Reardon: Hawaii continues penchant for penalties

RENO, Nev. — The University of Hawaii football team’s performance late in the first half of Saturday’s game at Nevada made folks think back to days past. 

And we’re not talking about glory days.

Penalty flags flew nearly as much as the dark blue and silver confetti at Mackay Stadium. There were 11 infractions against Hawaii, for 114 yards.

UH’s meltdown in the final minutes before the break in its 35-21 loss to the Wolf Pack was reminiscent of two years ago here, a loss that was one of the final chapters of the four years of futility under Norm Chow.

And as it was two years ago, it was a decisive turning point. Penalties and other mistakes in the final minutes before the break turned momentum to Nevada and Hawaii never recovered.

That’s what happened this time, too, as UH lost — and lost decisively — to a team that came into the game without a win all season in five tries.

This wasn’t supposed to happen under Nick Rolovich, who breathed life back into the listless program with a bowl game in his first season last year.

But the honeymoon is over, and Saturday’s breakdown was surreal and nearly unbelievable. But only nearly, because Hawaii fans have become numb to this team’s penchant for penalties.

“(It’s been) the theme of the season for us,” UH offensive coordinator Brian Smith said. “We shoot ourselves in the foot a lot with penalties. There were some sacks in this game. Some that were self-inflicted, some where we got beat. But that was the nature of the offense today. It was penalties, it was getting ourselves into long yardage that made it hard to convert third downs.”

This time the fatal flaw that turned the game was five infractions in one set of downs. They included a holding penalty that negated an 84-yard touchdown run by Diocemy Saint Juste that would’ve given Hawaii a 21-14 lead with less than two minutes left to the break.

Of course the recurring nightmare of penalties and more penalties wasn’t the only problem for the Rainbow Warriors. There was also that inability to get the opponents’ offense off the field on third down. That’s another reason why UH now has four losses in a row.

And let’s not forget turnovers. The UH defense finally came up with one, for the first time after none in three games. But the opportunity Rojesterman Farris II’s interception provided was frittered away when UH gave up the ball on Dru Brown’s fumble.

Hawaii was short a man with the resignation this week of offensive line coach Chris Naeole. But it seemed more like the Rainbow Warriors were short of players. At many times it looked like the UH defense was playing eight-man football while its opponents had the normal number of 11.

The defense regularly gave up huge chunks of yards, totaling 566. There was a distinct lack of outside containment on many of the gash plays.

“There should be a force defender on every play,” Rolovich said. “And they had a good offensive plan.”

Losing Naeole meant extra duty for Smith, who along with graduate assistant John Estes coached the offensive linemen (Smith is also the running backs coach).

Rolovich and other coaches and players said they thought they were ready for this game, despite the distraction and adjustments that had to be made with Naeole’s departure.

But, regardless the reason, it was obvious the Wolf Pack were better prepared, and motivated to perform against their former offensive coordinator.

Rolovich was on the other side of that late first-half Hawaii meltdown in 2015, his final season at Nevada before taking over at his alma mater.

That similarity to what went down here two years ago is apparently too much for some fans, who proclaimed on social media that they’re following Naeole out the door, at least for this season.

You can say what you want about them for their lack of patience and loyalty, because there’s a lot to like about this team, such as the electric play of Saint Juste and receiver John Ursua, and the refreshing energy and passion of Rolovich.

But it’s hard for anyone to watch when the positive efforts are derailed by avoidable mistakes made over and over again.