Tylan Hines scored on a 44-yard punt return and Jonah Panoke just missed blocking two punts. But what made the Hawaii football team rock on Saturday night was the roll. In the season-opening 35-14 victory over Delaware State, the Rainbow Warriors dominated the field-position battle.
The Hornets’ average start to a drive was their 20 following a Lucas Borrow punt. Three DSU possessions began inside the 10. “Lucas Borrow is unbelievable, and I think everyone could see that (on Saturday) night,” UH special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield said.
“It’s the way he controls the football, and puts it where we need it. ..
. Coach (Timmy) Chang really wanted somebody who could put the ball inside the 10 consistently. (Borrow) did it three times.
I felt it was more than we did the last three years.” Borrow’s first two punts traveled 55 and 50 yards. He averaged 44.
0 yards per punt, a statistics aided by the bounce or roll after the football touched down. His punts averaged an additional 10.1 yards per roll.
After the 2023 season, Matthew Shipley, who handled the placekicking and punting, transferred to Arkansas. While Sheffield and Chang appreciated Ben Falck’s powerful right leg on kickoffs, they sought a punter who “could control the ball.” The Warriors believed the answer would come from Down Under.
James “Thor” Rendell, one of the prized alumni of Prokick Australia, committed to the Rainbow Warriors in May. But a couple of weeks later, Rendell changed his de.