2013 Hawaii Spring Football Analysis

2013 Hawaii Warriors ... Head Coach: Norm Chow

Hawaii Warriors

2013 Schedule
Not Yet Released

Why To Be Excited It can’t be any worse in Norm Chow’s second season. Now he has had a full year to figure out what he has to work with and what needs adjusting, and after winning the final two games of last year, there’s hope to pick up where things left off with all 11 starters returning on offense along with all the backups. Very quietly, the defense wasn’t that bad last season, especially against the pass, and it gets eight starters back. Overall, this is a deep team with lots and lots of young talent ready to battle for jobs.

Why To Be Grouchy There’s still a long, long way to go to simply be decent again offensively. The quarterback situation needs to be settled once and for all this offseason and there has to be more pop and explosion for a passing game that was the third-least efficient in America. For an offense that struggled just to put up 300 yards per game, and with just two games with more than 27 points, it’s going to still be a learning and adjusting process. Defensively, corner Mike Edwards was an NFL caliber defensive back who’ll be missed, while Haku Correa is literally a big loss off the defensive front.

What Needs Working On Everything starts with the offensive line. The nature of the Hawaii offense always means lots of sacks, but last year was a huge problem with the quarterbacks not getting nearly enough time to operate. Outside of the 219 yards in the win over Lamar and the 229 to close out against South Alabama, the running game was a mere rumor. The bigger problem was a passing game that threw just five touchdown passes total in October and November – that was a nice half back in the Colt Brennan days.

Team Concerns For 2013: Really? The Hawaii offense sucked? The passing game didn't work and was wildly inefficient considering that head coach Norm Chow is such a legend, and the running game barely registered on the map. All 11 starters are back on offense, but the experience has to bring points. It didn't help that Warriors struggled to hit field goals with Tyler Hadden 13-of-21 tries, and it was a real problems that the defense wasn't even close to stopping anyone's ground game and had a hard time getting off the field.

The 2013 Class Is Heavy On ... Receivers. It's Hawaii. It's time to get the passing game going again. Norm Chow is getting his share of targets to play around with led by Ammon Barker and Marcus Kemp out of Utah to develop for down the road, and four JUCO transfers along with tight end Joshua Long to provide an instant infusion of talent. Quarterbacks Aaron Swahlen and Keenan Ewaliko are going to be thrown into the practice mix early on to try boosting the offense, while the defense needs JUCO transfers Tiji Hill and end Charles Tuaau to fight for starting jobs.

2012 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 112. That Class Was Heavy On ... It might sound crazy for Hawaii, but it needs quarterbacks. David Graves will have the job all to himself for now, but new head coach Norm Chow has to find a few good backup options to fight for the gig. The offensive line has to be addressed for down the road, and Chow will want to make better use of the tight ends, meaning he has to go get them. 

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 92. That Class Was Heavy On ... Receivers. The bulk of the class is at defensive back where corners Ellis Henderson and Brian Clay lead a strong group coming in for the secondary. The immediate impact, though, should be at receiver where JUCO transfers Cecil Doe and Chris Gant will be asked to be the new playmakers from Day One, working on the other end of Bryant Moniz’s passes. There isn’t much else for the offense with the class working mostly to improve the defensive side for a second year in a row.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 87. That Class Was Heavy On ... Defensive linemen. It's Hawaii so the passing game was hardly ignored with a slew of new receivers signed to go along with QB Kevin Spain from Arizona, but this class is all about the defense and all about getting better up front. There isn't the JUCO influx of last year when head coach Greg McMackin looked to immediately patch all the gaping holes. This is about the strength in numbers with seven linemen of all shapes and sizes to build around.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 60. That Class Was Heavy On ... JUCO, JUCO, JUCO. Overall, the offense got the biggest boost with three quarterback prospects, including two good ones in Cayman Shutter and Corey Nielsen, and several backs and receivers, but it’s the junior college haul that should make the most noise. Head coach Greg McMackin brought in ten ready-made players with the most help coming for the defensive line with tackles David Hofoka and Zach Masch.