornett has fumbled twice in 599 career carries. The offensive line does not start a senior, but the blockers create openings on zone reads and pulls. What’s more, the Rebels have committed only one penalty — a hold — in the past 10 quarters.

UNLV DEFENSE

During the Mountain West Media Preview, head coach Bobby Hauck acknowledged that “defense and UNLV have not been synonymous.” But the Rebels have redefined that image. The Rebels are No. 1 nationally in pass defense (134.0 yards per game). The success is due in part to the head coach’s brother, Tim Hauck, who was hired as defensive coordinator. Tim Hauck played 13 seasons in the NFL and coached with the Cleveland Browns last year. He implemented a 4-3 base, then added multiple-blitz schemes. All eight sacks have come from the defensive line. Peni Vea is a hard-hitting safety, and Tani Maka makes the calls from the middle. The inspiration comes from Tim Hasson, who received no Division I offers as a high school senior. While his half-brother, cornerback Tajh Hasson, received a scholarship, Tim Hasson was instead given an opportunity to compete as a true freshman. Tim Hasson made the most of the chance, earning a starting job, and eventually being awarded a scholarship. “I want to be an example to the guys out there who had to join as a walk-on and then try to make it,” Tim Hasson said. “My next goal is I want to be a leader, the guy everybody counts on.” The Hasson brothers expect to have a different sort of drive after they earn their degrees. Their dream is to own a trucking company. “We want to start small, and hopefully expand,” Tim Hasson said. “It starts with a dream.”

UNLV SPECIAL TEAMS

The Rebels have had mixed results in the battle for field position. They are ranked 90th nationally in kickoff defense, relinquishing an average of 22.7 yards per return. After being burned for a return for a touchdown, they have relied on pooch and squib kickoffs. Of their 30 kickoffs, four have ended up as touchbacks and three sailed out of bounds. The Rebels are better on punts. Logan Yunker leads the Mountain West Conference with an average of 46.4 yards.