Warrior Bowl Today, Darius Bright

HawaiiAthletics.com has a preview of today's Warrior Bowl, the last practice of the spring.

The University of Hawai‘i football team will host the “Warrior Bowl,” the team’s final spring scrimmage Friday, April 30, at the Clarence T.C. Ching Field. An autograph session will be held from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., with a practice and intrasquad scrimmage to follow at 7:00 p.m.

The format for the Warrior Bowl has changed this year. Beginning at 7:00 p.m., the Warriors will conduct warm-ups before playing in a controlled scrimmage which will include a set amount of plays and no clock. Teams will not be split, but instead the scrimmage will pit the offense versus the defense. The format will allow the coaches to work on situational plays and better assess the top units as spring practice comes to a close.

Jason Kaneshiro previews the scrimmage.

"There'll be some smack-talking," Austin said. "There's definitely guys who are competitive on both sides of the ball. It'll be fun, there'll be some sparks flying."

The Warriors have 116 players on the spring roster and will have to make room for about 25 newcomers to get to the fall-camp limit of 105.

"To these guys it's all competition and a lot of them are competing for jobs," UH head coach Greg McMackin said, "competing to make the 105 to go to fall, competing for their own positions. I think that's why we've had a good attitude out there, everyone's competing for their job."

Ferd Lewis writes the UH coaches have a "good" problem regarding receiver Darius Bright.

They'd like to redshirt Bright and start his two-year eligibility clock in 2011 when they will be without Kealoha Pilares and Greg Salas, among other receivers.

But Bright is 6 feet, 5 inches and blessed with good hands and speed, a package the Warriors haven't exactly had in abundance on the outside. "A lot of teams started playing us man on the outside and a guy like him out there makes it tough to do that," Lee said.

Said offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich, "the way he's played is going to force us to make some decisions."