Hawaii Warriors head coach Norm Chow. Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
On the surface, the Hawaii defense in 2012 was hard to explain.
It ranked third in the Mountain West and 11th in the country in passing yards allowed. It was fourth in the league (41st nationally) in total defense, and fifth in the conference in rushing defense.
But, in scoring defense among conference teams it was 10th … dead last and 104th in the country. Seven opponents scored more than 40 points, including two that scored 49, another that put up 52 and one that posted 69 on the scoreboard. The average game was a 35.7 – 21.2 loss.
“That doesn’t seem consistent does it,” said senior defensive lineman Saisau Matagiese. “But, it can be explained.
“Early in the season, our offense wasn’t clicking, so our defense was constantly on the field. Then, we had turnovers in our territory and gave a short field to our opponent. Your defense always has to be ready. You have to have a feeling of urgency. Early on, we didn’t sense urgency.”
Hawaii had 20 lost fumbles and threw 13 interceptions during the 2012 season, posting a minus-14 turnover ratio. In total offense, the Rainbow Warriors ranked 118th in the country with only 297.4 yards per game.
“The fact is that the best defenses usually don’t play as much. The offense needs to control the ball and help keep the defense off the field. If that happens, those numbers should improve.”
Chow on importance of replacing Mike Edwards, who returned three kicks for touchdowns during the 2012 season:
“We’re definitely going to miss him. Special teams were the one aspect of our team that played well last year and he was one of the main reasons. How do we replace him? We just have to move on. Chris Gant (wide receiver) is one possibility and maybe some incoming freshmen.”
Chow on importance of the offensive line, which allowed 40 sacks during the 2012 season:
“We have a veteran line back, plus redshirts and junior college players. We’ve improved our schemes. The ball is coming out quicker. We expect things to be better.”
Chow on the 2012 schedule, which includes the home opener against Southern California, back-to-back road trips to Oregon State and Nevada, and games at Utah State, at Navy and at Wyoming in November:
“It is really difficult. We just have to play them and enjoy the journey. We could have a better team, but not a better record. Then, you have those three road games in November. Look where those games are. You know we don’t have money in the budget for warm jackets!”
Norm Chow on starting quarterback Taylor Graham, a redshirt junior who transferred from Ohio State and hasn’t played meaningful downs since he was a high school senior:
“This is a quarterback-driven business. We have great confidence in Taylor. But, he hasn’t played in several years. You can’t beat being under fire.”
