With today’s start of the fall semester, the Hawaii football team shifts from preseason training to game-week focus for Saturday’s season opener against Stanford.

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With today’s start of the fall semester, the Hawaii football team shifts from preseason training to game-week focus for Saturday’s season opener against Stanford.

“The most important thing is for us to understand who our opponent is,” defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said. “I believe by kickoff on the 29th, we’ll have a pretty good understanding of them and who they are and what they like. (Stanford’s) a new team, also. They have new coordinators, a new guy calling plays. But Stanford is going to be Stanford.”

The Rainbow Warriors have worked on the details. They staged full-contact scrimmages the previous three Saturdays. They created service units (previously known as scouts) to simulate Stanford’s schemes.

On Friday, they held a 90-minute practice on the grass field at ‘Iolani School. Stanford Stadium has a grass field. Because the Warriors don’t have access to a grass field on the Manoa campus, they practice and play their home games on the artificial surface at the Ching Complex.

But the evaluation is ongoing for a defense that returns only three starters — end Lester Lagafuaina, linebacker Jamih Otis and nickelback Elijah Palmer.

“Game reps and practice reps are so different,” Thurman said. “What you see a guy do in practice, who knows how he’ll react once the bullets go live and he’s out there and the (position) coach can’t be on the field with him? He’s out there alone for the first time in his life in a college football game. I don’t know how he’s going to react. We’ll find out. I’m hopeful the training, the discipline, the details of their jobs and assignments are all inside, and once they get through the initial butterflies or what have you, they’ll go out and do what they’re supposed to do.”

With four returning starters to the O-line, a grind-it-out running back, and game manager at quarterback, the Cardinal are expected to rely on a power running game. Thurman is 9-5 against the Cardinal — 3-1 as a USC defensive back, 6-4 as a coach.

“I played against them myself years and years ago, coached against them when I was at USC,” Thurman said. “It’s nothing new. They’re going to be a well-coached, well-disciplined football team. They’re going to do what they do. They’re going to try to outplay you. And they’re not going to make mistakes. We can’t go in there and make mistakes and then we’ll win.”

But the UH newcomers have confidence in their veteran coordinator.

“He’s great,” freshman nickelback Brayton Correa said of Thurman. “He’s so knowledgeable. The smartest guy in football I’ve ever been around. I’m trying to learn as much as I can while I’m under his system.”

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Thurman was an assistant coach on a Baltimore Ravens team featuring future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed.

“They were my two favorite players growing up,” Correa said. “It’s crazy I’m being coached by one of their coaches. It’s surreal.”

Correa impressed during Saturday’s Divo Bowl, a UH scrimmage matching developing players. Out of a three-across zone, Correa jumped the flats to intercept a pass and raced to the end zone.

“I did my job,” Correa said. “When you do your job, Coach DT (Thurman) says plays will come your way.”

Freshman cornerback Jahren Altura also made two deflections out of man-to-man coverages. On one, Altura followed cornerbacks coach PJ Minaya’s instructions: gain leverage on the receiver, then track his hips. “And make a play on the ball,” Altura said.

Led by quarterback Hazyn Botelho, the offense drove for the tying touchdown. Botelho, a 2026 Kamehameha graduate, was a receiver converted to scout quarterback.

Botelho scrambled away from heat-seeking pass rushers and lofted a pass to slotback Diezel Kamoku for the touchdown.

The initial play was to spread the offense with multiple routes.

“I saw the linebacker was at my destination,” Kamoku said. “I scrambled with the quarterback.”

Botelho said: “The play broke down. I think I’m most comfortable when the play breaks down. I can use my legs a little bit and get out of the pocket. I saw Diezel coming across and I gave him a little floater. He did the rest.”

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