For Saturday’s football game between Hawaii and Colorado State, the forecast calls for brrrr and shivers.
The sun is scheduled to set 10 minutes before the 5 p.m. Mountain Time kickoff at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins, Colo. It is predicted the mercury will drop below 40 degrees that night.
SATURDAY’S GAME Vs. Colorado State in Fort Collins, 2 p.m. TV: ESPNU Radio: KKEA |
But the Rainbow Warriors, who left Honolulu on Thursday afternoon, are not preoccupied with the weather or other environmental issues. The equipment crew is not packing long-sleeved shirts for the linemen.
The elevation at Sonny Lubick Field is 5,190 feet above sea level.
Asked if he was concerned about the thin air, UH coach Norm Chow said this week, "Not one single bit. We’re just going to play for three hours. It’s not going to get us for three hours. We’re not going to make a big deal about it."
This is the Warriors’ second game in Colorado this season. In September, they played the University of Colorado in Boulder (elevation 5,430 feet). Last year, at the highest level in college football — 7,165 in Laramie, Wyo. — the Warriors scored 56 points.
The Warriors, similar to other teams at this time of the season, conducted abbreviated practices this week. On Wednesday, the players were in pads for the first two-thirds of practice. They ran drills for about an hour on Thursday and are expected to have a modified practice Friday in Colorado.
Running back Joey Iosefa, who has completed his three-game suspension, is set to play extensively. The Warriors might use as many as five running backs against the Rams.
This will be a homecoming of sorts for backup quarterback Beau Reilly.
Reilly initially signed with Colorado State in February 2011 with the intent of going on a two-year church mission that fall.
During his mission, CSU changed coaches. When Reilly returned in 2013, he sought to transfer. CSU granted Reilly’s petition to transfer. What’s more, CSU coach Jim McElwain supported a request to allow Reilly to play this season without redshirting. The Mountain West Conference approved the motion, enabling Reilly to sign with Hawaii.
Reilly is listed as the Warriors’ No. 2 quarterback behind starter Ikaika Woolsey. Reilly has not played this season. Chow has said there are no plans to redshirt Reilly this season and, if needed, he will play.