Sidelines
It’s Chang’s turn to
step it up a notch
WE forget that Nick Rolovich was perfect for one game.
The rest of the time he looked like, well, he looked pretty much like this.He looked a lot like what we're seeing right now.
But we forget that, over time and with the wins and that one perfect game.
He was a slow starter, at this point last season. He struggled sometimes. There were a lot of yards, but interceptions, too. Balls sailed on him. Drives stalled. He had to try again and again and again to finally find that rhythm. He made you crazy, then, before he pulled it out at the end of the game.
It wasn't always pretty. But then at that moment in time, no one expected Rolo to be pretty. Not the way we do now, with his successor Timmy Chang.
We've forgotten what it looked like before that perfect game against BYU.
It was a gradual process. Even in one of his greatest triumphs, a win over nationally ranked Fresno State, Rolovich couldn't execute the offense, couldn't grasp the coverage, not at first. He threw two picks in the third quarter.
He had something about him, something special, but something was missing, too. It could be frustrating to watch.
It looked a lot like what we're seeing now.
But then came that fourth quarter.
Good coaches adjust. And against Fresno State, June Jones simplified his space-aged offense down to this in the final minutes: "Throw it to Ashley, and he will catch it."
And Ashley Lelie did, that night. Three impossible grabs that made all the difference.
Rolovich was a hero after that Fresno State game. It was incredible. Even then he wasn't perfect, not yet, not even close, but he was headed in the right direction.
Who does this for Chang now? Who can bail him out if the magic just isn't happening? Who can lock in on a ball headed high or out of bounds and just go get it?
Chad Owens is the Hawaii receiver who has made some spectacular efforts. But thus far, those impossible catches have tended to elude him, slipping from his fingers as he slams to the turf.
But Hawaii is winning because of defense, just like last year. Remember? The offensive fireworks didn't come until the end.
Today at Boise, this Hawaii team plays its big game. The timing feels familiar. This is Chang's Fresno State.
I see him doing just enough to win. Not perfect yet. Not even close. But then, this is what it looked like last year. And you remember how that turned out.
Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com