While it can be stressful preparing for the coming football season, University of Hawaii quarterback Ikaika Woolsey likes to chill.
He regularly undergoes whole-body cryotherapy during which he is submerged from the neck down in a cryo-cabin that is refrigerated to sub-zero temperatures. The two-minute treatment for aches, Woolsey said, “is like a cold tub, but not as painful as a cold tub.”
A decision on UH’s quarterback situation, like Woolsey’s WBC treatments, is on ice. Head coach Nick Rolovich and his offensive assistants will review video of Saturday’s 94 scrimmage-like plays before paring the quarterback rotation. Woolsey, Aaron Zwahlen, Beau Reilly, Dru Brown, Cole Brownholtz and Cole McDonald divided the snaps on Saturday.
Most signs point to Woolsey, a senior and the only quarterback on the roster who has played in an NCAA game, as the leading contender for the No. 1 job. “I don’t think (Woolsey) has done anything to take himself out of the competition,” Rolovich said, smiling.
Woolsey took the first turn in every quarterback rotation on Saturday. Woolsey and McDonald, a true freshman, each led four series. The other four quarterbacks played three drives apiece. Woolsey was accurate from the pocket (16-yarder to wideout Ammon Barker on a slant) and on the move (13-yarder to Davine Tullis). Woolsey also twice bait-and-switched the defense when he pulled back a handoff to Paul Harris running left and then sprinted to his right.
“In this offense, it’s a full-field read,” Woolsey said. “You’re not just reading one side. You’ve got to read the front side and the back side. Obviously, you have to look all over the field and be smart with the ball.”
Rolovich said Woolsey displayed “good leadership” in directing teammates before the play. Controlling the huddle, Rolovich said, “is an incredible factor for quarterbacks.”
The junior-college transfers — Brownholtz and Brown — had their moments. Brownholtz fired completions to slotback John Ursua and Ammon Barker to advance to the 27. Earlier in the drive, Harris ran a draw up the middle. The Rainbow Warriors called the same play, but while the defense stormed the tackle box, Brownholtz kept the ball and then lofted a pass to Ursua. But Ursua had a slow break and could not grab Brownholtz’s pass in the end zone.
“It was very frustrating for me,” Ursua said.
On the ensuing drive, Ursua caught a pass from Brown, slipped a tackle and raced 44 yards for a touchdown.
“Our job as receivers is to make big plays,” Ursua said. “If you let one down, you have to get it back the next time. All we can do is focus on the next one.”
Brown said: “It’s nice to get (Ursua) the ball in space. He can do so many things.”
Rolovich was relatively pleased with the production of the first week of training camp.
“I know there’s more in us,” Rolovich said. “They have more to give. I know we can play better. I know we can play smarter. They have to get to that point where they say, ‘I do have more to give.’ We’ll continue to stress that and make it harder on them.”