UH, Spectrum agree to drop PPV, air football games statewide

UH, Spectrum agree to drop PPV, air football games statewide

Aug 11, 2025

Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

UH, Spectrum agree to drop PPV, air football games statewide

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED AUGUST 11, 2025

HONOLULU – Breaking down old barriers.

The University of Hawai’i announced a one-year extension with Spectrum on Monday, continuing a partnership with the broadcast service as the official television home of Rainbow Warrior and Wahine athletics. Additionally, Spectrum will drop the pay-per-view fees and broadcast delays for their seven UH football games for the first time as part of the agreement.

“We’re thrilled to make Rainbow Warrior football more accessible than it has been in decades,” said UH Mānoa Athletics Director Matt Elliott in a press release. “No tape delays. No pay-per-view. No added fees for anyone already watching UH sports at home.”

Hawaii football enters the year with five nationally televised contests scheduled, leaving the remaining seven games for Spectrum to broadcast. Six of those games will come at home (UH’s August 23 opener against Stanford will be on CBS) while the October 18 matchup at Colorado State will also be broadcast on Spectrum.

Spectrum customers with Spectrum TV Select Plus or Spectrum TV Platinum will be able to watch Rainbow Warrior football on channels 12 and 1012 or via the Spectrum TV app, per the release. Hawaiian Telcom customers will also have live access without pay-per-view fees or delays while viewers outside of Hawaii can access broadcasts via the Mountain West app.

“This partnership with the University of Hawai’i expands access to more fans and brings exceptional value to our customers,” Dan Schmidt, senior director and coordinating producer for Spectrum Sports said. “We are looking forward to an unforgettable season, delivering high-quality sports coverage that will allow viewers to catch all the excitement.”

Pay-per-view access has been a sticking point for many fans in recent years with questions surrounding how the football program would create a new generation of Rainbow Warrior fans. Neighbor island fans without access to pay-per-view football packages pointed out difficulties in seeing the team play despite the actual desire to support being there.

“Hawaiʻi’s passion and loyalty for UH is something any pro team would envy,” Elliott stated. “We had an opportunity to do something different this season, and we went for it. This is our way of saying mahalo to the greatest fans in the world.”

The football program is entering its fourth season under the stewardship of head coach Timmy Chang and looks to take the next step back towards national relevance after rebuilding from the ground up. With redshirt freshman QB Micah Alejado and multiple all-conference weapons leading the charge, Hawaii hopes to return to the postseason for the first time under Chang with fans along for the entire ride.

Elliott believes that increasing access of UH football on television will not only increase ratings but can help bring an influx of fans for actual attendance numbers.

“What we believe is that if we invest in the community, invest in the people who support UH athletics, and in this case, specifically UH football, we’re going to build momentum,” the UH athletics director said during his media availability.

He pointed to the return of tailgating among a multitude of improvements to the fan experience that the school is looking to make for the upcoming season and beyond while talking about the product on the field being the main attraction for those in-person and at home.

Elliott also said that the contract with Spectrum has been a major priority to finalize since taking over. The deal extends further than football as Spectrum will broadcast around 90 live UH events.

UH President Wendy Hensel also spoke to the importance of the deal and how it was an example of how the university is committed to serving the community. Fans from all over the state will have the chance to be connected to UH and strengthen fandom for the next generation.

“We want to open the door to our fans, whatever island they are [located on], for access,” Hensel said Monday. “That’s part of the university’s strategy, that we meet the demands of every island and provide access for every career opportunity. Same with athletics. It’s no fun if we can’t give access to our fans for whom it is not easy to for them to gain entry [because they’re] on a different island.”

Stadium agreement expected to be signed within coming weeks as board welcomes new faces, new roles

Stadium agreement expected to be signed within coming weeks as board welcomes new faces, new roles

Jul 31, 2025

An agreement between the state and developmental team Aloha Halawa District Partners is expected to be reached in the coming weeks.

Stadium agreement expected to be signed within coming weeks as board welcomes new faces, new roles

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED JULY 31, 2025

‘AIEA — Thursday’s Stadium Authority Board meeting was a new experience for some of those that were in attendance.

For starters, it was new University of Hawai’i athletic director Matt Elliott’s first time attending one of these sessions as the day wrapped up his first month in his new position.

