Make no mistake about it, Norm Chow’s hire has brought a new found enthusiasm to the Warrior football program that has been absent since June Jones left the UH to take the Southern Methodist job in 2008. I expect this team to be much improved from a discipline and coaching standpoint in 2012 but the schedule will make the season a daunting task nonetheless. Not only the tough schedule but the change in scheme will take some time for the players to adjust to as well. Hawaii has been running the run and shoot offense since 1999 and even ran a version of it in the post June Jones era. From a personnel standpoint, Hawaii is still has a run and shoot team and it will be a process in getting this team from a personnel standpoint to run Norm’s pro-style offense at a high level. I think Hawaii still has the ability to surprise some teams in 2012 and by seasons end could be a very dangerous team that no one will want to play in a bowl game. Here’s the Hawaii Warriors 2012 schedule and my game by game predictions with spring ball already having begun.
9/1/12 @Southern California- With a new scheme in place and considering the trojans are poised to be a preseason top 10 team, this is not the game Hawaii needed to start off its 2012 campaign with. Still this will be an intruguing matchup with Norm Chow going up against his former team. I look for Hawaii to struggle offensively for the first month or so of the season as it makes the adjustment to the pro-style offense. With that said, here is my prediction:
Hawaii 17
USC 38
9/15/12 Lamar- This is the game that would have been perfect as the season opener for the Warriors heading into the Norm Chow era. This will be a game where this offense will have a chance to make some big plays and gain some confidence early in the season. Lamar is a decent FCS team but will have its work cut out for themselves making the trek from Texas to Aloha Stadium to take on the Warriors. Here is my prediction:
Lamar 14
Hawaii 38
9/22/12 Nevada- The Warriors will open their inaugural season in the Mountain West against the defending Western Athletic Conference champion Nevada Wolfpack. The pack had a lot of question marks heading into their 2011 season after their best quarterback in program history, Colin Kaepernick, completed his eligibility and is now a member of the San Francisco 49′ers. Nevada thinks they found the air apparent in sophomore signal caller Cody Fajardo who is coming off a solid 2011 campeign. Nevada still has never won in Honolulu and even their best team in program history lost at Hawaii in 2010 (21-27.) Hawaii will be a confident team coming off their win against Lamar but Nevada is a much tougher team. With that said, here is my prediction:
Nevada 21
Hawaii 28
9/29/12 @BYU- The cougars are coming off a big bowl win against Tulsa in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces bowl. Their final regular season game in 2011 was at Aloha Stadium against Hawaii and the cougars were able to come back from a 13-7 halftime deficit and beat the Warriors 41-20. The Warriors will have to travel to Provo this season for a return non-conference game. Hawaii has not fared very well against the cougs in Provo but will try to buck that trend. This will be another homecoming of sorts for Norm Chow as he goes up against his former team. Here is my prediction:
Hawaii 16
BYU 35
10/6/12 @San Diego State- Things do not get any easier for Hawaii as they have to travel to play the Aztecs in San Diego after a most likely tough game in Provo against BYU. San Diego State will be an upper echelon Mountain West team and will be tough to beat at home. Here is my prediction:
Hawaii 24
San Diego St. 31
10/13/12 New Mexico- The Lobos will be just what the doctor ordered after a long and arduous road trip for the Hawaii Warriors. New Mexico has been a bottom feeder in the Mountain West for the past several seasons. It has also been one of the ten worst programs in the country. This could be Hawaii’s coming out party at home. Here’s my prediction:
New Mexico 10
Hawaii 44
10/27/12 @Colorado State- Fort Collins, Colorado was never an easy place for Hawaii to travel to and play in the old WAC. A decade later, the status quo remains. The only difference is, Hawaii has a better program. Still, playing in altitude has always been an issue for the Warriors. Here is my prediction:
Hawaii 21
Colorado St. 17
11/3/12 @Fresno State- The Warriors have two back to back road games on their schedule unlike most teams in the nation. It’s tough enough the Warriors have to travel all the way across the Pacific Ocean to play their road games but the Mountain West conference apparently does not care. The Warriors and Bulldogs will meet, as rivals, for the first time in the MWC. Bulldog stadium will be the location of the first meeting in the conference. Hawaii has won the last three match-ups between the teams in Bulldog Stadium (2006 W 68-37, 2008 W 32-29 OT, 2010 W 49-27.) The strange thing is most of these games are close in Honolulu but it has been the complete opposite in Fresno. Here is my prediction:
Hawaii 30
Fresno St. 28
11/10/12 Boise State- After a one year hiatus, the Warriors and Broncos will meet in BSU’s final season in the MWC. Boise State will be leaving for the Big East starting in the 2013 season. These two teams have played some great games over the years particularly in Honolulu. The Broncos have developed into a national power and the Warriors were on their way until June Jones left after the 2008 Sugar Bowl. Norm Chow looks to get Hawaii back while the Broncos are already a national mainstay. Boise State may be a bit vulnerable after the loss of dynamic quarterback Kellen Moore but they have enough talent waiting in the wings to still be more than formidable. Here is my prediction:
Boise St. 34
Hawaii 21
11/17/12 @Air Force- Hawaii fans have to be saying sheesh. This is another example of the MWC saying “welcome to our conference” sending the Warriors to Colorado Springs, Colorado in mid-November. Hawaii could play it’s first game in the snow in a long time. Combine that with the fact that Air Force has a pretty good program and this could turn out to be a very difficult game for Norm Chow’s Warriors. Here is my prediction:
Hawaii 17
Air Force 27
11/24/12 UNLV- The Warriors will have revenge on their minds. UNLV has become Hawaii’s whipping boys in recent seasons but in a non-conference match-up between the two in September of 2011, the Rebels turned the tide. The heavy favored Warriors lost in stunning fashion as the Greg McMackin coached Warriors started slow and finished even slower losing, 40-20 to the Rebels in Las Vegas. The Warriors will look to remind the Rebles who the better program is in this first MWC meeting between the two schools. Here’s my prediction:
UNLV 13
Hawaii 38
12/2/12 South Alabama- The Jaguars of the FCS will be transitioning to the FBS in 2012. Because of this, this game will be considered an FBS game that will count towards bowl eligibility for the Warriors if they can win. Here’s my prediction:
South Alabama 7
Hawaii 45
2012 overall record: 7-5 (5-3 MWC)
I see Norm Chow’s first season being a success as he will transition a team from a 4 wide offense to a more traditional pro-style offense and go up against a tough schedule and still manage to get the Warriors to a bowl game. Norm will have Warriors fans extremely excited about Hawaii football again heading into the off-season. I look for the Warriors to be much improved in 2013. 2013 will be Norm’s payoff year. Give Chow a full season to recruit and he will have this program back on the map in no time. I see the Warriors competing for an MWC title and double digit season in 2013.
