Game Week Press Conference: Sam Houston Head Coach Phil Longo

The Rainbow Warriors host Sam Houston for the second straight season, after the Bearkats won last year’s first-ever meeting, 31–13. This time, Sam Houston enters still searching for its first win of 2025, having fallen 41–24 at Western Kentucky and 38–21 to UNLV. Meanwhile, Hawaiʻi is coming off a 40–6 loss at Arizona and now begins a three-game home stretch with hopes of bouncing back.

During his weekly press conference, Sam Houston head coach Phil Longo reflected on early-season struggles, citing travel challenges, injuries, and a slow defensive start. However, he also praised the efforts of RB Coco Brown and QB Mabrey Mettauer. Looking ahead, Longo stressed the importance of managing recovery from the long flight to Hawaiʻi, while also establishing a run game, improving pass rush, and controlling the line of scrimmage—particularly in the red zone—against Timmy Chang’s pass-heavy offense.

LISTEN TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE

Here are the key topics from the press conference, with timestamps in parentheses:

Hawaii Game Preparation Strategy (‎2:00)

Phil Longo outlined preparations for the upcoming Hawaiʻi trip, pointing to the unique challenge of a nine-hour flight that leaves no time for Thursday practice. To adapt, the staff has consulted other coaches with Hawaiʻi travel experience and emphasized recovery strategies—focusing on hydration, flexibility, and mobility to get players ready within 36 hours of kickoff.

Sam Houston Quarterback Strategy Moving Forward (8:05)

Both Mabrey and Hunter will continue preparing as starters each week, with the possibility of both seeing action until one clearly separates himself. Coach Longo points to past seasons (2014–2016) where his teams successfully used multiple quarterbacks in different situations. The plan is to treat both as offensive weapons, with playing time determined by who has the “hot hand” on game day.

Preparing for Hawaii’s Offense (9:30)

Coach Longo praised Hawaiʻi head coach Timmy Chang’s offensive system, noting its strong passing concepts. While not identical to Sam Houston’s scheme, the similarities provide useful study material. He stressed that the key to slowing Hawaiʻi’s attack will be forcing quick stops and getting the defense off the field with three-and-outs.

Hawaii Quarterback Assessment and Live of Scrimmage Focus (15:10)

Coach Longo called Hawaiʻi quarterback Michael Alejado a talented passer with a strong command of the system, though possibly banged up from the last game. He stressed that winning will come down to controlling the line of scrimmage—especially in the red zone—and that Hawaiʻi poses different challenges than UNLV, making continued improvement up front essential.