Vice chair Eric Fujimoto was also unanimously selected to be the chair of the board with Andrew Pereira chosen to fill Fujimoto’s former position.

The biggest change of them all however was that of former chair and board member Brennon Morioka, who was honored with a lei and a seatback of the old Aloha Stadium.

Regardless of all the personnel changes, the status report of the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District remained the same — there will be a agreement between the state and development team Aloha Halawa District Partners by mid-August.

The July 2025 Stadium Authority Board meeting was filled with optimism as all signs point to a contract being signed and the start of demolition of the old Aloha Stadium within the next month.

“We’re now first-and-goal with enough energy to take this through,” said Chris Kinimaka, a special projects manager for the state’s Department of Accounting and General Services.

“I’m very confident that this contract is going to be executed,” Morioka added.

Morioka, who served on the board for eight years, has seen all the ups and downs with the idea of a new stadium as he has served when the old Aloha Stadium was still in operation, when it was condemned and nearly to the start of its demolition.

“That’s why this is so exciting because we’ve never been so close. We’ve been talking about this for a long time, we never imagined that the stadium would be condemned prior to the building the new stadium,” said Morioka, who will still be involved with the NASED project with his engineering background as senior advisor to the Gov. Josh Green and his state team.

“It was always the intent to build the new stadium while the old Aloha Stadium was still functional, so that threw a huge curve ball into the whole project, which kind of put a lot more sense of urgency on this. Getting to this point is really a big relief, even though we haven’t finally executed everything, but we know we’re there so it’s really exciting for us.”

Morioka noted that there have been “major marathon sessions, 10 hour each day” over the past few days as attorneys go through all the language and specifications in the contract during the negotiation period.

Brennon Morioka was honored by the Stadium Authority Board for his time as chair and member.

When the state and AHDP come to an agreement, the Stadium Authority Board will hold a special meeting to vote to authorize state comptroller Keith Regan to sign the contract on behalf of the state.

Demolition would start shortly after that agreement is met. Kinimaka said during the meeting that the final aspects of the demolition permit is imminent, needed approval from one or two agencies before proceeding.

Newly-elected chair Fujimoto, who has a financial background with 31 years in wealth management, said he understands the value of a new stadium and its importance to the community and the University of Hawai’i. Fujimoto also spent time as president of the Na Koa Football Booster Club and on the board of ‘Ahahui Koa Anuenue, who helps with fundraising for Hawai’i athletics.

“For me, my position about UH athletics is going a step above it,” Fujimoto said.

“The University of Hawai’i, it is our economy in Hawai’i. A vibrant university of Hawai’i gives us medical school graduates, law school graduates, engineering school graduates. These are career jobs that will keep families in Hawai’i. Through the evolution, I believe athletics is an arm of a vibrant university. I think that’s your front porch towards that.”

Like Morioka, Fujimoto is confident that a stadium agreement will be reached by August 15, a week before the University of Hawai’i football team begins its 2025 season against Stanford.

“We’re very conscious of this deadline and we are very focused on it,” he said. “I’m all systems go on that vision.”

Elliott was also filled with optimism after Thursday’s meeting.

“There’s been obviously a long time and people have had to be really patient but in this moment, everything that we’ve been hearing is that progress is being made and that is really important,” he said.

“What strikes me is that when I now start to get more involved and see these representations of what’s possible in the future is that they’re building a center for the community and that is really cool.”

While the stadium agreement being signed is expected to stick to its mid-August timeline, Morioka was noncommittal in the new stadium being built in time for the Rainbow Warriors’ season opener in 2028 against Kansas.

When asked about the stadium being built in time for the first football game in 2028, Morioka said the target was “end of 2028.” He noted some struggles with scheduling and supply chain along with tariffs — external things that the state has no control over.

The actual target date of stadium completion will be announced when the contract is signed in the coming weeks.

“But that’s always been, that’s still and remains to be always our target. It’s just is that going to be realistic at this point. Do we want to be aggressive and then not hit an aggressive target, or do we want to be a little bit more realistic with something that we’re all comfortable in hitting, because that then also helps UH plan too.”

Morioka also added that the state legislature will need to lift the sealing on the stadium special fund, which is around $49.5 million in general funds to help pay for some of the advance work for development.

