Hawai‘i Football Ready For Mountain West Media Days In Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The University of Hawai’i football team will be represented by head coach Timmy Chang, quarterback Brayden Schager, and defensive back Peter Manuma at the annual Mountain West Football Media Days, July 10-11 at the Circa Resort in Las Vegas.
The two-day event has been annually held in Las Vegas and attracts dozens of media members who cover the Mountain West including several Hawai’i media outlets.
Timmy Chang
Head Coach, 3rd Season
Begins third season as head coach of his alma mater with an 8-18 career record
Also serves as OC and play caller of the Run-and-Shoot offense
Fourth-most tenured head coach in the Mountain West
Broke 13 career NCAA records as a quarterback (2000-04), including passing yards (17,072)
Brayden Schager
Quarterback, 6-3, 225, Senior
Dallas, Texas, Highland Park HS
Has 26 starts in 31 career games played, including a current streak of 22 straight
Ranks fifth all-time in program history in passing yards (6,505), sixth in total offense (6,565), and seventh in passing TDs (41)
Had six 300+ yard passing games in 2023
He and his sister founded the HP Buddy Bowl, an annual football event — which celebrated its seventh year in 2024 — in his hometown of Highland Park, Texas for special-needs youth
Peter Manuma
Safety, 6-0, 180, Junior
‘Ewa Beach, O’ahu, Campbell HS
Has made 21 consecutive starts at safety since entering the lineup in the fifth game of his freshman season in 2022
Led the team with 87 total tackles last season, including 5.5 for loss along with a team-best three interceptions
Earned All-Mountain West honorable mention honors in 2024
Named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week after recording a career-high 12 tackles and an interception in a home upset of Air Force
Played most of the 2022 season with a heavy heart following the death of his mother to cancer
Preseason Highlights
Head coach Timmy Chang begins his third season at his alma mater, where he has compiled an 8-18 career mark and 5-11 in Mountain West play.
Hawai’i returns nine starters on offense, six on defense, and one specialist.
Among the returning starters are five players who were selected to the Mountain West’s all-conference teams – WR Steven McBride, who was named to the second team and honorable mention selections WR Pofele Ashlock, DB Peter Manuma, QB Brayden Schager, and DB Cam Stone.
Ashlock was named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America team last season as well as to The Athletic’s Freshman All-America second-team. The Euless, Texas native led all FBS freshmen in receptions (83), was No. 2 in receiving yards (832), and No. 3 in TD receptions (9) and receiving yards per game (64.0).
Schager led the Mountain West in passing yards (3,542), passing touchdowns (26), and points responsible for (168) and ranked No. 2 in total offense (277.3 ypg).
McBride finished the season with a team-best 1,024 receiving yards which marked the 24th 1,000-yard season in UH history and the first by a Rainbow Warrior since 2019.
UH will play a 12-game schedule for the first time since 2017 (not counting 2020 COVID season). Five opponents played in bowl games last season and the Warriors will play the Mountain West’s last three champions – Boise State (2023), Fresno State (2022), and Utah State (2021).
UH will make five appearances on national television, including its ninth all-time appearance on a network station for the Aug. 31 home game against UCLA on CBS. It marks the program’s first appearance on network television since 2012 (at USC on FOX) and first home game on network television since 2005 (vs. Fresno State on ABC).
Three other games will be picked up by CBS Sports Network as part of the Mountain West’s television package — Oct. 5 at San Diego State (2:00 p.m. HT), Oct. 12 vs. Boise State (5:00 p.m. HT), and Nov. 9 vs. UNLV (4:00 p.m. HT) — while UH’s road game at Washington State, Oct. 19, will be broadcast on The CW, marking UH’s first-ever appearance on that network.
After playing all four of its rivalry trophy games in 2023 for the first time in program history, UH will play only one in 2024 — UNLV for the Island Showdown Trophy. The teams will meet Nov. 9 in Honolulu in a nationally televised game on CBS Sports Network.
UH will open the season against an FCS opponent (Delaware State) for the first time since 2009. Along with Delaware State, Northern Iowa is also on the schedule, marking the first time UH will play two FCS opponents in the same season since 2007. UH has won its last 19 games against FCS opponents dating back to 2001.
The coaching staff includes five new members — DC/CB coach Dennis Thurman, QB coach Dan Morrison, OL coach Derek Faavi, DT coach Jeff Reinebold, and SAF coach Nick Locher. Thurman, Morrison, and Reinebold have a combined 119 years of coaching experience.
The 2024 season marks the fourth season that Hawai’i will play its home games at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex. UH has an 11-9 all-time record at Ching Complex.
Schedule Notes
UH will play a 12-game slate for the first time since 2017 (not counting 2020 COVID season).
Five opponents played in bowl games last season — UCLA, Boise State, Fresno State, UNLV, and Utah State.
The Warriors will play the Mountain West’s last three champions – Boise State (2023), Fresno State (2022), and Utah State (2021).
UH opens with Delaware State, marking the first time an HBCU team will travel to Hawai’i since Grambling in 1976.
UH will play two FCS opponents in the same season — Delaware State and Northern Iowa — for the first time since 2007.
UH and UCLA will play in Honolulu for the first time since 1939.
UH has three bye weeks (Weeks 2, 5, 13).
With the Mountain West’s new scheduling agreement with Washington State and Oregon State, WSU replaces Air Force on UH’s schedule.
UH and Wazzu will meet for the first time in Pullman. The teams’ last meeting in 2009 was played in Seattle.
UH will look to snap a nine-game losing streak to Boise State and a seven-game losing streak to Utah State.
Trophy Games
UH will play one of its four rivalry trophy games in 2024 — UNLV for the Island Showdown Trophy. The teams will meet Nov. 9 in Honolulu in a nationally televised game on CBS Sports Network.
UH played all four of its rivalry trophy games in 2023, marking the first time in program history the team played all four in the same season.
UH currently has possession of one rivalry trophy, the Kuter Trophy by virtue of a 27-13 win over Air Force last season in Honolulu.
Home Away From Home
The 2024 season marks UH’s fourth home season at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex, which has a seating capacity of 15,194.
UH is scheduled to move into the new Aloha Stadium in 2028. The old Aloha Stadium served as Hawai’i’s home stadium from 1975-2020.
UH has a 11-9 (.550) all-time record in Ching Complex. Hawai’i went 4-2 in its inaugural season of 2021; finished with a 3-4 mark in 2022; and were 4-3 last season.
Coaching Shuffle
The coaching staff went through a make-over during the offseason with the addition of five new full-time assistant coaches — DC/CB coach Dennis Thurman, QB coach Dan Morrison, OL coach Derek Faavi, DT coach Jeff Reinebold, and SAF coach Nick Locher.
The new staff have a combined 140 years of coaching experience led by Morrison (43), Reinebold (41), and Thurman (34).
Morrison and Reinebold are making returns trips to Manoa. Morrison was on the UH staff from 1999-2007 while Reinebold is in his third stop after stints in 2005-07 and ’22.
Thurman was part of the Colorado staff in 2023. Prior to that, he was defensive coordinator at Jackson State from 2020-22, where he guided a Top 10 defense in FCS.
Faavi, a former UH lineman, has 16 years of experience, including the last two seasons as an analyst at USC.
Locher was a graduate assistant last season.