Story by
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser
How they matchup: Hawaii vs. UNLV
- Story byThe Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- How they matchup: Hawaii vs. UNLV
Maybe it came from running back Jai'Den Elijah Thomas' initials. Maybe it was from his blink-quick speed. But "Jet" Thomas is soaring as a dynamic playmaker. Last year, Thomas averaged 7.0 yards a carry, including 8.9 on runs up the gut. He has not fumbled in three seasons, a span of 279 rushes. Thomas, who aligns to the side of the QB or 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage in an I-formation, is a gifted receiver. Last week, he turned a wheel route into a 25-yard gain on fourth-and-3. He also grades high in loyalty, turning down lucrative NIL deals to remain with the program that made his first scholarship offer. "Continuing on a legacy that means deeply," Thomas has said. QB1 Jackson Arnold is on his third school in four years, previously with Auburn last year and Oklahoma prior to that. Arnold is a dual threat as a play-action passer and action-stimulating runner. Against Memphis, he averaged 6.7 yards on non-sack scrambles and keepers. He broke away for 54 yards on a run-pass option. "He ran when he needed to," wideout Taeshaun Lyons said. He also mostly disproved the rap of holding the ball too long. His career snap-to-release average is 2.9 seconds. After center Austin Boyd suffered a lower-leg injury in the second half of the opener, Memphis repeatedly sent blitzes after Arnold. He was sacked six times in 19 pass plays in the final 22:12. Boyd, who had moved from left tackle in the offseason, is listed as "out" for Saturday's game. It will be up to Will Thomas, a mauling left tackle, and Jackson Brown, a right tackle who transferred from Pitt last year, to steady the O-line.
When interior tackle Lucas Conti played the Madden video game as a kid, he set the conditions to heavy snow. "I think I was made for that," Conti said of playing through adversity. Conti is part of a cold front designed to stop the running game and force opponents into passing situations. Against Memphis, the Rebels went with a 3-2 box — three D-linemen aligned pad-to-pad and two inside linebackers — although a linebacker sometimes was summoned as a pass rusher. The Rebels might stick with the scheme to counter Hawaii's four-wide spread. Conti is a one-direction bull rusher who often commands double teams. The man of steel — Kal-El Togafau — is disruptive in chipping the tight end and slamming into the offensive tackle. Linebacker Cam Santee was named the 2025 CAA Defensive Player of the Year after amassing 110 tackles and four sacks at Holy Cross. Roosevelt High graduate Kamuela Ka'aihue wears the green dot as the linebacker equipped with a one-way communication system. "Getting to run the defense is a privilege," Ka'aihue said. "At the same time, it's getting that communication across the board. I have trust in my other teammates." The Rebels often play a cover-3, with safety Jake Pope often dropping wide of the television screen. From middle back, Pope will either cut off deep routes or get a running hit on a receiver. Pope is one of four former 5-star prospects on the Rebels' roster. Cornerback Denver Harris, a 4-star recruit, is an effective open-field tackler.
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It made sense for the Ninth Islanders to borrow UH's strategy of recruiting Australian punters. Matt Choules, who transferred from Kennesaw State, is an alumnus of ProKick Australia. Several former Warriors went through that program. Last week, Choules had a pedestrian average hang time of 4.07 seconds on six punts. But four were placed inside the 20, and Memphis averaged 0.5 yards a return. Following a Choules punt, Memphis' average start was the 18 overall, including 11-yard line in the first half. Choules has said he embraces the "wash-it approach" — make a mistake and move on to the next punt.
During free time, there is a clack … clack … clack … in the locker room. "You hear that all the time," assistant coach Jared Ursua said of the receivers playing kendama. One view is it helps hand-eye coordination, a key component for pass catching. Another view is shows the competitive spirit. "They want to win at everything they do," Ursua said of the receivers. "It doesn't matter if they're playing kendama or Xbox. They have great competitiveness." That was apparent in the opener, when slotbacks Tama Uiliata, Blaze Kamoku, Kainoa "Kaikai" Carvalho, Audric Harris and Titan Lacaden fought for 50-50 balls and beat DBs to targets. Most impressive, the slots made hands-only receptions. "We train these guys to do that," Ursua said. "We spend all offseason at balls constantly flying around. In Manoa, you're going to get your fair share of rain. We challenged them from spring ball until this point to be technicians. We have to be able to catch the ball, with our hands, in all conditions." In sports, comparisons are drawn. Not all slots will be the next Chad Owens, a rugged UH receiver in the 2000s. Uiliata is Kealoha Pilares, with an ability to glide through coverages. Kamoku is Craig Stutzmann, known for excelling on crossing routes and scramble drills. Carvalho is a mix of speedy Channon Harris and John Ursua. Carvalho and John Ursua both went on missions, trained under Kawe Johnson, and use balance and quick cuts to separate from defenders. "There are a lot of comparisons between Kaikai and John," Jared Ursua said. "They're incredibly competitive." Running back Cam Barfield is on the mend after exiting in last week's first quarter because of an ankle injury. Even with Barfield's expected return, DeVon Rice and Sitani Mikaele will get touches — and blocking assignments — against UNLV.
Las Vegas power Bishop Gorman High plays a split schedule, with half the games against nationally ranked opponents across the country. When a 5-star corner asked to opt out of the Gaels' game against an in-state team, sophomore wideout Jeremiah Hughes was asked to play corner. "Jeremiah took the opportunity, and balled out," said UH associate head coach Chris Brown, who was the Gaels' defensive coordinator at the time. "I kept him there. I told the 5-star, 'You just lost your job.' Hughes ascended to 4-star status, eventually signing with LSU. After a year, he transferred to Michigan State, where he played the past two seasons. Now he is in the top corner rotation with the Warriors. "Took the opportunity, and ran with it," Hughes said. When rush end Lester Lagafuaina exited the Stanford game with a bone bruise, Ka'eo Akana and Noah Wily stepped into the heat-seeking role. Akana's 2020 prep season was wiped out because of the pandemic. But as a Roosevelt sophomore and senior, he amassed 35.5 sacks. "I like the aspect of trying to defeat the bigger guy and get around him to get to the quarterback," said Akana, who transferred from Utah last year. "There's nothing like the feeling of a sack." As a member of a noted football family, Wily grew up playing the sport at Laie Park. "It's the way we were raised on the North Shore," said Wily, a Saint Louis School graduate. "We wanted to be outside. We wanted to play sports." Wily, who is 6-3, weighed 190 when he joined the Warriors in 2024. "Everybody thinks you just eat more, but I wanted to put on weight the right way," said Wily, who gained 50 pounds and now weighs 240. "It took me two long years to get to this weight. You have to be patient. It's a marathon, not a sprint." Wily can clean 365 pounds and squat 500 pounds. He also fires out of four- and three-point stances.
The Warriors spent extended time on special teams to resolve last week's glitches. A blocked punt that led to a safety was caused by a blocker moving the wrong way. Gehrig Heil was taught to roll out of the pocket and then launch bouncing punts known as "bowlers." Heil, who also kicks the standard way, averaged 43 yards per punt against Stanford. Place-kicker Sean Olvera-Harle should benefit from knowing the wind patterns at the Ching Complex.
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