“Not dire right now because we don’t need the monies just yet, but we do believe with the conversations with the legislature, both in the senate and especially in the house side that we’re going to be getting the support we need in lifting that sealing next year.”

LISTEN BELOW
Ku’ulei Agbayani and Paul Brecht discussed the stadium updates on ‘Wake Up in The Den’. Plus, hear from Brennon Morioka and Matt Elliott.
Elite UH safety named to college football showcase preseason watchlist

Elite UH safety named to college football showcase preseason watchlist

Jul 31, 2025

Hawaii safety Peter Manuma takes part in fall camp practice. The senior was named to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 watchlist to begin the week, a sign that the NFL may have eyes on the islands. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Elite UH safety named to college football showcase preseason watchlist

BY PAUL BRECHT  |  HONOLULU
PUBLISHED JULY 31, 2025

HONOLULU – The pros have eyes on Hawaii.

University of Hawaii safety Peter Manuma was named to the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 on Monday, the lone Rainbow Warrior to appear on the preseason watchlist. The senior looks to be the first UH player in fourth-year head coach Timmy Chang’s tenure to be selected to the final roster of the annual college all-star showcase.

A three-time all-Mountain West honorable mention, Manuma made an instant impact after joining the Rainbow Warriors as a true freshman in 2022. The ‘Ewa Beach native was the only freshman in the country to accumulate 70+ tackles, 2+ interceptions and a sack as he racked up 13 starts in his debut campaign.

His sophomore season continued the elite on-field production with another three picks and a team-leading 87 tackles (5.5 TFLs) as he started all 13 contests on the way to another all-conference honor to end the year. Manuma missed nearly three full games due to injury as a junior but still was recognized by the conference thanks to his elite coverage and production when on the field.

UH has not had a player on a final Shrine Bowl roster since 2022 when former RB/WR Calvin Turner suited up for the 97th edition of the all-star showcase. If Manuma is selected to play in the game, he would become the 21st Rainbow Warrior to take part in the event.

Hawaii saw both Steven McBride and Virdel Edwards II named to the preseason watchlist last year, but Edwards missed 2024 due to injury and received a medical hardship waiver to return this season while McBride did not suit up for the Rainbow Warriors after becoming ineligible.

Players who are eligible college seniors with potential to make an NFL roster qualify for consideration to make the final roster for the all-star game, regardless of which collegiate division (i.e. Division I, II, III, JUCO, etc.) they compete in. The 1,000-player list will be sliced down into a pool of around 150 finalists for the game at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas on January 27, 2026 with the help of input from all 32 NFL teams.

51 Shrine Bowl participants from the 2025 event heard their names called during April’s NFL Draft. Boise State EDGE Ahmed Hassanein (R6, P196 – Detroit Lions) and UNLV WR Ricky White III (R7, P238 – Seattle Seahawks) both were invited to this past season’s Shrine Bowl and saw their draft stock rise after the event.

Manuma would be just the third-ever defensive back from the University of Hawaii to play in the game, joining Kelvin Millhouse (’04) and Ryan Mouton (’09). The Shrine Bowl (and other all-star events) can increase chances at securing an invite to the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis where various athletic tests and face-to-face meetings with teams are conducted.

Other Hawaii Football X Shrine Bowl fun facts

  • The first UH player to appear in a Shrine Bowl was Bruce Cruickshank, way back in 1928 in just the fourth-ever iteration of the all-star event.
  • 20 Rainbow Warriors have taken part in the longest running football all-star game.
  • Calvin Turner (’22) is the only UH player to ever play for the East Team in the game; the other 19 participants played for the West Team.
  • Two current Rainbow Warrior coaches are Shrine Bowl alumni, head coach Timmy Chang (’05) and associate head coach Chris Brown (’03).
  • Chang is the only UH quarterback to participate in the event.
  • The Shrine Bowl’s longest stretch without UH player on the roster was 27 years between the 25th and 51st games (1949-1976).
  • The trenches have produced the most invites for Hawaii, with 12 of the 20 players coming from either the offensive or defensive line.
  • Hawaii sent at least one player to the event in four straight years from 2002-2005 and had representation in 9-out-of-11 games from 2002 through 2012.

