The Hawaii football team approaches the rest of this season with two certainties: It will finish with a losing record and Dru Brown will be the starting quarterback.
The Rainbow Warriors are assured a sub-.500 season following a 31-21 loss to Fresno State to drop to 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the Mountain West. After the game, head coach Nick Rolovich acknowledged he is open to giving less-experienced players some reps in the final two games.
“I think getting some of the other guys game reps will only benefit us in the future,” Rolovich said on Sunday. “But I still want to win football games.”
Rolovich said Brown, a fourth-year junior who transferred from a junior college in June 2016, provides the “best chance” to win.
“I think there’s definitely some things we could better,” Rolovich said, but “I don’t think there’s a (quarterback) controversy.”
Brown is second among Mountain West quarterbacks in completions per game (21.33) and fifth in accuracy (61.1 percent). He has started 20 consecutive games, the longest streak for a UH quarterback since Bryant Moniz’s 26 in a row between 2009 and 2011.
Cole McDonald, a second-year freshman, has played 18 snaps in five games. Cole Brownholtz, a third-year sophomore, has appeared in one game. Larry Tuileta, who also plays outside hitter/libero for the volleyball Warriors, has been on the travel roster but has not played in a game. Kyle Gallup and Karson Greeley moved to tight end.
Rolovich said he was pleased with the Warriors’ grit and unity against Fresno State, particularly after enduring a 41-minute break because of lightning in the area.
“I think guys were excited to play together, not that they weren’t (previously),” Rolovich said. “Guys played hard. I thought they played very hard. And if you have that, you have a chance. We just missed a lot of opportunities. … But that’s kind of been our deal this year. It’s only been a handful of plays in each game (that did) not go our way. We’re not making them happen, either.”
The Warriors received another health setback to the offensive line when right tackle Matt Norman exited in the second quarter. Chris Posa, who opened at left guard, moved to right tackle. J.R. Hensley replaced Posa at left guard.
“We’re pretty thin there, no doubt,” Rolovich said.
Because this coming Saturday’s game against Utah State will be played in the Mountain time zone, the Warriors will depart on Wednesday afternoon. They will have conditioning drills and meetings today, but will not resume practicing until Tuesday.
“Because of (the time of) the year, we have to keep them fresh and ready to go,” Rolovich said, noting the Warriors will have full workouts in Utah.
