MIKE EDWARDS, CORNERBACK/KICKOFF RETURNER
Edwards was rated as high as the No. 21 high school cornerback in the country and began his career at Tennessee. He transferred to a junior college, redshirted and landed at Hawaii last year for what coach Norm Chow called “a second chance.”
“Just being out here with people who accept you for who you are has been a heck of a blessing and a heck of an opportunity,” Edwards said.
And he’s seizing it.
Edwards leads the Mountain West with 13 pass breakups (oddly, without an interception) and ranks second in kickoff returns with a 29.3-yard average and two touchdowns.
“I feel like I’ve played good, but there’s always room for improvement,” he said. “I’m not just trying to be good. I’m trying eventually to be great.”
SEAN SCHROEDER, QUARTERBACK
Schroeder spent three years on the roster at Duke but never played in a game. He met with coach David Cutcliffe in the spring and decided to transfer. Cutclife connected him with Hawaii coach Norm Chow.
“It feels good to play football again, that’s for sure,” Schroeder said.
He was able to play without sitting out a year under NCAA transfer rules because he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in three years. He’s in a master’s program at Hawaii.
Games have been a struggle — Schroeder has nine touchdown passes, nine interceptions and a 51.6 percent completion rate. Still, Chow calls him a “life-saver” because the Warriors didn’t have a solid QB.
“We’ve had some trouble with protection,” Chow said. “He’s taken a pretty good beating. … I’d like him to anticipate a little better.”
WILL GREGORY AND JOEY IOSEFA, RUNNING BACKS
Gregory, a redshirt freshman, leads the team with 561 rushing yards at 5.0 yards per carry.
Iosefa, a sophomore, has come on strong recently and ranks second with 238 yards at 3.8 yards per carry.
They are an instrumental part of Norm Chow’s pro-style offense, which has achieved near-perfect balance in its playcalling — 279 runs, 283 throws.
Gregory and Iosefa will face a Boise State defense that has been somewhat vulnerable to power-run attacks. The Broncos allowed 164 yards at 3.8 yards per carry last week against San Diego State.
The balanced attack is a huge departure from the pass-happy run-and-shoot offense of June Jones and Greg McMackin.
“We need to be a very strong, tough, physical football team,” Chow said.