20 players for UH who played in Shrine Bowl:

  • Calvin Turner (97th Shrine Bowl, 2022)
  • Dejon Allen (93rd Shrine Bowl, 2018)
  • Vaugn Meatoga & Kaniela Tuipulotu (87th Shrine Bowl, 2012)
  • Alex Green & Laupepa Letuli (86th Shrine Bowl, 2011)
  • Ryan Mouton (84th Shrine Bowl, 2009)
  • Jason Rivers (83rd Shrine Bowl, 2008)
  • Tala Esera (82nd Shrine Bowl, 2007)
  • Timmy Chang & Chad Owens (80th Shrine Bowl, 2005)
  • Kelvin Millhouse (79th Shrine Bowl, 2004)
  • Chris Brown (78th Shrine Bowl, 2003)
  • Manly Kanoa (77th Shrine Bowl, 2002)
  • Taase Faumui (69th Shrine Bowl, 1994)
  • Jason Elam (68th Shrine Bowl, 1993)
  • Faliniko Noga (59th Shrine Bowl, 1984)
  • John Woodcock (51st Shrine Bowl, 1976)
  • Harry Kahuanui (25th Shrine Bowl, 1949)
  • Bruce Cruickshank (4th Shrine Bowl, 1928)
Hawaii hopes heat helps early season preparation

Hawaii hopes heat helps early season preparation

Jul 27, 2025

Hawaii LB Jalen Smith participates in a drill during one of UH’s fall camp practices. The Rainbow Warriors moved to a later start to training to prepare for the heat of Week 0’s matchup with Stanford. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawaii hopes heat helps early season preparation

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED JULY 27, 2025

HONOLULU – Another fiery afternoon.

The University of Hawaii football program made a slight shift to training camp’s practice schedule entering head coach Timmy Chang’s fourth season. With a pair of toastier games to open the year, UH opted to allow players to “sleep in” and begin practices with the sun beaming down brightest instead to open fall camp.

The thought process?

Two games to begin the year that will test the Rainbow Warriors with the weather, one in the hot midday sun of Hawaii in Week 0 and the other out in the deserts of Arizona in Week 1.

“We want to make sure that we give our guys the best opportunity to face what they’re going to see and put them in the elements,” Chang said of the practice schedule quirk. “We figured the first two games, here and Tucson, would be pretty hot for us.”

While the scheduling is a bit of a rarity (UH has played just three home games at 2:00 p.m. HT or earlier since 2015), many players experienced what a middle-of-the-day contest in the islands was like against a Power 4 program last year when UCLA came to town for a 1:30 p.m. HT kickoff.

UH jumped on the Bruins in Week 1 of 2024, taking a 10-0 halftime lead on an 87-degree day that had blistering sun beating down for an afternoon matchup. The offense sputtered in the second half, possessing the ball for 14:35 of game action and only adding on a field goal.

The defense was tasked with trying to be perfect in a frying pan for an entire game, eventually bending to allow 16 points as Hawaii dropped a winnable game at home against what turned out to be a below-average P4 opponent. While the offense hopes (and projects) to limit scoring droughts more than previous teams, the defense still takes aim at perfection and will look to use the added practice heat to their advantage.

“Whoever came up with this idea, it was a great idea and a bad idea at the same time,” Manuma joked after the first practice. “I feel like it’ll definitely get us ready because last season we played UCLA around the same time and, I mean, that was a way different game … Shoutout to the coaches, the support staff for coming up with this idea ahead of Week 0.”

Offensive lineman Kuao Peihopa was a fan of the switch, comparing it to time back on the playground in his youth. The 6-foot-3 senior also cited last season’s game against UCLA as an example of how elements can impact a team.

“Reminds me of recess back in middle school and kindergarten,” the bruising right guard said about playing in the hot sun following the first week of practice. “A lot of guys aren’t really used to the humidity, the heat, but I like it because when other teams come down here – like UCLA, I know they were frickin’ huffing and puffing on the second play of the game … I think it’s going to be an advantage for us. It’s good to train out here like that.”

Manuma also saw flashes from his childhood.

“It really did take me back [to high school],” the senior safety and Campbell alum chuckled. “In ‘Ewa Beach, no more really breeze, but out here has some breeze, so I mean, didn’t take me THAT far back.”

