In a mall-like map, the University of Hawaii football team is here:

1. Special teams

The Rainbow Warriors are yielding 25.75 “hidden” yards per game — a distance factoring where the ball would be if not for a penalty or mistake on special teams.

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But the errors have been magnified because of their uniqueness. In the opener against Stanford, an inadvertent fair catch buried the Warriors at their 6. Four plays later, Gehrig Heil’s punt out of the end zone was blocked for a safety.

UH’s JuJu Smith was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty against UNLV, retreating the Warriors to their 11. The following week against New Mexico State, a delay of game moved back the point-after kick 5 yards. The PAT failed.

And in this past Saturday’s road game against Wyoming, the Warriors were called for holds on a punt and a kickoff return, as well as an identical-number violation that gave the Cowboys a fresh set of downs. The Cowboys then drove 85 yards to complete a 99-yard touchdown possession.

An injury to linebacker Jamih Otis resulted in the Warriors’ having two No. 8 players on the punt-return unit. As the usual practice, when the Warriors make a third-down stop, the defensive players remain on the field. It was overlooked that Matteus Ioane, Otis’ injury replacement, had the same jersey number as returner Tama Uiliata.

“It was just a miscommunication,” special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield said. “I take responsibility. It is what it is. We learn from it and move on.”

The two holds came after UH blockers were bowled over by Wyoming’s coverage team. The penalty on the kickoff return forced the Warriors to start the drive at their 7.

“It’s one of those things where you have to hold your ground,” UH head coach Timmy Chang said. When guys they’re blocking go through them, and they fall off, it’s interpreted as grabbing and falling and holding, in that sense. They’re going to call that every time.Those two calls did put us back in field position, (one) at the 7-yard line, which is detrimental when you’re talking about field position in a game of efficiency.”

Sheffield said: “They’re 18- to 22-year-old kids who are going to make mistakes here and there. We’ve just got to keep coaching them and making them better.”

Sheffield said all the penalties are fixable.

“It’s how you respond rather than react,” Sheffield said. “We’re not going to be a team that reacts. ‘We’re going to be a team that responds. We’re going to be a coaching staff that responds and not reacts. And we’re going to focus on taking the lessons learned, not just from Saturday, but Monday through Saturday, and continue to coach our butts off and have our players give everything they have.”

2. Slow starts

In the first two games, the Warriors opened with back-to-back three-and-out series. Against New Mexico State, the Warriors went 64 yards on eight plays, capped by DeVon Rice’s 7-yard touchdown. But a delay of game in setting up the PAT led to a missed kick. Against Wyoming, the Warriors advanced to the 10, stalled and settled for a field goal.

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The Warriors have managed nine points on their four opening drives. They have been outscored 17-12 in the first quarter.

“It’s going down there and finishing drives,” Chang said. “It starts with me. We’ve got to put the guys in the right position.”

The Warriors also have lacked punch on first down, when they average 2.9 yards per rush and 4.34 yards overall. In turn, they are allowing 5.9 yards per first-down rush and 7.5 overall.

The Warriors have scored on 68.8% drives in the red zone while allowing 85.7%

“We were one of the top red-zone offenses last year,” Chang said. “But that’s last year. This year it’s a new thing. The red zone is still the same. Scheme, game planning, all these different things, matching up against defenses, those will continue to be the chess battle. We’ve got to go out there and execute and put the ball in the end zone.”

3. Deep
problems

Last season, QB1 Micah Alejado connected on 35% of his deep passes (airborne for at least 20 yards from the line of scrimmage). This year, UH has connected on 18.8% of deep passes.

Part of the problem is the schemes UH faces. Opponents have dropped eight into coverage with a deceptive man-to-man. Teams often will clutter the deep patterns with safeties and the nickelback providing help.

The Warriors’ top deep threats last year, wideouts Jackson Harris and Brandon White, transferred. In all, the Warriors have had to replace the four starting receivers.

Injuries also have been factors. Transfers Robert Haynes suffered a season-ending injury in training camp and Tre’ Griffiths has missed the past two games because of an ankle injury. The wideouts have one reception on 10 deep targets. Alejado also missed contact drills in spring ball while recovering from injuries.

“We’re still trying to get the timing down, we’re still trying to build that connection with Micah every day,” wideout Carson Brown said. “It’s gradually going.”

Receivers coach Jared Ursua said: “There’s a connectivity that’s needed that we haven’t established yet. That’s what we’ve got to focus on. That Micah can throw to a spot and the (wideout) is going to show up, that he’s going to beat his guy. There’s a certain level of confidence (needed) in how we do what we do and where we do it.”

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