Better energy = better execution on offense for Hawaii Football

The University of Hawai’i football team’s offense has looked like a shell of itself in recent weeks.

After scoring a season-high 37 points in a win over Sam Houston, the Rainbow Warriors’ have managed just three offensive scores in a 23-3 win over Portland State and a 23-21 loss to Fresno State.

Fortunately for Hawai’i, much of the offense’s issues are correctable according to its players.

In their most recent game against the Bulldogs, the Rainbow Warriors did not reach the red zone until its final possession. Micah Alejado’s 10-yard TD pass to Blaze Kamoku with 10 seconds left in regulation was its first offensive score in nearly six quarters.

During the postgame press conference, Alejado said that final drive was all about leaving it all on the field.

“From the start of the game, we were having a hard time in the fringe and in the red zone and on the plus side of the field so that last drive was leaving it all out there,” said Alejado.

The redshirt freshman quarterback’s actions also backed that up as he ran for 32 yards on three carries on the final possession. He finished the game as the team’s leading rusher with 31 net rushing yards, gaining 47 total for the game.

It was also Alejado’s first game back on the field since a 40-6 loss to Arizona on Aug. 30. The Rainbow Warriors also had starting center Ethan Spencer back in the fold after he missed the previous week in concussion protocol. Offensive lineman Boogie Henderson also got the start at left tackle with Dean Briski tending to a family matter while receiver Jackson Harris was working his way back from injury.

Returning right guard Kuao Peihopa also missed the first two weeks of the season — which Alejado played in — and tight end Devon Tauefa was unavailable in the game against Arizona. Nick Cenacle, the leading receiver a season ago, has also missed three straight games now.

When asked on what it would take to get the offense clicking again with so many moving pieces in and out of the lineup, Alejado said: “it’s just all about the energy and just coming out strong and coming out fast.

“It’s about our intent towards every play and how we approach everything. Just getting it going in rhythm and getting the continuity going in practice, starting in practice and towards the game.”

Receiver Pofele Ashlock also used the word “energy” when speaking to the media following Tuesday’s practice, relating it to how the Rainbow Warriors were finally able to reach the end zone as an offense late against Fresno State, highlighting the defense’s strong performance with multiple stops. The defense also was responsible for the first nine points of the game.

“Honestly to be honest, I think it was just energy, energy and flow,” Ashlock said about what changed for the offense in the final drive against the Bulldogs.

“Defense kept us in and we seen the fight that defense continued to put on and that was something we had to understand as an offense. ‘Bro, they’re doing it, we need to go out there and do it.’ It was just in that fact, that energy started to rise, we had the crowd, had everybody going. It was just great energy flow for all of us to continue to keep going and just get it done.”

The Rainbow Warriors (3-2) will look to get back on track offensively on Saturday against an Air Force (1-2) team that has given up 49 points apiece in back-to-back losses.

The Falcons have also given up five rushing scores in both losses while Hawai’i had yet to score a TD on the ground in five games.