As the week progressed, the players continued to battle through the hot temperatures and a few cloudless hours of work before closing out the first set of practices with a three-hour heat cooker of Saturday reps.

“I like the way that they’re fighting through and getting used to it, from [the first day to now],” Chang said of his team’s response to the elements of the first week. “You can see them starting to understand what their bodies are going through and how we are going to get accustomed to what’s going to happen on August 23.”

With talent and experience combined, Hawaii will look to come out of the gates quickly and sustain the energy on both sides of the ball through a full 60 minutes of football in the home opener.

“The team looks really good,” quarterback Micah Alejado said. “For us, it’s just coming out and starting out fast like we said earlier and being able to put everything we went through in the offseason on the field and show everybody that we are the team that we say we are.”

The redshirt freshman quarterback diced up the defense in 7-on-7 drills on Saturday, going 8-for-11 on his attempts with four touchdowns to three different receivers. The defense got some revenge in the semi-live period with a pair of interceptions (one that was tipped) on the southpaw-slinging signal caller, but Alejado still completed 6-of-9 passes for just over 60 yards through a few different series in the hot sun.

If Hawaii is able to sustain quality on both sides of the ball for the entirety of the contest against Stanford, they can complete a feat that was done last when the current head coach was still an underclassman for the Rainbow Warriors. Many players on the current roster weren’t alive yet for the last time UH won a home game that kicked off before 2 p.m. HT.

Fourth-year head coach Timmy Chang demonstrates a stance during a University of Hawai’i football practice. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Cole McDonald and the 2019 Rainbow Warriors won a 3 p.m. kickoff of the SoFi Hawai’i Bowl but never got a chance to play earlier in the day. The 2006 unit did the same in the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl win against Arizona State, never testing the sun before the clock hit 3 p.m. while in the islands.

Timmy Chang, the quarterback, helped lead the Rainbow Warriors to a 2004 Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl title over UAB that kicked off five minutes after two o’clock at the old Aloha Stadium, but the last time UH won a game that will begin as early (or earlier) as this season’s matchup with Stanford was 2001 against No. 9 BYU.

Preparation has changed, new habits are forming and streaks will look to be broken in Week 0.

Other observations from Week 1:

  • Continuity on the offensive line thanks to last season’s late-year experiences
  • QB Micah Alejado dominant in 7v7s
  • WRs Pofele Ashlock and Nick Cenacle picking up where they left off with production
  • TE Devon Tauaefa showed a connection with both Alejado and Luke Weaver in 7v7s
  • Freshman Titan Lacaden worked with the running backs throughout the first week
  • Sophomore DL Aiden McComber might be hard to keep off the field despite deep defensive line room
  • DB Elijah Palmer brought the energy for in coverage for the defense and had a few nice PBUs through the week against some of UH’s top receivers
  • Virdel Edwards II working back into game shape slowly after medical hardship year
Hawaii Football ’25 Training Camp: DC Dennis Thurman Media Scrum

Hawaii Football ’25 Training Camp: DC Dennis Thurman Media Scrum

Jul 25, 2025

Defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman looks on during a home game against UCLA. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawaii Football ’25 Training Camp: DC Dennis Thurman Media Scrum

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED JULY 25, 2025

HONOLULU – The 2025 Hawaii football training camp is underway, kicking off the second year of the Rainbow Warrior defense taking direction from longtime NFL veteran defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman.

The second-year leader of the Hawaii defense addressed a group of media members during his first availability of fall camp, discussing a variety of topics ranging from what he wants to see over the first few weeks of practice, his view on leadership and much more as the 2025 season gets underway.

Below is a transcript of his seven-minute Q&A with local media after the second day of practice.

 

Q: Your thoughts on just what you see here the first couple of days?

Dennis Thurman: “Well, I’ve seen athleticism. I’ve seen size. I’ve seen height, weight, speed. It just all has to come together. We get it together, we bring it together, I believe we have a chance to be infinitely better than we were a year ago.”

Q: First week, what’s the objective? Is it more evaluation-like? What are you trying to get accomplished here the first few days?

Thurman: “Well, we pretty much evaluated the guys coming through spring and summer. It’s really a matter of refining, of tightening things up. Seeing what we like, seeing what we don’t like and making sure our guys begin to understand situations. Because we’re a situational football team.

