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Athlon Sports
Hawaii Football: 2024 Rainbow Warriors Season Preview and Prediction
By Athlon Sports,
21 hours ago
Timmy Chang has shown modest improvement from three wins to five in his first two seasons. Now the challenge is to lift Hawai’i to a bowl game. The Warriors have just 12 games this year rather than the standard 13, and there are two FCS teams on the slate, meaning that Hawai’i must beat five of its 10 FBS opponents to get to the postseason. The play along both the offensive and defensive lines will ultimately determine if Hawai’i gets back to a bowl for the first time since 2020.
Timmy Chang’s third season at Hawai’i will feature his second season with a full commitment to the run-and-shoot offense. The Rainbow Warriors had a multiple set in Year 1, but last year, it was all run-and-shoot, and the result was a national ranking of No. 27 in passing offense, No. 132 in rushing and No. 108 in scoring. There is optimism that the scoring will increase, thanks to a ton of experience at the skill positions.
Timing is critical for the quarterback and four receivers, and all are experienced. QB Brayden Schager will start for the third straight season after throwing for 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last year. He completed 63 percent of his passes and averaged 272 yards per game. Wide receiver Steven McBride was a second-team All-Mountain West selection after catching 63 passes for 1,024 yards and nine touchdowns. Pofele Ashlock (832 yards), Koali Nishigaya (322 yards) and Alex Perry (277 yards) all return as well.
The offensive line has three starters back, including Luke Felix-Fualalo and Ka’ena Decambra, but they may be changing positions, so the line could be a work in progress, especially early in the season.
Dennis Thurman takes over as defensive coordinator after spending 2023 on Deion Sanders’ staff in Colorado. Thurman has 16 years of NFL experience, including four seasons as a defensive coordinator with the Jets and Bills. He will have a lot to work with in the secondary with all-league candidates Cam Stone at cornerback and Peter Manuma at safety. Two other starters also return on the backline.
The front seven will have a new look with no starters back along the defensive line. The linebacking corps welcomes the return of Logan Taylor, who led the team in tackles in 2022 before missing the majority of 2023 with injury. Jalen Smith also returns at linebacker.
Hawai’i must replace Matthew Shipley, who handled both the punting and placekicking duties last season. Ben Falck is in line to become the new punter, while the kicker will be determined in fall camp. Stone and Nishigaya will handle the kickoff and punt returns.
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