Everyone who followed the University of Hawaii football team 15 years ago remembers the significance of the numbers 72-45 and 20.

They are the final score of the Brigham Young game in which the Warriors crushed the Cougars, and the number of touchdowns thrown in the final three games of the 2001 season by UH’s new head coach, Nick Rolovich, with eight of them coming in that rout of BYU.

But what about 35 and seven? Those numbers also contributed vastly to Hawaii’s 9-3 season that spurred the creation of the Hawaii Bowl.

UH tied for fourth in the nation in forcing 35 turnovers. And seven of them came in that BYU game. As the convincing win over Arizona State in the 2006 Hawaii Bowl set UH up for its undefeated run and Sugar Bowl appearance the next year, the rout of BYU spurred Hawaii to three more winning seasons in a row.

Rolovich remembers the takeaways as more important than the 612 yards the Warriors allowed that day, and that’s a big part of why he tabbed Kevin Lempa for a return as defensive coordinator.

Unlike some fans questioning the hiring, Rolovich understands that the run-and-shoot offense has a tendency to warp defensive stats like yardage allowed and points — especially in a game when the winning team scores 72, and scores them so quickly.

He said another reason for the hire is the affinity players had for Lempa.

“I knew all my (defensive) teammates loved him and played (hard) for him,” Rolovich said, as he introduced his staff Thursday at the Downtown Athletic Club’s meeting at the Hukilau Restaurant.

While the increase in offense in college football changes the stats and which ones really mean anything, Rolovich said the UH defense — which he coached against the past four seasons as Nevada offensive coordinator — has never stopped hitting hard.

“There’s always a fear of how you might feel when you wake up the next morning (after playing Hawaii),” he said. “We want to continue that.”

Lempa is UH’s fifth defensive coordinator in six years. Zak Hill would be the sixth coordinator in six years on offense, except that the Rainbow Warriors went with the position empty in 2013 when Aaron Price was fired before the season started and head coach Norm Chow called the plays.

Every new coach wrestles with this one: Do you adapt the personnel that was recruited for a different style to your schemes, or vice versa. In the end, it’s all football and they’re all football players, but Rolovich doesn’t want the Warriors to have to start from scratch after five losing seasons in a row.

“You have an ultimate vision, but there’s not enough time (to install it),” he said. “These kids deserve a chance. Let’s put them in the best position to win now. But we’re also building for the future.”

Hill was highly successful at Eastern Washington, where he coached quarterback Vernon Adams, who transferred to Oregon and started last year. He said the Warriors will play uptempo and change pace at times, and go without a huddle.

But Hill wisely made no specific production promises for his first season here, like Don Bailey’s goal of 75 touchdowns headed into 2015.

The Hawaii offense came up short by 48 TDs.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.