Hawaii Football: It’s time for a Rainbow Warriors comeback
By Dana Becker
Defense
To say Hawaii needed help on defense would be a drastic understatement. For the past several seasons, the Rainbow Warriors have been anything but warriors on that side of the ball.
It all came to a head last year, as Hawaii ranked 105th-or-worse in the nation in all six major defensive categories.
Despite all that, Jahlani Tavai was able to earn second team all-conference honors, recording 124 tackles. That included 5.5 sacks, and the linebacker will return to anchor the unit for defensive coordinator Corey Batoon.
Batoon comes from Florida Atlantic and is a Hawaii native. He was part of Lane Kiffin’s coaching staff that turned the Owls around in one season to Conference USA champions and a bowl victory.
Along with Tavai, Solomon Matautia is back after making 84 tackles and recording a team-high three interceptions, along with Jeremiah Pritchard. Hawaii reached deep into the junior college ranks to repair its defensive line, with Rojersterman Farri II and Eugene Ford returning to the secondary.
Getting enough stops
If Rolovich and company can get the offense on track, Hawaii’s defense will not need to be perfect. Instead, they’ll just have to get enough stops to be ahead on the scoreboard when the final horn sounds.
Back when the Rainbow Warriors were a Top-25 program, they had playmakers on the defensive side of the ball that would force turnovers and create problems. A return to that could result in a winning season for Rolovich and another bowl appearance.
If the defense is constantly beaten, it will be another long season on the big island.