The University of Hawaii football team will open and close the 2018 regular season on the road, the program announced on Thursday.
The Rainbow Warriors will open against Colorado State on Aug. 25 in a so-called Week Zero game. An NCAA exemption allows UH and its 2018 opponents to play a week earlier than the usual start to the college football season. By using the exemption, the Warriors will have a bye on Nov. 10 instead of playing 13 weeks in a row.
The Warriors’ 13-game schedule features six road games, including the regular-season finale against San Diego State on Nov. 24.
There are no back-to-back road trips.
“The schedule coming out is very exciting for us,” coach Nick Rolovich said, “especially this year, because the reality of next season is closer and it further erases the negativity of last season. It helps us move forward. It’s part of the healing process.”
After going 7-7 in 2016, culminating in a Hawaii Bowl victory, the Warriors were 3-9 in Rolovich’s second season as UH head coach.
In addition to the eight Mountain West matchups, the Warriors play nonconference games against Navy, Army, Rice, Duquesne and Brigham Young.
“I do like visiting a military academy,” Rolovich said of the Army game at West Point, N.Y. “A lot of fans are excited for that trip. It’s a place when you play there, you don’t forget. It’s an excellent place to play a football game.”
The Warriors open spring training March 20 with five new assistant coaches — Corey Batoon (defensive coordinator), Mark Banker (linebackers), Mark Weber (offensive line), Ricky Logo (defensive line) and Andre Allen (receivers). Former UH wideout Billy Ray Stutzmann and Nanumi Lolohea joined the staff as interns. UH also will have a new starting quarterback. Dru Brown, who started 22 consecutive games, is graduating in June and will join Oklahoma State as a graduate transfer.
Of the coming season, Rolovich quoted author Carlos Castaneda: “We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves stronger. The amount of energy it takes is the same.”
