Arizona Football: What to expect from Hawaii in week one

There is no reason for the Arizona Football team to over look this 2019 Hawaii Football squad, when they begin the season next weekend!

Many go to Hawaii to take in the sandy beaches, the clear blue water, along with the natural and peaceful beauty on land and the seas. However, for the Arizona Football team, this is a business trip, as they need to remain focused on the task at hand, which is starting the season off 1-0.

Get caught being distracted by the location and trip itself, and Arizona will surely lose to a solid Hawaii team. With that said, here is what to expect from the Hawaii Warriors just ahead of the start to 2019.

Arizona Wildcats

Led by Nick Rolovich who is now in his fourth year as head coach, the Warriors will surely be looking for more consistency this season. In 2018, Rolovich saw his Warriors get off to a 6-1 start, but faltered down the stretch as they finished the year 2-5, 8-6 overall.

In his four seasons in Hawaii, Rolovich has compiled an 18-22 record overall and looks to improve his record, especially against a Pac-12 heavy non-conference schedule which includes both Oregon State, Washington and our very own, Arizona Wildcats.

In order to have a successful season, Hawaii will rely on their quarterback Cole McDonald who threw for 3,875 yards along with 36 touchdowns. This was his first year as the starter at quarterback. McDonald will look to improve upon those numbers entering his junior season.

They will also look to rely on the veteran leadership of their defense who returns just about every one for the 2019 season. They look to build upon their already solid pass rush and run defense, while also limiting the amount of big plays given up as they ranked 118th in that category last year.

What does this all mean for Arizona Football heading into week one? It means that their offensive line will be tested right out of the gate, as the Hawaii pass rush looks to get after Khalil Tate and make it difficult for him to sit in the pocket and read the defense.

Also it will be crucial for the Wildcats to get their MVP of last season going early in J.J. Taylor. Hawaii is confident in their run defense and nothing would demoralize them more than a run game that is hard to stop.

With a strong run game it would also open up the play action pass and allow Arizona to test the secondary on Hawaii’s defense, who allowed one big play after another last season. This could be a great opening act for Jamarye Joiner whose speed and athleticism could create problems at receiver, paired with the speed of Stanley Berryhill III and we could potentially see a lot of big plays from this Wildcat offense.

We also can’t forget about the defense of the Wildcats who will be tasked with stopping Cole McDonald. The Wildcats will have to rely on the leadership of linebacker Colin Schooler who looks to have another impressive season in 2019, along with the continued improvement from he corners on the outside in Jace Whittaker and Lorenzo Burns.

No-one said it would be easy for the Wildcats this year, but momentum is a powerful force in sports and it all starts with getting a win against the Hawaii Warriors on August 24th. As fans, we can do our part and tune in to watch our Wildcats play as they look to shock the Pac-12 this season. As always Bear Down and Go Cats!