And we’re going to play to what we believe is coming by situation. So I’m trying to get these guys more advanced mentally. The physical part, that’s going to take care of itself. The mental part in the game is where I want these guys to elevate their game. And when we do, after we do, then we’re going to be able to do that.”

Q: At the end of last season, you talked about the reaction time for guys. That’s the thing you’re most impressed with as far as your development goes. How much has that grown even through this off-season and here in this training camp?

Thurman: “Oh, it’s grown. I mean, it’s obvious that you came out and watched practice a year ago and you had to come out and you watched practice and you listened.

Our communication is superior to what it was last year. The guys, I think, are better prepared. They understand defense better. And so now, they have more freedom to express themselves. And the more knowledge they have, they carry out on the field with them about what we are to do.

They learn that first, then they spend the rest of their time learning about the offense is going to do. And when we get to that point, we are now studying other team’s offense because we don’t have to worry about what we’re doing? We’ll see a dramatic change for the better.”

Q: You talk about studying other team’s offense, right? Second year in your scheme, last year you mentioned not having a player do something they can’t do, right? Year two, what’s the evolution of this defense? 

Thurman: “Making sure that we put people in position to do things they can do and understanding who we have, what we have, what our strengths are when we have players out there in certain situations.

Just make sure we have the right players on the field in the right situation. Otherwise, we’re asking them to do things that they probably can’t do. And that’s not fair to them. That’s how I would expect them to be.”

Q: Can you speak to some of the player leaders on the defensive side? Guys like maybe Peter [Manuma], Jamih [Otis], Elijah [Palmer]?

Thurman: “I mean, we have a number of leaders. I mean, I don’t, I’m not a guy who singles out individuals as leaders.  

Because people lead in a lot of different ways. You have your vocal leaders, you have your quiet leaders, you have guys that go in that locker room and demand things in the locker room that we never see or hear about.

So I don’t really anoint players. I allow guys to lead in their own way. And when they do, it’s great. Okay, as long as it’s positive, as long as it’s positive. We’re all making progress.”

Q: Talk about some of those guys that are returning under your scheme and how much easier it’s been this time around. Last year, they were learning it themselves. Having them fully a part of your scheme and adjusted to your language and how you want those run. How’s that been working with them?

Thurman: “It’s improved. The thing, they haven’t been here long enough to regurgitate at all, as if they were NFL players or pro players. But the fact that they’ve grown in terms of knowledge of the scheme and understanding what they do has improved, I mean, tremendously.

And so, I’m not uncomfortable, this year, right now, putting 11 guys out there that I don’t believe all 11 of them know the defense. That’s not the case. Did that happen some last year? Yes, okay, but so far, so good.”

Q: Coach, what has the adjustment been like from the spring when there were a couple of players that were on the team in the spring, but not anymore due to, whether it’s eligibility not getting renewed, or entering the transfer portal and stuff like that? 

Thurman: “They graduated. They left. I mean, you can’t worry about who you don’t have, you take care of the ones you do have. And so our focus is on the guys that we have.

Hey, feel bad about some of those guys who thought they might have a chance to come back and then were told that they weren’t coming back, but the guys that graduated, God bless them, you know? They contributed a lot to our team last year, but football is a game of evolution, life is evolution, we just got to keep moving forward.”

Q: Coach P.J. Minaya, he was a quarterback in high school, but he’s a cornerback coach. You pushed some duties to him, kind of talk about his development as a coach and what he brings, having the offensive side, switching the cornerbacks?

Thurman: “Well, I was a quarterback in high school too, so what are you trying to say?

No, I’m just kidding. I’m just kidding. No, I mean, it’s really not that much different. I mean, you just flip the game and the knowledge of what he is inputting with our young guys has been tremendous.

He understands it because once you play quarterback, your job is to study the defense and understand what the defense is doing. So, it’s not like he hasn’t studied defense before, he has. That’s why he’ll make a phenomenal secondary coach one day.

And he’ll probably do it at the highest level. He is very, very talented and our guys are buying into him. I don’t go into the room anymore, it’s his room and he is the leader of that group. And he’s putting his stamp on it.”

