College football: Hawaii back at home, but face hefty ground attack from Air Force

By J.R. DeGROOTE

West Hawaii Today

After five straight losses and facing the prospects of fifth straight losing season, Hawaii head coach Norm Chow can feel his seat growing hotter by the day.

Chow — now in his fourth year at the helm for Hawaii with a 10-35 overall record — may very well be coaching for his job, and has felt the heat go from scorching to volcanic after the Rainbow Warriors (2-6, 0-4 Mountain West Conference) gave up fourth quarter heartbreakers to New Mexico and Nevada in back-to-back weeks.

The quest for a bowl game and a winning record doesn’t get any easier this week, as Hawaii hosts Air Force (4-3, 3-1 MWC) on Saturday.

It is the 20th meeting between the two squads and the winner of the game will take the Kuter Trophy back to their respective campus. The former WAC foes are meeting up for just the third time since 1997. Air Force currently holds the trophy, winning the last meeting in 2012 in Colorado Springs, 21-7.

No team in the nation has run the ball more than the Falcons, who have 432 attempts on the ground this season. The option attack of Air Force averages 5.4 yards per carry and more than 330 yards per game. Hawaii ranks 115th in nation stopping the run, giving up a little over 228 per contest on the ground.

“We just need to learn how to stop the run. They average 330 yards a game on the ground and have been playing good people,” Chow said. “It’s assignment defense and we can’t miss. If one guy misses, it can turn into a long day.”

Hawaii saw a similar option attack when it played New Mexico on Oct. 17, but Chow said the team has had a hard time simulating the speed of Air Force’s offense in practice. Filling that void has been former Kealakehe standout and Hawaii freshman John Ursua, who has stepped in and done his best Falcon impression at quarterback in practice this week.

It has been a long road to UH for Ursua. He received conditional admission to Hawaii this season, which allows him to practice with the team, but not play in any games until next season.

Ursua helped lead Kealakehe to a BIIF title his freshman year as a Waverider, but really made a name for himself as a recruit in Utah. His senior season at Cedar High School, he threw for 1,005 yards and 10 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,539 and 16 touchdowns as quarterback.

He committed to the Rainbow Warriors in 2012, but a procedural glitch delayed the start of his two-year church mission in Paris until 2013.

Now back in the islands, Ursua has a lot of Hawaii fans excited about the future. He was one of the stars of the scout bowl on Tuesday, turning a lot of heads with his speed and shiftiness out of the slot and backfield.

But Ursua’s contributions are still a year off, so the Hawaii offense needs to find a remedy in a hurry to keep the hopes of a bowl game alive. Quarterback Max Wittek thinks the solution might be in the details.

“I don’t think we need to change anything. It just takes continued focus,” Wittek said. “It’s focus on the small things and caring about those small things. The more you care about the small things, the less likely you are to mess up.”

Wittek remains a work in progress, but took a big step against the Nevada, throwing for a career-best 291 yards on 27 completions, with two touchdowns. He did toss three interceptions.

The USC transfer is among a slew of Rainbow Warriors that are banged up. According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 14 of the 22 players who were projected as starters at the beginning of the season have missed games.

“We don’t have enough time for that. There are so many guys beat up,” Chow said. “These kids continue to play and continue to try hard. I’m proud as heck of these guys.”

As for urgency, linebacker Julian Gener made sure to note the Warriors are well aware.

“It’s all or nothing. This is the hand we were dealt,” Gener said. “We have to come out guns blazing. If we don’t, we won’t be able to make a bowl game.”