Q: Wynden Ho’ouli’s move from the defensive line to linebacker, what do you see out of him and why do you think he can thrive in that position?

Thurman: “A big guy with talent, bringing physicality to the position. Coming downhill, he’s pretty good in his pass drops, he’s got some things to learn. But having a big, strong, physical body inside is gonna be a blessing for him.”

Q: Similarly, can you talk about getting a guy like Virdel Edwards [II] back? A medical hardship last year, a bigger body out back in the defensive back field that might have a couple of roles to earn?  

Thurman: “Well, yeah, I mean, he’s a veteran. He’s played, he’s experienced. Having a guy back like that is always gonna be healthy for us, good for us. The expectation is he hadn’t played in a year, we understand that.

So, game reps and practice reps are entirely different. So I anticipate him getting a lot of scrimmage work. But the most important thing is getting to him to the game. August 23rd, gentlemen.”

Q: For you, Coach, you’re well into your second year being out here in the islands. How is your personal acclimation to this place going?

Thurman: “Man, I can’t be telling you about my personal life. Can’t be telling you about that, I get in all kinds of trouble, okay?

*chuckles*

But I’ve acclimated.”

Q: Coach, you said August 23rd – your Week 0 opponent, Stanford, their interim head coach is Frank Reich spent a lot of time in the NFL, you spent a lot of time in the NFL. What do you remember about those battles?

Thurman: “I don’t. [It’s] not gonna have anything to do with what happens on August 23rd.

We’re gonna compete, we’re gonna compete. Somebody’s gonna win, somebody’s gonna lose, and our job is to be better. Thank you, gentlemen.”

Rainbow Warriors looking to start fast, be better at the details

Rainbow Warriors looking to start fast, be better at the details

Jul 23, 2025

 

Freshman LB Zaden Mariteragi goes through a positional drill during Hawai’i football’s 2025 fall training camp. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Rainbow Warriors looking to start fast, be better at the details

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN  
PUBLISHED JULY 23, 2025  

HONOLULU — There were two main points of emphasis on day one of Hawai’i football’s 2025 training camp — start fast and attention to detail.

The Rainbow Warriors began its fourth training camp under head coach Timmy Chang on Wednesday at the T.C. Ching Athletics Complex with a later than usual practice start time of 11 a.m.

But while the practice itinerary was pushed back, the Hawai’i football team is making sure it won’t fall prey to a slow start.

“Starting fast is a big emphasis for us this year,” said starting quarterback Micah Alejado, who also credited the addition of new head and strength conditioning coach Bobby Thomas in instilling that in the locker room and weight room.

“Last year if you look at our games, we came out really slow in the first quarter and first half, but we always end off somewhat strong in the second half so we’re just trying to see what kind of team we can become if we play a strong four quarters and we think we can be a better team than last year if we start off fast this year.”

The numbers back this up.

Hawai’i was 4-1 in 2024 when leading after the first quarter and 4-1 when the Rainbow Warriors’ opening drive ended in a touchdown. The one exception was against UCLA when Hawai’i needed a fake punt to extend the opening series to help roll to a 10-0 halftime lead before losing, 16-13.

The 2025 schedule also doesn’t leave any room to catch a breath in the beginning of the season as Hawai’i will play half of its 12-game season before the first bye week.

“We have six off the bat before our first bye that are important to us,” Chang said after the first day of practice.

“Everything that we’ve done in the offseason until this point now is about starting fast and being ready being prepared, being available. Tomorrow’s practice will look a little different, but today they got off to a great start.”

Hawai’i had a chance to become bowl eligible in 2024, but dropped three total games by a score of three points or less and finished the year with a 5-7 record.

Chang is hoping that better attention to detail in fall camp can help swing those close games in favor of the Rainbow Warriors in 2025.

“For our first practice in helmets coming out here, we really wanted to be detailed in our fundamentals and our technique and the the simple things that are going to win us games,” Chang said.

“We have a slogan of ‘be great at simple’ and that’s what we wanted them to do today; paying a lot of attention to the littlest of things, their stance, their first two steps, their eyes, their feet, their hands and those are the little things in the battles that they’re going to need.”

 

Fourth-year head coach Timmy Chang demonstrates a stance during a University of Hawai’i football practice. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN